Spain seeks stronger military ties with Phl

BALER, Aurora , Philippines   â€“ The Spanish government seeks stronger defense ties with the Philippines and supports the peaceful settlement of maritime disputes involving its former colony and China.

In a speech at the new municipal hall here during the sidelines of the 11th Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day and the 114th anniversary of the “Siege of Baler” yesterday, Spanish Ambassador Jorge Manuel Domecq said there is no need to forge defense ties between Spain and the Philippines because such ties have already been in existence since 2011.

Domecq’s statement came following the pronouncement of Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin that the Philippines needs stronger military partnerships with its allies while building up its own defense capabilities in the face of “bullying” by an “oppressive” China.

Domecq clarified that Spain is supporting the resolution of dispute through peaceful means.

He also assured the Philippines that it is a permanent priority country for Spanish cooperation projects and remains the only priority country in Asia in the new master plan of Spain’s development assistance.

The first cooperation agreement, he said, dated back to 1974 and since 1992 has been strengthened with the opening of the technical cooperation office in Manila.

Since 2007, Spain’s Official Development Assistance to the Philippines has amounted to P7.16 billion. It has prioritized basic social service projects including health, water and sanitation, education, social protection and good governance, Domecq said.

He also cited the cooperation between the Spanish embassy in Manila and the Department of Social Welfare and Development in implementing projects in the country, particularly the Poder Project aligned with Kalahi/CIDDS national strategy for poverty alleviation for which the Spanish government infused P490 million to 11 provinces, including Aurora, 33 municipalities and over 400 barangays.

Moreover, P1.3 billion in humanitarian assistance has been given to the Philippines to respond to humanitarian emergencies and strengthen institutional capacities on disaster risk reduction.

Domecq also noted that the province was included in the V Philippine-Spanish Joint Commission of Aid Development where P135.7 million was invested in education, basic community services and fisheries infrastructure.

The Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day is being held annually since 2003 by virtue of Republic Act No. 9187 or the Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day Act authored by former Sen. Edgardo Angara and his son Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara.  

The elder Angara said the annual event commemorates and preserves centuries-old friendship and strong historical and cultural links between the Philippines and Spain.

“Today’s celebration will showcase how our relations with Spain have become better and stronger,” said Angara, chairman of the Philippines-Spain Parliamentary Friendship.

Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day gives due recognition of the day when then President Emilio Aguinaldo acclaimed the gallantry and fidelity of the Spanish soldiers besieged in Baler Church in 1898. The siege was among the last and most significant episodes of the Philippine war of independence against Spain.

On June 27, 1898, 54 Spanish soldiers led by Capt. Enrique delas Morenas, holed up at the Church of Baler in their last stand against the revolution. They endured an 11-month siege, unaware that the war had long ended.

Only when 2nd Lt. Saturnino Martin Cerezo read the Spanish newspaper El Imparcial that announced that the war was over did the Spaniards surrender.

Only 33 survivors emerged from the church on June 2, 1899. The sympathetic people of Baler, led by Teodorico Luna Novicio, gave them food, clothing and medicine. Aguinaldo also decreed that they be treated as friends not prisoners.