19 June 2012 - The Philippine Embassy in Brussels, together with the Filipino Community in Belgium and Luxembourg, organized "Sama-Sama 2012" at the Embassy grounds on June 2 for the Embassy's Independence Day flag-raising ceremony and get-together breakfast with the leaders of the Filipino community there.
The event was in line with the Embassy's observance of Migrant Workers' Day on June 6. It also served to kick-off the month-long series of community activities devoted to the commemoration of the 114th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine Independence.
The program commenced with the singing of the Philippine national anthem, followed by the reading of an ecumenical prayer led by Mr. Cipriano Reyes (Filipino Chaplaincy Center), Mr. Victor Sornes (Jesus is Lord Church) and Mr. Luis Manalo (Iglesia Ni Kristo).
In her message that followed the prayer, Philippine Ambassador to Belgium Victoria S. Bataclan enjoined everyone to do their part in the attainment of peace and development of the country.
The highlight of the program was when each leader was requested to pin a Philippine flag on a fellow community leader closest to him/her as a gesture of solidarity in celebrating Philippine Independence. A solidarity chain was then formed amongst them and all sang in unison the traditional Filipino songs "Bayan Ko" and "Pilipinas Kong Mahal".
