BALER, Aurora, June 29 (PNA) — Local officials have lined up various activities for the celebration of the 116th anniversary of historic siege of Baler, coinciding with the 13th Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day on Tuesday.
With the theme “Transitions, Trade and Transpacific Exchanges, the celebration will be held first at the Baler Church at 8 a.m. Tuesday, to be followed by another activity at Plaza de Baler, Aurora.
Rizza P. del Rosario, municipal tourism officer, said in an interview that the event will kick off with a wreath laying ceremony to be led by the members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP); Spanish Ambassador to the Philippines Luis S. Calvo and Trade and Industry Undersecretary Adrian S. Cristobal, Jr.
Del Rosario also said that the event will be witnessed by Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara, Rep. Bellaflor J. Angara-Castillo, former senator Edgardo J. Angara, Maria Serena I. Diokno, chair of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and Baler town mayor Nelianto C. Bihasa.
An eco-heritage tour will also take place at the Baler Museum, Baler Church, Doña Aurora Aragon House, Ermita Hill, Diguisit Rock Formation and Lukso Lukso Islet.
Relative to the celebration, a regional sail and surf board painting contests was conducted last Friday at Baler Central Elementary School.
Also, the 2015 divisional Philippine-Spanish song and dance competition was held Sunday at Baler Municipal Plaza.
The District of Baler won the first place, followed by Maria Aurora (2nd place) and Dipaculao (3rd place) in the said competition.
Meanwhile, Senator Angara said that the celebration will highlight the strong bilateral relations between the Philippines and Spain as a result of the two countries’ deep historical and cultural ties.
“The bilateral trade between Philippines and Spain has been on the upswing over the years, and we are optimistic that this will continue to expand. Our deep-rooted ties with Spain gives us an enormous advantage over other countries in terms of potential trade and investment opportunities,” Angara said.
The senator pointed out that Spain ranks as the Philippines’ 28th largest trading partner with total bilateral trade amounting to USD 329.6 million in 2011.
June 30 of every year is celebrated as Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day under Republic Act no. 9187 as authored by Senator Angara and his father, former senator Edgardo Angara.
The Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day gives due recognition of the day when then-President Emilio Aguinaldo acclaimed the gallantry and fidelity of the Spanish soldiers who besieged in the Baler Church in 1898.
This town was the site of the historic siege, the last and one of the most significant episodes of the Philippine war of independence against Spain.
On June 27, 1898, 54 Spanish soldiers led by Capt. Enrique delas Morenas, holed up at the Church of Baler in their last stand against the revolution.
They endured an 11-month siege, unaware that the war had long ended.
It was only when 2nd Lt. Saturnino Martin Cerezo read the Spanish newspaper El Imparcial which announced that the war was over did the Spaniards surrender.
Only 33 survivors emerged from the church on June 2, 1899.
The sympathetic people of Baler, led by Teodorico Luna Novicio gave them food, clothing and medicine.
President Emilio Aguinaldo also decreed that they be treated as friends, not prisoners. (PNA)