National Day of Laos

NATIONAL Day of Laos commemorates the establishment of the democratic Republic of Laos on December 2, 1975. On this day, the Pathet Lao (which means “the Lao people,” the name of the Communist Party) announced the abolition of the monarchy, created the republic, and swore in Prince Souphanouvong Thao as president.

A grand celebration is held across the country, particularly in the large cities of Vientiane, Pakse and Savannakhet, to mark its National Day. Flags are prominently and proudly displayed. There are numerous parades and formal speeches and ceremonies.

The Lao People’s Democratic Republic is a landlocked country in southeast Asia. It shares land borders with China, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia. Dubbed the “lifeline” of the country, which has a mountainous terrain, is the Mekong River, which serves as its major corridor of transportation for goods and services, and the source of its electric energy.” Laos is rich in Buddhist traditions and beliefs. Lao Buddhism is a unique version of Theravada Buddhism and is at the basis of Lao culture.

Vientiane, is the country’s capital and largest city. It is the political center of Laos and home to the Executive Head of State. It is the site of the iconic That Luang monument where a reliquary is said to house what is believed to be the Buddha’s breastbones; the Patuxai war memorial; and the Talat Sao (Morning Market), which is a complex filled with food, clothes, and craft stalls.

Formal relations between Laos and the Philippines were officially established on January 14, 1955. However, the two countries were said to have started cooperation during the early period of the Vietnam War. Laos has an embassy in Makati City, Metro Manila, while the Philippines has an embassy in Vientiane. A significant number of Filipinos are employed in Laos as teachers, nurses, engineers, hotel employees, and consultants. The two countries have had exchanges of diplomatic visits since 2002. The most recent was that of President Rodrigo R. Duterte, in September this year to attend the 48th and 49th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summits and the Eleventh East Asia Summit. During the visit, the Philippine president officially accepted the 2017 chairmanship of the ASEAN.

We greet the people and government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, led by President Bounnhang Vorachith, on the occasion of its 41st National Day.