04 November 2013 – The Philippine Embassy in Mexico joined the celebration of the 45th founding anniversary of the Escuela Secundaria General No. 87 “República de Filipinas” in Mexico City on October 18.
The school was officially named “República de Filipinas” on 22 August 1968 after former President Ferdinand E. Marcos donated the equipment for 
the school’s chemistry laboratory. The naming ceremony was attended by then Mexican Public Education Minister Lic. Agustin Yañez and former Philippine Ambassador to Mexico Librado D. Cayco. Presently, the school provides secondary education to Mexican youngsters, with over 600 students in the morning shift and around 150 students in the afternoon session.
During the commemorative program at the school campus, the Embassy’s Chargé d´ Affaires, a.i.,(CDA) Angelo V. Amonoy lauded the school for its continuing growth and expressed the Embassy’s commitment to maintain close and beneficial linkages with the institution in the context of the strong bilateral relations between the Philippines and Mexico.
The event was attended by close to 800 people comprised of students, faculty, parents, school administrators and public education officials. Several panels of the exposition México-Filipinas: Identidad Compartida, depicting important milestones in Philippine-Mexican relations, were lent by the Embassy and mounted in the school premises. The school keeps two busts of Dr. Jose P. Rizal which were previously donated by the chancery.
The Embassy´s cultural group entertained the audience with a ten-minute repertoire composed of the folk dances Cariñosa and Binasuan and a solo rendition of the song Nandito Ako. A Mexican dance troupe also performed several Mexican regional dances including the popular Jarabe Tapatio.
The official ceremony included the awarding of certificates of recognition to the school’s personnel with over 20 years of service and the unveiling of a commemorative plaque at the school grounds. Afterwards, the school treated the guests to a light brunch during which some school alumni sang a cappella the Philippine national anthem in Spanish in appreciation for the Embassy’s participation in the commemorative activities.
The Embassy capped its visit to the school by donating Philippine publications and brochures, some of which are in Spanish, for inclusion in the school´s library collection. The transfer was effected through a deed of donation signed by this CDA Amonoy and School Director Mariano Reyes Escamilla. END
