Consulate General of the Philippines Frankfurt

‘QUINCENTENNIAL-THEMED’ VIRTUAL FASHION EXHIBIT CREATES RENEWED CONSCIOUSNESS OF FILIPINO CULTURAL HERITAGE IN EUROPE

27 April 2021- In celebration of the National Heritage Month and as part of the Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt’s contribution to the ongoing 2021 Quincentennial commemorations in the Philippines, a virtual fashion exhibit entitled, “Golden Treasures: Culture, Art and Tradition of Our Filipino Ancestors,” was held today featuring the “Quincentennial-themed” collection of Filipino fashion designer Lionell Christian Lanuzo. The event was streamed live in the Consulate’s Facebook account.

During the launch of the exhibit, Consul General Evelyn D. Austria-Garcia expressed hope that the Consulate would be able to raise awareness of the country’s rich pre-Hispanic history and underscoring the magnanimity, compassion and humanity of Filipinos in helping the impoverished crew of the Magellan expedition. She also thanked Mr. Lanuzo and his team for sharing their talent and skills in promoting Philippine heritage in Germany and the rest of Europe. Secretary Teodoro R. Locsin’s message for the National Quincentennial Commemorations was read by Consul Rogelio E. Villanueva.

For his part, Mr. Lanuzo expressed appreciation for the opportunity and support given by Post to showcase the talent of Filipinos abroad. He expressed optimism that through his fashion collections, a renewed consciousness of our history would be cultivated among Filipinos abroad.

The Golden Treasures collection contains elements of the Philippines’ pre-colonial past. Mr. Lanuzo, who was commissioned by the Consulate to undertake the project, drew inspiration from the 16th century Boxer Codex in showcasing the people, clothing, ornaments, and body painting of Filipinos during the 15th century. The evolution of the aesthetic image of our Filipino ancestors in the light of traditions, beliefs, and rites were the central focus of his collection.

The Consulate also set up a physical exhibit at its exhibition area featuring gold replicas and colorful illustrations of some images of the Boxer Codex and twelve of the thirty-four historical markers of the sites of the Philippine route of the Magellan-Elcano expedition. END

 

FOOD OF OUR ANCESTORS HIGHLIGHTED DURING THE PHILIPPINE CONSULATE GENERAL IN FRANKFURT’s FILIPINO FOOD MONTH CELEBRATION

PRESS RELEASE

23 April 2021- In celebration of Filipino Food Month which coincides with the ongoing 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines, the Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt co-hosted today with the Philippine Honorary Consulate (PHC) in Stuttgart an online program entitled, “Tao at Serbisyo ang Galing ng Filipino,” which was streamed live via Facebook. The activity, with Vice Consul Fatima Mueller and PHC Stuttgart’s Rhodaliza Steegmaier as co-hosts, discussed the origins of Filipino food, with ‘Lugao’ showcased as one of the earliest documented food of our Filipino ancestors.

A video entitled, “Lugao: Cooking Our Filipino Ancestors’ Food in Germany” which featured Filipino-German Chef Maite Dittke, was shown during the event. Chef Dittke described the different varieties of ‘Lugao,’ also known as ‘pospas,’ ‘arrozcaldo,’ ‘congee/jook,’ or ‘goto.’ She also discussed in detail the historical development of the Filipino dish and its significance in the country’s culture.

Vice Consul Mueller further highlighted the fact that Filipino culinary heritage had begun taking shape even before colonization. She noted that some of the earliest account of Philippine food can be traced in the written accounts of Antonio Pigafetta, the Italian chronicler of the Magellan expedition. She encouraged viewers to discover more of the Philippines’ culinary heritage, as ‘Filipino food defines the very structure of Filipino culture and gives more value to its cuisine.’ The Consulate also designated 23 April as “Lugawan sa Konsulado” where it distributed ‘lugao’ with side dishes to its consular applicants as well as its personnel.

The second part of the program involved the presentation by Vice Consul Mueller of the Consulate’s activities for the National Quincentennial Commemoration. Ms. Steegmaier interviewed Filipino fashion designer Lionell Christian Lanuzo, who was commissioned by the Consulate to undertake a virtual fashion exhibit entitled, “Golden Treasures: Culture, Art and Traditions of Our Filipino Ancestors,” for its National Heritage Month celebration in May. END

WOMEN’S ROLE IN COMBATTING THE COVID-19 HIGHLIGHTED DURING NATIONAL WOMEN’S MONTH CELEBRATION

08 March 2021- The Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt, in celebration of the National Women’s Month, conducted today an online talk entitled “Talakayan sa Konsulado: Bida si Juana sa Panahon ng Pandemya” with Dr. Jennefer Salas, a Filipina doctor and GAD advocate based in Germany, as guest speaker. Labor Attaché Atty. Delmer Cruz and Consul Rogelio Villanueva also participated with presentations on the Philippine government’s response against covid-19 with a focus on programs and services for women. The activity was conducted via Zoom and Facebook live.

Dr. Salas, who is an OB-GYNE and an assistant doctor in a Berlin hospital, underscored the vulnerabilities and needs of women and girls especially during the COVID-19 crisis, why protecting sexual and reproductive health and women’s rights, and ending the shadow pandemic of gender-based violence is imperative.

In her remarks, Consul General Evelyn D. Austria-Garcia thanked Dr. Salas for imparting her experience with gender and health-related issues. She also underscored the fact that “COVID-19 affects women significantly and is the reason why the availability of proper advice to cope with their predicament is crucial, whether they are in the health services sector, in the corporate world or as homemakers.” She added, “women must now take a leadership role in combatting this pandemic and encouraged the participants to share their views, experiences and ideas in further promoting gender equality and women’s rights.”END