Foreign Secretary Highlights Senator Legarda’s Role in the Philippine Posts in Germany

February 19, 2019

19 February 2019, Munich – In his remarks during the town hall meeting with members of the Filipino community in Munich last February 17, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. lauded Senator Loren Legarda’s role in the Philippine Government’s acquisition of the property for the new  chancery of the Philippine Embassy in  Berlin as well as  the establishment  of the Consulate General in Frankfurt.

 

“Tomorrow I inaugurate our new chancery in Berlin.  We will also have a new permanent office for our Consulate in Frankfurt. These are proof of President Duterte’s commitment to improve our services to Filipinos abroad,” Secretary Locsin said.  “We would not have accomplished these without Senator Loren Legarda, our tireless crusader for the DFA in the Senate. I thank her for always looking out for us,” he added.

 

Chargé  d’affaires,  a.i.  of  the  Philippine  Embassy,  Lillibeth  V.  Pono,  read  Senator  Legarda’s message during the event.  The Chair of both the Committee on Foreign Relations and Committee on Finance in the Senate noted that the needs and concerns of the Foreign Service posts had been  brought  to  her  attention,  including  additional  funding  of  existing  consular  offices  and embassies,  opening  of  new  consulates,  cultural  diplomacy  programs,  training  programs,  and hazard pay of DFA employees in hardship posts, among others.  She underscored that it is a must that these concerns be addressed to ensure that Philippine embassies and consulates would ably carry out their duty.

 

In addition to securing the necessary funding for the new chancery in Berlin and the re-opening of the Consulate General in Frankfurt, the Senator has also initiated programs that would benefit the country and strengthen diplomatic ties with Germany.  These include the participation of the Philippines  through  a  country  pavilion  at  the  annual  Frankfurt  Book  Fair,  funding  for  tourism promotion  activities  of  the  Department  of  Tourism  office  in  Frankfurt,  the  exposition  of  the pineapple textile exhibit in Frankfurt, and the participation of the Philippines in Ambiente 2019, the leading international consumer goods trade fair, which was held in Frankfurt from February 8-12.

 

Secretary  Locsin  inaugurated  on  February  18  the  new  chancery  in  Berlin,  which  is  located  at Luisenstrasse 16, 10117 Berlin-Mitte, near the German capital’s iconic Brandenburg Tor.  Among the Embassy’s guests during the ceremony was Ambassador Ina Lepel, head of the Asia-Pacific Directorate of the Federal Foreign Office.  Joining the Secretary in the ribbon-cutting were DFA Undersecretary for Administration and Ambassador-designate to Germany Ma. Theresa Dizon- de  Vega,  former  ambassadors  to  Germany  Melita  Sta.  Maria-Thomeczek  and  Ma.  Cleofe Natividad, currently ambassador to Austria, former Undersecretary for Administration Linglingay Lacanlale, who is now ambassador to Argentina, DFA Assistant Secretary for European Affairs Ma. Amelita  Aquino,  and  Consul  General  Evelyn  Austria-Garcia  of  the  newly-reopened  Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt.