ENDURING TIES

Statement on the the Philippine-Spanish Relations Philippine-

by Senator Edgardo J. Angara

8 August 2011 * Senate of the Philippines

JUNE 30, 2011

The center of the celebration was in Baler, Aurora, the venue of an unbelievable siege more than a century ago that characterizes the longstanding relations between the Philippines and Spain.

H.E. JORGE DOMECQ

Spain Ambassador to the Philippines

Announced that Spain's Congreso de los Diputados passed a momentous parliamentary declaration expressing their nation's gratitude toward ours and Spain's offer to act as our gateway to Europe and South America and their desire for us to be their gateway to Southeast Asia.

Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day Act

The Senate championed the passage of this law nine (9) years ago, an unprecedented initiative that made us the only former colony to proclaim its friendship with a colonizer by law.

SPAIN S PARLIAMENTARY DECLARATION

On June 30, 2011, Spain reciprocated with a historic parliamentary declaration unanimously approved and passed by the Congreso de los Diputados.

JOSE BONO MARTINEZ

President of the Congreso de los Diputados

INSTITUTIONAL DECLARATION TO COMMEMMORATE THE 9th CELEBRATION OF THE PHILIPPINE-SPANISH FRIENDSHIP DAY

El Presidente del Congreso de los Diputados

Madrid, July 1st, 2011

Hon. Edgardo J. Angara Senator Senate of the Philippines Dear Sir:

With these few words, I am attaching a copy of the Journal of Debates of the Congreso de los Diputados from yesterday, 30th of June .

The text of the Institutional Declaration on the Day of SpanishPhilippine friendship appears on page 15 & 16. I read the Declaration before the Sitting of full House yesterday 30th of June and it was unanimously acknowledged by all the parliamentary groups

I am deeply convinced that yesterday will remain in the memory of the people of the Philippines and of the Kingdom of Spain.
Kind regards, Jose Bono Martinez

SIEGE OF BALER It recalls the memory of June 2, 1899, when 35 surviving members of the Spanish detachment battered, weary, even near death emerged from the Church of Baler.
Present day photo of the Church of Baler

The Spaniards converted the church into a virtual fort. They stationed sentries and marksmen at strategic locations.

Episodic skirmishes and exchange of gunfire ensued over the next 337 days.

Over and over, they refused to capitulate, adhering to their orders to fight for the Spanish Crown no matter what.

When the Spanish detachment finally agreed to surrender to the command of Lieutenant Colonel Simon Tecson, Tecson, only 35 of them remained.

SURVIVORS (L-R) Rogelio Vigil de Quiones, Jess Garca Quijano & Lt. Saturnino Martn Cerezo. July 1899.

GRANDSONS OF THE SURVIVORS (L-R) Jos Ignacio Bidn Vigil de Quiones, Jess Valbuena Garca, Fernando Cmara Martn Cerezo

President Emilio F. Aguinaldo s decree on June 30, 1899 stating that the survivors of the Siege of Baler shall be treated as friends, not as prisoners, ensuring their safe travel back home.

A NEW CHAPTER OF PHILIPPINE-SPANISH RELATIONS The period subsequent to the Siege of Baler was characterized by mutual respect and kindness.

Sen. Edgardo J. Angara with Speaker Jose Bono and PHL Ambassador to Spain Carlos Salinas at the entrance of the Spanish Congress on June 14, 2011

A NEW CHAPTER OF PHILIPPINE-SPANISH RELATIONS

Sen. Edgardo J. Angara with Senate President Javier Rojo in Madrid on June 14, 2011

INTER PARLIAMENTARY COOPERATION SINCE 2007 One of the major accomplishments was the signing of the landmark cooperation agreement between the Philippine Senate and the Spanish Senate.

The Philippine delegation of Sen. Edgardo J. Angara, Sen. Franklin M. Drilon, Drilon, former Senators Juan Flavier and Ramon Magsaysay, Jr. and former Ambassador Joseph Bernardo with counterparts from the Spanish Senate headed by then Senator Jose Manuel Barquero, president of the SpainBarquero, SpainPhilippines Parliamentary Friendship Group.

This paved the way for regular parliamentary encounters, fora and projects in areas of mutual interest, such as peace, human rights, security, terrorism, poverty alleviation, sports, arts, culture, tourism and infrastructure development

SPANISH LANGUAGE IN SCHOOLS

Department of Education (DepEd) reintroduced Spanish into the curriculum under the Special Program in Foreign Languages

Senator Edgardo J. Angara, Ambassador Jorge Domecq and Director Jose Pepe Rodriguez at the graduation ceremonies of Instituto Cervantes in Manila, May 26, 2011.

All public school teachers conducting foreign language classes have enrolled in intensive Spanish language training at the Instituto Cervantes.

Senator Edgardo J. Angara, Ambassador Jorge Domecq, and Director Jose Rodriguez handing out the certificates to the graduates of the Instituto s Spanish intensive teacher training program.

Last May, we already graduated 98 of them, thanks to the help of the Spanish agency for international cooperation, the Agencia Espaola de Cooperacion Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID).

FOOTBALL TRAINING
Andalusia-based Centro de Estudios, Desarrollo e Investigacin del Ftbol Andaluz (CEDIFA) came over to conduct football training camps in Aurora & Negros Occidental for elementary & high school students.

(L-R) CEDIFA Director Francisco Lopez Servio, Football Federation of Andalucia President Eduardo Herrera Jimnez, Senator Edgardo J. Angara, Government of Andalucia Director for Sports Aurora Cosano and Jose Ignacio Bidon

BILATERAL TRADE FIGURES

TRADE IN 2010 PHL Export to Spain Spain Export to PHL
AMOUNT

P 10.8 B P 10.1 B

Spain sees us as a partner a coequal no less... They seek an alliance based on 500 years of shared legacy; on a common vision for the future

Let us seize this opportunity to be Spain s primary partner in Southeast Asia, and Spain our gateway to Europe and the South American Community.

Thank you, muchas gracias, salamat!