The Official Website of the Philippine Embassy in New Delhi, India

Embassy-Hosted Yoga and Sound Meditation Session Adds to Vitality of Filipino Community Bonds

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New Delhi – Filipinos in New Delhi experienced firsthand the many touted benefits of the centuries-old discipline of Yoga, as they took part in the highly successful wellness workshop hosted for them by the Embassy with noted Indian exponents of the practice.

Hosted at the Ambassador’s Official Residence on 23 August, "Sonic Symphony: Embark on a Sound Meditation Journey" was conducted for New Delhi-based Filipinos and Embassy personnel by authorized Ashtanga Yoga teacher Ms. Sonakshi Dhamija and sound healer Ms. Swati Srivastava.

Sound therapy, at times called ‘ sound bath’ or ‘sound healing’, has been gaining popularity as an alternative approach to wellness. Undertaken in tandem with meditation, it involves the use of soothing sounds and vibrations, often generated by ‘singing bowls’ or resting bells, to induce a deeply relaxing state.

YSM2 The early morning session walked the participants through an invigorating blend of basic yoga “āsanas” (postures) and “sound bath” immersion and meditation. A soft monsoon drizzle made for an even more immersive experience. At its conclusion, the workshop was met with extremely positive reception by Filipinos, many of whom expressed a keen interest in a next iteration.

“This wellness event is one of many ways we seek to support mental and physical wellness among our community of Filipinos, the overwhelming majority of whom are women”, said Ambassador Josel F. Ignacio.

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There are an estimated 3,000 Filipinos across India, mostly women married to Indian nationals. In New Delhi, there are two major organizations, the Filipino India Community (FIC) and the Kapisanan ng mga Pinay na May Asawang Indiana sa Hindustan (Kapihan). Both have cordial and fruitful collaborative ties with the Embassy.

The activity was held in implementation of the Embassy’s Gender and Development (GAD) goals, as well as its commitment to cultivating connection among Filipinos. END

Rising Philippines-India Partnership’s Regional Relevance Spotlighted in Ambassador’s Commencement Speech

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Sonipat, HARYANA – The intensification of Philippines-India relations serves both national objectives and the security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region.

This was a central message of Philippine Ambassador Josel F. Ignacio, as delivered the academic year’s commencement speech before the new student cohorts of international affairs at the prestigious O.P. Jindal Global University, on 1 August.

A university tradition, each of O.P. Jindal’s component school begin academic year exposing their respective freshmen cohorts to an address by a luminary speaker from their respective schools’ fields of focus.

OPJ2 Ambassador Ignacio was O.P. Jindal’s featured speaker for its Jindal School of International Affairs (JSIA). The University hosted a total of 13 separate Commencement Lectures at its various colleges and units over 1-2 August, to launch academic year 2024-2025.

Ambassador Ignacio spoke on the topic “India and the Philippines in the Indo-Pacific".

The packed auditorium of about 200 new undergraduate, masters and Ph.D. students listened intently as Ambassador Ignacio outlined the rapid progression and intensification of Philippines-India ties, particularly landmark developments in trade, defense and cooperation on regional affairs.

The Ambassador made a case for the growing parallel relevance of resurgent Philippines-India ties on the future prosperity, stability and preservation of a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific.

He highlighted the congruent values and principles espoused by the two nations as sworn democracies, their shared interest as among the region’s fastest-growing economies. and their nascent common cause in addressing security challenges now weighing on the regional and global landscape.

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Anchoring his presentation on the “seven realities” impinging on the Indo-Pacific articulated by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. at the Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore, Ambassador Ignacio provided a compelling case illustrating how Philippines-India cooperation initiatives have risen to meet these same realities.

“It is a partnership that will weigh in and bear on regional developments – whether by fostering rule of law and shaping norms, or contributing to the larger drive towards reliable and resilient supply chains and trusted digital infrastructure, or mitigating climate change”, emphasized the Ambassador. OPJ4

Prior to Commencement Lecture, the Ambassador was warmly received by JSIA faculty led by Dean Sreeram S. Chaulia, and thereafter by University Vice-Chancellor Professor C. Raj Kumar.

