15 June 2016 - The Philippine Embassy in Brussels conducted a two-day consular outreach mission in Luxembourg on June 11 and 12, in time for the celebration of the Filipino community of the 118th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence.
The consular outreach mission on June 11 was conducted at the EY office along Kennedy Avenue, Luxembourg City. The second day of the consular outreach was done in Rosport, Luxembourg, where some 200 Filipinos simultaneously celebrated the Philippine Independence Day.
Some 50 Filipinos availed of the consular services, which included a legal clinic. Some Filipinos residing in western Germany and eastern Belgium also joined the festivities and availed of consular services; they thanked the Embassy for making the services available near the Luxembourg-Germany border. "We normally take leaves of absence if we renew our passports in Berlin. I hope you come to Luxembourg regularly," said one permanent resident from Limburg.
The Independence Day celebration in Luxembourg was made possible through the efforts of four large Filipino organizations in the Grand Duchy. The celebration featured Filipino folk dances like “tinikling” and “subli” and songs like “usahay” and was preceded with a Holy Mass. There were also booths set up where Native Philippine products like Tanduay rum and imported fruits like Philippine mango and saba banana could be purchased.
Consul Oliver Delfin attended the event on behalf of Philippine Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg Victoria S. Bataclan. Mr. Delfin congratulated the leaders for preparing for and successfully hosting the event and wished them continued cooperation and unity for the benefit of the interests of Filipinos and the Philippines in Luxembourg. "We go where Filipinos collectively go so we could provide consular services on site," Consul Delfin told the audience during his brief talk. END