PASAY CITY, 21 November 2022 — The Philippines welcomes the announcement from the White House on new initiatives to strengthen the PH-US alliance on the occasion of Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to Manila.

The initiatives, which cover the core and cross-cutting issues of climate change, food security, energy security, digital economy, as well as the overall promotion of regional peace and stability, represent concrete deliverables following the bilateral meeting of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and President Joseph R. Biden on the sidelines of the 77th UN General Assembly last September.

The Philippines and the United States agree on the importance of strengthening the economic security of the Philippines so that we might have the capacity to meet both our individual and collective challenges. We hope to continue the extensive bilateral engagements between our two countries with a view to achieving tangible, relevant and substantial outcomes in support of the economic development objectives of the Philippines.

BANGKOK 18 November 2022 – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Chinese President Xi Jinping met for the first time on 17 November 2022 on the sidelines of the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting in Bangkok. It was their first face-to-face meeting after a phone call on 18 May 2022.

During the bilateral meeting, the two leaders discussed the future direction of Philippines-China relations and agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation.

President Marcos highlighted the need for enhanced economic and development partnerships. Among the areas of cooperation discussed were in agriculture, trade, infrastructure, energy, people-to-people ties, and pandemic response.

“There has been tremendous growth in exchanges and cooperation in agriculture, infrastructure, energy, and people-to-people ties between the two countries,” President Marcos told President Xi.

President Marcos thanked President Xi for China’s donation of 20,000 tons of urea fertilizers. He also said that Covid-19 cooperation helped strengthen trust, with China being the first to donate Covid-19 vaccines to the country.

Both leaders agreed to consider more infrastructure projects. President Xi cited the Davao-Samal bridge project in Davao as a prime example of infrastructure partnership. He thanked President Marcos for personally attending the groundbreaking ceremony for the bridge project.

President Xi said that China was open to increasing the importation of quality agricultural produce from the Philippines, highlighting the planned entry of durian from the Philippines to the Chinese market.

On the South China Sea issue, the two leaders agreed that maritime issues do not define the totality of Philippines-China relations. They also reaffirmed their support for the early conclusion of a Code of Conduct on the South China Sea to help manage differences and regional tensions.

“Our foreign policy refuses to fall into the trap of a Cold War mindset. Ours is an independent foreign policy guided by our national interest and commitment to peace,” asserted President Marcos.

President Marcos also accepted the invitation from President Xi for a state visit to China in early January next year.

President Marcos was joined in the meeting by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Secretary for Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo, Secretary for Trade and Industry Alfredo Pascual, Special Assistant to the President Antonio Lagdameo, Jr., Presidential Adviser on Foreign Affairs and Chief of Presidential Protocol Adelio Angelito Cruz, Office of the Press Secretary-OIC Undersecretary Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil, and DFA Assistant Secretary for Asian and Pacific Affairs Neal Imperial.

In the shadow of recent distinction given to the Philippines by the World Travel Awards as the world's leading beach and dive destination for 2022, the Philippine Embassy, led by Ambassador Giovanni E. Palec, participated as an exhibitor during the PHILOXENIA 2022: 37th International Tourism Exhibition held on 18-20 November 2022 in Thessaloniki, Greece. Mr. Nikolaos Margaropoulos, Honorary Consul of the Philippines in Thessaloniki, Mr. Gerard O. Panga, Tourism Attaché based in London, and Ms. Karina Salve Untalan, Megaworld International Senior Country Manager for Europe, joined the Embassy during the three-day tourism promotion activity.

The Philippine Embassy distributed around 1,000 tourism brochures with information on basic facts about the Philippines and destinations such as Boracay, Bohol and Palawan.

PHILOXENIA, together with its parallel exhibitions – Hotelia and Real Estate Expo North – have attracted 24,153 visitors, 335 exhibitors from 18 countries and welcomed 115 hosted buyers from 35 countries, as well as a business delegation of 158 people from Iraqi Kurdistan, coordinated by the Erbil Chamber of Commerce. During the three-day event, around 3,500 meetings between the exhibitors and buyers as well as several parallel events took place. At the same time more than 50 foreign investors visited the Real Estate Expo North.

