Estonia marks 97th National Day

MANILA, Philippines–As the Philippines commemorates a revolution that toppled a dictatorship almost three decades ago, the Republic of Estonia likewise celebrates its 97th National Day on Feb. 24.

Estonia marks two events in its history when the country gained its freedom and democracy: On Feb. 24, 1918, with the signing of the Tartu Peace Treaty; the other on Aug. 20, 1991, after 50 years of Soviet occupation through a “singing revolution,” which was a massive peaceful movement similar to the Philippines’ Edsa revolution, characterized by night-time song festivals and music events.

At present, Estonia boasts of having played a big part in the development of Skype, an application software that specializes in video chat and voice calls. Estonian nationals Ahti Heinla, Priit Kasesalu and Jaan Tallinn’s pioneering work paved the way for the development of the globally popular telecommunications application.

Estonia was among the fastest to recover from the economic crisis that hit European nations in 2010, and has since been on a sustained economic growth.

The country placed first in the Top7 Intelligent Communities of 2013, a nonprofit organization that studies the economic and social development of modern communities. Estonia prides itself in being a new model of economic growth and national stability, with a strong presence in international cooperation.–Nastasha Verayo