THROUGHOUT June, the Northern Marianas will be celebrating its longstanding friendship with the Philippines.
Surrounded by members of the Filipino community in the CNMI and Philippine Consul to Guam Ferdinand P. Flores, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres on Sunday signed a proclamation designating June as NMI-Philippines Friendship Month at Marianas High School.
The proclamation says that centuries of common Spanish heritage, customs, traditions, and values have brought together the people of the NMI and the Philippines, which was also an American possession from 1898 to 1946.
Through the past centuries, the people of both the NMI and the Philippines have tremendously shared the fervent Christian faith, strengthened with enduring friendship, the proclamation stated.
“With the shared commitment to democratic ideals and in defense of freedom, our people, as neighbors in the Pacific, have courageously sacrificed their lives during the Second World War,” the proclamation added.
“Skilled Filipino engineers, medical workers, teachers, and other laborers who arrived in the Northern Marianas several decades ago and through this day, have substantially contributed to the desired economic progress and development of Saipan, Tinian, and Rota, that furthermore enhanced the comradeship between the Northern Marianas and the Philippines,” the proclamation added.
“Filipinos in the Northern Marianas have, through the years, lived harmoniously with the people of the Northern Marianas, with intermarriages among members of our families, thereby further enriching the unique and colorful culture of these islands with the Filipinos becoming the largest ethnic group in the Commonwealth,” the proclamation stated.
Moreover, Filipinos and Filipino-Americans in the NMI “have noticeably performed their social responsibilities in their communities through the performance of meaningful civic duties, inspired volunteerism, and active involvement in both public and private projects resulting in the overall contribution to the Commonwealth’s development, thus recognizing the important contributions of Filipinos and those of Filipino ancestry to the socio-economic, as well as the cultural development of the NMI.”
According to the proclamation, the NMI “extends its warm hands and embrace as a sincere gesture of appreciation to these contributions in the spirit of goodwill, friendship and understanding on this occasion of the 124th Philippine Independence Day Celebration.”
Consul Flores, for his part, thanked the CNMI government for hosting and honoring the Filipino community.
“Thank you for delivering this proclamation on the most important day of the Republic of the Philippines. Speaking of the Republic, the strength of any republic is a very strong, empowered citizenship. Thank you, Governor and the government of the CNMI, for protecting the rights and welfare of our Filipino leaders and Filipino families here in the CNMI,” he said.
On Sunday morning, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, first lady Diann T. Torres, other CNMI officials and Filipino community members celebrated the 124th anniversary of Philippine Independence with a Northern Mariana Islands-Philippines Friendship Month proclamation signing ceremony.
Filipino community leaders applaud as Gov. Ralph DLG Torres signs a proclamation designating June as NMI-Philippines Friendship Month.