Visitors of the PHILOXENIA took photos of the Embassy booth with its unique design using the “banig”.

During the expo, the Embassy promoted the Philippines as the next travel destination and distributed around 1,000 tourism brochures as the Philippine booth showcased posters of Philippine destinations such as Intramuros, Boracay, Palawan, Banaue, Bohol, Cebu, Camiguin, Vigan, Siargao, and Zambales. The Embassy, together with Tourism Attaché Panga and Ms. Untalan, also met more than 100 expo visitors, hosted buyers, travel agencies and tour operators not only from Greece but also from other Balkan and European countries.

Visitors of the Expo, especially tourism students, flocked to the Philippine Embassy booth to inquire on the Philippines as a possible travel destination.

Prior to the PHILOXENIA in Thessaloniki, Mr. Gerard Panga and Ms. Karina Salve Untalan conducted a tourism and investment presentation on 16 November 2022 at President Hotel in Athens. During the event, Mr. Panga presented developments on the Philippine tourism sector while Ms. Untalan introduced real estate investment opportunities which generated keen interest among the attendees. Among the Greek and Filipino audience were Honorary Consuls Mr. Nikos Margaropoulos (Thessaloniki) and Mr. Harry Vafias (Piraeus).

Philippine Honorary Consul in Thessaloniki, Mr. Nikolaos Margaropoulos, was elected as the new President (2022-2025) of the World Federation of Consuls (FICAC) during the 13th World Congress of Consuls held on 06-09 November 2022 in Limassol, Cyprus. Honorary Consul Margaropoulos, a lawyer by profession, has been serving as a Philippine Honorary Consul for 27 years, since 1995.

H.E. Giovanni E. Palec, Ambassador of the Philippines to Greece and Cyprus, as well as Ms. Charmagne Garcia-Laconico, Honorary Consul of the Philippines in Larnaca, and Ms. Anastasia Manolopoulou, Honorary Consul of the Philippines in Patras, attended the event to support Honorary Consul Margaropoulos for the elections.

Speakers during the 13th World Congress of Consuls include Mr. Ioannis Kasoulides, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus; Mrs. Annita Demetriou, President of the Cyprus House of Representatives; Mr. Nicos Nicolaides, Mayor of Limassol; and Mr. Christos Tsanos, Chairman of the Honorary Consular Corps of Cyprus.

Mr. Nikolaos Margaropoulos, Honorary Consul of the Philippines in Thessaloniki, delivers his welcome address on the third day of the 13th World Congress of Consuls after being elected as the organization’s new President (2022-2025)

The World Federation of Consuls or FICAC (Federation Internationale des Corps et Associations Consulaires) is composed of Consular Corps and Associations from more than 90 countries, with more than 25,000 member Consuls. New members of the Board of Directors were also elected during the 13th World Congress of Consuls including Vice-President Asif A. Chowdhury, CMO (Bangladesh), Secretary General Purrshottam Bhaggeria (India), Treasurer Jelil Bouraoui (Tunisia), Borislav Boyanov (Bulgaria), Stelio Campanale (Italy), François Piers (Belgium), Mirza Ikhtiar Baig (Pakistan), Marko Smole (Slovenia), Ami Orkaby (Israel), Karim Qubain (Honduras), and Louis Vella (USA).

Mr. Nikolaos Margaropoulos (eighth from left) together with the other members of the World Federation of Consuls (FICAC) during the 13th World Congress of Consuls held on 6-9 November 2022 in Limassol, Cyprus.

The Philippine Embassy held its Christmas Tree Lighting activity on was held on November 11, 2022 at the garden of the Ambassador’s residence to welcome the Yuletide season. The event showcased the Philippine tradition of celebrating Christmas to invited guests from the Diplomatic Corps. The event was highlighted by the lighting of the Christmas tree and the singing of the Christmas Carols by Embassy personnel and their families.

