PE Brasilia Hosts Dinner Reception to Commemorate Philippine National Day

Philippine Ambassador to Brazil, Eva G. Betita, led the officers and staff of the Philippine Embassy in Brasilia, members of the Filipino community and special guests in commemorating the 116th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence on June 10 at the Clube do Exército, Brasilia, Brazil.
About 250 guests, including officials from the Brazilian government, the Ministry of External Relations and members of the diplomatic corps, attended the reception. Philippine Honorary Consuls General Dr. Romulo Mene and Dr. Somchai Ansuj of Rio de Janeiro and Porto Alegre, respectively, joined Ambassador Betita and the Embassy officials in receiving the guests.
The program started with the playing of the Philippine and Brazilian national anthems by the military band of Corpo de Bombeiros (Military Fire Department) followed by the Ambassador`s speech.
Following this year's theme: "Kalayaan 2014 - Pagsunod sa Yapak ng mga Dakilang Pilipino, Tungo sa Malawakan at Permanenteng Pagbabago," Ambassador Betita spoke about the economic gains of the Philippines in spite of last year's major calamities and the recent significant developments in the bilateral relations between the Philippines and Brazil. She also reiterated the gratitude of the Philippines for the outpouring of support from nations all over the world.
The highlights of the program were the launching of the Philippines-Brazil Commemorative Stamp and the "O Livro na Rua", a booklet about the Philippines.
In a simple ceremony, the Commemorative Stamp, which portrayed the Philippine eagle and Brazil's crowned eagle, was officially launched by Ambassador Betita, Ambassador Francisco Mauro Brasil de Holanda, Director-General for East Asia of the Brazilian Foreign Ministry, and Ms. Morgana Cristina Santos, Vice President of the Brazilian Postal Agency (Correios).
The event was featured in the Global News Section of Ito Ang Balita which regularly airs on UNTV including interviews with Ambassador Betita, Ambassador de Holanda and Ms. Santos.
Both the Philippines and Brazil are among the 17 mega-diverse countries listed by Conservation International as home to the majority of the world's species. The stamp aims to bring greater awareness to the protection and preservation of endangered species.
The Philippines was one of only three countries, after Croatia and Peru, to be featured by the Correios in its Diplomatic Relations Series for 2014. The launching of the stamp was a fitting end to the Philippine Eagle Week which began on June 4.
The "Livro na Rua" featuring the Philippines is a series of booklets providing general information, including the culture, arts and tourism, of various countries. The series aims to popularize literature by disseminating free booklets to schools and the Brazilian public.
Following the tradition of previous National Day celebrations, the guests were treated to Filipino food during the dinner which followed the program.
The Philippine National Day celebration was likewise featured in the Correio Braziliense, a major Brazilian newspaper. The article also provided some basic information about the Philippines.

Source: www.dfa.gov.ph Date accessed: 26 June 2014