ZAMBOANGA
CITY,
July 06 (PIA)- - Residents of Zamboanga gave their warm,
rousing welcome and reception to the first highest foreign dignitary official
yet to visit the city yesterday, July 5- the Queen of Spain- Her Majesty, Queen
Sofia.
Queen Sofia arrived in the city yesterday
morning at the Edwin Andrews Airbase (EAAB) aboard a Philippine carrier. She
was warmly received by Mayor Celso Lobregat and First and Second District
Representatives Beng Climaco and Erbie Fabian respectively and high ranking
military and police officials upon her arrival.
Shortly after her plane touched down EAAB,
the Queen with her convoy motored to barangay Sinunuc, some 12km away from the
city proper, where she visited three phases of housing projects in the area.
Housing project Phase I composes 98
units/houses; Phase II with 198 housing units and Phase III with 306 units.
The housing project was funded by AECID and
managed by Spanish NGO Manos Unidas and the local NGO Zabida under the
direction of Claritian priest based here in the city Fr. Angel Calvo.
After the Queen’s Sinunuc visit, the
entourage proceeded to Claret High School (CHS) in San Jose. CHS is a recipient
of various projects like school buildings and scholarship programs.
She later visited the Zamboanga City
Medical Center which is a recipient of a Spanish loan in 2000 for the upgrading
and modernization of equipment and hospital facilities.
The Queen also paid a visit to the Nuestra
Senora La Virgen del Pilar at the Fort Pilar shrine where she made her silent
prayer, offered flowers and lighted candles.
Prior to her arrival at the Fort Pilar,
crowds of well wishers composed of school children and young students lined the
streets carrying and waving falglets of the Philippines and Spain.
When the Queen arrived, she went down from
her vehicle, unmindful of the scorching heat, and walked some 100-meter stretch
to Fort Pilar Shrine and gracefully waved at the cheering crowd.
The crowd went wild with happiness seeing
the Queen walk down the street so they cheered and chanted “Viva Spania,
Adelante Zamboanga”
Different drum and lyre corps also played
various tunes as the Queen and her convoy walk through the thoroughfares.
After her Fort Pilar visit, the Queen
proceeded to the National Museum where she and Mayor Celso Lobregat unveiled a
commemorative marker, after which she toured the museum facilities.
The City Government tendered and hosted a
lunch for her at the National Museum where she was entertained and impressed by
Zamboanga Hermosa Chorale with their rendition of the Zamboanga Hermosa,
Princesita Zamboangueña, Chabacano and No Te Vayas de Zamboanga.
Mayor Lobregat presented gifts and
souvenirs to the Queen which included a Chabacano dictionary, a Chabacano
handbook El Primer Alfabeto Chabacano and other tokens.
She also made her 4pm visit at the Don
Pablo Lorenzo Memorial High School (DPLMHS) before finally flying back to
Manila.
DPLMHS
is a recipient of a speech laboratory from the Spanish government.
The Queen’s visit here is a big boost to
the city’s peaceful image; a clear message that the Zamboanga City is a safe
place to be.
Included The Queen’s entourage are Spanish
Ambassador Jorge Domecq, Jesus Manuel Gracia Aldaz- Secretary of State for
International Cooperation and other officials from the Spanish Embassy and
Malacañang and National Museum Director Jeremy Barnes. (JPA/ PIA9-ZBST)