Celebrating international friendship

The International Bazaar Foundation, Inc. (IBF)’s “Shop, Taste, and Celebrate,” its first bazaar since that dreadful 2020 pandemic, was held at the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Music Hall and organized in cooperation with the Department of Foreign Affairs, the ASEAN Ladies Foundation (ALF), and SM MOA.

The IBF aims to raise funds to uplift the lives of the less-privileged and this year’s proceeds benefited scholars from different college levels and helped various institutions that cater to the elderly, abused and abandoned children, and victims of calamities. Countries that participated this year included Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Cambodia, China, Denmark, France, Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar, New Zealand, Peru, Romania, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Ukraine, and Vietnam.

The Philippines offered HABI: The Philippine Textile Council, Cora DJ Manimbo Fashion House, CMMAG/Nikkitita Manila, and Dita Sandico products.

The ASEAN Food Fest featured dishes from ASEAN member states Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. There were also cultural performances by the Indonesian Embassy and the Philippine Barangay Folk Dance Troupe.

The event was graced by Former Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro Locsin, Jr. and Maria Lourdes B. Locsin, chairperson of IBF and ALF and ambassadors and dignitaries of the participating embassies.