13 November 2024
External Affairs Minister Jaishankar graces PH Embassy reception
NEW DELHI – The intensifying partnership between the Philippines and India was on full display today, as no less than External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar joined the grand reception hosted by the Embassy of the Philippines in New Delhi on November 13 to honor the 75th year of Diplomatic Relations.
The Philippines and India established formal ties on 16 November 1949.
Minister Jaishankar, Philippine Ambassador Josel F. Ignacio, and visiting Philippine Undersecretary (Vice-Minister) of Tourism Maria Rica C. Buenoled the high-profile event at the ITC Maurya Hotel in the Diplomatic Enclave.
In attendance were over 300 guests that included Indian government officials, members of the diplomatic community, and stakeholders representing business, education, the travel sector, think tanks; and Filipino expatriates based in the country. In the first of the event’s many highlights, Minister Jaishankar and Ambassador Ignacio unveiled the official logo of the 75th Anniversary celebrations.
Addressing the gathering, Minister Jaishankar paid highest tribute to the deepening relationship. “Our ties are rooted in democratic values, pluralistic ethos and economic commonalities. We are both nations deeply committed to upholding international law, norms and rules”, he affirmed. “Our friendship is truly an enduring one that is now poised to move to a higher orbit.”
Ambassador Ignacio, for his part, extolled the bilateral relationship as 
“far transformed” and “crossing over into a more strategic era, as he enumerated the many gains of the past few years. Undersecretary Bueno threw the spotlight on rising reciprocal tourism and people-to-people exchanges between the Philippines and India, amidst substantial progress to restore direct air connectivity.
Lending prestige and valuable support to the event were the Philippines’ eminent Honorary Consular officials across India, led by Consul General Smt. Rajashree Birla (Mumbai), Consul General Deepak Khemka (Kolkata), and Consul Bhimsignh Narendran (Chennai) on behalf of Consul General Ashwin Muthiah.
The reception also saw the launch of major commemorative publications. The Embassy launched the coffee table book “A Journey of Soaring and Enduring Partnership”, helmed in partnership with prominent Mumbai-based media outfit Network 18. The elegant volume traces via archival photos and insightful write-ups the journey of the relationship and its evolution into one of today’s most consequential external ties for the two countries and for the region.
The rest of the evening was a festive celebration of both cultures’ cuisine, music and dances. Guests were treated to a generous buffet of traditional Indian dishes matched by Filipino favorites adobo, kalderetang kambing, and lechon.
Members of the New Delhi-based Filipino organization KAPIHAN enthralled guests with their performance of the Tagalog Salakót and Cordilleran Bangâ dances, while Ms. Avni Bennett Burman regaled with a dance performance to popular Indian tunes. Meanwhile, Ms. Ice Chandny Dizon Sharma‘s vocal prowess shone with her performance of Aisa Desh Hai Mera (This is how my country is).
Filipino martial arts also took centerstage, as Indian practitioners of “Dacayana Eskrima” affiliated with the New Delhi-based Dacayana Eskrima Asia-HQ India performed an arnís kata (demonstration of forms and movements).
In true Filipino and Indian fashion, the evening was capped by an evening of singing, dance and revelry, propelled by the music of Philippine-based PURESOUL Band consisting of vocalist Leslie F. Navarra, drummer Lester Lloyd P. Rama, and guitarist Rafael Amora Caingin. Ambassador Ignacio took on guitar duties and accompanied Embassy Attaché Alyssa G. Arago on two numbers, to the audience’s delight.
The 75th Anniversary Diplomatic Reception ushers in a period of year-long commemoration of Philippines-India ties in both countries. END
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