PRESS RELEASE
PHILIPPINE CONSULATE IN STUTTGART HOLDS VIRTUAL INDEPENDENCE AND RIZAL DAY CELEBRATIONS
22 June 2020- The Philippine Consulate in Stuttgart headed by Dr. Axel Neumahr, Consul a.h., conducted on 19 June 2020 a virtual celebration of the 122nd Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence and the 159th Birth Anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal as part of its online initiative dubbed as “Collaborative Virtual Diplomatic (CoViD) Events.”
Through the Consulate’s Facebook page (@PHC Stuttgart), Dr. Neumahr expressed appreciation to Ambassador Theresa Dizon-de Vega and Consul General Evelyn Austria-Garcia for their wholehearted support to the Consulate’s online CoViD events in the previous months. In her video message, Consul General Austria-Garcia extolled “the sacrifices made both by our national heroes and frontliners who put themselves in harm’s way amidst this unprecedented time.” And, Ambassador Dizon-de Vega called on all Filipinos “to follow the footsteps of our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal and that we, as Filipinos, may also dedicate our lives for the betterment of our beloved country in whatever profession we are in.” She also conveyed her gratitude to all front liners, including those in health care, logistics, port services and public service.
A 30-minute video presentation was produced in collaboration with the Association of Filipino Nurses in Germany headed by its president, Aian Angeo. In it, musical numbers were featured from Munich-based Aurelia Malvar-Sailer who sang “Ako Ay Pilipino,” and Filipino-German singer Simon Paterno who dedicated the song “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” to Filipino nurses, doctors and others working in the frontline. The Manila-based Imusicapella Chamber Choir, who held performances in Germany in 2019, also participated in the online event through their rendition of the Philippine National Anthem and its virtual presentation of the song, “In Our Hands.”
The Department of Tourism’s “Wake Up in the Philippines” video campaign and the “We Smile as One” tribute to Filipino front liners were also shown during the event.
Among other promotional videos included in the Consulate’s ‘CoVid’ events are the 45-minute historical documentary video entitled “Legacy of Heroes: The Story of Bataan and Corregidor” during Araw ng Kagitingan; the virtual Easter Sunday mass and an online photo contest facilitated through a Stuttgart-based Filipino organization. END
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