The Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) announced on Wednesday, June 5, that it will conduct the “Lakad Magkaibigan,” an Independence Day walk initiative on Sunday, June 9.
The FFCCCII said that around 5,000 members of the Filipino-Chinese communities are expected to participate in the event.
It will start at 5 a.m. at the Binondo Intramuros Bridge in Binondo, Manila, and will end at the Bonifacio and Katipunan Revolution Shrine in Padre Burgos Avenue, Manila.
The FFCCCII said they will offer wreaths during the event to honor the heroism of revolutionaries who fought for the freedom of the country including ethnic Chinese or part-Chinese heroes such as Dr. Jose Rizal, the Chinese immigrant who became a Philippine revolutionary hero, Gen. Jose Ignacio Paua, and the World War II Filipino-Chinese guerillas who fought Japanese military invaders.
It added that the Filipino-Chinese Amateur Athletic Federation (FCAAF), the Manila City government, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and etc., will also join the event.
Simultaneously, other members of FFCCCII will also conduct a civic walk in Bacolod City, Cebu, Tacloban, and Palawan.
FFCCCII President Dr. Cecilio Pedro said that the walk aims to express their love for the country.
“Our walk today brought together participants from different sectors of the Filipino-Chinese community, the major business and civic organizations, barangays, colleges, and schools. This occasion is a shared celebration of our Philippine Independence Day, aimed at expressing our love for our country and fostering patriotism among our citizens,” he said.
“Dugong Tsino, Pusong Pinoy. Ang aming puso ay para sa Pilipinas, at itong 'Lakad Magkaibigan' ay bilang pakikiisa sa ating mga kababayan sa paggunita ng Araw ng Kalayaan. Sama-sama nating itaguyod ang ating bansang Pilipinas (Dugong Tsino, Pusong Pinoy. Our hearts are for the Philippines, and this 'Lakad Magkaibigan' is our way of standing in solidarity with our fellow Filipinos in commemorating Independence Day. Together, let's promote our beloved country, the Philippines),” he added.
During the press conference, the FFCCCII also announced the inauguration of the “Manila Galleon” trade magazine on Friday, June 7. It aims to promote greater trade and sustain faster economic growth as well as international cooperation with Asia Pacific countries.
On June 9, 1975, the “Filipino-Chinese Friendship Day” was signed by the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and his counterpart, the late Chinese Prime Minister Zhou Enlai in Beijing, China.
It established the official diplomatic relations between the Republic of the Philippines and the People’s Republic of China (PROC).