The joint issue between Philippines and Thailand which commemorates the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The stamp which features carabao and an elephant, the national animals of the Philippines and Thailand respectively. The stamp and first day cover launched in a ceremony at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on June 14, 2019 Friday.
ceremonial shaking of hands and stamp presentation
The event was attended by Thai Ambassador Vasin Ruangprateepsaeng, Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Enrique Manalo and PHLPost Assistant Postmaster General Luis Carlos.
Carabao and Elephant
The carabao and the elephant were selected not only for their status as the national animals of the Philippines and Thailand, but also for the values they embody.
In Thailand, the elephant is regarded as sacred and symbolizes the country’s glory, history and culture.
The carabao represents strength of character and perseverance of the Filipino people.
The animals symbolize the strong friendship of the two countries,which was established on June 14, 1949.
Philippine-Thailand ties have progressed through various areas including economics, commerce, security and cultural matters.
Thailand is one of the Philippines’ major trading partners.
The two countries are founding members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which was established in Bangkok in 1967.
first day cover and stamp sheetlet
stamps, souvenir sheet and first day covers form a complete collection. Philippines- Carabao had a denomination of Php 45.00 while the Elephant had a face value of Php 12.00 can the stamp can be used in sending letters, postcards or parcels.
The year-long celebration will also mark stamp exchange exhibition between the two postal authorities, forum and cultural presentation.
The stamps, first day covers can be purchased at the Manila Central Post Office in Liwasang Bonifacio, Ermita, Manila.
Impact Forum at Impact Exhibition, Bangkok- Thailand
The Asia Pacific Orchid conference was initiated in 1984. One of the founding members is professor Rapee Sagarik ( He is known to be the Father of Thailand Orchid Industry).
It aims to achieve an international cooperation for trends in development and conservation of orchids in Asia Pacific region. The 1st conference started in 1984 in Japan and has been held in different countries rotated among member countries in APOC community every three years.
In 1992, Thailand hosted the 4th conference which was organized in Chiang Mai,
where Maejo University took the main responsibility hosting the event. In 2010, Professor Rapee Sagarik, an ornamental plant advisor of the department of agriculture, foresaw particularly benefit for being the host of the conference.
The department of Agriculture then submitted a project to the Thailand Ministry of agriculture and cooperation and Asia Pacific Orchid Committee. The committee has recognized the potential of Orchid Thailand and therefore agreed that Thailand will host the 12th Asia Pacific Orchid Conference (APOC) from March 19th-27th, 2016.
The Philippine Orchid Society exhibit booth -Photo courtesy of Mr. Ray Ong
The Philippine Orchid Society was represented by the team of Ms. Vangie Go ( President ) Mr. Andres Golamco Jr. , Ms. Alily Galo and Mrs. Baby Alarcon . The exhibit showcased a traditional nipa hut ( bahay kubo ) with carabao horn , native orchid species like sanggumay or Dendrobium anosmum, Asplenium musifolium and orchid hybrids as part of the landscape exhibit.
Aside from Philippine Orchid Society , There are also some Filipino delegates from other plant societies like Philippine Horticultural Society Inc. among others.
For more information about the current exhibition , Please try to visit the link:
Quezon City , PhilippinesFilipino shadow play dance group El Gamma Penumbra from the Philippines won the first season pan-regional reality show Asia’s Got Talent. The talent show are being broadcast all over Asia .
Asia’s Got Talent Grand Finals Opening Number
The popular dance group beat out fellow Filipino contestants Gerphil Flores, Junior New System, and Gwyneth Dorado, as well as Thai rock group The Talento, Chinese acrobats Gao Lin and Liu Xin, tap dance group Dance Thrilogy, Mongolian musical ensemble Khusugtun, and Japanese dance troupe Triqstar.
The results somewhat leaked several hours before the final night when some netizens who watched the pre-taped edition in Singapore before the show ( It was broadcast around 8:05pm Malaysia/ Singapore / Manila /HK/ Taipei time) began posting them in their twitter accounts , facebook pages and forum sites. Among the forum and websites like Pinoy Exchange forum , Pinoy DVD , Starmometer, Dailypedia and the official facebook page of AGT were at buzz over the winners.
When AGT audition was held in the Philippines last year, There were thousands who auditioned , making the country – one of the hotspots for the talent search. Aside from the large following on social media sites like facebook, twitter by Filipino fans.
trending hashtag in twitter
Infographics by Facebook ( most talked AGT participants)
Asia’s Got Talent AXN official you tube ( El Gamma Penumbra- May 7 Finals )
Asia’s Got Talent AXN official you tube ( Gerphil Geraldine -Flores May 7 Finals )
Asia’s Got Talent AXN official you tube ( Junior New System ( American – May 7 finals)
Asia’s Got Talent AXN official you tube (Ms. Gwyneth Dorado – Titanium May 7 finals)
Based on the number of viewers at the official Asia’s Got Talent uploads , El Gamma Penumbra got over 2 million views followed by Gerphil Geraldine Flores with over 1,400,000 views.
Asia’s Got Talent AXN official you tube (Gao Lin and Liu Xin ) with 280,000 plus views
Early favorite acrobat duo Mr. Gao Lin and Ms. Liu Xin from China was not included in the top 6. There was no sms voting in mainland China (although Hong Kong is included) AXN is not shown in China. Internet is very restrictive and social media sites like Facebook does not counts votes coming from China. Although I think there are large following by these group from ROC – Taiwan and overseas Chinese . Some netizens especially those who followed the acrobat duo in their journey saw that their semi-final and final night presentations were somewhat bland compared to their audition video and some even compared their performance to another talent competition in Europe.
