FEALAC Update
 

 22 January 2004 – The Department of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with other government instrumentalities, as well as the private sector and the academe has gone all out in its efforts to make the Filipino public more aware of the Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC).  Several programs have been
undertaken to prepare the Philippines for the converging of two regions in Manila and Tagaytay City on 28-31 January 2004 for FEALAC’s Sixth Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM VI) and Second Forein Ministers’ Meeting (FMM II), in what is one of the country’s most significant international events for the year.
 
 

The City of Tagaytay, which will be hosting the FEALAC Ministerial retreat, in cooperation with the Department of Education’s Division of City Schools for Tagaytay will host an On-the-Spot Painting Contest on Sunday 25 January 2004 at the Lake Garden Hotel.

The contest will be guided with the theme “FEALAC: A Vision for East Asia and Latin America Convergence” and will be participated in by 50 students from among Tagaytay’s public and private schools.  The contest will be divided into two (2) categories for the intermediate and high school levels.  Known artists and respected residents of Tagaytay such as Popo San Pascual, and Buboy Yonzon, among others have been invited to judge the artworks of the students.  The DFA provided the participating schools information materials on FEALAC and its member-countries, thus not only appealing to the creativity of the students, but also educating them on this budding inter-hemispheric grouping.

When the Foreign Ministers of the FEALAC member-countries come to Tagaytay on the 30th of January for their ministerial retreat, the winners of the on-the-spot painting contest will be ceremonially presented to them.  This will highlight to our partner-countries in the FEALAC organization the Philippines’ efforts in expanding the world vision of our young students as well as the government’s efforts in promoting awareness on FEALAC among Filipinos in general.

The Philippine Academic Consortium for Latin American Studies (PACLAS) organized today, 22 January 2004, a roundtable discussion entitled, “Revitalizing Philippines-Latin America Relations.”  This forum was held from 9 AM to 12 noon at the Continuing Medical Education (CME) Auditorium of the University of Santo
Tomas (UST).  This forum, which targeted those in the tertiary level of education, was intended to foster awareness on FEALAC with an emphasis on Latin America.

Assistant Secretary Ariel Y. Abadilla of the Office of American Affairs-DFA gave the keynote address, while Mr. Jose Molina of Fundación Santiago led the discussion on “The Latin Heritage.”  Mr. Michael Alexander Palma presented his paper on “Philippines-Latin America Trade Relations,” earlier commissioned by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).  The programme likewise included the presentation of the PIDS website by Mr. Mario Feranil, Director for Research Services, PIDS.

PACLAS is a country project of the Philippines for the FEALAC.  It is a network of academic and research institutions and facilities fostering mutual cooperation in a wide spectrum of endeavor involving Latin American studies.  Universities included in the network are the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, University of Santo Tomas and the University of Asia and the Pacific.

The network’s major areas of interest include academic cooperation in the field of Latin American studies and Philippine historical and cultural heritage, revitalization of Philippine-Latin American relations towards a more dynamic, political, economic, cultural partnership through participation in existing fields of cultural and educational agreement between the Philippines and Latin America, contribution to and enhancement of the work in multilateral fora including FEALAC, cooperation with other consortia or centers for Latin American
studies all over the world through joint research facilities and the production of materials including books, journals, CD-ROM, etc.

On 17 and 18 January 2004, the FEALAC Fiesta dubbed “East Asia Meets Latin America at the Araneta” was held with much fanfare and celebration.  The Fiesta was intended to make the general mall-going public aware of the cultural diversity of the countries of East Asia and Latin America.  Of the 32 FEALAC member-countries, 20 put up booths at the atrium of the Ali Mall to show off their country’s national costumes, cultural artifacts, musical instruments and of course their cuisine, with some food items even being put up on sale.

The Exhibit’s opening ceremonies was truly a Filipino fiesta bash, which was highlighted by a 500-man strong grand parade of FEALAC nations organized by the government of Quezon City.  The parade was spiced up by Filipino folk dancers, the Quezon City symphonic band, the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA)
band and several drum and bugle corps from various public schools in Quezon City.

The opening was graced by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs Delia DomingoAlbert, Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. and Araneta Center, Inc. President Teofilo Asuncion, Jr.  The Diplomatic Corps of the FEALAC member-countries led by Venezuelan Ambassador and Deputy Dean of the Diplomatic Corps Milena Santana Ramirez and Colombian Embassy chargé d’affaires Estella Marquez-Araneta, as well as other government officials, students and ordinary mall-goers also witnessed the opening.

FEALAC is an association of 32 countries from East Asia and Latin America which have come together to create a new mechanism of dialogue and cooperation between the two regions.  FEALAC is based on the principles of respect for each others sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-interference in each other’s internal
affairs, equality, mutual benefit and the common goal of development, respect and understanding for each other’s unique cultures and ways of life, and decision making by consensus.

The DFA, in cooperation with the Office of the Press Secretary is also arranging for television appearances of the Ambassadors of the FEALAC member-countries to allow them further promote their countries and of course, FEALAC.  END.