Philippine–Spanish Friendship Day
The Philippine–Spanish Friendship Day (Spanish: Día de la Amistad entre España y Filipinas o Día de la Amistad Hispano-Filipina) celebrates the strong links between the Republic of the Philippines and the Kingdom of Spain. It is celebrated every June 30, remembering the day when General Emilio Aguinaldo, president of the Malolos Republic, issued a decree requiring the last Spanish soldiers who had garrisoned for almost a year inside Baler’s church be treated not as enemies and prisoners of war, but as friends, and that they receive the necessary permission for their return to Spain.
Senator Edgardo Angara, the main promoter of the Friendship Day, described this occasion as, "a glorious day for both countries because the Siege of Baler brought heroes and victory for both parties."[1] Today, it is the symbol of the great friendship between both countries.
Background
The Philippine–Spanish Friendship Day Bill was established on July 22, 2002. Republic Act No. 9187 was approved on February 5, 2003 as a means to strengthen the relationship between two nations that share history, values and traditions.
Republic Act No. 9187 states:
June 30 is a day when President Emilio Aguinaldo commended the besieged Spanish soldiers in the Church of Baler for their loyalty and gallantry. To mark this momentous occasion, there is a need to declare said day a national holiday to remember the act of benevolence which has paved the way in bridging better relations between Philippines and Spain.
The 30th of June of each year is hereby declared as Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day to commemorate the cultural and historical ties, friendship and cooperation between the Philippines and Spain. It is hereby declared as a national special working holiday and a special non-working holiday in Aurora Province.[2]
Siege of Baler
The Philippine–Spanish Friendship Day is strongly linked to the town of Baler - Baler, Aurora where a group of Spanish soldiers garrisoned inside the town’s church and defended the Spanish flag from July 1, 1898 to June 2, 1899 without knowing that Spain - Spain had already lost its principal colony in Asia on December 10, 1898 through the signing of the Treaty of Paris.
Heroism and stubbornness let the 33 soldiers, commanded by Captain Enrique de las Morenas y Fossí and Lieutenant Saturnino Martín y Cerezo, not only to survive, but to earn the respect of the revolutionary army of the Malolos Republic, whose safe return to Spain was ordered by General Emilio Aguinaldo - Emilio Aguinaldo. After this heroic act, this group of soldiers came to be known as Los últimos de Filipinas (The last ones of the Philippines) - Siege of Baler.
The Siege of Baler was led by Revolutionary Colonel Simon Tecson [Simon Ocampo Tecson] of San Miguel, Bulacan, the field commanding officer - List of Filipino Generals in the Philippine Revolution of 1896 and the Filipino-American War of 1899.
Celebration in the Philippines
Bilateral relations between the Kingdom of Spain and the Republic of the Philippines had been steadily improving since the formal establishment of Sovereign Tagalog Nation in 1896, Republic of Biak-na-Bato in 1897, Cantonal Republic of Negros in 1898 and Malolos Republic and Republic of Zamboanga in 1899. The Republic of the Philippines and the Kingdom of Spain have renewed their 1947 Treaty of Friendship, expanding it to a Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation in the year 2000.[3] On June 30, 2003, the first celebration of Philippine–Spanish Friendship Day took place in the Philippine town of Baler, Aurora Province, with Senator Edgardo Angara as host. Guests for this first event were, among others, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (one of the directors of Philippine Academy of the Spanish Language) and the head of Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional (Spanish International Cooperation Agency), Dr. Rafael Rodríguez-Ponga Salamanca, the special representative for this occasion, who read an official message from H.M. the King of Spain. It is also celebrated yearly in the town of San Miguel, Bulacan in the house of Simon Tecson - Tecson House. It is the same house where the first Philippine Constitution was ratified with Emilio Aguinaldo.
Since 2003, this celebration has acquired more and more relevance and has kept growing in terms of the amount of activities and projects, which have been organised in different locations:
| YEAR | CELEBRATION | HOST | OTHER VENUES | THEME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Region III – Baler | Region III – Malolos | Amistad Duradera (Enduring Friendship) | |
| 2004 | Region III – Malolos | Amistad Duradera | ||
| 2005 | Region VI – Iloilo City | Amistad Duradera | ||
| 2006 | Region IX – Zamboanga City | Amistad Duradera | ||
| 2007 | Region III – Baler | Region I – Vigan, Region VII – Bohol, Region IX – Zamboanga City, and NCR – Manila[4] | Amistad Duradera: Mga Larangan ng Pagtatagpo[4] | |
| 2008 | Region III – Baler[5] | Amistad Duradera | ||
| 2009 | Region III – Baler[6] | Amistad Duradera | ||
| 2010 | Region III – Baler[7] | |||
| 2011 | Region III – Baler[8] | Manila galleon |
Celebration in Spain
Since 2006, Philippine–Spanish Friendship Day has been simultaneously celebrated and organised in different locations of Spain such as Madrid, Barcelona, Palencia and Almonte in Huelva.[9] In Madrid, several institutions such as the Philippine Embassy and the Asociación Cultural Galeón de Manila celebrate this Friendship Day since 2009.
