27 June 2014 - The Philippine Embassy in Lisbon, Portugal celebrated the 116th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine independence on June 15, together with a little over 200 members of the Filipino community in the city.
The event began with a mass. The program started with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that symbolized the opening of the exhibit area where some of the best examples of Philippine creative design in furniture, handicrafts and fashion accessories were put on display. This was followed by a cultural program where the messages of the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, the Vice President of the Philippines and the President of the Philippines were read to the gathered crowd.
In his personal message to the community, Philippine Ambassador to Portugal Philippe J. Lhuillier noted that celebrating Philippine independence is a reaffirmation of our identity and culture as a people and a nation. The Ambassador also took the opportunity to encourage qualified members of the community to register for the 2016 elections, emphasizing the civic duty of every Filipino to vote and that such actions honor the sacrifices of our forefathers who fought, bled and died for the freedom and democracy that all Filipinos enjoy today.
During the event, Embassy personnel conducted mobile registration for overseas voters and an information campaign on overseas voting. An audio-visual presentation on Philippine marine biodiversity was also shown for the benefit of the Filipino youth and second generation Filipino-Portuguese present at the event. END