A call for peace and friendship
a very special fountain. Our national hero, Jose Rizal, used to drink from it when he was an assistant ophthalmologist in Wilhelmsfeld, Germany in 1886. The red, sandstone drinking fountain was donated to the Philippine government on Dec. 30, 1964 as a symbol of GermanFilipino friendship.
The Noli Me Tangere Garden was inaugurated in June 2011 in time for Rizal’s 150th birth anniversary. A bust of Rizal’s close friend, Czech intellectual Ferdinand Blumentritt, can also be found in the garden. Blumentritt campaigned for Philippine independence and was one of Rizal’s closest confidants.
After the speeches, guests of the event also got to ride a from the Rizal Park Visitor’s Center to the Rizal Monument and back, thanks to the Intramuros Administration. In the early 20th century, the was a streetcar system, which served Manila and its surrounding areas.
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,
The Noli Me Tangere Garden was inaugurated in June 2011 in time for Rizal’s 150th birth anniversary. A bust of Rizal’s close friend, Czech intellectual Ferdinand Blumentritt, can also be found in the garden.
equality, the rule of law, and respect for human rights.
On May 10, the façade of De La Salle University was also lit up in blue and yellow to commemorate Europe Day. The university is an official repository of education and information materials about the European Union under its European Research and Documentation Center. DLSU is also part of the Consortium of Universities in the Philippines offering a European Studies Program.
Both events at Rizal Park and DLSU were livestreamed on the EU Delegation’s Facebook page. They can still be viewed by the public through this link: www.facebook.com/EUDelegationToThePhilippines.
Images courtesy of EU Delegation