PH AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES DEEPENING PH-KENYA RELATIONS WITH NEW ASIA DIRECTOR OF KENYAN FOREIGN MINISTRY

Philippine Ambassador Marie Charlotte G. Tang (right) and Director Maurice O.A. Okoth of the Directorate for the Asia and the Pacific of the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs (MFDA) of Kenya (left) exchange views on how to sustain the momentum in Philippines-Kenya relations.

NAIROBI, 20 February 2024 – Philippine Ambassador to Kenya Marie Charlotte G. Tang paid a courtesy call on Mr. Maurice O.A. Okoth, the new Director of the Asia and Pacific Directorate of the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs (MFDA).

Ambassador Tang discussed with Director Okoth the activities and initiatives that have been undertaken since the convening of the inaugural meeting of the Philippines-Kenya Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) in February 2023 in Nairobi.

The two officials agreed to continue close coordination, including in finalizing pending bilateral agreements between the Philippines and Kenya, and in promoting further cooperation in the areas of culture and the arts, diaspora engagement and labor migration governance, and education. END

Director Okoth and Ambassador Tang

Ambassador Tang (right) presents to Director Okoth a book titled, Flowers of the Philippines, published by the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB).

PH AMBASSADOR DELIVERS LECTURE ON PH FOREIGN POLICY TO KENYAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

 Philippine Ambassador to Kenya Marie Charlotte G. Tang explains the maritime advocacies of the Philippines, particularly the primacy of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the importance of the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal award on the South China Sea case.

NAIROBI, 15 February 2024 – Philippine Ambassador to Kenya Marie Charlotte G. Tang delivered a lecture on Philippine foreign policy to students of Strathmore University (SU) on 14 February 2024 in Nairobi.

The lecture is the first in the two-part “Speaker Series” with ASEAN ambassadors, organized by the SU-School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS) in collaboration with the ASEAN Committee in Nairobi (ACN), composed of the embassies/high commission of the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Around 80 International Relations and law students attended the lecture.

In her presentation titled, “The Philippines’ Perspectives on Sustainability and Security Amid Changing Regional and Global Dynamics”, Ambassador Tang explained how Philippine foreign policy is shaped by the country’s development imperatives and aspirations (as stated in AmBisyon Natin 2040), the external strategic environment where it operates in, and its own values as a democratic society.

She emphasized that creating a prosperous, inclusive, and resilient society for all Filipinos requires a peaceful and stable regional and global environment, and it is in this context that the Philippines seeks a rules-based international order and supports effective and inclusive multilateralism.

Ambassador Tang discussed the Philippines’ priorities and achievements in the areas of climate action, labor migration governance, and the sustainable use of the oceans. She emphasized the Philippines’ advocacy for a rules-based maritime governance, including the importance of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal award.

On the Philippines’ engagements with Kenya, Ambassador Tang cited recent milestones including the convening of the 1^st meeting of the Philippines-Kenya Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) in Nairobi, and the visit of a high-level Kenyan delegation to Manila for benchmarking on best practices on labor migration, both in 2023. She added that the Philippines seeks to pursue closer partnerships with all nations, echoing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s pronouncement on the Philippines being “a friend to all, and an enemy to none”.

Apart from Ambassador Tang, Indonesian Ambassador to Kenya Dr. Mohamad Hery Saripudin delivered a presentation on Indonesian foreign policy.

The lecture of the ASEAN ambassadors is part of the ACN's outreach to the youth and the academic community in Kenya, towards raising their awareness of ASEAN and its member states. END.

From left to right: High Commissioner Ruzaimi bin Mohamad of Malaysia, Ambassador Tang, Dr. Magdalene Adhiambo Ngala-Dimba, Dean of the Strathmore Univeristy (SU)-School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS); Dr. Arbogast Akidiva, SHSS Academic Director for Bachelor of Arts Courses; and Ambassador Mohamad Hery Saripudin of Indonesia. 

Ambassador Tang (left) and Ambassador Saripudin (right) during the open forum segment of the lecture.

The ambassadors and officials of ASEAN missions in Nairobi, with officials and students of SU-SHSS.

PH SECRETARY OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY VISITS PH EMBASSY IN NAIROBI

DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy (fourth from left), along with his wife, Mme. Judy Christine Uy, and Executive Assistant Patricia Nicole Uy, were warmly welcomed by the officers and staff of the Philippine Embassy in Nairobi.

NAIROBI, 30 January 2024 – Secretary Ivan John Uy of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) paid a visit to the Philippine Embassy in Nairobi on 23 January 2024, following his participation as the head of the Philippine delegation to the G77 Third South Summit held in Kampala, Uganda.

During his visit, Ambassador Marie Charlotte G. Tang provided Secretary Uy with an overview of the Embassy's activities and initiatives in Kenya, as well as the 11 other sub-Saharan African countries under its jurisdiction. They also discussed potential collaborations between the Philippines and these countries in the fields of ICT and BPO. END