Czech Republic Prime Minister Petr Fiala ended his two-day visit to the Philippines by laying a wreath to honor national hero Dr. Jose Rizal at the Luneta Park in Manila.
Czech Republic Prime Minister Petr Fiala attends a wreath-laying ceremony at the Rizal Park in Manila. (Photo by Noel Pabalate/MANILA BULLETIN)
Manila Mayor Honey Lacuña accompanied the Prime Minister in giving honor to Rizal, who was close friends with Czech Professor Ferdinand Blumentritt.
"In Manila, I honored the memory of the national hero José Rizal, who was an important writer, doctor and, above all, a symbol of the Philippine struggle for independence," Fiala said in a Twitter post.
The Prime Minister noted Rizal's "strong ties" with the Czech Republic because of Blumentritt.
"The fences that are part of the walls in Litoměřice are named after Rizal, and he also has a bust in the hall of the Czech National Bank," he added.
During a joint press briefing after a bilateral meeting with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in Malacañang, Fiala claimed that “our connection is much longer” despite the countries celebrating only the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations on Oct. 5.
Blumentritt, a known associate of Rizal who he had collaborated with in some of his works, was also an advocate of Philippine freedom and had voiced out his support for the country’s independence through his works.
At the same media briefing, Fiala said that Czech firms could collaborate with the Philippines in the fields of agriculture, aviation, transportation, and space technologies.
He also hinted that Czech Republic may soon open its doors to Filipino migrant workers after he recognized the country’s “recruitment system for overseas deployment.”
“I believe our meeting and visit will be a new impulse for stronger collaboration and we will be very happy to cooperate (with the) Philippine government and companies much more,” the official stressed.
Marcos and Fiala also led the launch of the book “KAIBIGAN-PŘATELÉ: Czech-Philippine Cultural and Diplomatic Dialogue,” which highlights the cultural and diplomatic exchanges between the Philippines and the Czech Republic.
The book is a collaborative effort of various Filipino and Czech contributors and editors, under the initiative of Ambassador Jana Šedivá.
The two officials previously met in December 2022 in Brussels, Belgium on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) - European Union (EU) Commemorative Summit, where they discussed cooperation in security, particularly in the modernization program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
The Prime Minister, who made the Philippines his first stop in his 10-day Asian tour, is scheduled to leave on Tuesday afternoon from Villamor Airbase in Pasay City.