Walk and tree-planting set for Filipino-Chinese Friendship day

CEBU, Philippines — The Federation of Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc., together with the Cebu Mandaue Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industries Inc., in cooperation with Mandaue City will host a friendship walk and tree and ornaments planting in celebration of the Filipino-Chinese Friendship Day today, June 9.

This event will be celebrated simultaneously with other major cities in the Philippines, headed by Metro Manila, with around 8,000 expected participants, as well as Bacolod, Cebu, Tacloban, and Palawan, with 1,500 expected participants.

This celebration hopes to promote peace and unity, and create a collaborative relationship that will benefit Filipinos and Chinese.

Special guests include Consul General Zhang Zhen with the participation of various Cebu chambers, different family associations, local government units and civic groups.

Organizations joining the celebration will include the Cebu Mandaue Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industries Inc., Cebu Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce of Cebu, Philippines, Phil. Cebu Lam An Chamber of Commerce, Mandaue Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Cebu Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Inc., Merchant's Cultural Foundation of Cebu, Inc., Cebu Jinjiang Association Cebu Chapter, Cebu Filipino Chinese Amity Club, Inc., Cebu Centennial Lions Club, Asian Medical Students' Association - Service-Oriented Medical Advocates, Cebu Doctor’s University Asian Medical Students’ Association - Accentuating Lives through Service and Advocacy, Philippine Chee Kung Tong Chinese Free Mason Inc. Cebu Chapter, Philippine Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Inc. Cebu Chapter, and Cebu Xinhua Chamber of Commerce Inc.

It was on June 7, 1975 when then Philippine President Ferdinand E. Marcos paid his first official visit to China. On June 9, Premier Zhou Enlai and Marcos signed the joint communiqué between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines, marking the beginning of the diplomatic relations between the two countries. — (FREEMAN)