In commemoration of the 49th anniversary of the founding of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Philippine Embassy in Madrid held a commemorative activity among Embassy personnel and members of the Filipino community.
The program started with welcome remarks by First Secretary Gerardo Abiog who recalled the foundation of ASEAN in 1967 and noted the importance of the group in strengthening the relations of its 10 members in the security, economic and cultural fields. He also highlighted the role of the ASEAN Economic Community in the regions’ development. Finally, he shared with the participants the speech of Sec. Perfecto Yasay, Jr. during the diplomatic reception held at the Conrad Manila on August 8.
Afterwards, participants viewed video presentations on ASEAN entitled “7 things you need to know about ASEAN” by Baker & McKenzie and “The ASEAN Community by 2015” produced by the ASEAN Secretariat. The program was capped with lunch featuring cuisines from ASEAN Member-States.