GOVPH

EMBASSY CONSULAR OUTREACH IN KOLKATA SERVES, BRINGS TOGETHER FILIPINOS FROM EAST AND NORTHEAST INDIA Meet-and-Greet with New Ambassador, Bagong Pilipinas Townhall a Success

Kolkata, 22 May – The Philippine Embassy in New Delhi held a fruitful Outreach Mission to Kolkata on 19 May that extended consular services to Filipinos hailing from India’s vast East and Northeast and, in a first since the pandemic, brought them together in festive reunion gathering.

Led by Ambassador Josel F. Ignacio, the multi-pronged outreach involved consular service extension, the Ambassador’s first direct interaction with the region’s kababayans (compatriots), and a BAGONG PILIPINAS Townhall Meeting.

All events were held at the Hotel Hindustan International with the support of the Philippine Honorary Consulate General in Kolkata under Consul General, a.h., Deepak Khemka. The Embassy Team processed passport applications and provided one-on-one consultations with Filipinos on their consular inquiries. Beneficiaries included Filipinos who had travelled from far-flung areas in Northeast India. In the evening, Consul General Khemka hosted a Meet-and-Greet for the Filipino Community. Attended by over a hundred kababayans, some with their Indian spouses, it was the largest assembly of Filipinos hailing from Kolkata and surrounding regions, in recent years.

Ambassador Ignacio thanked the Filipino Community for their warm reception and support. He outlined the Embassy's priorities and initiatives,  and emphasized recent important gains in Philippines-India ties and new bilateral undertakings, as the two countries mark 75 years of diplomatic relations.

The Embassy Team also conducted a Townhall Meeting to brief Filipinos on  the Bagong Pilipinas governance and leadership ethos launched by the administration of President Ferdinand "Bong-bong" Marcos Jr.

The presentation called on the Community to heed the President’s call to action and for a collective mindset shift towards a transformed idea of being Filipino, supporting national ends.

The Embassy Outreach Mission was met with great and heartfelt appreciation by Filipinos, who expressed the hope that more such Missions would return in the near future.

The sentiments of their fellow Filipinos were matched only by the Embassy’s sense of satisfaction at the success of the activity. “We are delighted to have resumed our Missions in Kolkata and serve our kababayans in East and Northeast India”, said Ambassador Ignacio. “The Embassy is steadfastly committed to connecting with our countrymen across India and Nepal and safeguarding their welfare”. END

PH AMBASSADOR-DESIGNATE TO NEPAL JOSEL IGNACIO PRESENTS COPY OF CREDENTIALS TO FOREIGN MINISTRY

KATHMANDU, 27 May – Philippine Ambassador-Designate to Nepal Josel Francisco Ignacio paid a courtesy call on 26 May on Joint Secretary Bishnu Prasad Gautam, recently appointed Chief of Protocol of the Nepali Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kathmandu.

Ambassador Ignacio, who is resident in New Delhi, presented the working copy of his Letter of Credence and the Letter of Recall of his predecessor.

The Ambassador-Designate was accompanied by Third Secretary and Vice Consul Mark Anthony G. Articulo and Philippine Honorary Consul General in Kathmandu Suraj Vaidya. Also present was MFA Protocol Officer Mr. Prabin Bhattarai.

During the call, Ambassador-Designate Ignacio and Chief of Protocol Gautam engaged in a cordial tête-à-tête, during which they surveyed the trajectory of relations.

Both sides welcomed the approaching 65^th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2025, and recent gains such as the convening of the 1^st Philippines-Nepal Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on 05 December 2023.

The Ambassador-Designate outlined his priorities for further fortifying relations, especially economic and cultural cooperation between the two countries. Among the areas deemed promising for enhanced cooperation are two-way tourism, trade, pharmaceuticals, higher and technical education, and people-to-people exchanges. 

Joint Secretary Gautam also expressed Nepal’s admiration for the Philippines' multi-pronged migration management and policies, lauding them as exemplary in safeguarding the rights of a country’s diaspora.

Sharing the Ambassador-Designate’s resolve and optimism, Joint Secretary Gautam conveyed the MFA’s readiness to work with the Philippine Embassy in New Delhi towards the attainment of shared bilateral objectives.

In diplomatic practice, the call and presentation of the copy of credentials is a prerequisite and prelude to the full accreditation of Ambassadors by the receiving state, culminating in the formal presentation of credentials to the Head of State.

The Philippine Embassy in New Delhi is concurrently accredited to Nepal and maintains an Honorary Consulate General in Kathmandu. The Nepalese Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, meanwhile, is accredited to the Philippines. END

Philippine Ambassador Signs Condolence Book In Memory of Iranian President and Foreign Minister

New Delhi – Philippine Ambassador to India Josel F. Ignacio visited the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in New Delhi on the afternoon of 22 May, to pay respects and sign the condolence book opened in memory of Dr. Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, President of Iran, and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

The Ambassador offered the profound sympathies of the Filipino nation over the untimely passing of the President, Foreign Minister, and their companions in an air mishap on 19 May 2024. END