Desires of equals

Spain celebrated Thursday its national day in Makati with a nod to its excellent level of relations with the Philippines, based on a common history of several centuries and shared aspirations for the future.

The EU country acknowledges the Philippines’ (a former colony of Spain for over 300 years) extraordinary transformation and the enormous potential that lies in the development of the bilateral relationship, underpinned by important political dialogues and numerous points of understanding.

Spanish Ambassador to the Philippines Miguel Utray emphasized that these discourses are especially important not just in terms of lateral affairs, but also in the resolution of global problems

Thus, Utray said, a shared approach in defense to assert the rules-based international order, the application of international law and the peaceful resolution of disputes is now ever more essential at a time the world is facing significant challenges, including the situation in the Middle East and Ukraine.

“We will continue to work to increase our level of political dialogue and understanding,” Utray said.

“Spain is concerned about the recurring [incursions] at the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines. Along with the European Union, we have always supported a free, open Indo-Pacific, where international law is upheld.”

Freedom of navigation, Utray said, is a fundamental principle to ensure political and economic stability, and like-minded nations must, at all cost, uphold the validity and finality of the arbitration award.

The Philippines has benefited greatly from the official development aid and project funding provided by the Spanish government.

Spain is also developing an important cooperation with the Philippines in the field of defense, and is optimistic about the signing of a new agreement that will foster greater projection of the two countries’ relations.

Likewise, Spain’s economic relations with the Philippines are increasing in scale, with more financial instruments to be signed between 2025 and 2028, which will direct its efforts toward the promotion of human rights, sustainable economic development and empowerment of women, youth and indigenous communities, aligned with the Philippine Development Plan and the Sustainable Development Goals.

In 2022, a delegation of more than 20 Spanish companies explored business prospects in the Philippines as part of the country’s efforts to deepen commercial ties with the Philippines.

With an import value of $333.49 million, or 20.6 percent of all agricultural imports from EU member states, Spain was the Philippines’ largest provider of agricultural goods in 2021.

“From the point of view of cultural relations, we develop an ambitious cultural program and continue to promote Spain in the Philippines and the Philippines in Spain.”

The Fiesta Hispano-Filipino held recently in Intramuros featured a colorful display of the Spanish impact on Philippine culture that has persisted to this day, as well as the Filipinos’ strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The celebration, which marked the end of the month-long Fiesta de Intramuros in honor of Nuestra Señora de la Consolación y Correa, the patroness of the walled city, brought to light the complex and long-standing relationship between Spain and the Philippines.

“For over three centuries, Spain’s influence shaped the very fabric of Filipino life — our language carries the echoes of Castilian words, our food is infused with flavors from Spain’s kitchen, and our traditions bear the unmistakable imprint of a shared history,” said Department of Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco.

“But, among the many legacies left to us, one that shines brightly today is the tradition of festivals and fiestas, a gift of Spanish influence that have become a hallmark of Filipino life.”

Meanwhile, on tourism, Philippine Ambassador to Spain Philippe Lhuillier draw outsize promise from the Spanish source market, and shared the many ways the embassy in Spain has been taking to bolster the two countries’ multi-faceted productive relations.