21 June 2012 - In celebration of the 114th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine independence, the Philippine Embassy in Beijing hosted the soft launch of a photo exhibit entitled "Mirth of the Islands," last June 15.
Featuring a collection of 30 photographs taken in Samar and Leyte by seven members of the Philippine Overseas Photographers in Beijing (POP-Beijing), the exhibit highlighted the joie de vivre of the Filipino people and dovetailed with the new campaign of the Department of Tourism "It's More Fun in the Philippines."
Over a hundred people from the Filipino and expatriate community came to view the exhibit. Members of the diplomatic corps and officials of the Chinese government were also in attendance.
"If a picture paints a thousand words, we hope that what our Chinese friends will learn this afternoon about the Filipinos are that we are a warm and friendly people, optimistic about the future, always greeting life with laughter, ready to extend a hand of friendship. The pictures also highlight the value that the Filipinos and Chinese share: harmony with family, community and nature," said Mr. Alex Chua, the Embassy's Charge d' Affaires.
Mr. Chua added that this photo exhibit will travel across China in 2012 and 2013, which have been declared by President Benigno S. Aquino III and President Hu Jintao as Philippines-China Years of Friendly Exchanges.
An interesting additional attraction during the soft launch of the exhibit were the performances of two unique artists, Ms. Annie Luis, a Filipino scholar studying Peking Opera, and Ms. Liu Yang, a Chinese violinist who recently completed her masteral studies in musicology with a special focus on Philippine music.
Ms. Liu Yang played "Sarong Banggi" and "Itik-Itik" to the delight of the Pinoys in the crowd. Ms. Luis, on the other hand, enthralled the audience with Filipino traditional songs like "Sa Kabukiran" and "Ikaw ang Minamahal Ko" as well as the patriotic song "Bayan Ko," to which Filipinos in the audience sang along.
The visitors of the exhibit were treated to some Filipino dishes, such as pansit, embotido, and lumpiang shanghai, and had the opportunity to win two round-trip tickets to Manila, courtesy of Cebu Pacific Air.
On June 12, the Embassy kicked off its Independence Day celebrations with a flag raising program, followed by the reading of the messages of President Benigno S. Aquino III, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario, and Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory Domingo.
