Historic hotel in Spain eyed as part of travel tour for Pinoys

A historic hotel in Barcelona, Spain may become part of a planned travel tour for Filipinos because of its special connections to Philippine-Spanish history, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said. Citing a report from the Philippine Consulate, the DFA said the "Hotel 1898," one of the most famous luxury hotels in the Ramblas tourist area, is being considered for the tour. The hotel was formerly the site of the head office of the Compañía General de Tabacos de Filipinas (Tabacalera), which was in charge of tobacco imports from the Philippines for nearly 100 years. The DFA said the hotel building also used to host the office of the Philippine Honorary Consulate at one time. The hotel continues to pay tribute to the Philippines by featuring Filipiniana on every floor, including furniture and large photos of Philippine country scenes. “The hotel is within walking distance from other historic sites as the building where ‘La Solidaridad’ was first published, and the Hotel España where Rizal formerly stayed in 1882, are within walking distance from each other," the DFA said in a news release. The DFA noted that all these areas feature commemorative plaques extolling their connection to Philippine national hero Dr. Jose Rizal or the Philippines. Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day On June 30, Hotel 1898 was the venue of a special lunch marking the ninth Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day. The special guests at the lunch included Montserrat Codina, a descendant of José Pineda, one of 33 Spanish soldiers (“Los Ultimos de Filipinas") who survived the 1898-1899 Siege of Baler. Consul General Eduardo Jose de Vega read the words of then President Emilio Aguinaldo before a toast celebrating the friendship between the Philippines and Spain. Aguinaldo had lauded the 33 Spanish soldiers for their heroism and called them “friends" of the Philippines, and allowed them to return safely to Spain. The other guests at the lunch included David Campos and Irene Sabas of the Ballet David Campos-Sta Coloma de Gramenet Ballet Company, which features Filipino and Spanish dancers. The ballet company is currently producing the classic ballet “Giselle" with Filipina prima ballerina Aileen Gallinera at a local theater. The Spaniards who have seen the performances of the ballet company include NBA stars Pau and Marc Gasol and world-famous chef Ferran Adriá, the DFA said. Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day Also on June 30, the Lower House (Congreso de Diputados) of the Spanish Parliament (Cortés) passed a declaration thanking the Philippines for instituting Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day as a yearly celebration on June 30. The Lower House also thanked the Philippines for its efforts to reintroduce the Spanish language in its educational system. The declaration also manifested Spain’s desire to serve as the gateway for Philippine exports to Europe and Latin America, and for the Philippines to serve as Spain’s economic launching pad in Southeast Asia. - VVP, GMA News