Belgian Ambassador Roland van Remoortele and his charming wife Sylvia hosted a cocktail reception to celebrate Belgium’s King’s Day at the ballroom of the Shangri-La Makati hotel. Also known as the King’s Feast, King’s Day has been celebrated since 1866 to honor the Belgian monarch, the first of whom was named Leopold.
Not many Filipinos are aware that Belgium and the Philippines established formal diplomatic relations in July 1946. In the last 70 years, bilateral relations have grown deeper and closer, marked by a mutual desire for peace, prosperity, the strengthening of democracy and the observance of the rule of law.
Interestingly, our national hero Jose Rizal wrote El Filibusterismo — the sequel to Noli Me Tangere — while he was residing in Ghent, a city in the Flemish region of Belgium. The capital city of Brussels also happens to be the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or NATO, as well as the Parliament of the European Union.
When typhoon Yolanda struck in November 2013, the government of Belgium immediately sent a medical team composed of 40 doctors and nurses as well as a field hospital, a mobile water treatment facility and medical relief items to help the victims of the super typhoon.
The Philippines and Belgium also signed a joint plan of action that would allow both countries to cooperate more closely to boost bilateral relations. Belgium happens to be a significant partner in the area of trade, with substantial investments in the area of manufacturing, the food and accommodation sector as well as in finance and insurance industries.