2 July 2010--The Philippine Consulate General in Guangzhou reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that Consul General Joselito A. Jimeno led the officers and staff of the Consulate in welcoming the Chinese local officials headed by Guangdong Executive Vice-Governor Xiao Zhiheng, Guangzhou Executive Vice-Mayor Wu Yimin, the members of the Consular Corps, prominent Filipino and Chinese businessmen, as well as distinguished guests from the academe, media, the travel sector and leaders of Filipino community associations at a dinner reception to celebrate the 112th Anniversary of the Declaration of the Philippine Independence last 11 June 2010 at the Magnolia-Begonia Hall of the Garden Hotel.
In his message, the Consul General lauded the robust bilateral relations between the Philippines and China which stemmed from the deep resolve of its leaders to continuously enhance and intensify it further as manifested through the constant high-level exchange of visits. The Consul General, likewise, expressed appreciation for Guangdong Province's distinctive role in the growth of bilateral trade between the two countries, as close to 30% of trade volume is with Guangdong province. The Consul General also took the opportunity to call for the continued support and cooperation of government officials of the various provinces within Post's jurisdiction, and together to further contribute in promoting closer bilateral relations not only in trade, investment, and tourism, but also in culture and education.
Executive Vice Governor Xiao, on the other hand, stated that ever since the two countries established diplomatic ties 35 years ago, bilateral relations have been developing efficiently and is continuously generating remarkable achievements. He further mentioned that as one of the nearest Chinese provinces to the Philippines, Guangdong has always maintained close and friendly exchanges and would continue to collaborate with the Philippines to further the existing relations in wider areas of cooperation. The Executive Vice Governor, further, expressed gratitude and appreciation to the Philippine Consulate for the concluded sister-province relationship between Cebu and Guangdong in November 2009.
A video on Philippine tourism was shown before the start of the program. A sumptuous array of food prepared by the Garden Hotel and the Philippine Chefs of Fort Ilocandia and Fontana was then served, while the Zuniega Piano Trio, composed of Mr. Greg Zuniega, Mr. Hercules Santiago and Mr. Noel Singcuenco performed a mixture of Philippine folk and contemporary, Chinese pop and European classical music.
FilCom Event: On 12 June 2010, an exclusive All-Filipino Mass attended by 150 Filipinos was offered by the Philippine Consulate General. Guest Priest Rev. Fr. Enrique Y. Santos of Santo Niño Parish in Tondo, Manila con-celebrated the Holy Mass with Rev. Fr. John Peng at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Mass readings were delivered by Consulate officers. Consul General Joselito A. Jimeno led the officers and staff of the Consulate in the offering of flowers, fruits and wines.
After the Mass, all Filipino parishioners as well as members of the Filipino community in Guangzhou partook of a simple lunch of Philippine dishes which were served at the Social Hall of the Cathedral. The Philippine Consulate distributed leaflets containing Independence Day messages of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and DFA Secretary Alberto G. Romulo to all Filipinos present at the occasion. Consul General Jimeno, in his remarks, reminded all Filipinos to conduct themselves properly at all times, warned them of the consequences of overstaying/illegally staying in China, and enjoined everyone to be extra vigilant against involvement of Philippine nationals in drug-smuggling.
Philippine Food Festival: The opening ceremony of the Philippine Food Festival was held on 12 June 2010 at the Cascade Restaurant of the Garden Hotel.
The Philippine Food festival, which started on 11 June 2010 and will run until 30 June 2010, was organized by the Guangzhou PCG in coordination with the Garden Hotel, Fort Ilocandia Hotel and Fontana Leisure Parks.
Consul General Jimeno, in his remarks, mentioned the varied tastes of Filipino indigenous cuisine coming from 7,100 islands, fourteen regions, and 81 provinces as well as foreign influences of Spanish, Chinese, Indian and American cooking. He then expressed gratitude and appreciation for the dedicated efforts of the Garden Hotel, Fort Ilocandia Hotel and Fontana Leisure Parks for the support and contribution to the food festival, as well as to the sponsors, namely: Cebu Pacific Air, San Miguel Brewery and the China-Philippine Chamber of Commerce for supporting the event.