Month of National Days

June seems to be a month when many countries celebrate “National Day” in commemoration of their independence.

Last June 2, Italian Ambassador Massimo Roscigno and his charming wife Agnes hosted the cocktail reception at The Peninsula Manila  to commemorate the 68th Festa della Repubblica Italiana (Festival of the Italian Republic) when Italians chose a democratic government over a monarchy via a referendum in 1946.

This year, Philippine embassies and consulates all over the world marked our 116th Independence Day with the theme “Kalayaan 2014.” In Athens,  Greece, Philippine Ambassador to Athens Meynardo Montealegre led the celebrations at the Stratos Vassilikos Hotel and encouraged the Filipino community to promote the Philippines to Greek society. The reception was well-attended by different Filipino organizations and various Embassy partners, with the venue enlivened by Department of Tourism posters proclaiming “It’s more fun in the Philippines.”

Russia Day, which also falls on June 12 like the Philippines’, became a public holiday in 1994 and is an occasion to pay tribute to notable Russians. Fireworks, concerts and various activities take place in many cities throughout Russia. Russian Ambassador to Manila Nikolay Kudashev hosted the reception at the Grand Ballroom of the Hotel InterCon in Makati City in observance of the National Day of the Russian Federation.

Photos by Ramon Joseph J. Ruiz