Photos from the festivities of the 56th Celebration of the Founding of ASEAN held at Gran Via, Lo Barnechea on 09 August 2023
(Santiago, 08 August 2023) – The Philippine Embassy in Chile with the embassies of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Viet Nam celebrated the 56th Anniversary of the Founding of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in a cultural and gastronomic festivity held at the Indonesian Embassy’s official residence at Gran Via, Lo Barnechea, on 08 August 2023. Indonesia is the current Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Santiago or ACS.
The official program started with the playing of the Chilean national anthem followed closely by the ASEAN hymn. Indonesian Ambassador to Chile H.E. Muhammad Anshor recalled ASEAN’s rich history, including the many milestones that led to the profound solidarity ASEAN members now enjoy. He also highlighted the ongoing projects and many other promising areas of collaboration within the ASEAN-Chile Development Partnership, specifically under the Practical Areas of Cooperation (PCA).
Reciprocating Ambassador Anshor’s remarks, DIRAPAC (Directorate for Asia Pacific) Director Ambassador Patricio Powell of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs placed a spotlight on Chile’s ongoing efforts to complete the ASEAN-Chile Roadmap for Development Partnership—the main outcome document from the recently concluded ASEAN-Chile Dialogue: Exploring Synergies for the Future organized by DIRAPAC on 02-03 August 2023. Ambassador Powell expressed optimism that “this Roadmap will lead to a more concretized development strategy between Chile and ASEAN in the areas of trade and investment, sustainable development, combating climate change, and energy transition.”
The ASEAN Committee in Santiago entertained guests with joint, inter-embassy Anklung renditions of Elvis Presley’s Can’t Help Falling in Love and Ritchie Valen’s La Bamba, complemented by a live Anklung tutorial for willing participants. Finance Officer Ms. Vanessa I. Arevalo and local hire Mr. Manuel Andres Vidal enthusiastically represented the Philippine Embassy during the aforesaid musical performances.
Similar to past ASEAN celebrations, the Philippines and other ACS members served popular Southeast Asian cuisines, delicacies, desserts, and beverages. The Philippine booth featured generous servings of traditional Filipino pancit, classic beef kaldereta with rice, extra crispy turon with caramelized papaya slices—a crowd favorite—and mango sago to serve as both light dessert and beverage.
Guests also visited the Philippine booth for its colorful display of native T’boli attire, T’boli prayer bell and necklace, and imaginative array of wooden decorative plates, carved with old-fashioned Filipino aphorisms and values. Consistent with its ongoing trade and investment initiatives to help top-selling Filipino food and drinks penetrate the Chilean market and households, the Embassy also showcased samples of dried mangoes, bananas, guavas, and pineapples, alongside coconut and mango balls, all sourced from renowned Cebu-based company, Profood International Corp.
The Philippine Embassy is due to assume the rotating biannual Chairmanship of ACS in August 2023 and host next year’s 57th ASEAN Day Celebration. END
