Chinese New Year Celebration in Quezon City’s Chinatown

Big celebration were held at the intersection of Banawe street corner Calamba street which highlighted the countdown to the Chinese New Year 2020 celebrations in Quezon City.

Mayor Maria Josefina “Joy” Belmonte-Alumurung together with PROC Ambassador Huang Xi Lian, councilors and federation officers.

This was held last January 26 Sunday from 3:00 pm till past 8:00 pm where fireworks display and a concert was held.

Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc (FFCCCII) members, Quezon City Association of Filipino Chinese Businessmen Inc. ( QCAFCBI), Quezon City Chinatown Development Foundation (QCCDF)

Mr. Joseph Lim Bon Huan waves his hand ( President , QC Association of Filipino-Chinese Businessmen Inc.) before the parade started

Chinese New Year Celebrations

Special guests includes Chinese ambassador Huang Xi Lian of People’s Republic of China, Quezon City councilors, barangay officials from different districts, Filipino Chinese

Quezon City’s councilors

Quezon City Association of Filipino Chinese Businessmen Inc. ( QCAFCBI) officers and PROC Ambassador His Excellency Huang Xi Lian

group photo

Mayor Maria Josefina “Joy” Belmonte-Alimurung along with Quezon City’s Barangay officials and well wishers

program emcees Ms. Candice Tan and  Mr. Giru Mercado

 Quezon City Association of Filipino Chinese Businessmen Inc. members

Before the program started, Mr. Vince Gordovez of Quezon City Tourism office had a short trivia contest were lucky participant won tikoy and charms.

Mr. Wilson Lee -Flores of Kamuning Bakery

lion dance performed by jing Shen Wushu Dragon and Lion Dance Group

Shou La Mien and Fruitas stall

The event had about 20 stalls selling different kinds of street foods, noodles, hopia, tikoy, cookies, moon cakes, milk teas, pork barbecue, rice, snacks, hand pulled noodles among others.

Doña Maria Rice Puff being sold for Php 35 per pack

cultural dance

Cultural dances were performed by students and alumni of Philippine Cultural College Dance group, Philippine Cultural College Alumni Association and Philippine Institute of Quezon City.

Among the cultural dances came from Uyghurs and Tibetan group performed by the two Filipino-Chinese school based in the city.

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Rev. Father Wong Seng Tian gave a general predictions for the metal rat

The evening also capped a presentation of musical rendition performed by Ms. Maria Teresa Tirona and a representative from Filipino-Chinese association “Yue Liang Dai Biao Wo De Xin” or ” The Moon Represents My Heart ” which is a popular love song by Filipino-Chinese and Chinese all over the world. First sang by Ms. Teresa Tang.

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live concert

fireworks display

jam packed place

The crowd seems very happy and elated with all the freebies and happening within Chinatown Quezon City.

Reunion of Descendants of Asian Revolutionary Heroes at Pandesal Forum

 A rare and unique experience for the attendees at the pandesal forum. It was the first ever reunion of descendants of the top leaders behind Asia’s earliest republics and anti-colonial revolutions, who supported each other. President Emilio Aguinaldo in 1898 who sent emissary Mariano Ponce and whose cause received support from China’s Dr. Sun Yat Sen (who also became president after the success of his revolution in 1911).

Mr. Wilson Lee-Flores along with special guests and descendants of Dr.Sun Yat Sen, General Baldomero Aguinaldo, Dr. Mariano Ponce, Historians Xiao Chua and Dr. Niel Santillan

The site of the pandesal forum is at the historic Kamuning bakery. The bakery still uses  brick oven to bake their pandesal and other pastries.

Kamuning Bakery located in #43 Judge Jimenez corner K-1 Street, Quezon City

Asian Revolutionary Heroes

group photo

Dr. Lily Sun Sui-Fong – She is a Hawaii property developer, philanthropist & granddaughter of China’s revolutionary hero and first republican President Dr. Sun Yat Sen, who supported the 1898 Philippine Revolution. The foundation that was named after his grandfather gave about 250 statues of Dr. Sun Yat Sen in different parts of the world.

