PH Ambassador to Spain Donates Bust of Jose Rizal to Historic Hotel in Madrid
Philippine Ambassador to Spain Philippe J. Lhuillier donates a bust of Dr. Jose P. Rizal to the historic Gran Hotel Inglés on 29 October 2022. (Madrid PE photo)
MADRID, 04 November 2022 – Philippine Ambassador to Spain Philippe J. Lhuillier donated a bust of Philippine National Hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal, to the historic Gran Hotel Inglés, the oldest hotel of Madrid, on 29 October 2022.
Ambassador Lhuillier thanked the Hotel for keeping alive the memory of Jose Rizal and the history of the Philippines and Spain, by making accessible memorabilia of the Philippines’ national hero in the Hotel’s lobby. He added that he hoped the affinity between Filipinos and Spanish peoples will continue to grow as appreciation for the shared history between the Philippines and Spain is nurtured.
The turnover was witnessed by personnel of the Embassy as well as officers of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP). NHCP Executive Director Carminda Arevalo proposed renaming one of the hotel’s rooms to Jose Rizal Room, in memory of Philippine National Hero Jose Rizal’s brindis or toast that he made in the wake of the Filipino painters Juan Luna and Feliz Resureccion Hidalgo winning the gold and silver medal, respectively, during the 1884 Madrid Exposition on Fine Arts for their paintings titled “El Spoliarium” and “Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas al Populacho”.
General Manager Jordi Caralt Coloma accepted the bust on behalf of the hotel. General Manager Caralt expressed his thanks to the Ambassador and said that Hotel Gran Ingles was and continues to be a home to the Filipino people. He added that a historical marker was recently placed outside the hotel facade, which mentions Rizal, Luna and Resureccion Hidalgo as some of the famous personalities that have graced the hotel in its over 130 years of existence.
The donation is part of the Philippine Embassy’s activities commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations of the Philippines and Spain. Relations between the two countries were formally established on 27 September 1947. END
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