Asia’s Got Talent AXN official you tube ( Khusugtun ) with 230,000 plus views
A big surprise for the finals is the Khusugtun band which hails from Mongolia. I saw their you tube uploads and the group had a good following not only in Mongolia but throughout the far east side of Asia in countries like Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,Turkmenistan , Inner Mongolia ( China ) all the way throughout far east Russia. They group had done some concert in Europe. I was thinking that it would be 1,2,3 Public Vote in favor for El Gamma Penumbra, Gerphil Geraldine Flores and Junior New System . This is based on my observation from how the social media people react , facebook and you tube views. But somehow , They got some following from these largely untapped areas of Asia.
Asia’s Got Talent AXN official you tube ( Talento -May 7 finals) 126,000 plus views
Another BIG surprise of the night was the Talento boy group from Thailand. I must say they have been very active in social media and sms voting . I was thinking that it could be the 2 Chinese acrobats or Triqstar can make it.
The winner is determined by public vote, where audience members and viewers at home in Asia can vote for their favorites via SMS, Facebook, or on the show’s official app. The voting closed on Monday, May 11, at 11:59pm.
The winner of Asia’s Got Talent will receive a cash prize of US$100,000 and a chance to perform at the Marina Bay Sands. It was revealed that Asia’s Got Talent will have season 2 . Congratulations to the Winners!
Forbestown, Burgos Circle, Bonifacio Global City- Taguig, Philippines
some of the top dishes of the restaurant that are frequently ordered by its clientele
One can easily spot the Thai -inspired place with its unique embellishment and architecture along the rows of restaurants . Thai food is known for the combination of complex flavors — sour, spicy, sweet , salty and to some extent minty .
chicken satay
Gae Sate is Chicken satay on stick is tender and the peanut sauce is a perfect combination. The side garnish which are from finely cut vegetables adds color and presentation . Php 290 per order ( good for 3 to 4 people)
Poh Piah Tod
Poh Piah Tod is crispy Thai spring roll filled with glass noodles and special sweet and spicy dip . It is accompanied with chopped vegetables which add texture and color to the dish. Normally serve as a form of appetizer and fried spring rolls is common in Southeast Asian cuisine. Php 260 per serving.
spices and condiments
What is nice about the dishes of the restaurant is one can adjust the varying degrees of spiciness in order to adjust to one preference. One can ask for Filipino spicy or Thai spicy – Filipino spicy tend to be less spicy and comparable to Bicol and Eastern Samar taste, While Thai spicy is at least several times more spicy compared to the Filipino level of spicy.
Thai beef salad
Yam Neua or Thai beef salad is a nice combination of beef , lettuce, chopped tomatoes , cucumber with light salad dressing with chopped onions and chili pepper – JUST Thai style. The beef salad can be shared with 2 to 4 people . (Php350) per serving
(prawns in garlic and pepper in soup)
Kung Kratien or prawns in garlic and pepper in soup , It is mildly flavored and not soggy . You will know that the prawns and the ingredients are fresh by simply tasting the food. ( Php 500 ) per serving
(squid with garlic and pepper)
Blah Pla Muek Kratien or squid with garlic and pepper in soup. The soup is mildly flavored can be adjusted with the addition of extra chopped chillies .
Pad Gaprow Talay- seafood mix with fried basil leves
Pad Gaprow Talay -The sea food mixture of mussels ( tahong ), prawns and squid plus crispy fried basil leaves with coconut sauce. The crispy fried basil leaves add a distinct minty flavor which further enhances the sea foods . Perfect for sharing with 2 to 4 people (Php 280)
Vegetarian Dish Being Offered
Gaeng Leuang
Just Thai also offers vegetarian-friendly dishes like the Gaeng Leuang (vegetables in yellow curry). It had a healthy serving of tofu, broccoli, eggplant, bell pepper, string beans in rich coconut milk with yellow curry topped with chopped red chillies and chopped coriander leaves ( Php 260 ) for sharing 2 to 4 people.
Pad Thai is a stir fried rice noodle dish commonly served as a street food and at casual local eateries in Thailand. It is made with soaked dried rice noodles, which are stir-fried with eggs and chopped firm tofu , mung bean sprouts , flavored with tamarind pulp, fish sauce, dried shrimp, coriander leaves and the flavor is enhanced with peanuts and chopped red chillies. This is some sort of ” National Noodle ” of Thailand . A visit to any Thai restaurant is a must try of this dish. The dish is neatly presented before you can mix all the ingredients.
The place is a favorite place to hang-out among the expatriate communities, celebrities and even employees of nearby establishments . Thai foods and delicacies is one of the top choices for Asian foodies .
JUST THAI
Forbes town, Burgos Circle, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig; tel: +63 (2) 403-8718,
Branch : Molito Lifestyle Center, Alabang; tel: +63 (2) 808-4058.
Take the BGC hybrid bus from bus station located near McKinley Road and near MRT- Ayala station ( Upper West Route) . The bus had designated bus stop and take -off at the second bus stop which is at the back of the MIND Museum. A short walk toward Forbes Town Road, Burgos Circle, Global City. Transportation fee is just Php 12.00 from the bus station.
Collectors Connection 