DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS 
P R E S S  R E L E A S E
www.dfa.gov.ph                                                                                           2330 Roxas Blvd., Pasay City, Philippines                                                                                 Tel. No. 834-4000 
SFA-AGR-476-06                                                                                                                                                                                                                             15 June 2006

"BARRIO FIESTA SA MADRID”  HIGHLIGHTS CELEBRATION OF 108TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE DAY ON 11 JUNE 2006

15 June 2006 - The Philippine Embassy in Madrid, together with the Filipino Community, welcomed over 4000 friends and guests to the 108th Philippine Independence Day celebrations on Sunday, 11 June, at the Colegio San Agustin in Madrid.

Ambassador Joseph D. Bernardo y Medina informed the Department of Foreign Affairs that this event was followed by the flag-raising ceremony on Monday, 12 June, at the Philippine Embassy grounds attended by members of the Embassy and the Filipino Community present.

The Ambassador said the festivities began with a Thanksgiving Mass, concelebrated by Fathers Carlos de Guzman SVD, Jerry Jasmin SVD, Kelly Matibag SVD, and Padre Prometeo Cerezo, Secretary-General of the Institute Hispano-Luso-Americano de Derecho Internacional of the Royal University College Maria Cristina.  

The mass was followed by the reading of the message of H.E. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's by Ambassador Bernardo. The opening remarks for the Barrio Fiesta were given by Consul General Celia Anna M. Feria, Chairperson of the Organizing Committee for this year's celebration.

Among Sunday's special guests was the Hon. Jose Marques, President of the City Council and Mayor of the Portuguese City of Sabrosa, birthplace of Ferdinand Magellan. Hon. Marques, along with Ambassador Bernardo and Consul General Feria, participated in the official ribbon cutting ceremony. The Mayor and his family also sampled some of the Filipino food offered at the Barrio Fiesta and watched the parade and performances by various sectors of the Filipino community, featuring both traditional and modern songs and dances.   (Please refer to the accompanying photo release on this topic.)

In the Barrio Fiesta, 60 booths promoted various Filipino enterprises or sold a variety of Filipino dishes and dry goods. There were also charitable organizations such as Couples for Christ, Gawad Kalinga, and the Assumption Alumnae Association.

As the culminating event of the day's celebrations, ABS-CBN and TFC delighted the audience with performances by Rica Peralejo and Piolo Pascual, with a guest appearance by Edu Manzano. END

 

/epa