28 August 2014 – The Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) marked National Heroes Day by organizing a week-long photo exhibit on monuments in the Philippines depicting the bravery and heroism of Filipinos.

Duplicating the photo exhibit of the Philippines’ Foreign Service Officer Cadet Corps (FSOCC) Batch XVII in April 2012, the exhibit “Monuments to an Exalted Past” is currently on display at Mushrif Mall, Abu Dhabi and will end on August 31.

The exhibit features 20 photographs with narratives displaying the various monuments of Filipino heroes or historic events.

During the exhibit’s ribbon-cutting ceremony on National Heroes Day last August 25, Philippine Ambassador to the UAE Grace Relucio Princesa said, “Through the exhibit, the Filipinos in the UAE will hopefully remember the sacrifices made by the nation’s great heroes. Indirectly, the exhibit is also a reminder of the same sacrifices shown by our overseas Filipino workers to help the nation.” “I encourage everyone to see the beautiful monuments in the photographs the next time you visit the Philippines as a way of honoring our heroes,” Ambassador Princesa added.

The opening of the exhibit was attended by officials from the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), ASEAN Ambassadors in the UAE, high ranking officials of the Mushrif Mall, Filipino community and the media. At the end of the ceremony, the Foreign Service Institute publication “Bantayog 02: A Collection of Monuments Around the Philippines,” was presented to the UAE MOFA representatives. The same monuments in the exhibit are featured in the book with longer narratives. A certificate of appreciation was also given to Mushrif Mall for hosting the Embassy’s event.

In line with the photo exhibit, the Embassy’s dependent children were dressed with the costumes of the national heroes as a way of educating the youth about the country’s rich history and its struggle towards freedom and progress. END