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.
