His Excellency Jehoshua Sagi, Ambassador of the State of Israel and Madame Sagi;
Senator Fred Lim;
Former First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos;
Excellencies of the Diplomatic Corps;
Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen:
 

On behalf of the Philippine Government, I am pleased to extend my warmest felicitations to the State of Israel on the occasion of its 58th Anniversary of Independence.

The Philippines and Israel have traditionally enjoyed close and warm relations, which antedate even the declaration of independence of Israel in 1948.

We recall that, during the period leading up to the Second World War, President Manuel Quezon opened the Philippines to immigration by European Jews fleeing Nazi pogroms.

The poignant photo exhibit “Children of the Holocaust,” mounted by the Israeli Embassy at the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Philippine Congress and other venues earlier this year, commemorated the holocaust’s youngest victims.  Filipinos remember that dark period in the history of the Jewish people and are glad to have extended their helping hands in sheltering thousands of Jews escaping Nazi tyranny and persecution.

Mindful of the bitter lessons of history, the Philippines strongly advocates interfaith dialogue both nationally and in the international arena in order to contribute to world peace and to forestall the repetition of the nightmare brought about by religious intolerance and bigotry.
 
 

One of humanity’s greatest concerns in our time is the quest for lasting peace in the Middle East.  The Philippines supports initiatives towards the achievement of a comprehensive resolution of the outstanding issues in the Middle East Peace Process. The Quartet Road Map, under the aegis of the United Nations, envisions a two-state resolution, with Israel and Palestine living side-by-side in peace and security. It is our fervent hope that the concerned parties will further pursue negotiation and dialogue towards this end.

As our two countries prepare to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment  of our diplomatic relations next year, we are happy to note that our exchanges in all areas whether political, economic or cultural, reflect our close and friendly ties.

The Philippine Government highly appreciates Israel’s continued assistance to Philippine agriculture by Israel’s provision of training for Filipinos, both in Israel and in the Philippines, through the various projects proposed by the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s MASHAV in such diverse fields as forestry, fisheries, dairy and livestock, and agricultural extension.

For its part, the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv is actively promoting Philippine trade and export products as well as enticing Israeli tourists to the Philippines, through various Embassy initiatives. Recently, the Philippine Embassy launched the trade and tourism fair called “Shalom Filipinim,” which drew the interest of numerous Israeli businessmen and tour operators.

I wish to take this auspicious occasion to express the appreciation of the Philippine Government for Israel’s hospitality and the humane treatment accorded to thousands of Filipino workers, particularly caregivers who take care of the elderly, the very young, the sick and the disabled, who have chosen to live and work in Israel.

The Philippines and Israel can look back to our years of fruitful cooperation which created the strong foundation of friendship between our two countries.  It is my fervent hope that the excellent relations which we currently enjoy will grow and be stronger in the years ahead.

On this note, I would like to invite you to a toast:
 to peace in the Middle East,
to the continued prosperity of Israel and her people,
 and to the friendship between the Philippines and Israel.
 
Mabuhay!  END.