Amb. Thomeczek (4th from left) with Embassy personnel and Knights of Rizal members at Jägerstraße 71.

Ambassador Melita Sta. Maria-Thomeczek led Embassy personnel and German members of the Order of the Knights of Rizal in a wreath-laying ceremony last December 20 at Dr. Jose Rizal’s former apartment in Berlin at Jägerstraße 71 (No. 71 Jaeger Street).

The event marks the Month of Overseas Filipinos, which the Philippines celebrates each December, and the 121^st anniversary of Dr. Rizal’s martyrdom at the hands of the Spanish colonial government.

In her remarks at the gathering, the Ambassador recounted the life of Dr. Rizal as an expatriate in the German capital from November 1886 to May 1887.

“Dr. Rizal’s life continues to serve as an inspiration, not only to Filipinos back home, but also to those who went beyond our shores. As we celebrate the Month of Overseas Filipinos, I would like to encourage our countrymen in Germany to reflect on Dr. Rizal’s sojourn, his thirst for knowledge, and most especially, his undying love for the motherland that, for a time, he left physically but did not forsake,” the Ambassador said.

“Like Dr. Rizal, Filipinos currently living and working abroad are making significant contributions to our country’s march towards progress through their individual efforts and sacrifices,” the Ambassador added.

Struggling financially and in poor health, Dr. Rizal went on to complete the “Noli Me Tangere,” the most pivotal literary work in Philippine history, in his Jägerstraße apartment.

He also immersed himself in other intellectual pursuits, such as reading academic works on the Philippines, exchanging views with German scholars of his time, honing his medical expertise at the Charité Hospital, and becoming a member of the Berlin Society for Anthropology, Ethnology and Pre-History.

To this day, young Filipinos are drawn to Germany, particularly Berlin, by a wealth of opportunities in higher education.

In true Rizal fashion, the simple ceremony was capped by afternoon coffee at a café along central Berlin’s Unter der Linden Avenue, an area where our revered National Hero used to relax and pass the time. END.

Filipino soprano, Andion Fernandez and Spanish pianist, Alberto Urroz.

Germans braved a chilly and rainy winter evening in Berlin to join a musical celebration of Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day and the 70^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Spain last December 13 at the Instituto Cervantes Berlin.

The event, which was jointly organized by the Philippine and Spanish embassies, and Instituto Cervantes, was also attended by members of the local Filipino and Spanish communities. It featured distinguished Filipino soprano, Andion Fernandez; accomplished Filipino pianist-composer, Jeffrey Ching; and acclaimed Spanish pianist, Alberto Urroz.

From left: Mr. Ching; Spanish Embassy Cultural Attaché, Dr. Rosa Velasquez Alvarez; Amb. Thomeczek; and Instituto Cervantes Director, Mr. Diego Valverde Villena

Ms. Fernandez regaled the audience with her soulful renditions of classic Filipino love songs called “kundiman,” including Nicanor Abelardo’s “Nasaan ka irog” (Where are you my love) and Mike Velarde’s “Dahil sa iyo” (Because of you).

The event also served as a tribute to renowned Spanish pianist and classical music composer, Enrique Granados, with the performance of some of his original compositions, including the Goyescas and the Tonadillas al estilo antiguo, a set of poems by Spanish writer, Fernando Periquet.

Mr. Ching, meanwhile, fascinated the audience with his avant-garde musical arrangement.

In her speech during the event, Philippine Ambassador Melita Sta.Maria-Thomeczek shared that the bonds of friendship between the Philippines and Spain were forged by a shared history and common cultural heritage.

The Ambassador recounted the bravery of a small garrison of Spanish soldiers who were unaware that their country had given up its Asian colony, and who stood their ground for 377 days in the church of Baler town. The siege ended on June 2, 1899 with the surrender of the remaining Spanish soldiers to Filipino revolutionary forces.

The Spanish soldiers’ loyalty and gallantry earned them the respect of Philippine President Emilio Aguinaldo who decreed that they be treated as friends and given safe passage to Spain. The 30^th of June, the date on which the decree was issued, is being celebrated annually as Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day. END

Guests enjoying Filipino empanada, steamed rice cakes, and banana fritters, Philippine mango juice, and Spanish wine after the concert.