19 JUNE 2017 – Ambassador Joselito Jimeno led the wreath-laying ceremony at a marker in Hotel Müller in Schaffhausen where the national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, stayed from 2-3 June 1887. Ambassador Jimeno was joined by Schaffhausen Mayor, Hon. Peter Neukomm, and other Schaffhausen officials during the ceremony. The wreath-laying ceremony was part of the Embassy’s activities in commemoration of the 156th birth anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal.
Schaffhausen City Mayor Peter Neukomm and Ambassador Joselito Jimeno during the wreath-laying ceremony
In his remarks during the ceremony, Ambassador Jimeno noted that Schaffhausen has a special place in the hearts of Filipinos in Switzerland since it was the first city that Dr. Rizal visited in the country. Ambassador Jimeno also highlighted the long-standing relations between the Philippines and Switzerland which dated back to the 1800s when Swiss traders first ventured to the Philippines.
Courtesy Meeting with the Mayor and officials of the City of Schaffhausen
Prior to the wreath-laying ceremony, Ambassador Jimeno paid a courtesy call on Mayor Neukomm during which they recalled Dr. Rizal’s strong affinity with Switzerland and the role it played in the ideological ideas of the national hero. Mayor Neukomm also acknowledged the bond between the Philippines and Switzerland, and the important role Schaffhausen played in Rizal’s life. He thanked the Ambassador and the Embassy delegation for the visit, and expressed the Schaffhausen’s interest in the continuing the city’s engagements with the Embassy. Mayor Neukomm was joined during the call by Mr. Stefan Marti, President of the City Parliament; Mr. Christian Schneider, Secretary of the City Council; Mr. Christian Ritzmann, Secretary of the Cantonal Government; Mr. Stefan Sigrist, Assistant to the Mayor; and Mr. Peter Scheck, Chief Archivist.
Switzerland served as a strong inspiration for Dr. Rizal when he organized La Liga Filipina. It also influenced the national hero’s ideological ideas which eventually inspired the Philippine revolution in the 19th century. At present, Switzerland is home to about 12,000 Filipinos who serve as cultural bridges between the two countries which friendship now marks 60 years of formal diplomatic relations. END
