SEPTEMBER is Mexico’s National Month, as it celebrates several historic dates.
The most important of these is the 16th of the month, when the nation commemorates its “Proclamation of Independence” that began the struggle carried out by women and men who gave their lives to finally achieve that goal in 1821.
The events began on the night of September 15, 1810 when Mexican hero Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla called the people to arms. That is why in every city and town in the nation, crowds gather for a ceremony to remember the occasion. During this rite, a leader calls on Mexicans to honor their heroes and acclaim their freedom, known as the Grito de Independencia.
This year, as in previous occasions, the local Mexican community gathered to celebrate their National Day in the company of many friends from their host-country. They share a history of more than 450 years by way of the ties created by the Acapulco-Manila Galleon route, which facilitated the exchange of people, goods, values and ideas for two-and-a-half centuries across the Pacific Ocean.
The ceremony of the “Cry of Independence,” led by Ambassador Daniel Hernández Joseph, marked the beginning of the celebrations that will last until the morning of September 16, with a wreath-laying at the monument of Costilla in Intramuros. It marked the 213th anniversary of the beginning of the Mexican people’s struggle for self-determination.
For the Embassy of Mexico, 2023 is a year of festivity for Mexicans and Filipinos, with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between their countries. In honor of this event, both nations illuminated monuments and landmarks with the colors of each other’s flags on April 14.
The two will also hold this year their third meeting of the “Political Consultative Mechanism,” which will further advance the strengthening of their bilateral relationship.
In 2023, the 450th year of the Acapulco-Manila route’s establishment will be recalled, as noted by several scholars, with the discovery of the tornaviaje or return voyage from the Philippines to Mexico by Andrés de Urdaneta in 1565. These events emphasize the two nations’ common heritage and brotherhood, said the embassy.
Thus, for the deputation, the commemoration of the 213th anniversary of the beginning of the struggle for national independence is the ideal time for Mexicans to come together, celebrate their country, as well as share its rich culture and ancestral traditions with its Filipino friends.
Image credits: Mike Policarpio
