The Embassy of Spain in the Philippines is marking June with a series of cultural, educational, and artistic activities aimed at celebrating the longstanding relationship between Spain and the Philippines through history, language, art, and shared values.
The month-long program will culminate in the observance of the 24th Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day on 30 June in Baler, Aurora, commemorating the reconciliation between Filipinos and the last Spanish soldiers stationed in the town at the end of the Spanish colonial era.
As part of the celebration, the Instituto Cervantes will conduct a beginner-level Spanish language class for students of a local high school in Baler, further promoting cultural exchange through language education.
The embassy’s June calendar also features activities promoting diversity and inclusion. On 26 June, the Instituto Cervantes de Manila will hold a Pride event in Intramuros, including discussions on education and LGBTQI rights, an open-mic session, and musical performances.
Several art exhibitions are likewise scheduled throughout the month. Among them is Manila Calling, which brings together artists from Spain and the Philippines and opens on 6 June, showcasing artistic collaboration between the two countries.
Spanish artist Cristina Mejias will present her solo exhibition, Embracing the Wind, Cradling the Water, at the Vargas Museum in the University of the Philippines Diliman from June to September. Acclaimed Spanish artist García de Marina will also mount simultaneous exhibits at the Vargas Museum and the Instituto Cervantes in Intramuros beginning 16 June.
Other highlights include Buen Camino at the Museo San Agustin, which explores the cultural and religious influence of Spain through the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route, and a June 17 webinar by Anna Wieck examining Spanish and Filipino cultural connections in fashion, architecture, food and language.
The public may also visit ongoing exhibitions such as Four Centuries of Spanish Engineering Overseas in Intramuros, Mezcla: Interwoven Cultures and the Mantón de Manila at the Ayala Museum until 14 June, and Classics of Philippine Cartography from the 16th to the 20th Centuries at the National Museum of the Philippines-Cebu throughout June.
According to the embassy, the activities aim to reaffirm the enduring connections between Spain and the Philippines through dialogue, creativity and cultural exchange.
