On the morning of April 1, the Chinese Filipino Business Club, Inc. (CFBCI) attended a wreath-offering ceremony organized by the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines and Philippine Chinese Charitable Association, Inc. at the Chinese cemetery, in commemoration of the Tomb Sweeping Day or Qingming Festival. On behalf of CFBCI, President Samuel Lee Uy, Honorary Vice President Antonio Hilario, Vice President Willy Chuakimtong, Vice Chairman Gregorio Lagamayo, and Vice Chairman Steve Ong attended the culturally significant event.
The ceremony was chaired by Mr. Joey Lu, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Overseas Chinese Benevolent Association of the Philippines (OCBAF), and officiated by Mr. Huang Xilian, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China in the Philippines. Chinese Embassy Counselor and Consul General Wang Yue, Consul Shi Weijian also attended the event, as well as war veterans and the heads of major Filipino-Chinese community groups, schools, and families of the anti-Japanese martyrs.
After the ceremony at the Memorial Hall, Ambassador Huang Xilian and his entourage went to the “Filipino-Chinese Anti-Japanese Martyrs Memorial Monument in the Philippines” and other monuments in the area to lay flowers in to pay tribute to the martyrs. In his speech, Mr. Lu said that the Filipino-Chinese community pays tribute to the martyrs every year, not only to remember the innocent victims, but also to celebrate the nationalism of the martyrs. He is also confident that the Filipino-Chinese community will preserve its solidarity and continue helping one another to promote social harmony, prosperity, friendship, and peace.
In his speech, Ambassador Huang Xilian said that remembering the martyrs is to remember and pass on their memory, and that history tells us that only through unity and hard work can we defend justice. Moreover, he emphasized that by not forgetting the past can we cherish peace and the Sino-Filipino friendly relations. Lu Shui Ya, a war veteran, recalled with deep emotions the heroic deeds of his comrades who fought alongside the Filipino people against the enemy in those years, praised their contributions to defending national dignity and freedom.
At the end of the event, Ambassador Huang, on behalf of the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, handed over the donation for social welfare projects to the Philippine Chinese Charitable Association, Inc., which marked the successful conclusion of the ceremony.
菲華工商總會訊：本會理事長黃書瑋偕同副理事長蔡金東，名譽副理事長許文忠及常務理事許福星、王榮躍等人，於四月一日（星期一）上午八時應邀參加中國駐菲律濱大使館與菲律濱華僑善舉總會在馬尼拉市華僑義山所共同舉辦的清明節祭奠菲華抗日烈士活動。祭奠儀式由菲律濱華僑善舉總會董事長盧祖蔭擔任大會主席，中國駐菲律濱大使黃溪連閣下主祭。中國大使館參贊兼總領事王悅、領事施偉健，菲律濱華僑抗日遊擊支隊（華支）老戰士呂水涯、王振厘，華社各主要社團負責人、華校代表及抗日烈士家屬均出席，共同緬懷革命先烈的英勇事蹟，場面莊嚴隆重。
在華僑抗日烈士紀念堂的祭奠儀式完成後，黃溪連大使一行前往「菲律濱華僑抗日烈士紀念碑」及義山內的其它抗日紀念碑前獻花致敬，以表達對烈士們的崇高敬意。
大會主席盧祖蔭在致詞中說，華社每年祭奠先烈，不僅是為了緬懷無辜死難者，更是為了銘記烈士們寧死不屈的民族氣節，並深信，菲華社會將繼續團結合作，促進社會和諧，以實際行動推動菲律濱經濟發展與繁榮，深化菲中友好關係。他也強調，「前事不忘，後事之師」，應對軍國主義復活保持高度警惕，防範任何渲染東亞安全威脅、配合外部勢力推行亞太「新冷戰」的行為，共同維護地區穩定與世界和平。
黃溪連大使則指出，今年是中國人民抗日戰爭暨世界反法西斯戰爭勝利八十週年。八十多年前，日本軍國主義侵略東南亞，菲律濱深陷戰火，華人華僑與菲律濱人民並肩奮戰，為抗擊侵略、捍衛獨立付出巨大犧牲，為世界反法西斯戰爭勝利作出貢獻；黃大使強調，華人、華僑歷來與菲律濱社會休戚與共，既是這片土地的建設者，也是保衛者，從抗日戰爭到當今社會發展，他們以汗水澆灌繁榮，以鮮血捍衛自由，深深紮根於菲律濱，成為多元社會的重要一員；他也表示，緬懷先烈是為了銘記與傳承，歷史告訴我們，唯有團結奮鬥才能捍衛正義，唯有不忘過去才能珍惜和平，鼓勵華人華僑繼承先烈精神，為中華民族復興、菲律濱繁榮及中菲友好關係貢獻力
華支老戰士呂水涯則深情回顧當年戰友與菲律濱人民並肩抗敵的英勇事跡，讚揚他們為捍衛菲律濱民族尊嚴與自由所作的貢獻，並呼籲傳承英雄精神，持續促進中菲友誼。
活動最後，黃溪連大使代表中國駐菲律濱大使館，將捐獻的福利金交予菲律濱華僑善舉總會及菲律賓華僑抗日遊擊支隊（華支），為儀式畫下圓滿句點。
圖片說明：
上圖：黃溪連大使向革命先烈獻花致敬。
下圖（從左至右）：許福星、許文忠、蔡金東、黃溪連大使、黃書瑋、王榮躍。