PH AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES CULTURAL COOPERATION PLANS WITH KENYA

Philippine Ambassador to Kenya Marie Charlotte G. Tang (left) and Principal Secretary Ummi Mohammed Bashir of the Kenyan Ministry of Gender, Culture, the Arts and Heritage (right) exchange ideas on implementing the MOU on cultural cooperation between the Philippines and Kenya.

NAIROBI, 07 May 2024 – Philippine Ambassador to Kenya Marie Charlotte G. Tang paid a courtesy call on Principal Secretary (PS) on Culture, the Arts and Heritage Ummi Mohammed Bashir of the Kenyan Ministry of Gender, Culture, the Arts and Heritage on 07 May 2024 to exchange views on cultural cooperation.

The two officials discussed possible activities that can be implemented under the Memorandum of Understanding between the Philippines and Kenya in the Field of Arts and Culture, signed on 22 February 2023.

Under the MOU, the Philippines and Kenya will collaborate in the preservation of cultural heritage; undertake joint programs between their respective cultural and educational institutions; and promote exchanges in the fields of arts, film, museum, linguistics, and records and archives management.

The two officials agreed to work closely on these areas, with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) as the lead implementing agency for the Philippines. END

 Ambassador Tang (left) presents PS Bashir (right) with a Yakan cloth table runner and a book titled, Flowers of the Philippines, published by the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB).

PH EMBASSY IN NAIROBI EXTENDS CONSULAR SERVICES TO FILIPINOS IN DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA

The Philippine Embassy team rendered various consular and assistance to nationals (ATN) services to Filipinos in Tanzania.

NAIROBI, 30 April 2024 – The Philippine Embassy in Nairobi conducted its first consular outreach mission for 2024 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on 28 April 2024.

The Embassy team, composed of Vice Consul Louie Dane C. Merced and Attaché Fervie Jay V. Brubio, provided passport, civil registry, authentication and other consular services to the Filipinos in Tanzania. The Embassy team also facilitated the registration of overseas voters for the 2025 Philippine elections.

The Embassy worked closely with the Filipino Community in Tanzania (FCT) and the Kaibigan-Filipino Association in Tanzania (FAT) in ensuring the success of the consular outreach mission.

While in Dar es Salaam, the Embassy team took the opportunity to check on the situation of Filipinos in Tanzania and encouraged them to participate in the Embassy’s continuing online mapping survey of overseas Filipinos.

There are around 400 Filipinos in Tanzania, many of them working as professionals and highly skilled workers in the manufacturing and services sectors.

Tanzania is one of the 12 countries in East and Central Africa that are under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. Dar es Salaam, located along the Indian Ocean coast, is the former capital of Tanzania and remains the country’s main economic hub. END.

The Embassy team provided passport services to Filipinos in Tanzania.

The Embassy team and some members of the Filipino Community in Tanzania (FCT) and the Kaibigan-Filipino Association in Tanzania (FAT) pose for a group photo in front of Pinoy Resto Seafood and Grill, a Filipino-owned restaurant in Dar es Salaam.

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.