On May 8 at 6 p.m., the Rizal Monument and the Musical Dancing Fountain in Rizal Park will be illuminated in the EU flag’s blue and yellow colors. The National Parks Development Committee joins the European Union Delegation to the Philippines in celebrating Europe Day.
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Meanwhile, the De La Salle University will light up its façade in yellow and blue colours to mark Europe Day on May 10 at 6 p.m.
The lights can be viewed by the public onsite and online through https://www.facebook.com/EUDelegationToThePhilippines
Europe Day is held on May 9 every year to celebrate peace and unity in Europe. The date marks the anniversary of the historic “Schuman Declaration” that set out the idea for a new form of political cooperation in Europe, which would make war between Europe’s nations unthinkable. This declaration led to the establishment of the European Communities, now the European Union – a Union of 27 European countries founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights.
European Union Ambassador Luc Véron said that in the Philippines, Europe Day celebrations are an opportunity to signify the partnership and friendship between the European Union and the Philippines.
“We are honored and humbled to light with European colors the monument dedicated to the Philippines national hero Jose Rizal this evening. Against the backdrop of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, Europe Day reminds us that peace is at the core of the European integration project. A value that we share with the Philippines. It is a wonderful symbol of the ties that bind the Philippines and the European Union,” he said.
Ambassador Véron thanked Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat and National Parks Development Committee Cecille Lorenzana-Romero for the kind gesture of illuminating two historic landmarks within the Rizal Park in celebration of Europe Day. EU member-state Ambassadors and Cultural Counsellors were also present.
The occasion allows us to recall how Rizal Park is connected to Europe.
Inaugurated in June 2011 in time for Rizal’s 150th birth anniversary, the Noli Me Tangere Garden features the Wilhelmsfeld drinking fountain where Rizal used to drink from during his stay in 1886 in Germany. The red sandstone fountain was donated to the Philippine government in December 1964 as a symbol of German-Filipino friendship. The bust of Ferdinand Blumentritt – Rizal’s friend who campaigned for Philippine independence, can also be found in that Garden.
De La Salle University, on the other hand, is an official repository of education and information materials about the European Union under its European Research and Documentation Centre. It is part of the Consortium of Universities in the Philippines offering a European Studies Programme. DLSU has also been a longstanding partner of the European Union under the Erasmus+ Capacity-Building for Higher Education Programme. It has been involved in curriculum development, capacity-building in Asia for resilience education, modernisation of policies, governance and management of higher education systems. Currently, DLSU participates in an ongoing “Erasmus+ key action: Learning Mobility of Individuals” together with other European and Philippine Higher Education Institutions.