NCCA Chairman De Leon with Ambassador Basilio and Chinese Ministry of Culture official Mr. Gao Hua upon the Chairman’s arrival at the Beijing Capital International Airport.

Ambassador Erlinda F. Basilio welcomed to Beijing on 06 April 2014, National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Chairman Felipe De Leon, Jr. as the Philippines’ culture czar arrived in the Chinese capital to head the Philippine  delegation to the Opening Ceremony of the 2014 ASEAN-China Cultural Exchange Year and lead the Philippines’ participation in the exhibition “Glamour to Wear: The ASEAN and Chinese Costume Culture” which runs from 08-17 April 2014 at the Chinese Museum of Women and Children in Beijing.

In left photo, children of Embassy personnel join other ASEAN and Chinese children as “Young Envoys of Friendship”; in right photo, Ms. Annie Luis, leftmost, sing with performers from Brunei, Laos, Singapore and Vietnam.

Chairman De Leon led the Philippine delegation at the glittering Opening Ceremony of the 2014 ASEAN-China Cultural Exchange Year on 07 April 2014 at the Beijing Qing Hua Grand Hall at Tsinghua University, where Ms. Annie Luis, the first Filipino graduate of the Peking Opera Performance program of the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts, performed with singers from other ASEAN countries a medley of ASEAN and Chinese classic melodies, while Filipino percussion performance artist Mr. Jean Paul Zialcita performed with percussionists from ASEAN countries and China’s Gu Wushuang Drum Band.  Children of Embassy personnel, dressed in Filipiniana attire, joined other Chinese and ASEAN school graders and proudly waved  the Philippine flag during the opening and closing numbers.
 

Right photo shows Chinese Minister of Culture admiring the tinalak loom at the Philippine exhibit; left photo shows Chinese models wearing Cary Santiago’s designs.

At the opening of the “Glamour to Wear: The ASEAN and Chinese Costume Culture” exhibition on 08 April, Filipino fashion designer Cary Santiago showcased the beauty and versatility of Philippine fabrics with his unique application of laser-cutting in crafting exquisite dresses during the runway show. Dr. Norma Respicio, a renowned specialist in Philippine textile, curated the Philippine exhibit, which included a weaving loom for tie-dyed abaca fiber (tinalak) that drew much interest from exhibitgoers, including China’s Minister of Culture Mr. Cai Wu who took a close look at the loom.
 

China Radio International’s Machelle Ramos interviews Chairman De Leon and Ambassador Basilio.

Prior to his departure from Beijing, Chairman De Leon was interviewed by China Radio International (CRI) for the CRI News Service and the Filipino News Service’s “Mga Pinoy sa Tsina” program. During the interview, Chairman De Leon discussed how a nation’s creativity is hinged on its intangible cultural heritage. He explained that institutional support for intangible cultural heritage is crucial, since a nation’s cultural heritage translates into creative industries which, in turn, greatly contribute to the economy while enhancing the sense of nationhood and identity of the Filipino people.

Ambassador Basilio and Deputy Chief of Mission Antonio Morales  discuss with NCCA Chairman De Leon and Executive Director Adelina Suemith the Embassy’s cultural diplomacy program.

The Embassy also briefed Chairman De Leon on its cultural diplomacy program and planned cultural exchanges and other activities for the next two years under the Executive Program of the Cultural Agreement between the Philippines and China for 2014-2016.