25 June 2019, Calgary – The Philippine Consulate General supported the Philippine Cuisine Festival Gala held on 17 June 2019 at the Winston Golf Club in Calgary.
Consul General Gilberto Asuque congratulated the event’s main organizers – Diaryo Alberta Society (DAS) and the Philippine & Culinary Federation of Canada (PCFC) – for putting up the event as part of the month-long celebration of the Philippine Heritage Month in Alberta, Canada.
Eighteen (18) Filipino chefs belonging to the PCFC came up with Filipino dishes that were served to about 170 guests in fine-dining style. The Filipino chefs came from various parts of the province of Alberta – Banff, Canmore, Cochrane, Calgary, Strathmore – and from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and Quezon City, Philippines.
The Filipino dishes showcased were the following:
Sutukil– A trio seafood dish with yellow fin tuna as the main ingredient and done in sugba(grilled), tula(boiled) and kilaw (marinated in vinegar). This dish is popular in General Santos.
Chicken Inasal with Cucumber Salad– Grilled chicken cooked with calamansi, lemongrass and anatto oil. The dish comes from Bacolod.
La Paz Batchoy– A sweet and salty beef noodle soup popular in La Paz, Iloilo.
Hamonado and Biringhe Bulakenyo –Hamonado is pork meat marinated overnight with sweetened pineapple sauce. Baringhe, popular in Bulacan, is rice cooked with coconut milk and turmeric oil.
Durian Cheesecake– A dessert made of durian, an exquisite tasting fruit that is abundant in Davao.
Mango Calamansi Cocktail– Cocktail drink combining the Philippine mango and Philippine lime.
Sutukil, Chicken Inasalwith Cucumber Salad and La Paz Batchoy (Photo credit: DAS)Hamonado and Biringhe Bulakenyo, Durian Cheesecake and Mango Calamansi Cocktail (Photo credit: DAS)
The Philippine Department of Tourism-San Francisco was also among the event’s sponsors.
Consul General Gilberto Asuque addressing the guests at the Philippine Cuisine Festival Gala in Calgary.Madame Rosalie Asuque and the officers and staff of the Philippine Consulate General in Calgary together with some of the participating Filipino chefs.
15 June 2019 – Consul General Maria Andrelita S. Austria welcomes guests to the opening ceremony of the “Proudly Philippines” Food and Travel Fair, held on June 15, 2019 at the Robson Square, Vancouver, in celebration of the 121st anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine Independence, the 70th year of PH-CA relations and the Canada-wide declaration for the very first time of the month of June as Filipino Heritage Month.
The opening program was attended by representatives from the Canadian government, members of the Consular Corps of British Columbia, business and Filipino-Canadian communities, and media.
Mr. Jason Pires (left), Co-anchor of CTV Morning Live in Vancouver, and Ms. Michelle Eliot, Host of CBC Radio’s BC Today, were the emcees for the opening program. Jason’s mother is aFilipino while Michelle was born in the Philippines.
(Clockwise from top left photo) Member of Parliament for Vancouver-Kingsway Don Davies, B.C. Minister of Jobs, Trade and Technology Bruce Ralston, andVancouver Deputy Mayor Sarah Kirby-Yung were the Canadian officials who graced the event. Philippine Department of Tourism-San Francisco office (PDOT-SF) Senior Tourism Officer Zeny Pallugna delivers her closing remarks. PDOT-SF supported the Consulate in mounting“Proudly Philippines”.
Consul General Maria Andrelita S. Austria cuts the ribbon to officially open the fair, with the assistance of (L-R) Senior Tourism Officer Pallugna, Deputy Mayor Kirby-Yung and MP Davies.
The La Riva Dance Studio and Ms. Sheryn Regis provided the entertainment during the opening program. The La Riva Studios is a family-owned business, founded and directed by Riva Oquendo in 1996, with the goal of expanding the dance community by teaching young children ballroom, hip hop and cultural dances. Sheryn Regis rose to fame during the first season of the Filipino singing competition, “Star in a Million”, and was dubbed the Crystal Voice of Asia by the Philippine local media. Sheryn is now based in the US.
Some of the Filipino-Canadian artists who performed during the day were the Aklanon Sto. Niño Association of B.C., Zambales Dance Group, violinists Kimwell and Grace del Rosario of Rosario Strings., Marife Elsted, Salve Dayao, and BIBAK.