Mr. Charles Wong – great grandson of Dr. Sun Yat Sen. He is also fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese languages.

Mr. Cesar E.A. Virata together with Mr. Wilson Lee Flores

Mr. Cesar E.A. Virata – He is the Vice Chairman of Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC), former Prime Minister and Finance Minister; grandson of revolutionary hero General Baldomero Aguinaldo and  grandnephew of revolutionary hero and first President Emilio Aguinaldo.

Ms. Maria Theresa Bautista Valero – great grand daughter of Mariano Ponce.

Dr. Neil Marcial R. Santillan Chairman, History Department, University of the Philippines (U.P.)

Professor Michael Charleston “Xiao” Briones Chua -Filipino historian, academic, and television personality.

Dr. Henry Lim Bon Liong President, Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII).

Mr. Peter Fung – General manager of Lin Nam Noodle house and Filipino -Cantonese association.

 

group photo

After the short talk and dialogue, The guest were given pandesal and ensaymada.

Pandesal Forum on Duterte’s Politics and Foreign Policy

Pandesal Forum is a weekly press conference and small gathering of media, vloggers, bloggers at the historic bakery in Quezon City.

Mr. Wilson Lee -Flores ( columnist, businessman and facilitator of the pandesal forum) together with Atty. Harry Roque

The forum started with a late morning breakfast meal which consists of pandesal, peanut spread, jam and hot coffee from Kamuning Bakery.

Kamuning Bakery

The bakery is slowly rebuilding from the ashes of the fire which gutted the bakery last February 2018.

tasty bread

well loved pastries, cheese cake and pies

Duterte’s Politics and  Foreign Policy: Future prospects, Challenges and Opportunities Resource speaker Atty. Harry Roque.

Atty. Harry Roque was the former Presidential Spokesman and  Presidential Adviser for Human Rights; former Congressman; University of the Philippines (U.P) Diliman professor of public international law for 15 years; graduate of U.P. Diliman, University of Michigan and London School of Economics and Political Science.

He is also distant nephew of former Senate President Jovito Salonga. Some of the topics discussed were th  United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC)  following the adoption of a resolution that called for an inquiry into the Philippines’ human rights situation. Another one was the statement made by Justice Carpio with regard to the territorial dispute with China.

World Poetry Day 2017 at Kamuning Bakery

World Poetry Day 2017 was celebrated yesterday at the historic Kamuning Bakery . Mr. Jose Maria Flores Lacaba or Pete and his wife Marra Pl. Lanot  was invited to share their thoughts and insights about Poetry .

Poetry reaffirms our common humanity by revealing to us that individuals, everywhere in the world, share the same questions and feelings. Poetry is the mainstay of oral tradition and, over centuries, can communicate the innermost values of diverse cultures.

Lacaba is currently the executive editor of Summit Media’s YES! magazine, the sister publication of PEP.

Mr. Wilson Lee-Flores and Her Excellency Kok Li Peng of Singapore Embassy

The press conference started at about 9:30 am. Singapore ambassador Koh Li Peng shared some insights about Singapore role at the ASEAN . Ambassador Koh Li Peng in her two year stay in the country also shared some of her impression about Filipinos: among which are the Sense of Humor,  Sincerity and Love for Foods.

During the free-wheeling Pandesal Forum with local and international media, Ambassador Kok extolled the warm diplomatic and economic ties between the Philippines and Singapore, as well as the general optimism of the Asean region as it celebrates its 50th anniversary this year with a high-level summit hosted by chairman the Philippines. She said that there are high hopes on the RCEP economic agreement being worked out between the 10-member nations of Asean region and China, that she thinks both this RCEP and even the TPP are all good initiatives to promote freer global trade.

