27 February 2015 — The Philippine Embassy participated in cultural activities held in various locations in Dhaka in celebration of International Mother Language day on February 21.
Ekushey or February 21 is one of the most significant holidays in Bangladesh as it marks the country’s sacrifices for the recognition and preservation of the Bangla language, their mother tongue. Bangladesh prides itself on taking the lead in the promotion of all mother languages across the world with UNESCO’s recognition in 1999 of Ekushey as International Mother Language Day.
The day started with Philippine Ambassador to Bangladesh Vicente Vivencio T. Bandillo joining in the wreath-laying ceremony led by Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at midnight of February 21 at Shaheed Minar (Martyrs Monument) to pay homage to the language martyrs of the country.
The Embassy also participated in the Language Fair organized by the Bangladesh National Museum (BNM) where it set up a booth with posters and other decorations representing two of the major languages in the Philippines – Tagalog and Cebuano. Embassy kids entertained the guests with some fun games to learn basic phrases and words commonly spoken in Filipino.
At the fair’s opening program, Bangladesh Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor, M.P. and other distinguished guests spoke about nationalism and the mother tongue. Heads of diplomatic missions and representatives of various cultural and educational institutions in the country were invited onstage to give their messages for the occasion. Ambassador Bandillo expressed his felicitations on Bangladesh’s leadership in promoting worldwide awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity.
In the afternoon of Ekushey, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, the national cultural center of the country, organized a program at Shaheed Minar where representatives from different diplomatic missions held performances. Representing the Philippine Embassy, Ambassador Bandillo presented his poem titled Seafarer which he recited in its original text, Cebuano, and then in English. END