The Ambassador was accompanied by Embassy Political Officer Mark Anthony P. Dizon, Economic Officer Melissa Anne M. Telan, Administrative Officer Mark Anthony G. Articulo, Attaché Roger B. Silva Jr., and Attaché Rina Isabel P. De Chavez END

Philippines Fosters Global Sugar Sector Collaboration at International Sugar Organization Session in New Delhi

Philippine Embassy in India Puts Forward PH interests

NEW DELHI, INDIA – The Philippines participated in the 64th International Sugar Organization (ISO) Council Session held at the Bharat Mandapam Convention Center on 27 June.

Third Secretary Melissa Anne M. Telan, Economic Officer of the Philippine Embassy in New Delhi, joined delegates from over 30 countries at the mid-year Council meeting.

Headquartered in London, the ISO is an intergovernmental body and the only worldwide forum for the exchange of views among major sugar producing, consuming and trading countries at an intergovernmental level. Its members represent roughly 90% of world sugar production and 70% of world sugar consumption. The ISO, through its Council, administers the ISA 1992.

ISO Council sessions are held twice a year, in May and November, for the consideration of major policy issues.

VC Telan solo High Res At the session, Third Secretary Telan delivered the Philippine position and casted votes during the Council’s consideration of proposed reforms to the 1992 International Sugar Agreement (ISA). Adopted in 1992 by the United Nations Sugar Conference, the ISA succeeded the initial agreement of 1987. The Philippines acceded to ISA 1992 on 14 November 1996.

India, the world’s largest consumer and second-largest producer of sugar, was elected as chair of the ISO Council for 2024.

The Philippines is also a major producer and the sugar industry is of extreme importance to the national economy. Output principally serves the domestic market, although the industry also exports. The United States is an important market. END

Amidst Upheavals, Independent PHL Foreign Policy, Resurgent PHL-India Ties Come to Fore at ORF Forum with Filipino Ambassador

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NEW DELHI — Philippine foreign policy responses to the geopolitical challenges of the day and the renaissance in Philippine-India engagement were at centerstage as Ambassador Josel F. Ignacio was featured in this month’s iteration of the Observer Research Foundation’s (ORF) Diplomat Diaries series on 24 June.

Inaugurated in mid-2023, Diplomat Diaries is a monthly series that spotlights selected diplomats of prominence in India, providing a forum for the public to engage them on issues of relevance and interest.

Moderated by author and ORF Vice President of Studies and Foreign Policy Dr. Harsh V. Pant,, the session was held before a capacity audience at the ORF’s headquarters.

Setting the tone for the discussions, Ambassador Ignacio opened with a succinct presentation that provided a comprehensive snapshot of the ongoing renaissance in Philippines-India engagement.

The presentation touched off an interactive forum – the marrow of the Diplomat Diary series – that saw Ambassador Ignacio gamely field questions from Dr. Pant and the audience hat included policy wonks, diplomats, journalists, consultants, and students.

The engaging discussion deep-dove into the Philippines’ foreign policy responses to a broad range of topics, including the South China Sea, power rivalries, the rise of minilaterals, supply chain diversification and resilience, and climate change.

DD2 Of the present state of Philippines-India ties, “we are witnessing is a renaissance, a reacquaintance, a rediscovery that overcomes geography”, said the Ambassador. “This reinvigoration is seeing intensification across all fronts, especially in areas with resonance and relevance for our bilateral ends, for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, and for the rule of law in the maritime commons.” Attesting to the rising prominence of the Philippines-India partnership and the Philippines’ prominent role in a number of regional developments, the Diplomat Diaries appearance with Ambassador Ignacio attracted substantial interest. It gained coverage over news media, as well as social media platforms, particularly X (formerly Twitter).