A grand fiesta marks Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day

In celebration of the time-honored Spanish month and the Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day, the Casino Español de Cebu, in cooperation with La Embajada de España and the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, hosted a festive two-day Feria España at the club’s premises.

Popular productos de España, such as a variety of turrones, sardines, anchovies, aceitunas y aceite de oliva, from different importers and distributors were made available to members and their guests.

In addition, a well-attended wine tasting, complete with a comprehensive seminar, was conducted by International Wine consultant Sherwin Lao. The workshop enabled the participants to taste, savor and enjoy over 20 Spanish wines from the different regions. They included Solar de la Vega 2003 from Rueda, Castile Leon, Ramon Bilbao 2001, Rioja Blanco from Rioja, North Central, Juan de Merry 2003 from Navarra, North Central, and Vallformosa 2001 Tempranillo Crianza from the Penedes, Catalonia region.

Manila-based executive chef Mikel Arriet, together with the club’s very own superb cocineros de campanilla, prepared daily sumptuous lunch buffets to everyone’s delight. Typical Spanish dishes were served, such as paella valenciana, lengua con setas (ox tongue with mushrooms), pollo en piperrada (stewed chicken with assorted peppers), and rabo de toro (braised ox-tail in red wine sauce).

The dinner buffet had the added attraction of versatile flamenco dancers from Manila and Dumaguete, who performed variations from the different regions of Spain.

The highlight of the fiesta was a formal dinner at the Grand Ballroom of the Casino Español de Cebu, which was graced by Spanish Ambassador to the Philippines Don Ignacio Sagaz and his wife Aurora.They were joined by Cebu Vice Mayor Michael Rama, Spanish honorary consul Jaime Picornell and his wife Cecilia, commercial counselor Jose Miguel Cortes, el señor Javier Galvan of Instituto Cervantes, and local members of the Spanish community, such as the Aboitizes, Morazas, Ugartes, Rotaeches, Salas, Perdices Gonzaleses, Garcias, Mendezonas, and many others.

Ambassador Sagaz and Club president Roberto Aboitiz led the celebratory toasts. Salud y mabuhay to the Reyes de España, Don Juan Carlos y Doña Sofia, la Presidenta Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and the peoples of both nations.