Philippine officials in the UAE held a flag-raising ceremony on the occasion of the 123rd Philippine Independence Day celebrations on June 12, 2021.
The in-person event was spearheaded by the Philippine Embassy in the UAE led by the Philippine Ambassador to the UAE, H.E. Hjayceelyn Quintana, and hosted by the Philippine Consulate in Dubai, led by H.E. Consul General Paul Raymund Cortes.
The event witnessed the conferment of the annual “Parangal sa Araw ng Kasarinlan” to FilFood as a recognition of the group that has promoted the international image of the Filipino culinary culture through collaborative efforts amongst UAE-based Filipino culinary designers.
Five individuals were also honored with the Independence Day Friendship Award during the event, recognized for their heart that supports Filipinos above and beyond their respective organizations. The awardees include:
– Ravi Chandran, CEO of Liwa Minor and The Coffee CLub
– Dr. John Marc Gauer, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Hospitals
– Sharihan Al Mashary, former United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UNSDSN) General Manager, Emaar Hospitality Group
– H.E. Dr. Dr. h.c. Raphael Nagel, Chairman of the Abrahamic Business Circle
– Graham Cooke, Chairman of the World Luxury Group
These five individuals also form part of the advisory board of the newly-organized Philippine Partnership Circle (PhilPac), a group that aims to create cultural linkages through meaningful collaborations. The group is led by its president Marlene Murphy, and operates under the patronage of the Philippine Ambassador.
The event also recognized the Filipino Social Club as the Official Philippine Organizing Committee (POC) Partner for the Philippines’ community participation for the upcoming Expo 2020 in Dubai.
Two Filipinos were also conferred with the Sentro Rizal awards for their contributions to promote the positive image of Filipinos in the UAE: Abu Dhabi-based artist John Paul Faderogao was recognized for his artistic contributions in creating a mural for the Filipino Club in Ras Al Khaimah. Meanwhile, Aileen Alba was recognized for her responsible use of social media in defending the image of the Philippines and of Filipinos in the UAE.
