Ambassador Noralyn Jubaira Baja (5th from right) and the rest of the Philippine Embassy team
Ambassador Baja with the heads of missions of Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam
In pursuit of its cultural diplomacy mandate, the Philippine Embassy in Pretoria participated in the Diplomatic Fun Fair (DFF) held on 22 October 2022 at the Union Buildings southern lawns in Pretoria.
The Embassy’s booth showcased the diversity of Philippine culture and the world-class artistry and craftsmanship of the country’s creative industry. Samples of Philippine indigenous fabrics and textiles (e.g. inabel, hablon, hinabol, and t’nalak) and Filipino attire (e.g. barong tagalog, Maria Clara gown, and traditional attire of the Cordilleran people) were shown to the public. In addition, handicrafts and other products made of capiz shells, as well as woven grass such as banig and buntal were prominently displayed in Post’s booth.
The Philippine booth showcases Philippine attires and fabrics
To the delight of the local guests, the Embassy also mounted a replica of the Filipino jeepney. Many locals took photos of themselves with the so-called “king of Philippine roads”.
To complete their cultural immersion, locals were able to try Filipino food such as adobong mani, puto, turon, and melon chillers (samalamig). They also received free samples of the iconic Philippines snack food Pillows, which is locally marketed as Oozies, from Philippine company Liwayway Food South Africa.
Ambassador Baja converses with Mr. Kyle Sy, Operations Manager of Liwayway Food South Africa (1st from left) and DIRCO Southeast Asia Director Raymond Medhurst and his daughter
Reflecting on the event, Philippine Ambassador Noralyn Jubaira Baja said, “The Embassy thanks the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) for holding the diplomatic fair. The event provided an excellent platform for us to share some aspects of Philippine culture with the South African public.”
Organized by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), the event brings together foreign diplomatic missions accredited to South Africa to promote their respective countries. Selected awards were handed out to participating missions, with the Embassy, together with the resident missions of Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, receiving the Most Interactive Award from South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor.
First Secretary Maurice Tiempo poses with South African students who visited the Philippine booth
One of the main highlights of the Philippine booth is a replica of the Philippine jeepney
A child gamely poses inside the jeepney replica
Local guests and visitors are able to sample Filipino delicacies and drinks
