9 July 2012 - The Philippine Embassy in Lisbon, together with the Filipino community in Portugal, commemorated the 114th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine Independence on June 17 at the Seminario Verbo Divino (SVD) compound in Lisbon.
This year´s Independence Day celebration in Lisbon was made possible through the collaboration of the Embassy, the Filipino Chaplaincy in Lisbon and the Associação Filipino-Portuguesa (AFP) under the leadership of Ms. Leilani Yu.
The celebration began with a mass officiated by Filipino priest and Vice-Rector of the SVD Seminary, Fr. Jovito Osalvo, followed by the inauguration of a mini-exposition of Philippine handicrafts and tourism with Chargé d´Affaires, a.i. (CDA) Josefina I. Estrada cutting the ribbon.
Portuguese guests, some of whom were employers invited by their Filipino employees, or friends and spouses, along with a few guests from other Embassies and the media, were provided with interesting views of Philippine history and culture.
The exhibit featured the history of the evolution of the Philippine flag and a photo gallery of Philippine national heroes.
Bamboo furniture, ethnic costumes and textiles, shell craft and other handicrafts were artfully arranged around the room.
Traditional music was played while videos of famous tourist spots in the Philippines were projected on the wall to complement the display of tourism posters.
Guests sampled the delicious kakanin prepared by resident Filipinos.
After the viewing of the exhibition, the Independence Day program commenced with Ms. Elea V. Perez, Cultural Officer of the Embassy and co-host for the program, welcoming the guests.