Message of Senator Loren Legarda | Launch of the German Versions of Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo | 15 October 2025

October 15, 2025

Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, fellow Filipinos, friends of the Philippines:

As we close this meaningful gathering, allow me to express my profound gratitude to everyone who made possible the rebirth of Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo in the German language – to Suhrkamp Verlag, Morio Verlag, the translators and scholars who labored tremendously and with love, for ensuring that Rizal continues to speak to the world.

There is deep symbolism in being here in Frankfurt, not far from Berlin and […]

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Message of Senator Loren Legarda | Impressions of an Archipelago:Spanish Travellers and Writings on the Philippines | 16 October 2025

October 15, 2025

When Spain first arrived on our shores, it encountered a people who already governed themselves with order, traded across islands, and spoke in languages as diverse and expressive as the landscapes they inhabited. Long before the first chroniclers set ink to paper, the Philippines was already a nation of thought and discernment.

Today, we return to those early encounters through The Gallery of Spanish Travellers to the Philippines—a work that gathers centuries of observation, imagination, and exchange. From 1521 to the […]

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Legarda honors Philippine Pavilion as vessel of memory, imagination at Frankfurt Book Fair

October 14, 2025

At the Philippine Pavilion Reception during the 77th Frankfurt Book Fair held from October 15 to 19, 2025, Senator Loren Legarda described the space as a vessel that carries the stories, struggles, and spirit of the Filipino people across seas and into the heart of Europe.

“The Philippines stands today in Frankfurt not only as Guest of Honour but as a nation of storytellers, of islands, of journeys, of fighters, of survivors, of lovers, of memories, and of millions of stories […]

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PH Guest of Honour opens at Frankfurt Book Fair; Legarda reclaims Rizal’s legacy, declares literary power on global stage

October 14, 2025

The 77th Frankfurt Book Fair 2025 in Germany officially opened on Tuesday, October 14, with the Philippines as Guest of Honour (GOH). Senator Loren Legarda gave a keynote speech that highlighted history, inspired cultural pride, and showcased the strength of Philippine imagination to the global literary community.

Legarda’s speech traced the revolutionary journey of Dr. Jose Rizal through Germany, his studies in Heidelberg, his poetic reflections along the Neckar, and the completion of Noli Me Tangere in Wilhelmsfeld.

“It was not arms […]

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Message of Senator Loren Legarda | Philippine Pavilion Reception | Frankfurt Book Fair | Tuesday, 14 October 2025 |Frankfurt, Germany

October 14, 2025

The Philippines stands today in Frankfurt not only as Guest of Honour but as a nation of storytellers, of islands, of journeys, of fighters, of survivors, of lovers, of memories, and of millions of stories longing to be told.

This Pavilion, curated by Patrick Flores and designed by Stanley Ruiz, is our offering to the world: a space of reflection, and wonder, where we invite you to experience how words and images can build bridges between peoples and across continents. Just […]

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