Thursday, July 4, 2013

Mayor expresses support to Americans' visit to bases as Baguio City celebrates Fil-Am Friendship Day

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 4): Mayor expresses support to Americans' visit to bases as Baguio City celebrates Fil-Am Friendship Day

Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan on Thursday led his constituents and visitors here in celebrating the Filipino-American Friendship Day which started with prayers and wreath-laying rites in various landmarks of this mountain resort built by the Americans in early 1900s.

Among the landmarks where people here pay homage to American statesmen and soldiers were at the parks built in honor of Justice George Malcolm, Engineer Daniel Burnham, and Colonel Lyman Kennon, among others.

Although this 68-square kilometer city 250 kilometers north of Manila had various transformations in the past 102 years, the American landmarks like the city hall, parks, roads, bridges, presidential mansion house, ambassador's resident, Camp John Hay, including the trees the Americans planted remain to remind the city's rich history including the presence of “Thomasians” (teachers) at the Teachers Camp.

Several senior citizens visited Camp John Hay to relive good and fond memories of their friendship with their American counterparts either in military service, civilian offices, business, construction works and sports.

Among them was former Baguio city councilor Nars Padilla who, in his younger years, served the United States Navy.

History shows that after World War II, this day was celebrated as the Philippine Independence Day, until it was changed in the early 1960s by former President Diosdado Macapagal.

Despite of this, the fervor of American-Filipino friendship lives on in this country that Filipino and American flags are proudly displayed in various public places.

Meanwhile, Domogan also took this festive event to announce his support to President Benigno Aquino III's recent pronouncement that the American forces can visit the Philippines military bases in the name of friendship and cooperation for peace.

”As our ally and friend, America is welcome for their periodic visits to our country,” he said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=540851

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