| YEAR | CELEBRATION | HOST |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Castile and León – Palencia[10] |
Celebration in other countries
| YEAR | CITY AND COUNTRY |
|---|---|
| 2003 | Tel Aviv, Israel[11] |
See also
- Public holidays in the Philippines
- Foreign relations of the Philippines
- Foreign relations of Spain
- Hispanic influence on Filipino culture
- Spanish language in the Philippines
- Spanish-Philippine Friendship Dinner & Symposium 2010 – Asociación Cultural Galeón de Manila (in Spanish)
- Spanish-Philippine Friendship Round Table 2011 – Asociación Cultural Galeón de Manila (in Spanish)
Notes
- ^
"Baler recuerda a los 'últimos de Filipinas' en Día Amistad Hispano-filipina" (in Spanish). Spain: Terra Noticias (noticias.terra.es). June 30, 2007. Archived from the original on July 20, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|trans_title=ignored (|trans-title=suggested) (help) - ^ Congress of the Philippines (2003). "Republic Act No. 9187: An Act declaring June 30 of the year as Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day, appropriating funds therefor and for other purposes". Metro Manila, Philippines. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 15, 2010. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
- ^
Rómulo, Alberto (June 30, 2005). "Remarks of the Honorable Alberto G. Rómulo, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, on the occasion of the Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day". Baler, Philippines: Department of Foreign Affairs (dfa.gov.ph). Archived from the original on July 17, 2005. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
The Philippines and Spain have renewed their 1947 Treaty of Friendship, expanding it to a Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation in the year 2000.
{{cite web}}: Check|authorlink=value (help); External link in|authorlink= - ^ a b Lapus, Jesli (June 19, 2007). "Department of Education Memorandum No. 243, s. 2007: Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day". Philippines: Department of Education (deped.gov.ph). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 20, 2010. Retrieved July 21, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Check|authorlink=value (help); External link in|authorlink= - ^ "Baler Hosts 6th Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day". Manila, Philippines: Senate of the Philippines 14th Congress (senate.gov.ph). June 30, 2008. Archived from the original on July 20, 2010. Retrieved July 21, 2010.
- ^ Lee, M.a Glaiza (August 29, 2009). "Courage and honor in the face of adversaries". Manila, Philippines: Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on July 22, 2010. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
- ^ "Philippine Spanish Friendship Day". National Historical Commission of the Philippines. June 24, 2010. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
- ^ "9th Philippine Spanish Friendship Day Successfully Held in Baler". Senate of the Philippines. June 30, 2011. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
- ^
Angara, Edgardo (June 24, 2010). "On the celebration of the 8th Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day". Manila, Philippines: Senate of the Philippines 14th Congress (senate.gov.ph). Archived from the original on July 19, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
and in Spain in Madrid, Barcelona, Palencia, Almonte in Huelva
- ^ Angara, Edgardo (July 2, 2006). "Of friends and allies". Manila, Philippines: Manila Bulletin (mb.com.ph). Archived from the original on July 22, 2010. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
- ^ "Snapshots". Philippines: Inquirer Global Nation (globalnation.inquirer.net). August 11, 2003. Archived from the original on July 21, 2010. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
Overseas Filipino workers celebrate Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day in Tel Aviv, Israel.
External links
Activities
- List of activities related to the Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day 2009 in Baler, Philippines
- Celebration of Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day 2010 in Madrid, Spain – Asociación Cultural Galeon de Manila (in Spanish)
Photos
- "Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day 2003 in Tel Aviv, Israel". Archived from the original on July 21, 2010.
- "Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day 2005 in Baler, Philippines". Archived from the original on July 21, 2010.
- "Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day 2006 in Baler, Philippines". Archived from the original on July 21, 2010.
- "Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day 2007 in Baler, Philippines". Archived from the original on July 21, 2010.
- "Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day 2008 in Cavite, Philippines". Archived from the original on July 22, 2010.
- "Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day 2009 in Baler, Philippines (No.1)". Archived from the original on July 21, 2010.
- "Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day 2009 in Baler, Philippines (No.2)".
Others
- Edgardo J. Angara. "Retracing our Iberian roots". Archived from the original on July 22, 2010.
- Edgardo J. Angara. "Forging stronger relations". Archived from the original on July 22, 2010.