Philippine Consulate General, Milan commemorates 
109^th Anniversary  of Declaration of Philippine Independence  

26 June 2007 — Consul General Pedro O. Chan of the Philippine Consulate General in Milan , Italy reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that the Consulate commemorated the 109^th Anniversary of the Declaration of Philippine Independence with a series of activities that culminated on 17 June 2007.  

On 7 June 2007, the Consulate began the commemorations of Philippine Independence Day by celebrating Migrant Workers’ Day.  The event saw the graduation of 24 participants of the Training in Manipulative Therapy (massage therapy) conducted by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO), and the presentation of plaques of appreciation to Filipinos in the community who have excelled in their chosen fields and have assisted the Government, through the Consulate General, in its projects.  

On 12 June, a flag-raising ceremony was held at the Consulate premises at 8:00 a.m.  Consulate personnel and their families attended the ceremonies, which was followed by a simple breakfast.  

On 17 June, at 1:30 p.m., Consulate personnel and members of Filipino community organizations in Milan and other parts of northern Italy converged at Milan ’s historic Duomo di Milano to hear a concelebrated Mass held in Filipino, which was graced by Labor and Employment Secretary Arturo Brion.  

During the Mass, Rev. Fr. Don Giancarlo Quadri, Milan ’s Chaplain for Migrants, imparted the message to Filipinos of the Archbishop of Milan Dionigi Cardinal Tettamanzi.  In the message, Cardinal Tettamanzi spoke of his fondness of Filipinos in Milan , urging them to treat the Duomo as their spiritual home.  

In an unexpected gesture of appreciation for the Filipinos’ devotion to the Roman Catholic faith as seen in their overwhelming attendance at the Duomo, Don Quadri draped a large Philippine flag – earlier offered by Secretary Brion to the main Filipino co-celebrant – at the altar’s front.  

After the Mass, more than 2,000 Filipinos trooped to Centro San Gaetano for the parade, which saw Consul General Chan welcoming Filipino community organizations from various parts of northern Italy .  Consul General Chan also read the message of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and echoed the call for unity among Filipinos.  He also congratulated the community for the successful conduct of the Independence Day celebrations.  END

/jay

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