The Italian embassy recently held a unique Italian Dolce Vita affair in the urban, modern vibe of The Alley at Karrivin Plaza, Makati City. As live jazz band performed at the outdoor area, on display were Italian premium brands, Lamborghini cars and Ducati motorbikes, and various restaurants and food stalls of some of the country’s top chefs offered a buffet of Italian street food and wines.

Cibo restaurant led by Asia’s Best Female Chef for 2016 Margarita Fores and restaurants at The Alley such as Toyo Eatery of chef Jordy Navarra and Poison Doughnuts of Chef Miko Aspiras provided the taste of Italian street food. Guests were also treated with gelato served on soft brioche and Italian branded coffee, Lavazza and free-flowing Prosecco.

Fores and her team prepared Cibo di Strida, an assortment of Italian-style street food such as freshly-grilled skewered beef tenderloin, a live station of Italian-style porchetta, Arancini Sicilian-style deep-fried rice balls with tomato, mozzarella, parmigiano, and basil, fritto misto with deep-fried battered shrimps, squid, and eggplant served with a creamy aioli, pizza fritta (a Neapolitan style fried pizza dough pocket filled with smoked ham, bel paese, mozzarella and Fontina topped with Groviera Cream) and traditional Italian pizza.

With this fun and festive atmosphere, the diplomatic corps, VIP guests and friends had a taste of the Italian-style of celebrating the good things in life with delectable Italian street-style cuisine and overflowing prosecco.

The Italian ambassador, Giorgio Guglielmino, said that the event was a chance for both Italians and Filipinos to realize the deep connection of their cultures. The focus of the celebration is to highlight the contemporary aspects of Italy. Most people remain unaware of how much Italy has grown in terms of arts and lifestyle. A quick scan of Italian art brings images of the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo, but not much applause is given to modern artists. Even in terms of cuisine, the public has yet to be introduced to the delight of Italian street food.

Italy has always been known as the European country bathed in romance. From arts to literature, the country evokes feelings of deep passion, beautiful locals, and familial ties. Even looking at classical paintings made by Italians leaves the ordinary person stunned; how is it possible that the sun seems to be a different shade of yellow than anywhere else in the world.

This romance extends to the humanity all Italians display. It is not only the rugged men sweeping the damsels in distress off their feet, it is in the conscious effort to provide solace to all those who are helpless and lost. Take for example its constant and continual acceptance of hundreds of thousands of war-torn refugees trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea from Africa to Europe. Italy remains one of the more accepting European countries opening its borders to save these people. It is something that makes all Italians very proud of their homeland.

But it is not only human life that is important for these romantic people. Italians also believe that all things need to be protected. That is why they take every effort to ensure that their coastal regions and sea life are part of a heavily regulated conservation program. Each year, Italy is seen to have the cleanest seas in all of Europe.

For Guglielmino, the Philippines and Italy share similar personalities. Both countries view life, family, and friendship the same way. For them, nothing is more important than personal relationships — face-to-face interaction being more crucial to one’s wellness than 1,000 e-mails.

In terms of cultural growth, the Ateneo Art Awards will feature an additional prize this August, called the Embassy of Italy Award. This will be given to a young Filipino artist who shows great potential in the arts. Guglielmino said that the goal of the Italian embassy is to build a small but significant collection of Filipino art to be displayed in the residence of the Italian ambassador as well as in the premises of the Italian Embassy chancery.

Ambassador Guglielmino is also working towards renewing a partnership with Philippine Airlines for a direct flight from Manila to Rome. This, after a period of more than 20 years. These flights would benefit the permanent Filipino community currently in Italy (numbering about 200,000) and the around 30,000 Filipinos who apply for a visa to enter the European country every year.

It is safe to say that our culture, too, is built on love and passion. The Philippines can be seen as Italy’s younger sibling, a little rough around the edges but showing the same passionate pride that makes us do anything and everything for all those that we love. It is our desire to be good family members, and our wish to fulfill our loved one’s desires that make us very similar to Italy. It is exciting to see where this relationship will go and how deep our connection will be. As we grow more into our own culture, it is nice to develop a relationship with a similar-minded country.