PHL’s Biggest Food Show Opens May 19-21 at WTCMM, PTTC

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IFEX Philippines rounds up over 700 int’l, local firms in a grand showcase of Asian flavors.
CITEM Executive Director Clayton Tugonon gives a thumbs-up on ground and roasted coffee ATOKAPE - 100% Benguet Arabica Coffee, one of the export products featured in IFEX Philippines. ATOKAPE is made from beans harvested by local farmers from the highlands of Benguet and Mountain Province in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

The International Food Exhibition (IFEX) Philippines, Asia’s ethnic food and ingredient show, welcomes every food buyers and enthusiast as it opens for its 11th edition on Friday, May 19, until May 21 at the World Trade Center Metro Manila (WTCMM) and the Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC).

IFEX Philippines is the country’s biggest export-oriented food show and one of the official trade events of the 30th ASEAN Summit. It organized by the Department of Trade and Industry-Center for International Trade Exhibitions and Missions of (DTI-CITEM).

Under the theme “Taste ASEAN,” IFEX Philippines will gather over 700 international and local food companies to demonstrate new bonanza of Asian flavors, product offerings, and food innovations.

Celebrate What's Great at Philippines-Australia Friendship Day

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The Australian Embassy and the Australia Global Alumni in the Philippines will mark the first official Philippines – Australia Friendship Day with an outdoor festival on Saturday, 20 May at the Bonifacio High Street Amphitheater. 

 “This is a celebration of the longstanding and close friendship between our two countries,” said Australian Ambassador Amanda Gorely, “We have strong people-to-people links nurtured through educational and cultural exchanges. So I am very pleased that Australia Global Alumni are leading the celebration of the first PhilippinesAustralia Friendship Day.” 

Inspired by Australia’s lively outdoor lifestyle, the festival will feature a free film screening and concert, a food and fashion fair, kid’s games and a traditional Aussie sausage sizzle hosted by alumni and volunteers. The award-winning Australian family film Paper Planes will screen in the afternoon, followed by a fun paper plane making competition. 

To cap off the festival, Australian sax duo Half Sound with Erick Calilan and Tusa Montes, Indie Alternative band Oh! Flamingo and Filipino rock icons Razorback will perform. Festivalgoers will also enjoy a free shuttle service around Bonifacio High Street on Star 8 solar jeepneys. 

These green public utility vehicles feature innovative Australian technology that modernises the classic Filipino jeep. “I thank our Filipino friends and my fellow Australians for their warm support of last year’s celebration of 70 years of diplomatic relations,” Ambassador Gorely said. 

 “One of the outcomes of that was a Presidential Proclamation declaring 22 May of each year as Philippines– Australia Friendship Day so we can celebrate what’s great between our two countries,” she added. The Philippines is one of Australia’s longest-standing bilateral relationships. While formal relations commenced with the opening of Australia’s first Consulate-General in Manila on 22 May 1946, links between the two countries date back to the 1800s, driven by trade and migration. 

Lasting ties were forged in the heat of battle when 4,000 Australian service personnel fought alongside Filipino and allied forces for the liberation of the Philippines in WWII. 

Today, Australia and the Philippines cooperate closely across a range of areas, including defence, counter-terrorism, law enforcement, education and development.Australia is the second largest source of Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the Philippines, with AUD 83 million (PhP 2.8 million) in 2016-17 strategically deployed to support the Philippine roadmap for sustainable growth. “I invite everyone to join us in celebrating this inaugural friendship day,” said Ambassador Gorely. 

The Ambassador launched an online campaign to inspire people across the Philippines to join the celebration by sharing their stories of friendship using the official hashtag #AUPhWeAreMates and #FilAussieDay. For more information about the first Philippines–Australia Friendship Day celebration, visit www.philippines.embassy.gov.au, like Australia in the Philippines on Facebook and follow @AusAmbPH on Twitter.


Here’s the link to the pre-publicity video: https://www.facebook.com/AustralianEmbassyManila/videos/1347323208683873/

Advocacy Group Encourages the Youth for their First HIV Test

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With 30 Filipinos being diagnosed with HIV every day, LoveYourself, Inc. will hold a free, fast and confidential HIV screening day for the Youth on 28 May 2017 (10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.) at Victoria Court, Malate dubbed as “Let's TestMNL.”

Let’s TestMNL specifically targets the Youth sector following the rate of HIV infection in this population, but nonetheless, all are invited, to register at this link: go.loveyourself.ph/testmnl to join the event.

“We are aggressive in bringing this free, fast and confidential HIV testing to the Youth because of their apparent vulnerability to the causes of the disease, and most importantly, only through testing that we can detect if one has the virus,” LoveYourself Executive Director Ronivin G. Pagtakhan underscored.

According to the latest Department of Health (DOH) data, there are 2,160 individuals aged 15-34 who have contracted the virus for the first January to March of this year alone.

Pagtakhan clarified, “Let’s TestMNL testing day is for all ages, but LoveYourself highly encourages college students and those in their early 20s to support the movement in knowing their HIV status for the first time, especially in a safe yet welcoming space.”