Flower Offering Ceremony in front of Vienna’s City Hall in

commemoration of the 125th Philippine Independence Day

Celebration

Vienna, Austria.  One hundred twenty-five years ago, the Philippines was freed from
the clout of Western power.  Filipinos, wherever they may be, never forget to look
for different ways to celebrate the country’s independence.

In Vienna, Austria, a Floral Offering Ceremony at the garden of the Vienna City
Capitol has been initiated by the Philippine Austrian Cultural Society (PACES) under
the leadership of Ms. Marizel Rojas, President of PACES.

In 1998, on the celebration of the Philippine Centennial Anniversary of the Philippine

Independence,  a Catalpa Tree was planted in the eastern part of the Viennese  City
Hall Garden. Malou Reininger, Filipino community leader, explained that the tree’s
trumpet-shaped flowers herald the next hundred years of Philippine-Austrian
relations.

Speaking about the theme of this year‘s Philippine Independence Day Celebrations
– Kalayaan 2023: “Kalayaan. Kinabukasan. Kasaysayan.” focuses on the freedom
our forebears struggled for in the future that they dreamed for the country and the
history that we seek to remember and honour them with.

Ms. Marizel Rojas, President of PACES,  noted that problems and difficulties might be
on our way, though these could be regarded as challenges in order to reach our
goals.

„It is a timely reminder for us, for us families, as organizations, as a nation that we
should be united in overcoming challenges of us and should be resilient in facing
what others may call problems but are challenges, challenges for us as opportunities
to do the best we can especially here in Austria in lifting the profile of the Filipinos,“
Rojas said.

H.E. Susan Irene Natividad, Charge d Affaires, Philippine Embassy Vienna, delivered
an inspirational message. She expressed her gratitude for witnessing a thriving and
united Filipino community on this special day.

„I am pleased that these two trees continued to grow, look sturdy, and the flowers
are the symbol of the flourishing relations of Austria and the Philippines,“ Charge d‘
Affaires Natividad said.

The Floral Offering was not just a celebration to commemorate the 125th Philippine
Independence Day but also to give importance to the bilateral ties between the
Philippines and Austria.
 Hector Pascua