THE Philippines received from the German government a portion of the Berlin Wall, as a nod to the peaceful 1986 Edsa Revolution.
The Philippines becomes only the second country in Asia, after South Korea, to receive a piece of the Berlin Wall.
German Ambassador Thomas Ossowski said the gift was an opportunity to look back with gratitude.
“It was a peaceful revolution by the people. The Philippines is our friend. We believe that political systems should be based on democracy and rule of law,” Ambassador Ossowski said.
For his part, German Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Michael Hasper said the Philippines was a logical choice as destination for the portion of the Berlin Wall.
“The Edsa Revolution happened in 1986, and that is only a few years before the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. It was rare to see a peaceful revolution happen,” Hasper said.
Hasper described the western side of the wall as having been painted by artists freely, but the eastern side had a gloomy look.
The portion of the wall measuring 3.65 by 1.20 meters and weighing 2.80 tons and was originally located in Potsdamer Platz, an important public square and traffic intersection, in Berlin, is now housed at the Philippine National Museum.
Designated as number 22 in the 40-section wall, it will eventually be placed in Rizal Park in February next year, in time for the 30th anniversary celebration of the Edsa Revolution.
Image credits: Roy Domingo