The Embassy of the Philippines awards the Emperador Group, owner of Bodegas Fundador, with the prestigious Tanglaw award

The award honors profiles that promote solidarity and cooperation between the Philippines and Spain to commemorate the 77th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations.

Madrid, October 14, 2024

The Emperador Group, part of the Filipino holding of the Tan family, has been decorated by the Embassy of the Philippines in Madrid with the Tanglaw Award. A distinguished award that is given to honor individuals and institutions that have contributed to promoting solidarity and cooperation between the Philippines and Spain on the occasion of the 77th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Spain.

The Honorable Ambassador Philippe J. Lhuillier personally delivered the distinction that was collected by Mr. Jorge Manuel Domecq Fernández de Bobadilla, CEO of the Emperador Properties division, in a solemn ceremony held at the Cervantes Institute in Madrid, which he attended accompanied by the CCMO, Mr. Angel Piña and the CFO Mr. Javier Serrano, of the Emperador Distillers division. Mr. Domecq expressed his gratitude for such a prestigious recognition before all those present and highlighted that this is a very special year for Emperador Distillers, a company that has established itself as a world leader in the Brandy market. And especially for the Fundador wineries in Jerez, immersed in the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the birth of the first Spanish brandy, Fundador, the brand that gives its name to the wineries.

During the award ceremony, the ambassador explained that the Filipino word “tanglaw” could be translated as “guiding light”. A term that expresses the importance for the Philippines of people who illuminate the path and contribute to unity and progress, an attitude that the Emperador group represents with honor. “This relationship would not have reached its current heights without the tireless efforts of extraordinary people and institutions: visionaries and advocates who have dedicated their lives to building bridges between our societies. Today we celebrate those who have worked consistently, ensuring that the light of respect and mutual understanding continues to shine brightly,” the ambassador expressed.

Likewise, Philippe J. Lhuillier highlighted the work carried out this year by the embassy to strengthen ties between Spain and the Philippines through the organization of a series of significant events. And he pointed out that the inaugural delivery of the Tanglaw Award marks the beginning of a historical milestone that will culminate in 2027 with the 80th anniversary of the bilateral relations of the Philippines and Spain.

The rest of the awardees of the Tanglaw Awards in this edition were: Isabel Preysler; Rafael Rodríguez-Ponga; Fernando Zóbel; Alexandra Eala; María Dolores Elizalde; Antonio Molina; Instituto Cervantes; National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP); Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports; Aboitiz and Company; Casa Asia; Bodegas Fundador and Emperador Properties; ACCIONA; Jollibee; and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID).

Among the attendees at the ceremony were personalities and representatives of the government, the private sector, as well as international and cultural institutions based in Madrid, among them: Tamara Isabel Falco Preysler, VI Marquesa de Griñón, and her husband Íñigo Onieva; Laura Mayoral from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation; Fernando Heredia Noguer from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and former Consul General of Spain in the Philippines; Amaya Cal Linares from the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports; José Herrera, Director General of International Relations of the Madrid City Council;

Ambassador Vosita Vorasaph of Thailand; Ambassador Doan Thanh Song of Vietnam; Ambassador Danat Mussayev of Kazakhstan; Ambassador Dinesh Kumar Patnaik of India; Mohd Farhan Mohd Areffin of Malaysia; Barbara Martínez from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business; Harry Hwang, Director for Asia and the Pacific, and Yang Li, Program Manager of UN Tourism; Carlos Navarro from the Prado National Museum

During the dinner, the guests were able to try the new consumption proposals of Fundador Supremo 12 Pedro Ximénez, alone or in a new mixer with grapefruit soda, which delighted those present, surprising them with its original flavor.

The soprano Manila Adap enlivened the event by singing the Spanish version of the song Maalaala Mo Kaya titled Sweet Princess and her performance of Mutya ng Pasig during the intermissions.