President Benigno Aquino 3rd on Friday hosted the traditional Vin d’ Honneur, inviting the country’s leaders and diplomatic community to join him in a first toast welcoming the New Year.
In his speech, the President thanked all Filipinos who showed resilience despite the calamities that hit the country, including the earthquake in Central Visayas and Super Typhoon Yolanda.
He praised the volunteers, donors, the Overseas Filipino Workers and Filipino communities abroad who responded to the call for help after the series of calamities.
Aquino also cited the role of social workers and scientists in the government’s preparation and response.
“Just as all these incidents tested our capability to prepare for and respond to the crises that came one after the other, each one also demonstrated our individual and collective abilities to help the many affected Filipinos get back on their feet. But just when we thought we had overcome so much, Yolanda, a tragedy of unprecedented scale, occurred. It tested the determination of our people. Despite the magnitude and
The Vin D’Honneur is a traditional ceremony made during the Philippines’ Independence Day.
It is derived from the French term, meaning ‘wine of honor’, which aims to strengthen diplomatic relations with other countries.