             Ambassador Kok declined to comment to media’s questions on controversies like some Western criticisms of the draconian war on illegal drugs and the new death penalty bill, she reiterated that Singapore respects the sovereignty of its nation to govern itself and solve its own problems. She said Singapore has a very strong policy against illegal drugs. Kok also declined to comment on territorial dispute issues, since Singapore isn’t a claimant state but expressed hopes that Asian regional peace and stability shall be maintained by all Asian countries in order to sustain the region’s strong economic growth.

After the press conference, There were groups of students who joined the affair , for Poetry reading and appreciation.

The “Pandesal Forum”: The non-partisan, liberal, pro-people and informal Pandesal Forum of Kamuning Bakery Cafe was started on September 15, 2015 by writer Wilson Lee Flores as convenor and moderator. It welcomes all speakers, not just limited to political leaders. It is inspired by the centuries-old tradition of the “tertulia”—the informal and learned salon discussions of the Iberian Peninsula and Latin America; it is also inspired by ancient China’s “li lun” or intellectual discourses. The “Pandesal Forum” hopes to help elevate the quality of public discourse in the Philippines on current affairs, politics and other topics, also focusing on economic, gut or “pandesal” issues. It also advocates genuine reforms and new ideas.

Website: https://www.mfa.gov.sg/content/mfa/overseasmission/manila.htmlhttps://www.mfa.gov.sg/content/mfa/overseasmission/manila.html

Food Tasting Event Features Breakfast in Bread at Trinoma

Food Tasting event is a much anticipated event organized by ABS-CBN channel 2, Food Magazine , Trinoma , Kamuning Bakery , Tefal with side participation of  Alpha Corporate Event at Trinoma Mall at the heart of Quezon City shopping and business district .

Every quarter, Food Magazine invites kitchen masters from various restaurants and bakeshops to take the lead in demonstrating exciting recipes at Food Tastings.

We are fortunate enough to be given complimentary ticket for the event , This is a short cooking demonstration by top chefs and restaurateurs in the country.  The feature was easy to made breakfast meals .

The tickets were distributed around past 2:00pm for the supposedly 4:00 pm demonstration and food tasting event.  The event started around 4:30pm  with Chef Portia Baluyut, Pixie Sevilla and Ms. Kimberly Ann Boadilla in Food Tasting: Breakfast in Bread course. In the two hour crash course, the guest chefs presented several breakfast concoctions using bread as the main course.

Shibuya Benedict Savory Toast

One of the favorite Japanese restaurants in Trinoma is Cafe Shibuya. This is an easy to cook breakfast dish by Chef Kimberly Ann Boadilla.

Pan de Suelo platter or sampler plate

Chef Albert Rance and Mr. Wilson Lee-Flores, explains how their best-selling Pan De Suelo pairs perfectly with their homemade corned beef, adobo, and menudo. The platter / sampler is available at only(Php 165 ) at Kamuning Bakery .

Chef Pixie Sevilla showcase two breakfast dish which consists of breakfast noodle dish with diced longganisang Macau, Chinese sausage, all purpose cream, Sapporo sotanghon noodles, chopped onions, spring onions for garnish.

Breakfast noodle omelette included Saporro sotanghon noodles, shredded bottled tuyo or sardines, chopped garlic, chopped tomatoes, 6 to 8 eggs and 75 grams of kesong puti (carabao’s milk soft cheese) crumbled into pieces.

Chef Portia Baluyut

Chef Portia Baluyut a well-known chef, proprietor of Rustic Mornings at Isabelo Garden in Marikina and host of Lifestyle’s ” A Pinch of Portia”. She shared some of the ingredients for two breakfast meals which uses 1 day -old bread French baguette.

She shared Mushroom and Spinach Strata, Grilled Sausages and Grilled Tomatoes with Pesto and Chocolate Banana French Toast Bake with Walnut Streusel.

There were 6 morning breakfast meals that were served during the two hour cooking demonstration and exciting raffle items( apron ) c/o Tefal .