Page 30 - 2017 KA'AKBAY January-June

30 January to June
2017

Filipino Cuisine Highlighted at Society of Foreign Consuls New York International Food Festival

In an event featuring authentic national food and cultural
performances from 24 Consulates General in New York, Consul
Felipe Carino III and Cultural Officer Olive Magpile led the
Consulate General and Filipino cultural performers who
participated in the Society of Foreign Consuls in New York
(SOFC) International Food Festival. The event was held at the

Consulate General of India on 9 February 2017.

Each participating Consulate General brought their

country’s famous hors d’oeuvres and beverages or offered
cultural performances to the delight of the attendees.
Participation was high at the event despite a snow storm that hit
New York City and the US Northeast on the same day.

The Consulate General shared home-cooked “kutsinta” Consul Felipe Carino III (2nd from right) joins twenty-four Consuls General
and “empanada” as well as calamansi juice, which were enjoyed who attended the Society of Foreign Consuls International Food Festival held
by guests from various Consulates General particularly the at Gandhi Hall, Consulate General of India .
Consuls General of Columbia, Thailand, India, and Estonia. The
calamansi juice was a crowd favorite during the Festival.

The Philippines was among five Consulates General including Algeria,
India, and Paraguay which rendered cultural/ traditional dance performances. The
Foundation of the Filipino Artists Dance Ensemble, a group based in Staten
Island, performed the “Kuratsa”, an indigenized form of “La Curacha, a courtship
dance introduced by Mexican traders to Filipinos during the Galleon Trade period,
which evolved in different versions among the Warays in Eastern Visayas region.

Consul General Theresa Dizon-De Vega underscored that the Consulate Consul Felipe F. Carino III welcomes Consul General
General’s participation this year would highlight the taste and traditional folk dance Maria Isabel Nieto of Columbia, current President of
of the Philippines. The International Food Festival is a flagship project of the Society of Foreign Consuls New York, and Consul
SOFC that counts 113 New York-based Consulates General as members with an General Riva Ganguly Das of India at the Philippine
Executive Committee representing different regional groups. The Philippines table during SOFC event.
represents the East Asia and Western Pacific Region in the SOFC Executive
Committee.

Consul General Dizon-de Vega Calls on Consul General Dizon-De Vega Meets with Chinese
Thai Counterpart to Discuss ASEAN@50 Counterpart in New York

Consul General Theresa Dizon- Philippine Consul General
de Vega met with her Thai counterpart, Theresa Dizon-De Vega met with her
Consul General Pornpong Kanittanon to Chinese counterpart Consul General
discuss ASEAN activities in 2017 as the Zhang Qiyue today in New York.
regional organization marks its 50th year.
The meeting provided an opportunity
The two Consuls General spoke for Consul General Dizon-De Vega to
about possible events covering the three introduce herself to Consul General
main pillars of ASEAN: Political-Security, Zhang early on in her tenure as
Economic, and Socio-Cultural. Consul General and is also part of the
efforts of the Philippine Consulate General to establish
Consuls General De Vega and Kittanon discussed the closer linkages with other Consulates and in particular with
importance of holding a commemorative event for the 50th ASEAN member states and ASEAN Dialogue Partners.
anniversary of ASEAN, noting the high visibility of New York
and its importance as an information hub for political, economic, Consul General Dizon-De Vega informed Consul
and cultural issues not only for US but also for global General Zhang about the successful launch of the
audiences. Philippines’ ASEAN Chairmanship on January 15 in Davao
City led by President Duterte.
Aside from the Philippines’ ASEAN Chairmanship this
year, the Consuls General also exchanged views on the state of Consul General Zhang previously served as
bilateral relations of the Philippines and Thailand as well as China’s Ambassador to Belgium and Indonesia and as
common concerns of the two Consulates in New York. Spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.