The Philippines signed a Cultural Agreement with Cambodia in simple ceremonies held at the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts in Phnom Penh on 19 June 2015.   

Chairman Felipe M. de Leon, Jr. of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) signed the agreement on behalf of the Philippines, while Minister Phoeung Sackona of Culture and Fine Arts signed on behalf of Cambodia.

The agreement is expected to provide a framework for closer cooperation in the area of culture between the two countries. It aims to encourage understanding and appreciation of each country's culture, history and general way of life through exchanges of materials dealing with culture and the arts, cultural exhibitions and representations, and exchange of experts, specialists and researchers in the field of conservation, and development of tangible and intangible heritages.  

In a bilateral meeting held before the ceremony, Chairman de Leon noted that despite being geographically close to each other, the Philippines and Cambodia do not know as much about each other as they should. He added that both countries have very young populations, thus it is important to invest time and resources in increasing mutual understanding and appreciation of each other’s cultures. END

pppetfb2015