FILIPINO COMMUNITIES IN BERLIN AND DRESDEN HOLD THE SINULOG FESTIVAL

27 January 2025 – Filipino communities in Berlin and Dresden, on separate occasions this month, celebrated the Feast of the Sto. Niño with the Sinulog.

Sto Nino devotees re-enact the Christianization of the Philippines.

Members of the Filipino community in Berlin gathered at the Parish of the Holy Spirit in Bayernallee on 19 January for their annual Sinulog commemoration. The mass was concelebrated by Fr. Simon Boisier, SVD, the chaplain of the Filipino Catholic Community, with Praelat Dr. Stefan Dybowski, SVD, Fr. Waldemar Weniger, SVD and Fr. Jeremie Sousou, SVD.  Various groups presented dances to the beating of drums as they paid homage to the Child Jesus.

Sinulog in Berlin

In Dresden, Fr. Imman Noel Abellana and Fr. Joven Joseph celebrated mass for the Filipino community at St. Antonius Church on 25 January.   Sto. Nino devotees from neighboring Prague also joined the celebration, the first Sinulog organized by the growing Filipino community in Dresden.

Sinulog in Dresden

In her message,  Ambassador Natividad recalled the reflections of Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, who said that the image of Sto. Nino represents hope for many devotees –  hope for joy in times of sadness; hope for relief and recovery amid suffering and pain; hope for light when we experience darkness, hope for understanding and acceptance in place of anger and rejection.  “I join the community in prayer and thanksgiving to the Senor Sto Nino.  Let us bring before the Child Jesus our hopes and prayers as a community,  and give thanks for the blessings we have received,” she said.

Both celebrations included a short presentation on how the image of the Sto Nino found its way to the Philippines and how the Christian faith was introduced to the islands.  This was followed by a blessing of the images of the Child,  dances with participants in colorful costumes who would later be joined by devotees holding images of the Sto Nino as they danced to the beat of drums and sang praise and thanksgiving to the Child Jesus.  The festivities concluded with the usual salo-salo among members of the community and church guests. (END)

Ambassador Irene Susan B. Natividad and Vice Minister Tobias Gotthardt (center) are joined by (from left) Philippine Honorary Consul in Munich Dr. Stefan R. Detig, Minister Mary Luck Hicarte, Commercial Counselor Nicanor Bautista, and Ms.Beate Jaeckel, Region Manager for Southeast Asia. Credits to ©StMWi/F. Meinl

01 August 2024 – Philippine Ambassador to Germany Irene Susan B. Natividad  and Mr. Tobias Gotthardt,  Vice Minister and State Secretary of the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs & Regional Development, met in Munich on 1 August to discuss business opportunities for Filipino and Bavarian companies.  

Ambassador Natividad and Vice-Minister Gotthardt discussed Germany’s diversification strategy, the Philippines’ economic growth, and complementarities that can be leveraged between Filipino and Bavarian companies in various sectors such as IT-enabled business process management, automotive and electric vehicles, renewable energy, electronics, infrastructure, aviation.  

The meeting follows-through on the interest in business opportunities in the Philippines shown by German institutions and companies during the visit of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to Germany in March 2024.