Philippine Consulate invited to join city’s future cultural hub

Lilybeth Deapera

The Philippine Consulate in Macau has confirmed that they have been invited to join a new cultural and entertainment hub at the Taipa Houses-Museum. “He [Secretary Alexis Tam] invited us to have events in the Taipa (Houses) Museum” the Macau Consul-General, Lilybeth Deapera, told TDM.
Last month, the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Alexis Tam, announced that the government is aming to revamp Taipa’s Carmo area in order to transform the district into a multicultural venue. To promote Macau’s diversified culture, they are considering holding food fairs for cuisine from different countries.
“We will still be exploring ways to possibly bring artists to visit and make use of the restaurant for food festivals,” the diplomat said. She mentioned that other countries have already been invited by Mr Tam to participate in this project to promote their tourism, culture and arts in the area.
Last month, Alexis Tam revealed plans to invite Casa de Portugal (House of Portugal) to be a part of this government project which aims to boost the district in Taipa, by developing a Portuguese restaurant, coffee shop and esplanades in the area.
However, even though Mr Tam has announced that he envisages activities in the area such as “Portuguese music performers to play in the area every night,” the offer will not only be restricted to the Portuguese.
The Portuguese association head Maria Amélia António sees that the government’s move to develop the area is “an opportunity to bring back to life a project that has proven potential.”
The Filipino consul revealed that Tam hopes to bring diverse cultural experiences to other areas of Macau. Deapera added that the local government has been helpful to the consulate in providing venues for their events.
According to the plan announced by Mr Tam, the Institute for Tourism Studies and Casa de Portugal will collaborate to open a restaurant in one of the houses. The remaining homes will be open for art exhibitions, along with regular performances and displays at the outdoor amphitheater.