Berlin. 30 December 2012 – H.E. Ambassador Maria Cleofe Natividad led the officers and staff of the Philippine Embassy in Berlin in the commemoration of the 116th Death Anniversary of Dr. Jose P. Rizal through a simple yet meaningful ceremony at the Embassy’s Bulwagang Bagumbayan.

Ambassador Natividad exhorted the officers and staff of the need to commemorate Rizal’s martyrdom “not out of nostalgia, but out of respect for a man who showed us that everyone is capable of redefining themselves if they chose to do so.” Ambassador Natividad noted that the achievements and sacrifices of Dr. Rizal should serve as an inspiration to all. The Ambassador also echoed the remarks of Javier Gomez de la Serna, who had gone to school with Rizal at the Ateneo Municipal, that Dr. Rizal “has shown us that every Filipino can be like Rizal, that he can obtain what he wishes to obtain if he has the determination, ways and sincerity of purpose similar to what Rizal showed in doing important things in his life.” END

Berlin. 29 October 2012.  Dr. Jose Rizal, Philippine national hero, who lived in Berlin for a few months from 1886-1887 where he finished and published his novel “Noli Me Tangere”, will now become part of a multi-national project that will leave his permanent imprint in the streets of Berlin.

Ambassador Maria Cleofe R. Natividad in cooperation with Kunstwelt e. V. (Artworld) Berlin chaired by Bonger Voges and the Guest of Honor, Representative Henedina R. Abad, unveiled the winning quotation from Dr. Jose Rizal for the Path of Visionaries of the World, a project under the patronage of the Director-General of UNESCO, Ms. Irina Bukowa.

The “Path of Visionaries of the World” is a ground-breaking project that displays plaques containing quotations from great personalities – poets, novelist, writers, and heroes – of all the UN-Member States. These plaques will be embedded in the pedestrian zone of Berlin’s famous Friedrichstrasse, just a short distance away from Checkpoint Charlie. The project aims to project a powerful symbol of peace, internationality, and dialogue for all the peoples of the world in the heart of Berlin.

The quotes stand for the values and cultures of all the world’s peoples and states. They also convey the uniqueness of each culture and encourage respect and acceptance of the intellectual, spiritual, and cultural contribution of the world’s nations.

In September 2009, the organizers, Kunstwelt e.V. (Art World), started to invite the UN-Member States’ embassies to participate in the Path of Visionaries of the World. Currently, 150 States agreed to participate, including the Philippines.

The following quotation from the national hero, Dr. José Rizal, culled from Filipinas Dentro de Cien Años, will form part of the project:

“Para leer en el destino de los pueblos, es menester abrir al libro de su pasado.”
(Source : Filipinas Dentro de Cien Años, La Solidaridad, 1889) (original)

The unveiling was witnessed by the Philippine delegation taking part in the Renewable Energy Information Visit headed by Representative Abad, who is Chair of the Committee on Energy and Member of the Committee on Culture and Basic Education, Philippine House of Representatives. The information visit was sponsored by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) and the German Agency for International Cooperation GmbH (GIZ). END

Berlin. 7 September 2012.

Renowned Filipino musical artists Dr. Abelardo Galang II and Mr. Jonathan dela Paz Zaens perform at a benefit concert held at the Pauluskirche (St. Paulus Church) in Berlin, Germany on 01 September 2012 for the restoration of the pipe organ of the historic church.

The church hall has been the site for performances and recordings by renowned pianist-conductor Daniel Barenboem, tenor Dietrich Fischer-Diskau, and cellist Jaqueline du Pre decades ago.

The concert was organized by Mr. Cornelius Häußermann, Cantor of the Orgelbauverein Pauluskirche, an organization of parishioners and local government officials. The event was graced by the presence of Ambassador Maria Cleofe Natividad.

Demonstrating his extensive talent in classical music across several languages (German, English, Italian, Spanish, Tagalog and Cebuano), Filipino Bass-Baritone Zaens performed excerpts from European masters Hasse, Händel, Brahms, Strauss, Rossini and Donizetti. Mr. Zaens also featured Filipino kundiman songs in his repertoire to present a taste of Filipino musical tradition.

Accompanying Mr. Zaens is the highly-accomplished Filipino pianist, Dr. Abelardo Galang II, whose excellent piano performances of the European and Philippine pieces blended harmoniously with the robust voice of Mr. Zaens.

The package of German, English, Filipino and Visayan songs was very much appreciated by the mostly German audience. The audience found the poetic narrations delivered in the German language by the Ambassador’s daughter, Alexandra Natividad, and young Filipino-German pianist Manuel Pronath, even more charming.

In the early 70s, the Johannes Klais Orgelbau GmbH in Bonn undertook a two-year restoration work on the bamboo organ of Las Piñas. This benefit concert was an opportunity for the Philippines to help in return in the restoration of a historic pipe organ in Germany, and a way to express Philippine appreciation for this mutually beneficial cooperation.

The Embassy continues to support such musical performances as part of the Embassy’s public and cultural diplomacy efforts. END