16 April 2025

16 April 2025 – The Philippine Embassy warmly welcomed a delegation of around 60 students and young professionals to an exposure visit on Philippine foreign policy and culture, as part of the group’s tour of the Indian capital under the aegis of the 2025 Viksit Bharat Yatra (Developed India Tour). 

Organized by the local group Confederation of Young Leaders (CYL), the Viksit Bharat promotes youth awareness of the India’s aspiration to be developed country by its centenary in 2047, and the role of Indian stakeholders and its foreign partners. 

The delegation consisted of youth from all of India’s states and union territories, who were on a three-day tour of select foreign diplomatic missions and Indian government agencies to engage senior policymakers, diplomats, and thought leaders in New Delhi.

At the Philippine Embassy, the group was welcomed by Embassy officials led by Ambassador Josel F. Ignacio and hosted them to a two-part program that included policy discussions and a cultural exposure. 

At the policy discussions, the Ambassador addressed the group, touching on rising and increasingly strategic Philippines-India relations as reflected in bilateral initiatives as well as in shared interests vis-à-vis challenges in the Indo-Pacific and the larger global stage. This segued into a lively and highly interactive Q&A session that saw Indian participants sharing their own views and asking pointed questions on topics such as ASEAN, the QUAD, maritime security, and the evolving regional architecture.

The visit wrapped up with a cultural exchange. The delegates enjoyed a performance on the Filipino dance “Salakot” (straw hat) led by Delhi-based Filipina Kimbee Saxena, who then led volunteers to a run-through of the dance’s basic steps.

Afterwards, the delegates were treated to a vegetarian brunch consisting of time-honored Filipino dishes pansit (stir-fried noodles) and lumpia (spring rolls), washed down by the refreshing Filipino tapioca-jelly cooler sago’t gulaman. 

The interaction with the CYL-sponsored delegation aligns with the Philippine Embassy’s cultural diplomacy objectives and its policy of pursuing active exchanges and engagement with Indian students and youth. “As India’s future leaders and drivers, the Embassy’s constant and sustained interaction with Indian youth helps lay a robust foundation on which our rapidly enhancing bilateral ties will continue to thrive in the decades ahead”, said Ambassador Ignacio.  END