PH EMBASSY NAIROBI PROMOTES MARITIME AND ARCHIPELAGIC NATION AWARENESS MONTH IN SEYCHELLES

PH Honorary Consul Rosita Parcou (first row, fifth from left), Nairobi PE’s Cultural Officer Sherlyn Roxas (first row, fourth from left), and the Filipino community in Seychelles who joined the film showing event.

VICTORIA, SEYCHELLES, 03 October 2022 – The Philippine Embassy in Nairobi, in collaboration with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and with the support of the Philippine Honorary Consulate in Victoria, held back-to-back activities in Seychelles to mark the Philippines’ Maritime and Archipelagic Nation Awareness Month (MANAMo).

On World Maritime Day on 29 September, the Embassy donated Philippine maritime-related publications to the Seychelles National Museum of History, including Rock Solid: How the Philippines Won Its Maritime Case against China by Marites Vitug and The Voyage of the Balangay by Art Valdez and Andy Maluche.

During the hand-over ceremony, the Embassy’s Cultural Officer Ms. Sherlyn Roxas emphasized that, with the donation, the Embassy hopes to share awareness of the Philippines' maritime heritage and advocacies with a fellow archipelagic state like Seychelles, as well as promote better appreciation of Philippine history and culture among African audiences. She also expressed the hope that the activity will lead to further cultural cooperation between the two countries.

Ms. Beryl Ondiek, the Director for the National Museum, thanked the Embassy for its donation and conveyed the Museum’s interest in further collaborating with the Philippines through the conduct of workshops, exchange of visits and sharing of best practices with other museums in the Philippines.

Director Ondiek also provided a tour of the Museum, including its maritime collection. Similar to the Philippines, past maritime activities and discoveries in Seychelles have greatly contributed to the history, heritage, and economy of the country.

From left: PH Honorary Consul Rosita Parcou, Nairobi PE’s Cultural Officer Sherlyn Roxas, and Director for the National Museum-Seychelles Beryl Ondiek at the handover ceremony of Philippine maritime-related books.

Following the book donation, the Philippine Embassy held a film showing for the Filipino community in Seychelles on 30 September 2022 at the Philippine Honorary Consulate in Victoria.

Around 30 Filipinos watched Halaw (Ways of the Sea), a film by Sheron Dayoc, which portrays how the sea carries the hopes and dreams of many Filipinos but can also serve as a channel for abuse, such as human trafficking and smuggling. Some of the viewers expressed that the movie exposed the reality and struggles that some OFWs are still experiencing up to this day.

Noting that the Filipino community in Seychelles are working in a fellow archipelagic state, Ms. Roxas said that they are in a very good position to appreciate both the benefits and opportunities as well as the threats and challenges faced by archipelagic states. With their valuable experiences, she encouraged them to become agents of positive change in their local communities in the Philippines.

Seychelles is an archipelagic country in the western Indian Ocean known for its commitment to marine environmental protection and promotion of a blue economy. It hosts around 400 Filipinos who work predominantly in the tourism, agricultural, and fishing industries.

The Philippine Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya oversees the Philippines’ relations with Seychelles.

By virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 316 in 2017, September is designated as MANAMo, aimed at raising awareness and consciousness among Filipinos of the country’s maritime and archipelagic issues and concerns. END

PH Embassy providing the attendees with a brief background about the #MANAMo and the film.

ASEAN COMMUNITY CELEBRATED IN KENYA THROUGH FAMILY DAY

(Ambassadors, personnel, family members of ASEAN Embassies in Nairobi, nationals from Singapore and Viet Nam, and representatives from the Kenyan MFA at the ASEAN Family  Day event. Photo credit: Indonesian Embassy)

KIAMBU, KENYA, 20 September 2022 – ASEAN camaraderie and community were celebrated in Kenya during the ASEAN Family Day on 17 September 2022 at the Paradise Lost Resort and Park in Kiambu town.

Organized by the ASEAN Nairobi Committee (ANC)—composed of the heads of mission of the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand—, the event was participated in by personnel of the four ASEAN Embassies in Kenya, their family members and nationals from Singapore and Viet Nam, with officials from the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs as guests.

In her remarks, Malaysian Chargé d'Affaires and current ANC Chair Fatin Zafirah Haris expressed her hope that the gathering would strengthen the bonds of friendship and foster unity among ASEAN nationals who are based in Kenya.

The event featured friendly games such as animal charades, numbers quiz game, and bakiak race in which all guests, including children, participated. The ANC also prepared a variety of ASEAN dishes and delicacies for everyone to enjoy.

The ASEAN Family Day, which was first held during the chairmanship of the Philippine Embassy in 2019, is an annual activity of the ANC organized in celebration of the founding anniversary of ASEAN. END

(From left: Ambassador Sasirit Tangulrat of Thailand, Chargé d'Affaires Fatin Zafirah Haris of Malaysia, Ambassador Marie Charlotte G. Tang of the Philippines, and Ambassador Mohamad Hery Saripudin of Indonesia)

(Players showed their competitive spirit during the Bakiak race, a traditional game in Indonesia which is typically played during its Independence Day celebrations. Photo credit: Indonesian Embassy)

(The team led by Ambassador Tang won first place, having scored the highest out of the five competing teams)

ASEAN NAIROBI COMMITTEE CALLS ON KENYAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Philippine Ambassador to Kenya Marie Charlotte G. Tang (front row, fourth from left) with Amb. Sasirit Tangulrat of Thailand (front row, seventh from left), Amb. Mohamad Hery Saripudin of Indonesia (front row, rightmost), Chargé d’Affaires Fatin Zafirah Haris of Malaysia (front row, fifth from left), President Richard Ngatia of the KNCCI (front row, sixth from left), and other officials of KNCCI and ASEAN embassies (Photo credit: KNCCI).

NAIROBI, 06 September 2022 – Philippine Ambassador to Kenya Marie Charlotte G. Tang joined the heads of mission of Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia—the ASEAN Nairobi Committee (ANC)—in a courtesy call on the officials of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) on 05 September 2022 in Nairobi.

The heads of mission shared updates on the ASEAN Economic Community and the trade and investment opportunities available in the 10-member regional bloc, which is home to over 630 million people with a growing middle class and a big consumer base.

Ambassador Tang also shared updates on the Philippine economy, including the post-pandemic recovery priorities of the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. She added that there are opportunities for growth in the trade in goods between the Philippines and Kenya and this can build on the Kenyans’ familiarity with the Philippines’ creative industry, by way of Filipino dramas or teleseryes.

Mr. Richard Ngatia, President of the KNCCI, gave a presentation on Kenya’s economic milestones and aspirations, and highlighted the benefits and incentives that the Kenyan government offers to foreign investors.  

At the end of the call, the ANC and the KNCCI agreed to establish a working relationship between their trade/economic attachés and technical officers to pursue concrete collaborative projects, including developing a platform for regular exchange of business information, as well as the possibility of exchange of visits and participation in trade exhibitions and business conferences between ASEAN and Kenya.  

The KNCCI was established in 1965 as a membership-based trade support institution to advance the commercial interests of the Kenyan business community, including through linkages with foreign embassies.

The ANC is composed of ASEAN Member States that have resident embassies in Nairobi and works to promote the visibility and awareness of ASEAN among Kenyan stakeholders and the general public. END

Ambassador Tang shares a light moment with KNCCI President Ngatia before the joint courtesy call (Photo credit: KNCCI).