The Official Website of the Philippine Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya

PHILIPPINES OPENS ITS FIRST-EVER EXHIBITION AT NAIROBI NATIONAL MUSEUM

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(PH Ambassador Tang (center) led the ribbon-cutting to officially open the PH exhibition “Perfected by Tradition: Philippine Weaves.” She was joined by (from left) Mr. Calistus Musiomi from the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage, H.E. Thai Ambassador Sasirit Tangulrat, Ms. Mwanaima Salim, Principal Curator from the Nairobi National Museum, and Ms. Halima Shariff from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Nairobi, 17 June 2022 – The Philippine Embassy in Nairobi, led by Ambassador Marie Charlotte G. Tang, opened on 17 June 2022 the first-ever Philippine exhibition at the Nairobi National Museum titled “Perfected by Tradition: Philippine Weaves.”

Over 50 guests from the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Sports, Culture and Heritage, National Museums of Kenya (NMK), ASEAN Nairobi Committee, and faculty and students of the Department of Fashion Design and Marketing and the Department of Fine Arts and Design of Kenyatta University attended the Opening Ceremony and enjoyed the showcase of Philippine woven textile traditions.

Nairobi National Museum, the premier museum in Kenya, attracts thousands of students and tourists, both local and foreign, each year.

In her remarks, Ambassador Tang noted that as Kenya is also known for its very rich and colorful textile traditions, the Philippine exhibit provides a good opportunity for Kenyans to discover their similarities with Filipinos despite the significant geographic distance between their respective countries.

“Philippine weaves are a tapestry of different colors, textures and materials. Every detail of a traditional textile is a product of craftsmanship and has a story to tell. The exhibit provides its visitors a glimpse into the lives, social structures, beliefs, and values of the Filipino people,” said Ambassador Tang.

In his message read by Nairobi National Museum Principal Curator Mwanaima Salim, NMK Acting Director-General Stanvas Onga’llo said that the NMK is honored to host the Philippine exhibition that celebrates humanity through both history and art, and that he hopes that this would be the beginning of more partnerships between Kenya and the Philippines.

The guests, particularly students of fashion design, expressed how engaging and informative the exhibit was, and proposed a possible collaborative project in which they would create their own designs using various Philippine fabrics.

“Perfected by Tradition: Philippine Weaves” was organized in close collaboration with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the NMK to mark the Philippine National Heritage Month and the 124th Anniversary of Philippine Independence Day. It will run from 17 June to 17 July 2022. END

(Guests take their time to enjoy the exhibit and ask questions from Nairobi PE personnel to learn more about the textiles)

(Ambassador Tang as she delivers her remarks before the invited guests)

(Prior to the ribbon-cutting ceremony, guests were served with Pinoy snacks prepared by Mr. Elmer Pautanez, a Filipino chef based in Nairobi)

(Nairobi PE personnel donning their different Philippine textile attires)

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Nairobi, 16 June 2022 – PH Ambassador and Permanent Representative to UN-Habitat Marie Charlotte G. Tang paid a courtesy call on UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif where she expressed the Philippines’ support for UN-Habitat’s programs as the world recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. She also thanked the UN-Habitat for its impactful projects in the Philippines. ED Sharif thanked Ambassador Tang for the Philippines’ continued trust in and partnership with UN-Habitat’s mandate of sustainable urbanization.

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PERFECTED BY TRADITION: Philippine Weaves

17 June - 17 July 2022, Nairobi National Museum

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PH EMBASSY IN NAIROBI CELEBRATES KALAYAAN 2022 WITH THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY

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(Nairobi PE Personnel with over 100 Filcom members who attended Kalayaan 2022 celebration)

Nairobi, 12 June 2022 – The Philippine Embassy in Nairobi hosted a salu-salo on 12 June 2022 in celebration of the 124th Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Philippine Independence. The gathering, the first such since the pandemic, was organized in partnership with the Filipino Community in Kenya (Filcom Kenya), an organization of Filipino communities in Kenya.

Over 100 Filcom members attended the event that included a flag-raising ceremony, community mass, showing of Kalayaan Day messages of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr., Pinoy salu-salo, modern palarong Pinoy, special performances, and awarding ceremony for the Filcom’s SportsFest.

In her remarks, Ambassador Marie Charlotte G. Tang described the Filipinos living in Kenya as the Philippines’ ‘best ambassadors’ in the country. She called on them to rise to the challenge of this year’s Independence Day theme, “Pagsuong sa Hamon ng Panibagong Bukas.”

“Building on your achievements and learnings in Kenya, may we all rise to the challenge of nation-building in these uncertain times and become agents for positive change in our respective communities back home as we work together to build a peaceful, united and progressive Philippines,” said Ambassador Tang.

During the program, the guests enjoyed favorite Pinoy dishes such as lechon, chicken adobo, pancit, bicol express, and caldereta, while being serenaded with classic and modern OPM songs by the Imbento Band, led by Ms. Emeliza Abulencia.

Filcom teams also performed traditional and modern Filipino dances, and showcased their best version of ginataan through the Ginataan Queen/King Dessert Challenge. END

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