PRESS/PHOTO RELEASE

Embassy of the Philippines in Abu Dhabi

Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi celebrates

116^th Philippine Independency Day

17 June 2014 - The Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi led by Philippine Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Grace Relucio Princesa celebrated the 116^th anniversary of the Proclamation of the Philippine Independence with a flag-raising ceremony and diplomatic reception on 12 June 2014.

This year’s celebration began with a flag-raising ceremony followed by a simple breakfast especially prepared by the officers and staff of the Embassy. It was attended by members of the Bayanihan Council, which is comprised of the leaders of the Filipino organizations registered in the Embassy. During the event, the message of Labor Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz was read by Labor Attaché Angel Borja, Jr.; Commercial Counselor Mr. Paisal Abdullah read the message of Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory L. Domingo; Third Secretary and Vice Consul Norman E. Padalhin read the message of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. Del Rosario; the message of Vice President Jejomar C. Binay was read by Third Secretary and Vice Consul Maria Roseny B. Fangco, and Ambassador Grace Relucio-Princesa read the message of President Benigno S. Aquino III.

In the evening of June 12, the Embassy hosted the diplomatic reception to celebrate the momentous event. Two hundred (200) guests from the diplomatic corps, business and media sectors and Bayanihan Council attended the reception. Assistant Minister for International Organizations Thareq Ahmed Al Maidan from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was the guest of honor.

In her speech, Ambassador Princesa honored the Philippines’ forefathers, heroes and models, and President Benigno Aquino III for leading the Filipinos in a journey towards the straight path and echoed the President’s words in the just concluded World Economic Forum in East Asia that “good governance is good economics”. She compared the recent gains of the Philippines with the experience of the UAE which is, according to her, also a product of the visionary leadership of its founding father His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

The Ambassador also emphasized the excellent relations between the Philippines and the UAE highlighting the following milestones in the past year: official visit of the Philippines’ Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario to the UAE in September 2013 which coincided with the signing of the Philippines-U.A.E. Memorandum of Understanding on Political Consultations, official visit of UAE Minister of Economy Sultan Al Mansouri to the Philippines in February 2014, and the meeting between Ambassador Princesa and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan last June 02. She also acknowledged Mr. Salem Bakheet Almarar and Ms. Fatima Abdullah Farah, two of six Emirati young adults who went to the Philippines for 15 days as part of the show Beyond Borders: From UAE to the Philippines, a documentary series shown in MBC.      

Singing painter Tom Alvarado gave a rendition of We are the World while painting and portrait artist John Paul Faderogao did some portraits of guests while the reception was ongoing. Filipino dishes such as chicken adobo, beef sinigang, grilled milkfish (bangus), halo-halo, turon were part of the dinner menu. The most popular during the night was the sorbetes with ube, halo-halo, and cheese flavors specially served in a sorbetero cart. A Philippine jeepney, courtesy of Image Nation, the outfit behind the documentary series Beyond Borders, was displayed outside Dusit Thani. END