BERLIN, 06 June 2026 – The Philippine Embassy in Berlin hosted the “Pistang Kalayaan 2026,” an open house event for the Filipino community and friends in celebration of the 128th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence (PID), at the Embassy on 06 June 2026. With the theme “Kalye+Kulinarya,” the event featured samplings of Filipino street food and the experience of Philippine street vibes.
Amb. Maria Teresa T. Almojuela welcomes guests to Pistang Kalayaan 2026. (Photo credit: Berlin PE)
The event started with the signing of the Philippine National Anthem by Berlin-based tenor Jose Marie Rubio, followed by ecumenical prayer offered by Fr. Simon Boiser of the Archdiocese of Berlin, Pastor BJ Edward Taduran of the Christ’s Commission Fellowship-Germany, and Pastor Maryann Heinze of the Jesus Is Lord-Germany.
Embassy personnel, guest artists and other guitar enthusiasts perform various Original Pilipino Music (OPM) tracks during the event to the delight of guests. (Photo credit: Berlin PE)
Philippine Ambassador to Germany H.E. Maria Teresa T. Almojuela officially opened the program. She welcomed the guests, pointing out that the celebration to mark the 128th Philippine Independence Day is a celebration of the journey of the nation, the community and every Filipino at home and abroad. She recounted the nation’s hard-fought journey toward independence from colonial Spain, culminating its status as the first republic in Asia and advocate of democracy and freedom. Ambassador Almojuela described the modern Filipino diaspora as a continuation of the journey of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, who lived in Berlin from 1886 to 1887. Rizal fully engaged with the German society as a scholar and expatriate, fostering friendships, cultural connection and understanding, including through his donation of Philippine artifacts to German museums. Rizal published his seminal novel, Noli Me Tangere, in Germany in March 1887. Rizal’s legacy lives through the contemporary Filipino diaspora in Berlin who connect the Philippines and Germany in vibrant ways.
Embassy personnel and guests happily pose with the Sari-Sari Store in the background / foreground. (Photo credit: Berlin PE)
The Embassy’s Open House featured interactive setups like Sari-Sari Store, Karinderya, Tianggihan, and Mamang Sorbetero to recreate the vibrant atmosphere of a traditional Filipino barangay neighborhood. Adding to this experience were festive banderitas (bunting) and iconic Manila street signs put up in the frontage and key spaces in the Embassy.
The Sari-Sari Store was stocked with traditional neighborhood staples, including candies, tsitsirya (snacks), biscuits, and homemade ice candy (avocado, melon, and fruit salad flavors). Traditional wooden benches were added to recreate a local tambayan (hangout spot) of the neighborhood. The Karinderya served a sampling of classic Filipino street foods and everyday dishes. The Tianggihan featured curated vendors selling food and non-food products. The Mamang Sorbetero featured a replica of a dirty ice cream cart and a sorbetero distributing ube ice cream in waffle cones to guests and passersby.
Filipino street foods and everyday dishes in Embassy’s Karinderya include pork adobo, kikiam, fishballs, pancit, tokneneng, karioka, turon with langka, vegie lumpia, pork chicharon, samalamig, Filipino-style spaghetti, chicken wings, hotdogs with marshmallows on sticks, pitchi-pitchi, and steamed rice, etc. (Photo credit: Berlin PE)
All throughout the event, guests were entertained through live performances of OPM songs. Embassy personnel and guest artists played guitar to perform Filipino hits across OPM eras. Featured tracks included Harana by Parokya ni Edgar (1990s), Dahil Sayo by Iñigo Pascual (2000s) and Anak by Fredie Aguiar (1970s). Other guitar enthusiasts later joined in to also play OPM tracks. Attendees enthusiastically sang along, danced, and cheered throughout the performances.
Artist Isa Tabasuares (in white) together with participating kids, teens and adults are seen working on a 1.4 meter x 1 meter canvass to work on an artwork themed “After you, Dr. Jose Rizal! Our Pinoy Fiesta in Berlin.”
A Sorbetero cart is displayed in front of the Embassy. Also seen in the photos are Embassy personnel serving ube ice-cream to guests and passers-by. (Photo credit: Berlin PE)
Guests at various spaces at the Embassy’s Pistang Kalayaan 2026. (Photo credit: Berlin PE)
The Open House also featured an art workshop of pre-schoolers, teens and adults facilitated by Filipino scientist and artist Ms. Issa Tabasuares. This collective effort produced an artwork entitled, “After you, Dr. Jose Rizal! Our Pinoy Fiesta in Berlin.” -END.
