THE Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines (La Cámara) kicked off its 125th year with a joyous night of celebration, shining a spotlight on Spain's rich culture and delectable cuisine while also celebrating the longstanding bond between the Philippines and Spain.
Setting the stage for the observance of La Cámara's 125th anniversary, Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar Quezon City hosted last February 24 the chamber's annual affair, which was also known as La Fiesta.
The quasquicentennial celebration was enriched by a lavish authentic Spanish feast, prepared by widely acclaimed chefs Carlos Villaflor and Chele Gonzales from Gallery by Chele.
Rubén Camba, president of La Cámara and director of Infrastructure for Southeast Asia at Acciona, initiated the event with his opening remarks.
Camba expressed: "Today is not just about looking back, it's also looking forward and embracing the future as we embark on our next chapter of the journey. Tonight, La Fiesta will [honor] La Camara's legacy and look forward to nurturing the bonds of friendship and partnership, where collaboration knows no boundaries and endless possibilities lie ahead."
The event was a resounding success, bringing together over a hundred attendees, including prominent individuals from both public and private sectors. It was attended by Spanish Ambassador to the Philippines Miguel Utray Delgado and Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel 3rd, among others.
Honoring partners in building stronger PH-Spain ties
The chamber conferred awards upon esteemed institutions that had actively forwarded the agenda of Philippine-Spain relations in both countries. The Service Excellence Award was given to Ayala Corp. with its chairman, Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, and its president and chief executive officer, Cezar "Bong" Consing, accepting the accolade.
La Cámara also acknowledged the contributions of the Chamber of Commerce of the Philippine Islands (CCPI) and presented the award to CCPI President Jose Luis Yulo Jr. during the award ceremony.
Former La Cámara presidents were also recognized for their commendable leadership and contributions, including Pablo García-Morera (1995 to 1996), Javier Escat (1998 to 2002), Alfredo Roca (2009 to 2011), Tomás Ibáñez (2017 to 2019) and John Peter Hager (2019 to 2022), among others.
Philippine-Spanish friendship
For more than 12 decades, La Cámara has acted as a crucial bridge, forging connections between Spain and the Philippines and unwaveringly supporting bilateral trade initiatives of both nations.
Ambassador to the Philippines Delgado delivered a message from King of Spain Felipe 6th during the event, congratulating the Spanish Chamber in the Philippines for its achievements. Toward the end of his speech, Delgado highlighted the success of the recently concluded 10th edition of the Spain-Philippines forum, which touched on topics such as the general political situation in the Indo-Pacific, food security and food logistics, digitalization, and infrastructure for sustainable tourism and energy tourism.
For the Philippines' part, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri also conveyed his message in a recorded video, stating: "We hope to usher in a new era of revitalizing Philippine-Spanish relations for the good of countries and our people. La Cámara has been an invaluable force in this regard, creating great opportunities for connection and collaboration between Spain and the Philippines."
"In its 125th year, I have no doubt that the [Spanish Chamber] will continue to be vital for bilateral relations, bridging us closer and ensuring that our centuries of friendship flourish well into the future," Zubiri further stated.
During dinner, guests enjoyed the Con Alma flamenco show from Artextremena, Spain, skillfully performed by flamenco dancer Manuela Sánchez Sánchez. The evening progressed with a musical serenade by the band, Sabor Latino, and culminated in the lively beats of DJ John Tupaz.