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The
cultural ties between China and the Philippines were
strengthened with the visit of a well-known Chinese
children's choir to perform back-to-back with the world
champion Loboc Children's Choir last Friday at the Bohol
Children's Palace, a new intertainment venue donated
by businessman-philanthropist Ambassador Carlos Chan
in Loboc town.
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The
Little Companion Art Troupe that the Shanghai Soong Ching
Ling Foundation under Chairman Lu Ping and the Loboc Children's
Choir were one in singing the Filipino folk song Kaming Magmamani
and the popular Chinese song translated as Smiles and Songs
for the finale.
Gov.
Erico Aumentado expressed deep appreciation for retired statesman
Lu who had negotiated for the return of Hong Kong from Great
Britain back to China for fulfilling his promise of bringing
the art troupe here during their meeting in Shanghai in 2006.
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Aumentado
also thanked Ambassador Carlos Chan of Oishi fame who
arranged the cultural visit. Philanthropist Chan is
the Philippines' special envoy to China and benefactor
of the Loboc Children's Choir, and Loboc town itself.
Chan
donated Bohol the construction and state-of-the-art
light and sound equipment for the Bohol Children's Palace.
On
top of the Loboc choir's tours abroad, Chan also gave
them international exposure by featuring them humming
the Oishi jingle with footages of Bohol's tourist spots
as they endorsed Oishi products in television and print
ads aired and published all across China.
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Chan
owns Liwayway Marketing Corp., manufacturers of the Oishi
line of products that includes Boholami, instant salabat or
ginger ale powder produced in Barangay Candabong, Loboc.
The
mini concert, Aumentado said, deepens the friendship between
the Philippines and the People's Republic of China, and of
Shanghai and Bohol. The young generation bridges this friendship
- for all nations and mankind, he added.
In
his welcome address, Loboc Mayor Leon Calipusan said the children
may have diverse languages and different cultures, but they
are unified by that universal language - music.
For
his part, Jimmy Tan, president of the Philippine Soong Ching
Ling Foundation said he was impressed with the cleanliness
of the river, of Loboc and generally of Bohol. He was impressed
as well with the air-conditioned rest rooms of the Loboc Tourism
Complex.
"International
standard!" he enthused.
Meanwhile,
although Lu brought the children to Loboc, he said, "We
are here to learn from you."
Having
seen the Loboc choir perform in Shanghai, he said the kids
are talented, well-trained and well-disciplined.
At
the theater, when the art troupe performed Mo Li Hua, their
conductress asked the Loboc Children's Choir to sing along.
They gamely stood and sang the tune that they already performed
in Nanchang City in Jiangxi Province and Shanghai.
Four
art troupe members drew generous applause when they sang the
popular Filipino "anthem" Bahay Kubo, first in Mandarin,
and then in Tagalog. The applause became louder when they
threw in for good measure all the sibuyas, kamatis, bawang
at luya at saka meron pang labanos, mustasa.
It
was the art troupe's turn to clap to the beat when the choir
sang cuts from the Sister Act, among them Salve Maria and
I will Follow Him.
Both
groups filled the theater stage to sing together Kaming Magmamani.
Had it not been for their uniforms, nobody could have guessed
correctly who were from Shanghai and from Loboc when they
literally mixed it up upstage.
Enthralled,
the audience endured the heat. The air-conditioners could
no longer cool the area because the rear doors were opened
to accommodate more of those who wanted to see the back-to-back
performance.
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