09 June 2016 - The Philippine Embassy in Doha celebrated the 118th Philippine Independence Day with the diplomatic and Filipino community on May 31 and June 03, respectively.
The Diplomatic Reception was held at the Diplomatic Club, an exclusive members club in Doha, with almost 300 guests in attendance. The event was graced with the presence of HE Dr. Hassan bin Lahdan Al Mohannadi, Minister of Justice; HE Mr. Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi, Minister’s Assistant for Foreign Affairs; HE Ambassador Ibrahim Yousif Abdullah Fakhro, Chief of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and HE Ambassador Ali Ibrahim Ahmed, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and Eritrean Ambassador to Qatar.
The said guests and ASEAN Ambassadors joined Philippine Ambassador to Qatar Wilfredo C. Santos onstage before the latter gave his address on the momentous occasion. Guided by this year’s theme “Pagkakaisa, Pag-aambagan at Pagsulong,” Ambassador Santos during his speech took the opportunity to highlight the unity, contribution and progress that Filipinos exemplified through the recently held Presidential elections and the current economic gains of the Philippine economy.
“Same as how our forefathers eagerly awaited with trepidation the fate of our country as then President Emilio Aguinaldo led the declaration of our independence in 1898, it is with the same feeling that we await how incoming President Duterte will move forward with the milestones we have achieved,” Ambassador Santos said in his remarks.
The cake cutting ceremony followed shortly, after which everyone was invited to a scrumptious dinner while being serenaded by The Lord’s Choir (TLC), a Filipino choral group. Aside from the sponsors of the event, invitees also included representatives from the private sector and a few Filipino community leaders.
On June 03, the annual Almusal ng Bayan was held where the Independence Day messages of the Foreign Affairs and Labor Secretaries, Jose Rene Almendras and Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz, respectively, were read by Labatt David Des Dicang and Ambassador Santos. The 40-minute program ended with a patriotic song number from TLC, Isang Lahi, Isang Dugo. All guests and attendees were then invited to a simple breakfast specially prepared for the occasion.
Thereafter, everyone proceeded to the Sheraton Grand Doha Resort and Convention Hotel for the Filcom-organized event of the national holiday. The affair began with a parade of performers led by the Philippine Embassy together with officials of the United Filipino Organizations in Qatar (UFOQ). An array of Filipino cuisine and products lined the perimeter of the massive hall where the program was held. END
