Host Of Activities To Commemorate 111th Anniversary Of The Proclamation Of Philippine Independence

Bandar Seri Begawan - A Day of Prayer for the Nation tomorrow night, Friday, at the Philippine Embassy Chancery, will kick off the 111th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine Independence, the embassy announced yesterday.

Prayers will be offered for the Philippines, the Filipino people, and host country Brunei Darussalam and its people.

It will also be a gathering to bid farewell to Philippine Ambassador to Brunei Virginia H Benavidez, dean of the Brunei diplomatic corps, the first Philippine woman career ambassador, and the longest serving diplomat in the Sultanate, in a 13-year career, with a gap of three years. She came to Brunei as first secretary to the Philippine Embassy in August 1992 and left Brunei as Minister-Counsellor and Consul-General after six years, eight months and 26 days.

"Having served seven years, two months and six days as the first woman career ambassador, I have done my best to fleet the trust, confidence and expectations, to strengthen Philippine-Brunei ties, and serve the 22,000-strong Filipino community. Doing our job, excelling and learning from it, is all part of leaving," she said at the last gathering of the Philippine Embassy family last Sunday.

On June 7, a special thanksgiving mass in Filipino will be held at the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption in the capital.

On Sunday afternoon, the Philippine Independence Day Basketball Cup will be held at the Brunei Basketball Association court at Batu Bersurat.

Ambassador Benavidez will distribute certificates of appreciation to Filipinos who have worked in Brunei for at least 20 years, in recognition for their contribution to the development and progress of Brunei.

On June 12, a flag hosting ceremony will be held at Ang Bahay, the official residence of the Philippine ambassador in Rimba, at 7am. Ambassador Benavidez will deliver her farewell message to the Filipino community in Brunei after the reading of the Independence Day messages of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and other Philippine government officials.

On June 14, a Filipino get-together event will be held at the Multi-Purpose Hall of the Scout Centre in Gadong, with RJ Jimenez, 2006 Pinoy Dream Academy Scholar, as special guest. Admission is free of charge.

There will also be a Battle of the Bands sponsored by LBC Mabuhay, lucky draws and the launching of special programmes for overseas Filipino workers. Certificates of Appreciation will also be given to Filipinos who have worked in Brunei for at least 20 years. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin