To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the diplomatic relations of the Argentine Republic and the Philippines, the Rizal Monument in Rizal Park, Manila, was illuminated with the colors of the national flag of the Argentina last Aug. 27.
Ambassador Ricardo Bocalandro of the Embassy of the Argentine Republic in the Philippines, with the other diplomatic officers of the embassy attended the ceremony. They were joined by Miguel Carlo Hornilla, director of South America and Multilateral Affairs, Office of American Affairs of the Department of Foreign Affairs, and lawyer Mark Arvill Villareal, from the legal office of the National Parks Development Committee.
Argentina shares a common history with the Philippines as both nations were once part of the Spanish empire. Diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Argentina started in August 1948, and from there on both countries have enhanced their political-diplomatic initiatives through trade and economic cooperation, investments, and exchange visits.
Coinciding with the celebration of the 75th year of diplomatic ties, the Philippines and Argentina signed an agreement for cooperation on the peaceful use of outer space through the Philippine Space Agency (Philsa) and the National Commission on Space Activities (Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales, CONAE) of the Argentine Republic.
