The Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Manila held a reception on the occasion of the 105th anniversary of the independence of Poland. It also celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations between Poland and the Philippines. Led by the Embassy’s Chargé d’Affaires H.E. Jarosław Szczepankiewicz, it was attended by members of the diplomatic corps, government officials, partners, and friends of the Embassy.
“The decision made by Polish diplomacy to open an Embassy of the Republic of Poland in the Philippines in 2018 in order to strengthen cooperation has always been in line with the values behind today’s motto of Polish diplomacy: ‘Solidarity for freedom,’” he said. “This concise concept should be interpreted in the light of the importance that the historic Solidarity movement has for Polish national identity and foreign policy. It is on this concept that Poles base their attitude towards the Filipinos, as well as the axiology of Poland's foreign relations.”
On a lighter note Szczepankiewicz shared cultural tidbits in Filipino. “Meron akong trivia sa inyong lahat. Alam nyo ba na ang chicken galantina na isang patok at sikat na handa tuwing Pasko ay nakilala sa Pilipinas pero ito rin ay nagmula sa Poland,” he said.
“May isa pa akong trivia sa inyo. Ang Filipino mazurka na inyong kilala dito ay orihinal na
tinaguriang Polish folk dance. Gayun pa man, nais ko lang ipabatid na ang Poland at Pilipinas ay maraming pagkakapareha. Sana ay nagustuhan ninyo ang aking munting Tagalog,” he added, to the amusement and laughter of those present.
Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Eduardo Jose De Vega, for his part, spoke of how the friendship between the Philippines and Poland remains strong. Apart from bilateral partnerships, there are also 2,658 Filipinos in Poland, most of whom are in the IT/BPO, advertising, wellness, education, and hospitality/food and beverages sectors, and have made Poland their second home. Responding to Szcepankiewicz trivias, Usec. De Vega shared that the Filipino basketball legend Robert Jaworski was born to an American father of Polish descent.
Completing the evening were a delectable assortment of Polish dishes and delicacies. This
year’s Polish National Day celebrations were held on Nov. 9 at the Fairmont Makati.
