THE MESSAGE . BRINGING INTO FOCUS FILIPINO PRESENCE IN AUSTRALIA www . kalatas . com . au | Volume 7 Number 6 | MARCH 2017 ARTS , ENTERTAINMENT & CULTURE
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THE MESSAGE . BRINGING INTO FOCUS FILIPINO PRESENCE IN AUSTRALIA www . kalatas . com . au | Volume 7 Number 6 | MARCH 2017 ARTS , ENTERTAINMENT & CULTURE
11
ASEAN AT NATIONAL MULTICULTURAL FESTIVAL 2017
Philippine Embassy showcase culture , tourism
In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ( ASEAN ) this year , all the Diplomatic Missions of ASEAN Member States in Canberra took part in the 2017 National Multicultural Festival together under one cluster of stalls aptly named the “ ASEAN Village .”
By : Marilie Bomediano
Philippine Ambassador to Australia Minda Calaguian- Cruz said “ it was great to stage the event ”, a yearly activity that provides the opportunity for commities to showcase their respective cultures .
“ The Philippines has a booth was showcasing particularly some sites of the country in tandem also with the ASEAN , the countries among the region composed of ten counties .
“ The Philippines is now the Chair for ASEAN for the whole year of 2017 , therefore we will be chairing all the meetings of the ASEAN . This is a very good opportunity to showcase ASEAN .”
Crowds visited the
Philippine booth that featured tourism destination .
“ The Philippines is not too far from Australia . We have a lot of dive sites and eco adventure locations , we have a lot of shopping venues and various food in different regions .
“ It is an opportunity for investors because we have quite a number of Touristic destinations and they need more improvements so if there are investors wanting to put in money to improve and expand our facilities , this would be a great opportunity .
The ASEAN Village showcased a wide range of tourism destinations , cultural performances , culinary delights , fashion and much more from Brunei Darussalam , Cambodia , Indonesia , Lao PDR , Malaysia , Myanmar , Philippines , Singapore , Thailand , and Viet Nam . Founded in 1967 , ASEAN today is accelerating economic growth , social progress and cultural development through a partnership for peace and progress in the region .
ASEAN has a combined population of more than 629 million with a rich diversity of heritage , culture and peoples . A dynamic economic powerhouse of Asia , the combined ASEAN economy is Australia ’ s second largest trading partner and one of the fastest growing regions in the world .
In partnership with the Philippine Department of Tourism Office in Sydney and Cebu Pacific , the Philippine booth successfully launched an interactive campaign that offered a free round-trip ticket from Sydney to Puerto Princesa to a lucky visitor among those who took selfies on the super wall and posted on Facebook and Instagram with the approved hashtags . The ASEAN Village Opening Ceremony included performers representing the Philippines , namely the Philippine Cultural Society , the Rondanihan string ensemble , and the Wells Garden R & B Band .
The Philippines is not too far from Australia . We have a lot of dive sites and eco adventure locations , we have a lot of shopping venues and various food in different regions .
Seniors ' Corner
By Nards PURISIMA
Seniors celebrate Valentine ’ s Day
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