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SHANGHAI – Shanghai’s Sister City relations with Philippine localities open new avenues for boosting trade, following Shanghai’s inauguration of the “Shanghai International Sister Cities Hub”.

Consul General Josel F. Ignacio joined the Consuls General of countries with cities in a twinning relationship with Shanghai at the 29 September ceremonial launch of the Hub, led by CPC-Shanghai Committee Deputy Secretary ZHUGE Yujie, Foreign Affairs Office (FAO) Director General ZHANG Xiaosong and other dignitaries.

An initiative of the Shanghai Foreign Affairs Office and trading company Oriental International (Holding) Co. Ltd., the Shanghai International Sister Cities Hub is housed at Building A of the Hongqiao Import Commodity Exhibition and Trade Center (1988 Shenkun Road, Minhang District, Shanghai). The site straddles the venue of the renowned China International Import Expo (CIIE) and Hongqiao International Airport.

Through the Hub, Shanghai hopes to allow the year-round display and sale of goods from its Sister Cities, including those featured and introduced at the weeklong CIIE every November.

All in all, Shanghai and its Districts have sister-city ties with 92 cities and localities in 59 countries. Shanghai has been twinned with Metro Manila since 15 June 1983, and its District of Huangpu with Makati City since 26 September 2002. “We are privileged to have access to the Hub through Metro Manila’s ties with Shanghai. This affords us an important additional door by which Philippine goods can enter the Chinese market”, commented Consul General Ignacio. END

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SHANGHAI - In keeping with the Department of Foreign Affairs’ workplace health promotion and well-being objectives, the personnel of the Philippine Consulate General in Shanghai attended an introductory Yoga class conducted on 5 October by certified Chinese practitioners.

Theyoga2.png three-hour session took place at the Jia Bei Yoga Studio (24th South Building, Silver Exchange Plaza, Xu Jia Hui, Shanghai), with certified instructor Ms. Liu Ma leading and registered nurse Ellen Su Lin of the International Medical Center of Shanghai Ren’ai Hospital assisting.

The session covered a brief introduction on Yoga, before proceeding to basic/beginner Yoga postures and finally to aerial Yoga/Pilates utilizing hammocks.

Consul General Josel F. Ignacio presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Nurse Su and the instructors, at the end of the activity.

The PCG holds a team wellness activity at least once a year also in furtherance of the Philippine Government’s Gender and Development (GAD) objectives. “Our PCG is one of the busiest in the Mainland across all service areas. It is important for the PCG to also look after the health and welfare of its personnel so they may be in the best condition to render such service, and for their well-being,” highlighted Consul General Ignacio as he closed the session.

In 2021, PCG personnel attended a Lecture-Workshop on Traditional Chinese Medicine (or TCM) for Neck and Low Back Pain to promote occupational wellness. END

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Filipinos and Chinese nationals in Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta Region joined “Bisitas” from across the globe in the virtual celebration of Davao City’s Kadayawan Festival, livestreamed on 24 September 2022.

The livestream was part of Season 2 of Fiesta Filipinas: An Online Celebration of the Philippine Festivals, an ongoing collaboration between the Department of Foreign Affairs and the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

kadayawan2Kadayawan celebrates the natural bounty and rich tapestry of various indigenous cultures of Davao City and surrounding regions. For the virtual celebration, participants from all around the world – nominated by Philippine diplomatic and consular missions – also took part in a cooking segment on “Puto Maya” (a Philippine rice cake) and “Tsokolate de Davao” (Davao hot chocolate drink), using ingredients provided beforehand by these missions via curated kits.

The “Bisitas” nominated by the Philippine Consulate General (PCG) in Shanghai were:

  • SUN Weimin, Officer, Shanghai Public Diplomacy Association (SPDA)
  • LI Si, Travel Agent
  • Noemie DE LEON-LACAY, Chef
  • Michelle TEOPE-SHEN, President, Filipino Community in Shanghai (FILCOMSHA)
  • Lee Mie YEE, General Manager, Dai-Ichi Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
  • Caroline B. ONG, Entrepreneur and Pamana ng Pilipino Awardee, 2021 Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas (PAFIOO)
  • Chabeli Jill A. HILASQUE, Chairperson, Pinoy Teachers Association in Shanghai (PITAS)
  • Gemma CALOPE, President, The Filipino Teachers in Shanghai
  • Riza DE GUZMAN, President, PILIPININGBO (Ningbo, Zhejiang Province)

PCG’s Bisitas tremendously enjoyed the virtual celebration and trying their hand at making Puto Maya and Tsokolate from scratch, in sync with the online demonstration. Many proudly took to FB and WeChat, China’s social media platform, to share their photographs and videos of the unboxing of their kits, as well as their attempts at the Pinoy delicacies.

During the livestream itself, Chef De-Leon Lacay was among those invited by the hosts to present her finished and beautifully plated puto maya and tsokolate.

Meanwhile, Ms. Teope-Shen, leader of the umbrella organization FILCOMSHA posted  her experience on her WeChat account. “Wow! From unboxing ‘til the end, what a fantastic and awesome experience!”, she said.

They commended the DFA, NCCA, as well as the PCG for the opportunity to experience the Kadayawan even if only virtually. Such activities are especially appreciated by China-based Filipinos, many of whom have not visited the Philippines the past two years owing to the pandemic. END

 

DF2020