PH AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES BLUE ECONOMY, POTENTIAL INVESTMENTS,

PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE EXCHANGES WITH OFFICIALS OF MOMBASA, KENYA

Philippine Ambassador to Kenya Marie Charlotte G. Tang (left) with Governor Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir of the County of Mombasa, Kenya (right)

NAIROBI, 25 April 2024 – Philippine Ambassador to Kenya Marie Charlotte G. Tang paid a courtesy call on Governor Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir of Mombasa County during her visit to the city of Mombasa on 21-23 April 2024.

The two officials discussed their shared interest in the blue economy, with the Philippines being an archipelagic country and Mombasa being a major port city along the Indian Ocean coast.

Governor Nassir mentioned the ongoing infrastructure projects and creation of a new special economic zone in Mombasa, and invited the Philippines to become a partner in supporting the county’s development goals. He also expressed Mombasa’s hope to learn from the best practices of port cities in the Philippines, including by entering into sister-city arrangements.

Ambassador Tang commended Governor Nassir and the county government for their efforts to bring development to the citizens of Mombasa. She also emphasized the value of promoting people-to-people exchanges with Mombasa, including through tourism and sports.

Ambassador Tang also paid a courtesy call on Capt. William Ruto, Managing Director of the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA).

Capt. Ruto described the Philippines as a leader in the blue economy and noted that every ship that docks at the Mombasa Port is likely to have a Filipino seafarer in it, a testament to the strong presence of the Philippines in the global maritime sector. Both officials also discussed potential collaboration on capacity-building in the sector.

Following the meeting, KPA officials provided Ambassador Tang with a tour of the facilities of the Mombasa Port, one of the busiest ports in East Africa which services not only Kenya but also the landlocked countries of Uganda, Burundi, and Rwanda, as well as the eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Mombasa, the smallest of the 47 counties in Kenya, has maintained its centuries-old position as a hub for regional and international trade. Mombasa City is the oldest in Kenya and is the country’s second largest after Nairobi. Mombasa’s fine beaches and rich cultural heritage, along with the presence of a major international seaport, airport, and railway, have long made the city a popular destination both for tourists and investors. END

Ambassador Tang and Governor Nassif exchange views on the importance of the sea and maritime resources for both the Philippines and Mombasa.

Ambassador Tang (left) presents a souvenir from the Philippines to Capt. William Ruto of the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) (right) following their meeting.

Amb. Tang (right) was given a brief tour of the facilities of the Port of Mombasa, which is managed by the KPA.

PH AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH THE FILIPINO COMMUNITY IN MOMBASA, KENYA

Ambassador Marie Charlotte G. Tang (seated at the center), Vice Consul Louie Dane C. Merced (seated third from left) and Cultural Officer Sherlyn M. Roxas (seated second from left) with the Filipino community in Mombasa, Kenya.

NAIROBI, 24 April 2024 – Philippine Ambassador to Kenya Marie Charlotte G. Tang met with members of the Filipino community in the city of Mombasa in the southeastern coast of Kenya, on 21 April 2024.

During the meeting, she commended the community for their contributions to the Philippine and Kenyan societies through their work. She also encouraged them to participate in the Embassy’s continuing online mapping of overseas Filipinos and to register as overseas voters for the May 2025 National Elections. The community members conveyed their appreciation to the Embassy for taking the time to engage with them, check on their well-being, as well as address some of their consular queries.

There are around 50-60 Filipinos working in Mombasa, primarily employed in sectors such as construction, consultancy, and textiles manufacturing.

Mombasa is Kenya’s second largest city after Nairobi. It is a bustling port city facing the Indian Ocean and has been a traditional gateway for international traders to East and Central Africa. END

PH SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETES CHAIRSHIP OF ASEAN COMMITTEE IN NAIROBI (ACN)

From left to right: Philippine Ambassador Marie Charlotte G. Tang (third from left) hands over the chairship of the ASEAN Committee in Nairobi (ACN) to Ambassador Morakot Janemathukorn of Thailand (second from left). They are joined by Ambassador Mohamad Hery Saripudin of Indonesia (leftmost) and High Commissioner Ruzaimi Mohamad of Malaysia (rightmost).

NAIROBI, 19 April 2024 – Philippine Ambassador to Kenya Marie Charlotte G. Tang handed over the chairship of the ASEAN Committee in Nairobi (ACN) to Ambassador Morakot Janemathukorn of Thailand at the ACN meeting held on 19 April 2024 at the Tribe Hotel in Nairobi.

Amb. Tang thanked her ASEAN counterparts for their support and cooperation during the Philippines’ chairship in 2023. The other ASEAN heads of mission also expressed appreciation to Amb. Tang and the Philippine Embassy for spearheading the ACN activities towards increasing the visibility of ASEAN in Kenya.

During its ACN chairship, the Philippines led the commemoration of the annual ASEAN Day, the conduct of the ASEAN Family Day and the ASEAN Food Festival, and the outreach to the academic community through the Speaker Series with ASEAN Ambassadors in partnership with Strathmore University in Nairobi.

Another initiative of the Philippines was the drafting of the Rules of Procedure (RoP) to guide the work and processes of the ACN, based on ASEAN’s Terms of Reference (ToR) and RoP for ASEAN Committees in Third Countries and International Organizations. The RoP for the ACN was adopted at the meeting on 19 April.

The ACN is composed of the four ASEAN Member States (out of ten) with resident embassies in Nairobi namely, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand. END

The ACN meeting discussed activities that the Committee will organize in 2024.

The ACN Heads of Mission and Working Group members pose for a group photo.

Amb. Tang as she presides over her last ACN meeting as Chair.