Pictures: Abdul Basit / The Peninsula
Doha: The Philippine Embassy in Qatar celebrated the 124th Philippine Independence Day on Monday at Sheraton Grand Doha wherein diplomatic corps, public and private entities and the Filipino community joined together to commemorate.
To mark the celebration, a cake-cutting ceremony was led by Philippine Ambassador H E Alan Timbayan together with Minister of Education and Higher Education H E Buthaina bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi; Minister of Communications and Information Technology H E Mohammed bin Ali bin Mohammed Al Mannai; Ministry of Foreign Affairs Chief Protocol H E Ambassador Ibrahim Yousif Abdullah Fakhro and Ambassador of Eritrea to Qatar and Dean of Diplomatic Corps H E Ali Ibrahim Ahmed.
Minister of Education and Higher Education H E Buthaina bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi; Minister of Communications and Information Technology H E Mohammed bin Ali bin Mohammed Al Mannai; Singaporean Ambassador to Qatar H E Jai Sohan Singh; Australian Ambassador H E Jonathan Muir; Ministry of Foreign Affairs Chief of Protocol H E Ambassador Ibrahim Yousif Abdullah Fakhro; Ambassador of Eritrea to Qatar and Dean of Diplomatic Corps H E Ali Ibrahim Ahmed and Philippine Ambassador H E Alan Timbayan during the 124th Philippine Independence Day celebrations at Sheraton Grand Doha on Monday.
This year’s theme was “Pagsuong sa Hamon ng Panibagong Bukas” or Rise towards the challenge of a new beginning.
“The celebration of Philippine independence is a proud moment for the Filipino people because the history of our country’s freedom is a narrative of the quest for Filipino nationhood and identity.
“The story of the Philippine independence is one of courage, sacrifice, and love of country, where stories of valour not only revolved around men, but also women and the youth,” H E Timbayan said in his speech.
He highlighted that since the declaration of the Philippine Independence on June 12, 1898, the Philippines has gone a long way as a sovereign state and as a member of the international community.
“It has stood shoulder to shoulder with many countries in many circumstances – in war and in peace – and has built strong ties with many nations over the years in pursuit of its national interests,” the envoy continued.
Moreover, the ambassador stressed the “robust bilateral relations” with Qatar which dates back to 41 years ago.
“The two countries’ strong people-to-people linkages have cultivated mutual trust and goodwill between the two countries from two diverse regions.”
The event was organised by the embassy, less than a week before the actual Independence Day on June 12, Sunday.
A special performance by the Manila Symphony Orchestra – String Quartet, was featured during the occasion. The Filipino community was all dressed in national costume — Barong Tagalog for men, and Baro’t Saya for women, a way to honour the celebration.
