Spanish gov’t to help Zambo preserve Chabacano- envoy

by NEWSTUBE online magazine & newspaper

Spanish Ambassador to the Philippines Jorge Domecq, who came here to keynote the 75th Dia de la Ciudad de Zamboanga last Sunday, assured that the Spanish government is committed to help the city government in its effort to preserve the city’s Spanish derivative language called Chabacano.

“We have to do all we can. The Spanish government has decided to help preserve the Chabacano, which I think is a unique language, a very rich language which is not that known by so many people and so I think it ought to be protected and preserved,” Ambassador Domecq said when interviewed during his visit to Sta. Cruz Island.

Spanish Ambassador Jorge Domecq and Mayor Celso Lobregat happily show a picture of their happy visit to the Las Islas de Sta. Cruz which mesmerized the envoy and his lady Rosa Rufino de Domecq, as they face the media for an exit press con Monday afternoon.  BENJIE BARREDO

Asked how he would assess Chabacano in comparison with Spanish, Domecq said, “I was very impressed. I was very moved when I heard people speak the Chabacano. To come to a city in the other side of the world and to hear a language which is the sister of your own language, it’s fantastic!”

According to the ambassador, the Spanish embassy in Manila will regularly organize series of activities aimed at preserving Chabacano and will also consider the publication of books in Chabacano in partnership with other organizations.

For example, he said, in the month of March the embassy will be having Instituto Cervantes, a Spanish non-government organization teaching Spanish language across the world, in a series of activities.”We will be having a cycle of Chabacano films or movies,” he said.

“To preserve Chabacano, we will also organize a conference in July together with the association of Chabacano at La Salle University,” the Spanish envoy said.

Mayor Celso Lobregat and Spanish Ambassador Jorge Domecq in a huddle before the start of the exit press conference of the envoy before enplaning back to Manila February 27. BENJIE BARREDO

For his part, Spanish First Secretary Antonio Garcia, who joined the ambassador in his trip to Sta. Cruz Island together with Mayor Celso Lobregat, suggested that Chabacano can be declared an intangible heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The UNESCO seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. It is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage , adopted by UNESCO in 1972.-(Vic Larato)

Queen Sofia of Spain visits Zamboanga City

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ZAMBOANGA CITY, July 6 (PNA) – House Deputy Speaker for Mindanao and first district Congresswoman Ma Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said the visit Thursday of Queen Sofia of Spain to Zamboanga City was a welcome development for this southern port city. 

Salazar said the Spanish government, through self-sustaining programs, had been extensively helping identified communities here in Zamboanga City through non-government organizations (NGOs).
Queen Sofia and her entourage that include Spanish Ambassador to the Philippines Jorge Domecq arrived here aboard a presidential plane at 9:15 a.m. Thursday.
Queen Sofia visited several Spanish-funded projects that included housing projects, Akay Kalinga for street children, Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC) and schools.
One of the schools the queen visited was the Claret School, which is run by Spanish priests who composed of the Claretian Missionary Fathers (CMF). 

“The partnership between these two countries (Philippines and Spain) had a long history. The fruit of this partnership are the various initiatives that they have generously extended to us,” Salazar said.
“As in my capacity as first district representative, our office has likewise partnered with Instituto de Cervantes of Manila to propagate the Spanish language as something very dear to our creole the Chabacano, so the visit has only strengthened all these initiatives,” Salazar said.
Instituto Cervantes is a worldwide non-profit organization created by the Spanish government in 1991.
It is the largest organization in the world dedicated to the teaching of the Spanish language and increasing knowledge of culture in Latin-American countries.
At present, Instituto Cervantes has 77 centers in 44 different countries. Its mission is to promote the teaching, study and use of Spanish as a second language, and to contribute to the advancement of Spanish and Latin-American cultures throughout the world.
Aside from visiting Spanish-funded projects, Queen Sofia also offered prayers and flowers and lighted candle at the Royal Fort of Our Virgin Lady of the Pillar of Zaragoza, commonly known as Fort Pilar.
Fort Pilar is a 17th century military defense fortress built by the Spanish colonial government in Zamboanga City.
Fort Pilar is a major landmark and a symbol of Zamboanga City’s cultural heritage.

Zamboanga City is only one of the three areas visited by Queen Sofia during her stay in the Philippines. The two other places are Albay and Manila. (PNA)

Lobregat thanks Zamboangueños for Queen Sofia’s warm welcome

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ZAMBOANGA CITY, July 6 (PNA) – Mayor Celso Lobregat has expressed gratitude to residents of Zamboanga City for the rousing welcome accorded on Thursday to Queen Sofia of Spain.
Lobregat likewise thanked the military and police and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) and all offices of the city government that helped in the successful turnout of the historical visit of the Queen to Zamboanga City.
In particular, Lobregat thanked Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) Chief Lt. Gen. Noel Coballes, Police Regional Office-9 (PRO-9) director Chief Supt. Napoleon Estilles, Zamboanga City Police officer-in-charge Chief Supt. Mario Yanga, 3rd Air Division Commander Brig. Gen. Emeraldo Magnaye and Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) commander Rear Admiral Armando Guzman.
Lobregat also cited the participation and contribution of the different schools to the successful visit of Queen Sofia, specifically the Zamboanga State College of Marine Sciences and Technology, Southern City Colleges, Sinunuc Elementary School, Sinunuc National High School, Claret School, Don Pablo Lorenzo Memorial High School and the Sta. Maria Elementary School.
He said the Queen’s visit to Zamboanga City the whole day on Thursday turned out smooth, peaceful and well-organized.
“The rousing welcome we accorded the Queen is definitely a big boost to the peaceful image of the city of Zamboanga,” he stressed. 

He described the visit of the Queen Sofia, the first high foreign dignitary to visit this city was a monumental event for Zamboanga City.
Finally, Lobregat said gratitude also goes out to Queen Sofia herself, for making Zamboanga City one of the sites to be visited during her visit to the Philippines.

“It is truly an honor for the City of Zamboanga to be visited by the Queen of Spain. I don’t think there was any other foreign dignitary of such stature that ever visited Zamboanga in the past,” Lobregat added. (PNA)