Berne, Switzerland — The Philippine Embassy in Berne joined the municipality of Kreuzlingen in the canton of Thurgau in its celebration of the “Kreuzulingen Fest – We are 100 percent Kreuzlingen” on June 15, 2019.
The festival has the Philippines as the feature country for 2019 and was participated in by 40 countries. A colourful parade, which featured an ati-atihan dance, highlighted the event that drew hundreds of spectators.
In her remarks during the event, Embassy Minister and Consul General Josephine Reynante thanked Kreuzlingen Mayor Thomas Niederberger, the City Council, and the member of the Foreigners’ Council of Kreuzlingen for choosing the Philippines as the host country.
She also said it is “truly heart-warming for us to share our distinct Filipino traditions and values with all of you here today not only because it serves as a medium to further enhance our people-to-people links, but more importantly as a means to promote better understanding among nations and peoples.”
Minister and Consul General Reynante also mentioned the Philippines’ commitment to and quest for peace and development and acknowledged Switzerland’s important role in this effort by chairing the Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission in the Bangsamoro Peace Process between the Philippine Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
She also thanked Switzerland for welcoming Filipinos into its society, and noted that Filipinos in Switzerland are well integrated into the Swiss society and more importantly, productively contributing to its economy.
In addition to the parade, a Philippine booth which features Philippine products was also set up. A forum on the Philippines was also held, with Kreuzlingen Foreigners Board member Teresita Papa and Kreuzlingen Filipino community leader Liza Tongco sharing information about the Philippines with the Swiss and other foreign audience.
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For more information, visit www.bernepe.dfa.gov.ph or
https://www.facebook.com/PHinSwitzerland.
