BALER, Aurora (PIA) -- Relationship between the Republic of the Philippines and Kingdom of Spain is still sound and safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his message during the commemoration of the 122nd Anniversary of the Historic Siege of Baler and the 19th Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day, Spanish ambassador to the Philippines Jorge Moragas Sanchez underscored that the connections between both countries remain all-weathered and encouraging. 

“The pandemic is affecting our lives and our economies, but I will say, not our relations. The personal touch has been hampered because of these conditions, and has affected the flow of our relations, but we keep on doing things,” he said.

The ambassador said despite the current crisis limiting travel opportunities and face-to-face interactions, the minds of the Filipino and Spanish people are still close and intertwined.

As evidence, Sanchez highlighted that the Spanish government is fostering the access of other countries, especially the Philippines, of COVID-19 vaccines through the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) initiative.

“I want to recall this part of our history, and this is related to what all of us are undergoing. This is just in the same spirit when Spain brought the vaccine against smallpox in the Philippines 216 years ago through the Balmis expedition,” he said.

COVAX aims to ensure that every country gets fair and equitable access to the vaccines by acting as an insurance policy with the largest portfolio of vaccine candidates in the world. 

 Sanchez also cited that the Filipino and Spanish government have continuous annual bilateral political consultations.

“Trade and investment are quickly recovering pre-pandemic figures, development remains consistent, and our cooperation in infrastructures look promising,” he added.

He said that the safe reopening of Spanish boats for tourists has resulted in an increase in the number of tourist visas for Filipinos.

In the cultural field, Sanchez stressed that the Instituto Cervantes in Manila started teaching Spanish online successfully.

“We have very good numbers and figures regarding teaching of Spanish in the Philippines,” he said.  

The school is the world's largest public institution dedicated to teaching Spanish and its co-official languages, and disseminating the culture of Spanish-speaking countries.

With this, the ambassador encouraged the Filipino and Spanish people to continue enlightening the duty and privilege of fostering friendships with the same spirit of humanity and kindness taught by the ancestors. (CLJD/Jag Lyra D. Costamero-PIA 3)