HIGHLIGHTS OF CELEBRATION IN SOUTH AFRICA OF 108^TH ANNIVERSARY OF PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE

15 June 2006, Pretoria—Philippine Ambassador to South Africa Virgilio A. Reyes, Jr. reported to the Department that Deputy Minister for Provincial and Local Government Ms Nomatyala Hangana graced the Philippine Embassy's celebration of the 108^th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence held at the chancery on 12 June 2006.

In toast remarks at the Vin D' Honneur,  the Deputy Minister reiterated her country's resolve to continue the warm and cordial relationship between South Africa and the Philippines that goes as far back as during the pre-apartheid time.  She gave importance to both countries' influence in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the Group of 77 and China (G77) as well as the Philippine's assumption of the chair of the Association of South East-Asian Nations (ASEAN) in July 2006 and the future hosting of ASEAN Summit in Cebu in December 2006.  (Please refer to the accompanying photo release on this topic.)

The establishment of Philippine Embassy in Pretoria after the inauguration of South Africa's first democratically elected President Nelson Mandela in 1994 was reciprocated by the establishment of South Africa's Embassy in the Philippines on 15 July 2005.  This reflected the heightened relationship of these two countries especially in the past two years.

Deputy Minister Hangana and Ambassador Reyes cited the gains achieved since the forging of diplomatic relations such as:

• South Africa's recognition of Philippine's highly active support in the struggle against apartheid;
• Conclusion of the Philippine-South Africa Trade Agreement in 1997 during the visit of former President Nelson Mandela to the Philippines in March 1997 which has resulted in strong trade relations between two countries currently in favor of the Philippines;
• Significant visits of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to South Africa when as Vice-President she co-chair the October 2000 Global Summit of Women 2000 in Johannesburg and as Special Envoy to the inauguration of President Thabo Mbeki in 2004;
• The visit of South Africa's Vice President Phumzile Mlambo-Nguka (then Minister of Minerals and Energy) in 2001 and of South African Parliamentarians led by Speaker Baleka Mbete in April 2005;
• Philippine Ministerial Delegation in the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and National Economic Development Authority as well as a visit to South Africa of former Vice President and Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teofisto T. Guingona, Jr. during the 2002 Non-Aligned Ministering Meeting in Durban.

Ambassador Reyes also stressed that the people to people exchanges as well as of high level visits and bilateral interactions between senior officials of two countries have yielded positive and quantifiable results.

He also mentioned the most recent visit to South Africa of business mining delegation from the Philippines headed by DENR Secretary Angelo Reyes in February 2006 and the visit of Minister Essop Pahad of the Presidency as Special guest at the 31^st International Theater Institute-United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ITI-UNESCO) International World Congress and Theater Olympics of the Nations held in May 2006 in Manila.

The Vin D’ Honneur was attended by the members of Diplomatic Corps in South Africa headed by its Dean, Libyan Ambassador Abdulla A. Alzubeidi, government officials, representatives of non-government organizations, businessmen and members of the Filipino community in Pretoria. END

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