August 16 - 31, 2016
PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY
B3
ASEAN Celebrates Festival 2016
The Association of South
East Asian Nations (ASEAN)
Consulates General in Vancouver
recently celebrated its second
annual ASEAN Festival at the
Roundhouse Community Centre
on Drake Street. The celebrations
featured the Consulates General of the Philippines, Vietnam,
Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. Present were the consulate
generals headed by Neil Frank
Ferrer of the Philippines, and
Sutthiluck Sa-ngamangkang of
Thailand, who is this year’s host.
In her speech, Consul Sangamangkang said that the festival is a way for the people of these
ASEAN countries to say thank
you to Canada for its hospitality
to its citizens. She said that the
expansion of economic cooperation between ASEAN countries
“The festival is a way to
showcase the ASEAN ways of
life, and to promote it from people to people,” she adds in her
speech to the crowd of about
200 people.
This year marks the first
year of the implementation of the
action plan of ASEAN-Canada
enhanced diplomatic relations,
with its first economic and trade
relations office opened in Manila
by Premier Christy Clark. More
diplomatic mission offices will
be opened in other cities, and
ASEAN’s first diplomatic ambassador to Canada, Marie Hannan,
was appointed by the Canadian
government and will have its offices in Jakarta, Indonesia, where
the headquarters of the ASEAN
is located.
Representing
Premier
and Canada from 1977 to 1993
gave way to more to dialogue,
which prompted a celebration
of 35 years of ASEAN-Canadian
relations in 2012. Thailand has
around 3,000 immigrants and
expats in BC, one of the smallest population of Asians in the
province.
Christy Clark, MLA Marc Dalton of Maple Ridge said that he
thanked the organizers for helping build relationships between
the peoples of these countries
and BC. He said that the reason
why visitors love Vancouver because of the mosaic of people
who are warm and accommodat-
ing to its immigrants and guests.
Dalton said that he and his wife
were amazed at the friendliness of
the people, especially the Filipino
he worked with at the Vancouver
General Hospital, when they first
moved to BC. He added that he
and the government of Canada
honours the people of ASEAN
for adding to the multi-cultural
fabric of the country. He said that
the ASEAN nations are some of
the most spectacular and beautiful landscape in the world. He
adds that with $780 million worth
in trade, the ASEAN nations are
the sixth largest trade partner of
Canada.
Raymond Louie, representing Mayor Gregor Robertson, also thanked the crowd for
the organization of the festival,
and acknowledged the diversity
that the ASEAN nations add to it.
He also mentioned that it added
multiculturalism to the Coast
Salish people, and makes BC a
strong and diverse province.
Part of the program was
a fashion show where the different countries showcased their
traditional costumes, and the
Philippines presented a variety of costumes from the three
major islands. The program
also featured dances from all
five countries, and the tinikling,
and binasuan rendered by the
Philippine Cultural Arts Society
of Vancouver Dance Troupe were
a hit with the crowd. Jeremiah
Carag sang two Filipino songs,
and a video presentation about
the Philippines was also shown
by the Consulate General of the
Philippines.
Consul General Ferrer
hopes that the festival continues
to grow every year. It is a festival
that was started by the Consulate General of the Philippines under his leadership of the ASEAN
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Consulates General Association
last year. He adds that it is a
wonderful opportunity to showcase ASEAN to Canada through
its rich and diverse cultures.