Students, faculty and international guests flocked Zentralmensa at the University of Göttingen in celebration of the University´s first ASEAN Festival
Berlin, 4 June 2016. The University of Göttingen successfully held its first ASEAN Festival which aimed to celebrate the establishment of the ASEAN Community, facilitate cultural exchange and create a social network among its students.
The event welcomed 500 guests in its inaugural run and featured presentations on each member country by way of cultural performances, traditional games as well as selling of popular national dishes.
Second Secretary and Consul Rona Beth Goce and Cultural Attaché Mylah Rubio attended the event in support of Filipino students´ active participation in the festival. Consul Goce, in her remarks, lauded organizers and the University´s initiative in staging the event and looks forward to celebrating another ASEAN Fest next year as the Philippines assumes chairmanship of ASEAN in 2017.
The Philippine presentation began with a music video, “Choose Philippines”, which gave the audience an overview of local tourist spots and festivals. Mylah and Jomar Rubio sang love songs, “Gaano Kita Kamahal” which spoke of one´s undying love for his beloved and “O Bayan Ko” which spoke of love for one´s country. The Hannover Philippine Dance Group performed traditional dances and ended the presentation with “Tinikling.”
The ASEAN Festival was spearheaded by Mr. Thuy Pham, Head of the Organizing Committee Mr. Patrick Lajoie from the International Students’ Office, Mr. Horst Reinert and Ms. Manuela Kaufmann from the Culture Office, Mr. Netra Bhandari, Coordinator of the Department of Southeast Asia and the Middle East and Ms. Janette Atienza Schulze, Co-Administrator of the Filipino Students of Göttingen. END
Cultural presentations included dances from the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and a Vietnamese martial arts demonstration.
