Sharing my sisters upcoming column promoting Philippine-Czech relations.. (not for distribution till Sunday, 4 Nov) Central Europe’s Bohemian Gem that is Czech Republic by Geraldine Dayang Fernando * to be published in her Column Around the Post on Business Mirror (4 November 2013) What comes to your mind when you think of Bohemia? I think of crystal glass, artists, music, and of course, beer! Last Monday, October 28, I attended the National Day of the Czech Republic at H.E. Ambassador Josef Rychtar’s lovely home in a posh village in Makati. It was a beautiful evening attended by at least 300 guests. The twinkling stars that night, which looked like glittering crystals in the sky, served as a beautiful backdrop that I was instantly transported to a romantic summer evening in Prague. The event started with the singing of the national anthems of the Philippines and of the Czech Republic. The “Lupang Hinirang” was sung by tenor Mr. Conrado Ong,while the Czech Republic’s national anthem “Kde Domov Muj” (Where is My Home?) was sung by Czech soprano artist Noema Erba. These artists were part of the Bohemian Rhapsody, a series of cultural events that showcased the music, cuisine, and culture of the Czech Republic to celebrate the 40 years anniversary of the Czech-Philippine Diplomatic Relations, with the culmination activity being the celebration of the Czech National Day. As expected, traditional Czech food was served. I did not anticipate that I would like their cuisine that was actually gentle on the taste buds. A Filipina I met in the party even exclaimed that the food was so much like Filipino food. One thing I noticed was that people went back for seconds, or if not, third servings. I guess, the home-made food was really a hit that night. I was told that 5 Czech chefs were flown in from Prague, as they were also part of the Boheminian Rhapsody series. They, together with Dusit Thani chefs, were working their art in the kitchen of the Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati to promote Czech cuisine to Filipinos and foreign guests of the hotel for the entire week from October 23 to 27. As for the music, traditional folklore music from the Moravia region, located in the eastern part of Czech Republic, were providing entertainment to guests all night long. The band, which is composed of young university men who called their group “Kubalovci”, the name being derived from their old teacher, were awe-inspiring. They were so endeared to the guests when they were performing but what really melted the Filipinos hearts that evening was when they rendered the Filipino songs “Bahay Kubo” and “Anak”. It truly was a special evening of music, food, camaraderie and friendship to celebrate a relationship between the two countries that is not only limited to 40 years. It must be recalled that some Czech missionaries and doctors came to the Philippine archipelago some 300 years ago. In fact, Czech and Filipinos have also fought side by side together with their US comrades during the Second World War. It is also worthwhile to mention the deep friendship of our Philippine National hero Dr. Jose Rizal with his closest foreign friend, Prof. Ferdinand Blumentritt. Indeed, on the eve of his execution, Jose Rizal wrote his last and touching letter to his friend. This most symbolical gesture of Rizal proves the strong bilateral ties between the two friends, one that is from the Philippines and the other from Bohemia, Central Europe, as they shared many common ideas and their letters to each other are still vital sources for researchers of Philippine history. In fact, it is believed that perhaps, it is Rizal who could be the very first Filipino to have stepped onto the streets of the Czech Republic when he visited Blumentritt. And Blumetritt, though he has never set foot in the Philippines, could very well be an expert of the Philippine culture and history of that time due to his close relationship with Rizal. The immortal friendship between the two friends will forever be talked about in history and their names etched together in the memory of the past. At present, the friendship of our two nations still remains intact and strengthened due to the exchanges in trade, humanitarian aid, environmental projects, education and tourism. To name a few, the MRT3 has provided reliable transportation to tram commuters within Metro Manila and the beautiful crystal chandeliers of Solaire resort and Raffles Hotel in Makati are from the Lasvit company of the Czech Republic. Due to our similar faith traditions, there is an increasing number of Filipino tourists visiting Prague for pilgrimages to the Sto. Nino de Praga (Child Jesus of Prague), wherein the original statue is located in a church in Prague, and to many Filipino devotees, a visit to Prague would not be complete without a visit to the Sto. Nino. Other Filipinos, who are followers of Dr. Rizal also trace Rizal’s footsteps in Prague while Rizal was living in Europe. Today, more Filipinos are also receiving scholarships in business, environment, and power plant engineering in the universities in the Czech Republic. And likewise, professors and staff of Czech universities are frequent visitors of our universities offering study grants and scholarships to Filipino youth. Czech tourists to the Philippines are also increasing in numbers and are discovering the islands. To help the environment, the Czech government is also sending engineers to a flood protection project in Cagayan de Oro. In the past typhoons that hit the Philippines, the Czech government built a hydropower plant, helped secure safe drinking water for Manila and helped improved wastage economy in some parts of the country. Prague Zoo also sets aside its budget to save rare Philippine owls, tarsiers and endangered hornbills. Of course, a Czech party wouldn’t be complete without beer. There was actually a beer station coming from Pivo Praha in Manila, a microbrewery imported from Prague that makes authentic Czech beer. Another commonality we Filipinos share with the Czechs is our love of beer! Although the Filipinos are not listed as No. 1 beer drinkers in the world unlike the Czechs, we share in this common love of beer and music. To the Czechs, I give you a toast for our long standing friendship and may the ties be strengthened in the years to come! Cheers!
Posted on: Fri, 01 Nov 2013 09:03:48 +0000
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