Consulate General of the Philippines Frankfurt

TEAM PHILIPPINES BAGS MAJOR AWARDS DURING ASEAN IN FRANKFURT BOWLING TOURNAMENT 2024

Congratulations to the members of the Team Philippines bowling team for bagging the major awards during the ASEAN in Frankfurt Bowling Tournament 2024. The 4-member Philippine team composed of Deputy Consul General Rogelio Villanueva Jr., Eric Garcia, Adam Rosete and Rico Fajardo obtained the Highest Series – Overall for the group category followed by Malaysia and Indonesia. Mr. Adam Rosete was awarded the Highest Series – Overall for individual category while Mr. Rico Fajardo took home the Most Valuable Player award for garnering the Highest Score in a single game.

Competing teams from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam participated in the one-day tournament held in Bowling World in Frankfurt. Aside from the competition, the event included bowling fun games for the ASEAN countries including Cambodia. Consul General Marie Yvette Banzon Abalos joined the ceremonial throw along with the other Consuls General to officially open the games and boost the morale of the team. The event was made possible through the active support of the Filipino community in Frankfurt and bowling coordinator Mr. Ernesto “Nestie” Catibog, president of B.V. Pinoy Frankfurt e.V. END

PHILIPPINES EMBRACES GLOBAL LITERARY STAGE AS THE NEXT GUEST OF HONOR AT FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR

21 October 2024 – The Philippines has officially assumed its role as the Guest of Honor for the 2025 Frankfurt Book Fair, following the ceremonial handover from this year’s Guest of Honor, Italy, on 20 October 2024. The handover event marks the beginning of the Philippines’ journey into the spotlight of the global literary community. The theme for the Philippine participation, “The Imagination Peoples the Air,” inspired by national hero José Rizal’s work Noli Me Tangere, will showcase  the country’s rich literary tradition and diverse cultural heritage.

L-R: Isabel Roxas, Filipino illustrator; Alessandro Sanna, Italian Illustrator; Mauro Mazza, Italian Extraordinary Commissioner; Ambassador Irene Susan Natividad; Juergen Boos, President & CEO of Frankfurter Buchmesse

The handover ceremony celebrated a cultural exchange between Italy and the Philippines, with notable speakers including Special Commissioner of the Guest of Honour 2024 Italy Mauro Mazza and  Philippine ambassador Irene Susan Natividad who delivered the message of Philippine Senator and Culture Champion Loren Legarda, the force behind the country’s bid to be the Guest of Honor at the Buchmesse.   As a unique opportunity to share with the world the nation’s story of “creativity, resilience, and collective hope”, the Filipino narratives will include the perspectives of the indigenous peoples in the country and the Filipino diaspora all over the world. The program included performances from The Philippine Madrigal Singers and musician Waway Saway, as well as presentations by Filipino illustrator Isabel Roxas and Italian artist Alessandro Sanna.

The handover will be followed by a Filipino cultural program in Heidelberg and Wilhelmsfeld  from 24 to 27 October 2024 that  will serve as the official launch of the Philippine term as Buchmesse Guest of Honor. Highlights will include the Lakbay Rizal Walking Tour led by renowned Filipino historian Ambeth Ocampo, talks by authors, and a concert featuring The Philippine Madrigal Singers and Waway Saway. The Philippine literary and cultural program will then culminate at the 2025 Frankfurt Book Fair. END