SAN MIGUEL, Bulacan — The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) led the celebration of the 23rd Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day in the Tecson Ancestral House in Barangay San Vicente, San Miguel, Bulacan.
This event originated from the start of the Siege of Baler in July 1898 and ended on June 30, 1899, when 367 Spanish forces were trapped inside the small church of Baler in Tayabas, now part of the province of Aurora.
There are four failed attempts by various groups of Filipino revolutionaries to make the last Spanish forces surrender. But when Col. Simon Tecson and his troops took charge, they gave away food and drinks that led the Spanish forces to finally surrender.
NHCP Executive Director Carminda Arevallo said, Col. Tecson troops’ strategy signifies that people cannot have an enemy forever, but it can be your friends. To some extent, diplomacy persists in this situation. Instead of having a supposed massacre, Bulakenyo revolutionaries chose to end the war with dignity and respect for the sanctity of life.
Records obtained from the NHCP, showed that following the surrender of the Spanish forces, then President Emilio Aguinaldo issued a decree that granted them safe passage and provided a departure honors on their way back home to Spain.
Spanish Embassy in Manila First Secretary Alvaro Garcia Moreno said that friendship is the word that defines the ties between the Philippines and the Kingdom of Spain, which have diplomatic relations and are set to celebrate their 80th anniversary in 2027.
He also reaffirmed his country’s commitment to the Philippines’ continuous development through ‘mutual opportunities’ to further empower society in the areas of economic development and cultural promotion.
Among the bilateral agreements in contemporary times that are being implemented are memorandum of understanding on Technical Cooperation in Matters of tourism, memorandum of understanding of Cooperation in the field of Renewable Energies and Biofuels; Agreement on Cultural, Sports and Educational Cooperation and the Treaty on transfer of convicted persons were all signed during then President Arroyo’s state visit to Spain in 2007.
In the 2015 official visit of then-President Benigno S. Aquino III, the two countries also signed an agreement on cooperation in the fight against transnational crime. (UnliNews Online)
Source: PIA Bulacan
