Hosted the new French Ambassador to the Philippines, H.E. Marie Fontanel, in my office for an enriching dialogue on a multitude of topics shaping our shared journey toward sustainability and a greener future.?
Our discussion explored strategies to reinforce our commitment to accelerate climate action, including the International Summit on Oceans, scheduled for 2025 in Nice, France, 10 years after the adoption of the Paris Agreement. My office and the French Embassy are excited to collaborate on activities leading up to this significant event!?
I recounted the success of the “Manila Call to Action on Climate Change” in 2015, which I helped craft and which I read alongside the renowned French actress, Marion Cotillard, in Malacañang during French President François Hollande’s visit to Manila. In the same year, I was invited to Paris as a panelist at the Summit of the Consciences for the Climate. I replicated the event in Manila a few months later.
With shared educational goals, we celebrated the recent establishment of the Philippine Studies program at Sciences Po, Paris, France, which is also the Ambassador’s alma mater.
Interestingly, H.E. Fontanel had previously worked at the Musée de Quai Branly in Paris, which showcased an exhibit of ancient Filipino artifacts in 2013. I supported the translation of the catalogue then.
As a recipient of the title “Chevalier” in the French National Order of the Legion of Honor conferred by the Government of France, I am committed to nurturing our rich history of collaboration and cooperation. ?????