Participating Filipino restaurants Plato Filipino, Kulinarya, Aling Mary’s Bakeshop and Goldilocks provided a taste of Filipino cuisine for visitors throughout the day. Corinthian Distributors and AFOD Ltd., two of the biggest Canadian importers of Philippine products, share their booth with Seasia Foods Ltd., and Rumtels Solution Inc., as well as Philippine exporters, Mama Sita, Paradise Fruits Corporation,Loobi Canada Inc., and Mega Global Corporation to highlight Philippine products already available in Canada. Also joining the event were various Vancouver-based enterprises owned by Filipino-Canadians, such as Kape, Kasama Chocolates, Bukobaba Essentials Inc.,La Glace, FlipSide Desserts, and, Filipino franchises, Max’s and Potato Corner.
The Philippine Department of Tourism-San Francisco office led travel agencies, (clockwise, from top left photo) New Millennium Holidays, Tourmasters Travel, Maligaya Travel, and Aling Mary’s Travel &Tours, as well as Philippine Airlines, in enticing visitors to the Philippines. The DOT’s photo booth, provided by Lucky Studios, was a highly popular attraction for the guests.
In addition to food and travel, “Proudly Philippines” also showcased the work of a group of Fil- Canadian artists (some of the exhibiting artists L-R: Lenore Lim, Tessie Dechupa and Ed Lantin) and photographer Allan Florendo, who presented the Consulate with one of his framed pictures of the Dinagyang festival. KannaNg of Weavinalikewise promoted her mat-woven products.
The Philippine Department of Tourism San Francisco, together with the Philippine Consulate General Vancouver, kicked off its Bring Home A Friend (BHAF) Program in Vancouver on November 4, 2017 at The Coast Coal Harbor Hotel in Vancouver. PDOT-San Francisco Tourism Attaché Purificacion Suanding-Molintas explained the mechanics on how to join the program to an audience … Continue reading “BRING HOME A FRIEND PROGRAM LAUNCHING IN CANADA”
The Philippine Department of Tourism San Francisco, together with the Philippine Consulate General Vancouver, kicked off its Bring Home A Friend (BHAF) Program in Vancouver on November 4, 2017 at The Coast Coal Harbor Hotel in Vancouver.
PDOT-San Francisco Tourism Attaché Purificacion Suanding-Molintas explained the mechanics on how to join the program to an audience of Filipino-Canadian community/association leaders, influencers, and members of the media.
During her message she also debuted the Bring Home a Friend Music Video by DOT’s newest Tourism Ambassador Piolo Pascual. Consul General Neil Frank R. Ferrer urged guests to invite their friends and spread the word of the Bring Home a Friend project.
BHAF is a referral incentive program that aims to encourage both Filipinos abroad and expatriates living in the Philippines to invite their international friends to come and visit the country. This program will run from October 15, 2017 to April 15, 2018.
To join, the sponsor can register online at bringhomeafriend.online and invite his/her friends through the website. A sponsor must be 18 years of age and above, a Filipino dual citizen living in the Philippines or abroad as residents or overseas contract workers, or a foreigner (expatriate) living in the Philippines permanently or temporarily for a minimum of six months prior to the program period. An invitee can be anyone holding a foreign passport or dual citizenship living abroad for a minimum of six months prior to the program period and has traveled to the Philippines during the specified program period.
Three (3) sponsors and their invitees will be selected to win through an electronic raffle draw in April 2018. Sponsors have a chance to win a Le Grand condominium unit in Eastwood, Philippines, or a brand-new Toyota Vios, Duty Free gift certificate worth 200,000 pesos (approx. 3,800-4000 USD). Invitees can win two roundtrip tickets 6-days/5-nights’ accommodation in Palawan, two roundtrip tickets 5-days/4-nights’ accommodation in Cebu, or two roundtrip tickets 5-days/4-nights’ accommodation in Davao.
To register as a sponsor, go to bringhomeafriend.online .
For more details, visit philippinetourismusa.com .
Like, follow, and support the official BHAF social media accounts:
(L-R) PDOT San Francisco’s Administrative Officer Alessa Lopez, PCG Vancouver’s Cultural Officer Jo Nacisvalencia and Consul Charmaine Guevara, together with Philippine Airlines Aileen Gabat and Country Manager Allan Coo.
Left photo: Consul General Neil Ferrer welcomes guests to the launch of Bring-Home-A-Friend Program at the Coast Coal Harbour Hotel in Vancouver on November 4. Right photo: Guests await the launch of BHAF. (Photo by Vancouver PCG)
Left photo: Consul General Neil Ferrer welcomes guests to the launch of Bring-Home-A-Friend Program at the Coast Coal Harbour Hotel in Vancouver on November 4. Right photo: Guests await the launch of BHAF. (Photo by Vancouver PCG)
