First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos has joined other Southeast Asian first ladies to explore a variety of distinctive arts, culinary, customs, and culture of the Indonesian archipelago.
Clad in a white Filipiniana knee-length dress, the First Lady participated in the Spouse Program of the 43rd ASEAN Summit by watching cultural performances, visiting various attractions and art galleries, and a luncheon with the leaders' spouses.
She shared a series of photos of the event held on Wednesday, Sept. 6., at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) on her social media account on Thursday.
“The event was lively, smooth, and successful from the start at 09 a.m. local time until it concluded at 12 p.m. local time,” said Arie Prasetyo, the Director of Operations at TMII.
The first ladies visited an art gallery where they spent around 20 minutes watching children with disabilities create various artworks, including painting, sculpting, pottery, and comics.
The group then continued their activities by watching a traditional Betawi dance performance.
They were later led to the Panggung Budaya (Cultural Stage) where they were entertained with various outdoor entertainment, allowing them to fully appreciate the beauty of the miniature Indonesian islands in the middle of the lake with clear visibility.
The group also enjoyed a parachute performance, dance, and musical instrument performance from artists aged between 17 and 30. Around 2,000 performers showcased their talents in front of the ASEAN First Ladies.
They then headed to the luncheon venue at Sasono Utomo.
The First Ladies traveled from Panggung Budaya to Sasono Utomo by an electric car, passing through the pavilions of East Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, Aceh, North Sumatra, South Sumatra, and Bengkulu. They were treated to various fascinating attractions at each pavilion.
According to Prasetyo, the delegation witnessed a performance of the indigenous people’s daily activities at the East Kalimantan pavilion. These activities include drying cloth while wearing the traditional attire of East Kalimantan. Meanwhile, a group of young men and women performed a traditional South Sumatra dance at the region’s pavilion.
First Lady Liza is in Indonesia to accompany President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. in his participation at the 43rd ASEAN Summit and related summits. The Philippine delegation is expected to return to the country Thursday night.