FILIPINO COMMUNITY CELEBRATES PASKONG PINOY SA KENYA 2022

Nairobi PE personnel and the Filipino community in Kenya’s family photo after the celebration of Paskong Pinoy Sa Kenya 2022.

NAIROBI, 11 December 2022 –  The Philippine Embassy in Nairobi hosted Paskong Pinoy sa Kenya 2022  for the Filipino community in Kenya on 11 December 2022.

The event, the first such gathering since the pandemic, was co-organized by the Embassy with Filcom Kenya, an organization of Filipinos based in the country.

In her welcome remarks, Ambassador Marie Charlotte G. Tang said that through the event, the Embassy and Filcom Kenya hoped to bring some of the warmth, fun, and joy of Christmas as celebrated in the Philippines to the Filipino community in Kenya.

She also thanked the Filipino community for their consistent support for the activities of the Embassy throughout the year. 

The program started with a thanksgiving mass celebrated by Fr. Norman Labutan.  This was followed by a salu-salo of favorite Filipino delicacies, parlor games, dance performances, raffle draws and a charity drive for the Parish of Holy Family of Kaaleng in the Diocese of Lodwar, Turkana. The guests also enjoyed an open mic karaoke session, where they sang some holiday and OPM tunes. END. 

Fr. Norman Labutan (center) was joined by Fr. Mark Anthony Maambong and Fr. Benedict Musyoki during the mass celebration

Ambassador Tang as she delivers her welcome remarks

“Pasko Na Sinta Ko” dance performance by Bet and Debbie of Academy of Dance and Art (top-left), Christmas Zumba by the Filipino community (top-right), two teams battle it out at the “Flip Tac Toe” game (bottom-left), and Ms. Christina Lopez (second from bottom-right photo), one of the lucky winners of the cash prize during the raffle draw

PH EMBASSY NAIROBI SUPPORTS ANTI-VAW CAMPAIGN THROUGH SELF-DEFENSE TRAINING

Nairobi PE personnel and the instructors pose for a photo after the awarding of Certificate of Participation.

NAIROBI, 09 December 2022 – The Philippine Embassy in Nairobi underwent a two-day self-defense training on 06-07 December 2022 in support of the 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women (VAW) and as part of the Embassy’s Gender and Development (GAD) program.

The training, which was conducted by Master Ernest Madanji of the Kenya Taekwondo Academy, provided the Embassy personnel with a briefing on safety and security awareness and introduced them to basic self-defense techniques, including escaping from various types of grips and responding to different attacks on the body.

During the briefing, Master Madanji stressed that one's gut feel can be an early warning sign of impending danger, and that mental alertness is the key to surviving harmful situations.

Master Madanji explained that threats to personal safety and security can emanate not only from the streets and public spaces, but can also occur in homes, as with the case of domestic violence particularly against women and children. He added that crucial to self-defense is being able to recognize and accept that one is facing violence and abuse.

By virtue of Republic Act 10398, the 25th of November of each year is designated as the National Consciousness Day for the Elimination of VAWC. In 2006, Proclamation 1172 extended the national campaign to 18 days, up to 12 December, a historic date that marked the signing of the 2000 UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, to supplement the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crimes.

The 18-Day Campaign to End VAW supports the Philippine government's goal of safeguarding the human rights of women and girls by upholding its commitment to address all forms of gender-based violence. END

Master Madanji demonstrates various methods to defend oneself against potential dangers.

Embassy personnel practice the self-defense techniques and methods taught by Master Madanji.

PH EMBASSY EXPLORES EDUCATION COOPERATION WITH UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI

Philippine Ambassador to Kenya Marie Charlotte G. Tang (right) with Dr. Patrick Maluki, Chair of the Department of Diplomacy and International Studies (DDIS) of the University of Nairobi (UoN) (left)

 NAIROBI, 07 December 2022 – Philippine Ambassador to Kenya Marie Charlotte G. Tang met with Dr. Patrick Maluki, Chair of the Department of Diplomacy and International Studies (DDIS) of the University of Nairobi (UoN), on 07 December 2022 to discuss possible activities between the Embassy and the University.

Amb. Tang cited academic exchanges, initially through the conduct of guest lectures by visiting Philippine government officials and scholars, and courtesy visits of DDIS students to the Embassy, as means through which Filipinos and Kenyans can gain better awareness of each other. 

Dr. Maluki expressed appreciation for the Embassy’s interest to collaborate with the DDIS and emphasized that diplomats and practitioners can enrich the students’ appreciation of the field of International Relations and provide them with a glimpse of their possible careers after graduation.

Amb. Tang also met with Prof. Maria Nzomo, a longtime professor at the DDIS and former Kenyan Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN and the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva. 

The DDIS started in 1973 as the Diplomacy Training Program (DTP) for Kenyan and other African diplomats, and has grown into a Department that offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs, with a student population of over 1,500. The DDIS also conducts courses on diplomacy and international relations for institutions such as the National Defence College of Kenya and the East African Legislature, and maintains strong linkages with the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs. END

From left to right: Amb. Tang, Dr. Maluki, and Ms. Lucy Odero of the DDIS discuss possible activities that can be jointly undertaken by the Embassy and the DDIS in 2023.

Amb. Tang (right) with Prof. Maria Nzomo (left) who was among the first professors of the DDIS.