Day: April 27, 2022

OTTAWA – Ambassador Rodolfo D. Robles met with Bermudian Labor and Economy Minister Jason Hayward in Hamilton on 22 April to promote the rights and welfare of Filipino workers in Bermuda.

The Ambassador thanked Bermuda for welcoming Filipino workers in the island territory and emphasized that the promotion of the rights and welfare of Overseas Filipino Workers is one of the three pillars of Philippine Foreign Policy.

Minister Hayward noted that Bermuda recently enacted new labor laws that enhance the protection of the rights of all workers in Bermuda, including foreign workers.

Both sides agreed to identify focal persons to facilitate communication and exploration of novel partnerships pertaining to labor and immigration matters.

Based on the latest available data, there are 1,300 Filipinos working in Bermuda. The Philippine Embassy has consular jurisdiction over Bermuda, an island overseas territory of Great Britain.

Source: Republic of Philippines Department Of Foreign Affairs

BANGKOK 26 April 2022 – Philippine Ambassador to Thailand Millicent Cruz Paredes paid a courtesy call on Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai on 19 April 2022 at the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to formally introduce herself and discuss the enhancement of bilateral relations between the Philippines and Thailand.

The Philippine Ambassador informed the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister that she was looking forward to the convening of the 6th meeting of the Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation, which is to be hosted by Thailand. This would provide substance to the commemoration in 2024 of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, in addition to a number of activities already being planned for the milestone.

Ambassador Paredes also congratulated the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister on Thailand’s successful chairing of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) this year, and assured him of the Philippines’ full support, especially in the run-up to the APEC Leaders’ Meeting in November.

Aside from the formal aspects of bilateral relations and cooperation, Ambassador Paredes and the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister exchanged views on a wide range of topics, including the Philippine national elections on 09 May. The Deputy Foreign Minister/Foreign Minister showed keen interest in the status of Filipinos in Thailand, having fond memories of professional and personal acquaintances from the Philippines.

Source: Republic of Philippines Department Of Foreign Affairs

ROME – A total of 439 services were rendered by the Philippine Embassy in Rome, in cooperation with the Philippine Consulate in Naples, during its consular outreach mission conducted from 23 to 24 April 2022 at the Basilica Santuario Incoronata Madre del Buon Consiglio, Via Capodimonte 13, Naples, Italy, marking the first consular outreach mission conducted by the Embassy and its partner agencies for the year 2022 after the state of emergency in Italy was lifted.

Philippine Consulate General to Rome Consul General Donna Celeste Feliciano-Gatmyatan headed the consular team that processed the passport applications of 224 overseas Filipinos who came from Naples, Benevento, Caserta, and Salerno. Other services rendered included civil registry (Report of Birth and Report of Death), notarization, certification, and oath-taking of nine overseas Filipinos who retained/re-acquired their Filipino citizenship under Republic Act No. 9225. The Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) and the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA) rendered 90 services – 50 of which were facilitation of membership applications – while SSS rendered a total of 92 services.

Pursuant to the authorization granted by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), the Embassy also conducted mobile voting during the consular outreach mission, where members of Post’s Special Ballot Custody and Reception Group (SBRCG) received sealed envelopes containing ballots from overseas voters in Naples, Benevento, Caserta, and Salerno.

Consul General Feliciano-Gatmyatan also met with Consul Francesca Giglio to discuss ways by which the Embassy and the Philippine Consulate in Naples can strengthen its collaboration for the protection of the interests and promotion of the welfare of overseas Filipinos within the Consulate’s jurisdiction.

Source: Republic of Philippines Department Of Foreign Affairs

MOSCOW– The conduct of the 2022 Overseas Voting in Russia proceeded smoothly on Saturday and Sunday, 23 and 24 April 2022, which coincided with three other events (first Live, In-person Embassy Kapihan, re-launch of monthly Sunday Consular services, and OWWA outreach mission).

The Overseas Filipinos (OFs) who were waiting for their turn at the OWWA mission to complete their OWWA membership renewal payment and documentation procedures also queued to vote from 9AM to 5PM on both Saturday and Sunday, resulting in the largest weekend voter turn-out, to date.

“The Covid pandemic is not over yet, and we cannot lower our guard. If an outbreak occurs, within the Embassy or within the Community, maapektuhan po ang ating Consular services, at ating Overseas Voting, at marami pang consequences”, said Consul General and SBRCG Chair Robert Ferrer, Jr.

“This is why we have set up an appointment system for Sunday Consular as well as the Overseas Voting, and we thank you to those who have followed and respected it so far. For the Consular and Mobvile Voting Missions in Almaty, Yerevan, Vladivostok and Yakutsk, we will respect the same health and safety measures: no overcrowding, spacing “of appointments of clients, hugas, at iwas.”

Source: Republic of Philippines Department Of Foreign Affairs

PASAY CITY– DFA Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro and Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian formalized today through an exchange of letters the Chinese Government grant amounting to RMB 8 Million (Php 65,364,689.00) for the purchase of six (6) fire trucks for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Marawi City. The grant is in response to the request of Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM).

The fire truck donation was drawn from the bigger RMB 1 Billion Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation, which were jointly initiated in 2019 by President Xi Jinping and President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to finance livelihood projects, infrastructure facilities, feasibility studies and other projects in the Philippines.

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), a member of the TFBM, has been designated by the Philippine Government as the lmplementing/Donee/Recipient Agency, with full authority and responsibility to facilitate and receive the donation.

Source: Republic of Philippines Department Of Foreign Affairs