Mexico and the Philippines: Dynamism and opportunity

September is Patriotic Month in Mexico, as it marks several of the nation's historic dates.

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Most notably the beginning of the struggle for national independence on 16 September. This year we commemorate the 215th anniversary of the beginning of the long struggle that concluded on 27 September 1821.

These National Holidays are a time for the Mexican community living in Mexico and abroad to come together with our friends all over the world and show our heritage. In the Philippines this is particularly heartfelt since so much of that heritage is historically shared.

Our National Day is also an opportunity to reflect on the actions taken over the past year to foster Philippines-Mexico relations, in light of the significance of the 2025 anniversaries for bilateral ties: the 460th anniversary of the start of the transpacific trade route of the Acapulco-Manila Galleon and the 80th anniversary of the arrival of the Escuadrón 201 of the Mexican Expeditionary Air Force in the Philippines that participated in the liberation of this country during World War II. With these important dates in mind, in 2024 we received a visit from the Mexican Navy training ship 'Cuauhtémoc,' as an emissary of peace and cooperation between the nations of the world. The ship was open to the public and was visited by thousands of people. On that occasion, the cadets and crew, together with the Mexican Embassy, paid tribute to Escuadrón 201 in Intramuros.