ANKARA, 28 May 2024 – The Philippine Embassy in Ankara, led by Ambassador Henry S. Bensurto Jr. and Madame Ann Mariza N. Sanchez-Bensurto, participated in the ASEAN Ladies Circle (ALC) visit and tour of the Ayone Farm in Golbași, Ankara, on 16 May 2024, hosted by Singapore Embassy and headed by their Lady Ambassador Kok Li Peng. More than forty (40) ALC members from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam attended this gathering. Ambassador Chea Sok of Cambodia, Ambassador Apirat Sugondhabhirom of Thailand, and Ambassador Do Son Hai of Vietnam also attended the event.

Ambassador Henry S. Bensurto Jr. and Madame Ann Mariza N. Sanchez-Bensurto (4^th and 6^th from right, respectively) led the Philippine Embassy team in the tour of Ayone Farm, an ASEAN Ladies Circle event hosted by the Singapore Embassy (Embassy photo).

Ambassador Henry S. Bensurto Jr. (1^st from left, second row) and Madame Ann Mariza N. Sanchez-Bensurto (3^rd from left, front row) with the ASEAN Ladies Circle (ALC) members, Ambassador Do Son Hai of Vietnam (first from left, front row), Vietnam, Ms. Aybige Erisen, Ayone Farm-owner (4^th from left, front row), Ambassador Apirat Sugondhabhirom of Thailand (2^nd from left, 2^nd row), Ambassador Chea Sok of Cambodia (3^rd from left, 2^nd row), Ambassador Kok Li Peng of Singapore (center, second row) and the Madames/Patrons of ALC.

The owner and resident chef, Ms. Aybige Erişen welcomed the ALC members at the Ayone Farm. The event included a farm tour with a pop quiz, olive oil tasting, and the ASEAN Salad Toss Off (AST), a contest where each participating country created a salad using the Kale leaf, as provided by Ayone Farm to be main ingredient.

The ASEAN Ladies Circle (ALC) members from the Philippines with their respective groupmates during the tour of the Ayone Farm. (Embassy photo.)

Madame Bensurto led the ladies of the Philippine Embassy in presenting a Philippine salad creation called “Ensalada ng Pilipinas.” The primary dressing featured atchara or pickled green papaya, a popular appetizer and side dish in the Philippines. The other ingredients included Philippine dried mangoes and dried coconut chunks from Profood International Corporation, carrots, lettuce, cucumber, and lemon to enhance the taste. In the presentation, Madame Bensurto presented the ingredients of the salad creation as well as the the health benefits of atchara, rich in fiber, Vitamin C, and antioxidants.

The Philippine Embassy ladies led by Madame Ann Mariza N. Sanchez-Bensurto (3^rd from right) feature atchara, Philippine dried mangoes and coconut chunks in the salad demonstration of “Ensalada ng Pilipinas,” the entry of the Philippines at the ASEAN Salad Toss Off held at the ALC Gathering in Ayone Farm. (Photo courtesy of the Embassy of Vietnam)

The Embassy of Vietnam won the first prize of the AST. Singapore Ambassador Kok Li Peng, Madame Waraporn Sugondhabhirom, the Spouse of the Ambassador of Thailand and current ALC President, Madame Ratana Ros of Cambodia, and Ms. Erisen, the owner of Ayone Farm presided as judges of the contest.

The ALC gathering in Ayone Farm was a great opportunity to share each countries’ culture and heritage but deepen the friendship among the ASEAN community in Ankara. 

The ALC in Ankara was established in 2019 upon the initiative of the Philippine Embassy. Its members are composed of wives of Ambassadors and diplomats, female diplomats of ASEAN missions in Ankara, namely Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. END