124th Philippine Independence anniversary celebrated in Doha

The Philippine embassy in Doha highlighted the strong relations between Qatar and the Philippines to mark the latter’s 124th anniversary of Independence on Monday at a ceremony at Sheraton Grand Doha Resort & Convention Hotel.Ambassador Alan L Timbayan was joined by Qatar's Minister of Education HE Buthaina bint Ali Al Jabr al-Nuaimi, HE the Minister of Communications and IT Mohammed bin Ali bin Mohammed al-Mannai in cutting a ceremonial cake at the diplomatic reception.Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Department of Protocol director Ibrahim Fakhro and Diplomatic Corps dean and Eritrean ambassador Ali Ibrahim Ahmed and other dignitaries were present in addition to guests from the business and government sectors, and members of the Filipino community.“The Philippines particularly notes its robust bilateral relations with Qatar, which began 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,” ambassador Timbayan said in his address.

The envoy thanked Qatar “for being a close ally of the Philippines and for standing with us during difficult times. The Philippines is grateful and looks forward to bringing its relations with Qatar to new heights”.“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 valor not only revolved around men but also women and the youth.“Since the declaration of our independence on 12 June 1898 from three centuries of colonialism, 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,” ambassador Timbayan added.The event featured a performance by the String Quartet of the Manila Symphony Orchestra.