UNESCO APPROVES YEARLY DIA DEL GALLEON CELEBRATION

Senator Edgardo J. Angara together with the Baler400 steering committee led the passage of the annual Dia Del Galleon celebration which was unanimously passed by the conference of UNESCO through the endorsement of the Culture Commission meeting in Paris.

"History links the Philippines not just to Spain but also to Mexico and Latin-American countries. The common thread is the historic Galleon trade that linked Manila to Acapulco, Mexico. The Manila galleon became the lifeline for Philippine-Spanish-Latin American relations, sailing continuously for two and a half centuries - a record that no other shipping line has ever matched. It gave us a place in world history like no other economic feature of the country," said Angara.

In accordance with the celebration of the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures in 2010, the Philippine proposal for the commemoration of the galleon trade between the Philippines and Mexico through the proclamation of a "Dia Del Galeon" was recently passed.

"Culture, religion and centuries-long history make it natural for affinity to exist, irrespective of changing political circumstances or separate development paths," said Angara who initiated steering committee to forward "Dia de Galleon".

The Dia Del Galeon will be celebrated every year on October 8, the day the San Pedro Galeon directed by Fray Urdaneta reached Acapulco in 1565 dubbed as the "Tornaviaje". This established the Manila-Acapulco route that linked the people of Asia, America, Europe and Africa.

"After successfully rekindling our relations with Spain through the Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day Act which I authored, and the many cooperation initiatives that followed, it is high time that we renew our ties with Mexico and the other Latin American nations," said Angara, author of the Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day celebrated on June 30 of every year to commemorate the long-standing friendship between the two countries.

The resolution was officially and effectively presented by Philippine Ambassador Rora Navarro-Tolentino with the co-sponsorship of Mexico, Spain, Cuba, Colombia, Peru, Paraguay. Thailand and Laos led the ASEAN region support while, Sweden spoke for Europe.

The Dia Del Galeon is an initiative of the Baler 400 steering Committee organized in line with the Proclamation of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. The Inter-Agency Committee chaired by Senator Edgardo J. Angara, headed by Presidential Assistant on Culture Cecile Guidote Alvarez with NCCA as lead agency and co-chaired by DepEd Usec. Vilma Labrador.

"With key initiatives in the area of history, culture, education, language, sports, and labor and migration we hope to see continued dynamism, cooperation and genuine action from countries towards deeper relations," ended Angara.