Guests were welcomed by Ambassador Palec who began the event with an introduction of the symbolism of the Christmas Tree and the message it conveys, and explained how Christmas is celebrated in the Philippines. The tree was lighted after the Embassy family headed by Ambassador and Madame Palec sung “Oh Christmas Tree” a song serenading the Christmas tree, followed by a series of Filipino and English Christmas songs. Messages of the songs were conveyed before rendering each song. The guests warmly applauded at the end of every song. The Embassy performance was guided by conductress Angelita Edrozo, pianist Renato Mendoza and guitarists Venn Angkico and Dominic Royce Edrozo from the Filipino community.

This year’s Christmas tree lighting was witnessed by guests from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Agliai Balta, the Chief of Protocol and A9 Deputy Director Mr. Ioannis Chatzantonakis and spouse, and members from the diplomatic and consular corps and their family members, member of the clergy, key contacts and friend of the Embassy.

The guests enjoyed the Christmas atmosphere, with the lighted tree and the decorated grounds of the residence. Filipino dishes and delicacies were served: Pancit, Chicken adobo wrap, pork and chicken barbeque; sizzling tofu, chicken ala king, and desserts like, buko pandan, cassava cake, brazo de Mercedes bar and kutsinta.

The event gathered the Embassy’s friends and guests from the diplomatic corps in the true Filipino Fashion. It was a also a way of expressing gratitude to the established friendship with the guests.

The ASEAN Committee in Athens (ACAT) under the Chairmanship of the Royal Thai Embassy in Athens headed by its Charge D’ Affaires, a.i, Mr. Pornsith Pibulnakarinth, held an Excursion Day for ACAT Embassy personnel and family members in which connection with Thailand’s hand-over of ACAT Chairmanship to Vietnamese Ambassador H.E. Mr. Lee Hong Truong.

In attendance were: Indonesian Ambassador Bebeb A.K.N Djundjunan, Philippine Ambassador Giovanni Palec, Thailand Embassy’s CDA, Mr. Pornsith Pibulnakarinth, and H.E. Le Hong Truong, Ambassador of Vietnam, along with ACAT Embassy personnel and their family members.

The program included a guided tour around the olive grove and the refinery at Konstas Olive Oil Refinery in Kalivia Thorikou in Attica municipality, 30 kilometers from Athens.

The ACAT tour participants were received by the owner of the Olive Oil Refinery, Mrs. Stayvoula Konstas who led the tour of the refinery, equipped with the modern machinery in producing excellent and refined olive oil. Mrs Konstas explained the history of the business which started in 1970, the olive trees, the freshly harvested olives of different varieties and colors, free from pesticides, the harvest season which starts from early October to late December; the stages of cultivation, and production process from fruit to oil, with its modern methods of the extraction process. Participants also strolled around the olive grove. Mrs. Stayvoula stressed that their refinery receives olives and processes using cold press extraction in producing the best extra virgin olive oils. They prune trees and plough the soil without exploiting the land. Extracts of the olives are also used to feed the animals, hence there is no wastage in the whole process of extracting the olives from fruit to oil.

Participants were later treated to a taste of freshly processed olive oil, fresh olives and delicacies with olive oils and gifted with a 100 ml bottle of extra virgin olive oil. The tour ended with a photo opportunity of the ACAT member Embassies participants.

Luncheon followed at Lavraki seafood restaurant near the Konstas Refinery, after which a meeting among the ACAT Ambassadors and Thailand CDA which discussed the calendar of activities of the ACAT for the remaining months of the year. The meeting ended with the with the turn-over by Thailand’s CDA Mr. Pornsith Pibulnakarinth of its Chairmanship to Vietnam Ambassador H.E. Le Hong Truong of Vietnam.

The ACAT Chairmanship rotates among the ACAT ASEAN Embassies every six months.