Ms Lim Kheng Hua, Singapore’s Ambassador to the Philippines;
Distinguished Guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen;

Good evening and a very warm welcome to all of you to the Singapore Encore.

2 We are delighted to present Singapore Encore in Manila. Through this creative showcase, we hope to bring you a snapshot of Singapore’s arts, culture and cuisine .

3 Singapore Encore is also a celebration of the friendship between Singapore and the Philippines. Over the last 40 years, Singapore and the Philippines enjoy a warm and long-standing relationship. As members of the ASEAN family, Singapore and the Philippines have always worked together on a range of issues at regional and international forums. Our bilateral ties are wide ranging and span the economic, arts and cultural scenes.

4 The Philippines is our 14th largest global trading partner, with bilateral trade amounting to S$17.03 billion in 2006. Our most recent cooperation was in November last year, when both countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to forge closer media collaborations.

5 In tourism, there is strong interest in each other’s country. Singapore welcomed close to 390,000 Filipino tourists in 2006, making the Philippines one of Singapore’s top 10 visitors generating markets. We also welcome many Filipinos to work in Singapore. At the same time, Singapore remains the number one contributor of ASEAN tourists to the Philippines, accounting for about 40 percent of tourist arrivals.

6 On the arts and culture front, we signed an MOU in 2001 for the Philippines-Singapore Cultural Cooperation Programme. This MOU has facilitated exchange visits, performances and joint programmes between both countries. For instance, prolific Filipino singer Lani Misalucha performed a charity concert in Singapore in 2003. Last year, the Philippine Embassy in Singapore staged an exhibition “Philippine Art Trek” featuring the works of several Filipino artists including Manuel D. Baldemor, a multi-talented artist, whose works have gone on display all over the world.

7 The Asian Civilisation Museum showcased, for the first time, the Peranakan Legacy Exhibition at the Ayala Museum in 2007, as part of the Ayala Museum’s themed exhibitions on the Chinese diaspora in Southeast Asia. The President of Singapore, H.E. Mr S R Nathan, graced the opening of this 3-month long exhibition. This exhibition was part of the on-going cooperation between the Ayala Foundation Inc and the National Heritage Board Singapore. It was the second collaborative project for the two institutions. The first was “Crossings: Philippine Works from the Singapore Art Museum” which was one of the exhibitions at the Ayala Museum in 2004. These events and the Singapore Encore that is now taking place in Manila will contribute to mutual understanding and appreciation for each other’s arts and culture.

8 Over the next two days, our guests will enjoy performances by Singapore’s ‘Swing King’, Jeremy Monteiro, and catch a glimpse of life in Singapore through the eyes of ordinary Singaporeans in a photo exhibition.

9 On this note, I thank the Singapore International Foundation and the Singapore Embassy in the Philippines for making this evening possible.

10 I wish you all a most enjoyable evening and thank you for attending this event.

Thank you.