Phl Embassy, Filipinos in Finland Mark Independence Day with Community Celebrations, Lecture

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20 June 2012 - The Philippine Embassy in Helsinki joined the Filipino community in Finland in commemorating the 114^th anniversary of the declaration of Philippine Independence with the holding last June 10 of "Pagtitipon 2012" at the Poliisien Kesäkoti in Lauttasaari island, near the Finnish capital.

More than 200 Filipinos and Finns from all across Finland joined in the day-long celebration which was jointly organized by the various Filipino community organizations in Helsinki, Tampere and Jyväskylä.

During the program, Embassy Charge d' Affaires, a.i. Blesila C. Cabrera and Consul General Patrick John U. Hilado read the Independence Day messages of President Benigno S. Aquino III and Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario, respectively.

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The Charge d'Affaires also thanked the Filipino community in Finland for supporting the various programs of the Embassy and for doing their share in nation-building through their hard work, dedication and their continued love of country. She expressed appreciation for the community organizations which continue to work together to celebrate and promote Philippine identity and culture in Finland through activities such as the Pagtitipon.

This year's Pagtitipon was made extra special with the presence of guests from the Philippines including National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Chairman Felipe de Leon, Jr., the special performances of the music ensemble Himig ng Kasarinlan and the two principal dancers of Ballet Philippines, Candice Adea and Jean Marc Cordero, who competed and won in the recent Helsinki International Ballet Competition.

The cultural program also featured musical numbers, dances and other performances by local talents coming from the community.

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As part of its community outreach program, the Embassy also conducted mobile consular and voter registration services during the Pagtitipon allowing those in attendance the opportunity to apply for the issuance or renewal of their Philippine electronic passports (ePassports) as well as to register for overseas absentee voting (OAV).

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To cap the Independence Day celebrations, the Embassy also organized a lecture delivered by NCCA Chairman de Leon at the Embassy Social Hall entitled, "The Image of the Filipino in the Arts" on June 11. The two-hour interactive lecture focused on Filipino values as expressed in various cultural forms and featured selected musical performances by the group Himig ng Kasarinlan. END