19 June 2014- The Filipino Community of Guam (FCG), an umbrella association of Filipino organizations on the island, hosted on June 13 its annual Independence Ball at the Main Ballroom of the Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort and Spa to mark the 116th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine Independence.
Close to 400 guests attended the gala event, including dignitaries from government, business sectors, the armed services, and members of the different Filipino community organizations. Following dinner, which featured several musical and cultural numbers, Philippine Consul General Bayani V. Mangibin and Guam Governor Eddie Baza Calvo both offered a toast to the enduring partnership between the Philippines and Guam as they had done the previous evening during the vin d’honneur hosted by the Philippine Consulate General in Agana.
The highlight of the evening was the keynote speech of the guest of honor, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis N. Tolentino, who was invited by the Filipino Community of Guam to grace the occasion.
The following morning, MMDA Chair Tolentino joined Consul General Mangibin and the officers and members of the Batangas and Southern Tagalog Association (BASTA) in laying a wreath at the memorial to Apolinario Mabini in Asan Beach, which is a 15-minute drive away from Agana. Mabini, the first Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary, was exiled in Guam between 1901 and 1903 for refusing to swear allegiance to the United States after the Americans took possession of the Philippines following its signing of the Treaty of Paris with Spain. This year also marks the sesquicentennial of Mabini’s birth. END