The Israeli Embassy held a wreath-laying ceremony to honor the late Philippine President Manuel Quezon, held at Heritage House, Memorial Circle in Quezon City on Wednesday.

The honor for Quezon was due to his leadership and kindness in opening the Philippines to 1,300 Jewish refugees fleeing the Holocaust.

The ceremony was led by the following officials: Quezon City Mayor Josefina “Joy” Belmonte, Minister of Economy of the State of Israel Nir Barkat, Ambassador of the Philippines to Israel H.E. Aileen Mendiola-Rau, and Ambassador of Israel to the Philippines H.E. Ilan Fluss.

The key officials of the Israeli Embassy also dedicated the ceremony to Quezon’s heroism, which became a stepping stone for a stronger friendship between the Philippines and Israel.

Belmonte led the welcoming remarks after the wreath-laying ceremony. She expressed her gratitude for the unending support that Israel has for the Philippines. “We continue to draw inspiration and learn from Israel’s leadership in innovation, agriculture, education, and technology, and apply those insights to improve the lives of our people,” she said.

Last year, the Israeli Embassy planted trees in San Francisco High School. According to Belmonte, the trees are healthy, which she claimed as a symbol of the growing relationship between the two nations.

She also takes pride in the Philippine-Israel friendship monument in the Memorial Circle, which represents a permanent symbol of the nations’ shared history. Belmonte and the key officials of the Israeli Embassy hope for a better encapsulated monument.

The Philippine-Israel Friendship Park within the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City has a monument that commemorates Israel–Philippines relations and was inaugurated in 2018.

Barkat’s remarks expressed deep gratitude to Quezon for the “humane” thing he did during one of the toughest times for the Jewish people. “It’s deep into our memory. It’s not just a ceremony for us [Jews], but a moment of deep gratitude. A deep thank you for maintaining that relationship with Israel ever since.”

Fluss gave recognition to Quezon City in his remarks as one of the progressive cities he has been to in the country.

Israel and the Philippines formally established diplomatic ties in 1957, followed by the signing of a friendship treaty in 1958. This strong bilateral relationship is also why Filipino citizens can travel to Israel without a visa.