Israel celebrates 69th National Day

Our 2017 National Day celebration coincides with the year of jubilees in the relations between our two countries and peoples.

The first among them is the 80th anniversary to the “open door” policy of President Manuel Quezon who out of goodwill and compassion opened the gates of the Philippines to Jewish refugees escaping the Nazis.

His moral standing and actions was followed by Filipinos’ open hearts. The refugees received a warm and friendly welcome in the best tradition of the Filipino people. This gesture on the eve of World War II saved 1,300 people and created 1,300 generations’among them many distinguished Filipino families who make a difference in this nation’s life.

The second Jubilee is the 70th anniversary to the United Nations vote on resolution 181 on Nov. 29, 1947. The Philippines under President Manuel Roxas was the only Asian country to vote for the resolution that led to the creation of the State of Israel.

These are the two pillars of our special relations ever since.

The third jubilee is marking the 60th anniversary to the establishment of our diplomatic relations which opened the gates to large scope of development cooperation. More than 5,000 Filipinos took part in various exchange programs in Israel and many more in capacity-building programs in the Philippines.

Israel’s position as one of the leading R&D hubs of the world in ICT, homeland security, water technology, agriculture and actually in most hi-tech fields is nowadays a perfect match to the Philippines’ economic development aspirations, and I’m glad to see more and more Filipino business groups going on a “Techno Pilgrimage” or “Agro Pilgrimage” tour of Israel.

Tourism is definitely one of our most promising areas of cooperation, with almost every Filipino having a dream to visit the Holy land...our special bond made it much easier since Filipino passport bearer don’t require an entry visa to Israel since 1969...

This was Israel’s “Thank You Philippines” to the “Open Door” policy of President Manuel Quezon and in appreciation for the Filipino vote in the UN.

On the other end, so many Israelis are eager to visit the beautiful sceneries of the “Pearl of the Orient” ...

2016 saw Israel as the number one country in growth rate for incoming tourism and the Philippines number four for incoming tourism in Israel, and this is just the beginning.

Our flagship program in development is in agriculture with more than 570 students on the way to Israel for a one year OJT program and we all hope that they will become the leaders of change. This year we are going to highlight two additional aspects: “Excellence in Education” and “Water Security” with very good partners.

On this special year of Jubilees, we celebrate our special past which is going to pave the road to a very promising future.

I wish our two countries peace and prosperity with stronger ties in all areas of bilateral relations, capitalizing on our strong foundation of relations and friendship.

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(Effie Ben Matityau is the Ambassador of Israel.)