GOVPH

DOHA 24 August 2023 — Philippine Ambassador to the State of Qatar H.E. Lillibeth V. Pono met with H.E. Dr. Abdulaziz Mohamed Al Horr, Director of the Diplomatic Institute of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on 23 August 2023.

DOHA 21 August 2023 — The Philippine Embassy in Doha, together with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Bayanihan Dance Company, conducted a multi-session virtual masterclass in Philippine folk dance at the Embassy’s Sentro Rizal.

Doha-based dance teachers and folk dance enthusiasts participated in the masterclass.

Held on 6 and 13 August 2023, the masterclass concluded with a culminating activity on 20 August 2023, which showcased dance presentations by participants from the Philippine embassies in Doha, Madrid, Kuwait, and Riyadh, as well as the Philippine consulate in Jeddah.

In her remarks, Chargé d’Affaires Cassandra B. Sawadjaan said, “For us in the Philippine foreign service, featuring Philippine folk dance in our cultural events serves as an effective platform to showcase the artistry, uniqueness, and passion of Filipinos. The aim is to draw attention and prestige to the technicality of this art form, to celebrate its history, to popularize it, and not to fetishize it or treat it as an esoteric relic of days long gone.”

She added, “For indeed, Philippine folk dance is a testament of our collective struggles and joys. It is a physical representation of our intention to carve out a unique Filipino identity in the face of our colonial past and the highly globalized present.”

For more information, visit dohape.dfa.gov.ph, facebook.com/PHinQatar, or instagram.com/phinqatar.

DOHA 8 August 2023 – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, was founded on this day 56 years ago to promote the economic, social, and cultural development of the region through cooperative programs, to safeguard the political and economic stability of the region, and to serve as a forum for the resolution of intra-regional differences.

To commemorate the establishment of ASEAN and underscore its significance, Proclamation No. 282 (series of 2017) declares the month of August of every year as “ASEAN Month.”

In Qatar, the resident diplomatic missions of ASEAN Member States make up the ASEAN Committee in Doha (ACD). Currently chaired by the Philippine Embassy, the ACD promotes and heightens awareness of the ASEAN in Qatar.

For more information, visit dohape.dfa.gov.ph, facebook.com/PHinQatar, or instagram.com/phinqatar.