Phnom Penh, 22 July 2024 – The Philippine Embassy hosted a diplomatic reception on 19 July 2023 at the iconic Rosewood Phnom Penh titled MEn Loy – A celebration of the 126th Anniversary of the Declaration of Philippine Independence and the 67th Anniversary of Philippines-Cambodia Diplomatic Relations.
The two-part program staged by the Embassy featured a standing room only (SRO) concert by the enthralling Male Ensemble (MEn) Philippines, back-to-back with a cocktail reception that was well attended by high officials of the Kingdom of Cambodia and members of the diplomatic corps, business sector and Filipino community.
MEn Loy (Khmer for very beautiful) brought to the fore the effortless virtuosity of MEn Philippines. For their opening song, the quintet impressed the audience with the world premiere of composer Ily Matthew Maniano’s The Awakening. Filipino songs Sa Puno ng Saging and Francisco Santiago’s Pakiusap as well as international favorites such as Fini, la comédie, El Dia Que Me Quieras, Arirang and Nella fantasia drew loud applause as did much-beloved Cambodian composer Sin Sisamouth’s Bong Houch Ler Kanong Krobey. The concert ended with the moving rendition of Ryan Cayabyab’s A Better World and encore number Paraiso composed by the same National Artist for Music.
The award-winning MEn Philippines of the Philippine Madrigal Singers Company of Artists have made it their mission to promote Philippine culture and arts through music. Organized in 2018, they have performed in numerous concerts in the Philippines and several European countries. MEn Loy was their first-ever engagement in Cambodia.
At the diplomatic reception that followed, Philippine Ambassador Flerida Ann Camille Puzon Mayo indicated that the concert paid homage to the very first Filipinos who formed the royal band of His Majesty King Norodom I in the 1870’s or nearly three decades before the Philippines’ declaration of independence. “From a handful of Filipino musicians in the 19th century, the present-day Filipino community is now roughly 7,000 strong. Filipinos in Cambodia keep our people-to-people ties robust. To them, the heroes of the Philippine revolution and our big-hearted Cambodian friends, this celebration is offered,” she remarked. The Ambassador also praised “the ASEAN Community that holds the region together in the face of evolving security challenges. Whether in Manila or Phnom Penh, the sense of being stronger together feeds our ASEAN solidarity and identity. As a founding member of the United Nations, the Philippines continues to champion the rule of law and the peaceful settlement of disputes in the maintenance of international peace and security,” she stated.
In her response, H.E. Cham Nimul, Minister of Commerce and the evening’s guest of honor, acknowledged that bilateral ties have flourished based on mutual respect and aspirations for peace and development. She highlighted the progress made in bilateral trade, including Cambodian rice exports to the Philippines, and urged deeper cooperation in agriculture, agri-business and tourism. She appreciated the Filipino community in Cambodia and praised MEn Philippines for their enchanting performance and tremendous talent.
For the guests’ viewing pleasure, the Philippine Embassy also mounted an exhibit of Filipino arts and craft such as T’boli brassware, handwoven fabrics, handmade baskets and clutches, and shell craft, as well as paintings by Filipino artists and Filipiniana publications. At the same time, Philippine companies doing business in Cambodia, including Liwayway, United Pharma, Davies Paints, San Miguel Beer, and Philippine Airlines proudly participated in the event by way of table-top displays. END