22nd Filipino – Chinese Friendship Day highlights the Baguio Art-Bank Project training for upcoming talented artists
BAGUIO CITY – (June 11, 2023) The Ribbon Cutting was led by Baguio City Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong, Hon. Consul Sun Weidong, Congressman Marquez O. Go represented by Pastor Ricardo John Bagalawis, City Councilors: Leandro B. Yangot Jr. and Vladimir D. Cayabas together with all present City Officials and Officers of the Baguio Filipino-Chinese Community Executive Committee.
Mr. Peter L. Ng- Chairperson, Baguio Filipino-Chinese Community EXECOM led the opening remark.
“We commemorate and celebrate the 22nd anniversary of the Filipino-Chinese Friendship Day this is the occasion where we are given the opportunity to once again renew friendship among the Filipino and Chinese communities here in Baguio, we express our sincere appreciation to the City Government of Baguio headed by honorable Mayor Benjie Magalong for unwavering support to the Filipino – Chinese Community and to the consulate of the People’s Republic of China in Laoag for their continue partnership promoting Filipino, Chinese closer relationship,”
Peter Ng introduced city councilor Leandro Yangot as the facilitator and project head of the Athletic Bowl Art Bank to raise the status of Baguio’s artists.
Councilor Yangot, explain the significance of the project, “Today is a program to renew the ties of the Chinese and the Filipino community in Baguio, and will mark the partnership between the city of Baguio and the Chinese community in terms of making Baguio a truly creative city,”
“In 2017, the city of Baguio was declared by UNESCO as a Creative City and today has agreed with the Executive Committee of the Baguio Filipino-Chinese community instead of the usual gift giving to selected barangays in Baguio, this time around it will be a different one, the EXECOM had decided to partner with the city government of Baguio and the Creative Community of Baguio in helping produce more creative people in Baguio,”
The opening of the first exhibit by well-known Filipino – Chinese artists in Baguio more particularly Chino Chow, Roland Bay-an, and George Lee, the artists will feature their artwork at the Art Bank that was put up together with the mayor on April 25, 2023, this is the first Art Bank of Baguio in Athletic Bowl.
We will continue training young artists the future in creativity in Baguio and the executive committee will turn over the needs for these training programs for young artists this is open for everybody, young and old, Yangot said
Mayor Magalong emphasizes the two big projects, “We have two projects that are the proponents of which are big Chinese companies and they will be partnering as well with big Filipino companies, the first is our elevated monorail, the proponents is built your dreams one of the biggest rail makers in the world it’s a 4.4-kilometer monorail in the entire city of Baguio, a first phase of that will transcend from Session Road to Camp John Hay to our educational center going through our market, the second is our cable car which is almost 11 kilometers and the alignment of that will start from BSU in La Trinidad going to La Trinidad market going up to Quirino Hill down to Slaughter House and up to the public market, ito ang dalawang malalaking project natin and we will partnering again both with the Chinese companies and Chinese government,” Magalong concluded.
Hon. Sun Weidong, Consul of the Consulate of the People’s Republic of China in Laoag City also expressed an inspirational message, followed by the message of Congressman Marquez O. Go represented by Pastor Ricardo John Bagalawis
Mr. Chino Chow, a Member of the Baguio Filipino-Chinese Community EXECOM, presented to the audience the Artist for the On-the-Spot Sketching for Mayor and Consul.
With the presence of the city councilors: Betty Lourdes Tabanda and Fred Bagbagen. Photo by: Mario Oclaman // FNS
