DILI, 12 june 2022 (TATOLI) – In the presence of the President of the Republic, Jose Ramos Horta, the Filipino community in Timor-Leste commemorated the Philippines’ 124th Independence Day to strengthen bilateral and social relations between Timor-Leste and the Philippines.
The Filipino community in Timor-Leste celebrated the 124th Independence Day to remember the day when the Philippines gained its hard-fought independence from 300 years of Spanish colonization in 1898.
In his opening remarks, President Horta extended his warmest congratulations to all Filipinos who were celebrating their special day both in and outside of the Philippines, including Timor-Leste: “Here, I wish to extend my warmest congratulations to all my friends and all Filipinos in the Philippines for their democratic renewal, and their new dawn. As the banner says ‘Rise Towards the Challenge of New Beginning.’”
“I thank the Government of the Philippines for your standing friendship and support through the 20 years since the restoration of the independence of Timor-Leste,” Horta said. “I am very familiar with your magnificent country, your extremely resilient people, a people who are frequently tested by mother nature, but who always rove after each catastrophe and never lose that very Filipino optimism, passion for life, and hospitality.”
At the event, Ambassador expressed his joy and contentment with the presence of President Horta as the guest speaker.
“We are very glad that the President of the Republic of Timor-Leste honored us with his presence as our special guest speaker. So, I would like to thank President Horta, my good friend, and of the Filipinos here in Timor-Leste,” said Ambassador Kiram Muin.
On the occasion, Ambassador Kiram Muin also expressed the strong endorsement of the Filipinos for Timor-Leste ASEAN membership.
“I hope that Timor-Leste would be part of ASEAN in the near future and within the term of President Horta,” he said.
Echoing Ambassador Kiram Muin’s statement, President Horta said that with the support from all ASEAN countries, ASEAN Secretariat, and Regional and Multilateral Partners, such as the UN, the EU, and ADB, TL has made significant progress towards ASEAN accession.
“ASEAN and WTO accession are driven by Timor-Leste’s economic interests such as the domestic economic reform process to ensure a healthy enabling environment for the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), and national investment and diversification of our economy,” Horta added.
He said beyond the economic integration, access to ASEAN is a strategic imperative: “We live in an interconnected world where the principle of leaving no one behind should be upheld in all development processes”
Before ending his speech, Horta requested Ambassador Kiram Muin, to convey his warmest regards, with prayers for good health for the President-elect, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Junior, and all Filipinos.
“I believe that with the newly elected President, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Junior, we can expand and deepen our bilateral relationship in multiple technical domains and trade and investments,” Horta concluded.
More than 1.600 Filipinos are currently residing in Timor-Leste, meanwhile, hundreds of Timorese students are currently pursuing their higher education degrees in the Philippines.
Timor-Leste and the Philippines have much in common. Both countries share the same faith, as the Philippines’ population is 83 percent Catholic, compared to Timor-Leste and its 97 percent of Catholics, today.
On the 12th of June 1898, General Emilio Aguinaldo, the first President of the Republic of the Philippines declared independence for the entire Philippine nation and all Filipinos.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges
