PRESS RELEASE
Department of
Foreign Affairs
2330 Roxas Blvd.,
Pasay City, Philippines
* Tel.
No. 834-4000 *
www.dfa.gov.ph
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No. 288; 10 June 2003
DFA, DOLE
URGE PHILIPPINE HONORARY CONSULS TO BRING TOURISTS
AND INVESTORS TO RP AND PROTECT OFW’S
Geneva, Switzerland – Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F. Ople urged 29 Philippine
honorary consuls composed of leading industrialists and prominent personalities
from different parts of Europe and the Middle East to do their share in bringing
tourists and foreign investors to the country.
Ople briefed the honorary consuls about the current national security situation
in the Philippines and assured them that the peace and order problem is being
vigorously addressed.
He cited the recent move of countries such as Japan, Canada and Australia
to either withdraw or modify adverse travel advisories to the Philippines
in view of recent positive developments in the country such as the WHO declaration
to remove the Philippines from the list of SARS-affected countries.
“The Philippines is generally safe for tourists and investors and we certainly
can use a little more tourism from Europe,” he said, adding that the dreaded
Abu Sayyaf has been decimated to a ragtag group of bandits being hunted down
by the military in Patikul, Sulu.
Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas also addressed the workshop and gave
an overview of the Philippine overseas employment market. Describing the Philippines
as the “training center of the world”, Secretary Sto. Tomas said Filipinos
are present in over 140 countries and there are as many as 8 million Filipinos
working all over the globe.
She said Filipino workers are appreciated globally for their good education,
loyalty to employers and dependability on the job. Filipino seafarers dominate
the world’s maritime industry and there is hardly any ship without a Filipino
seaman onboard. “We are proud of our compatriots who have chosen to work abroad
to help their families and I hope you will do your best to look after those
who fall under your jurisdiction,” the labor secretary said.
The most senior Philippine honorary consul who attended the two-day workshop
was 86-year old Honorary Consul General Stephen Zuellig, owner of Zuellig
Corporation with interests in insurance, pharmaceuticals, financing, travel,
shipping and manufacturing. He has consular jurisdiction over the principality
of Monaco. Honorary Consul Fadi Antoine Debahy, who heads the Philippine Consulate
in Syria, is engaged in the steel industry and represents established Belgian,
Swiss, Moroccan, and Sri Lankan companies in Syria.
Honorary Consul General Daniel Vogel in Basel, Switzerland has four companies
operating in four towns in Switzerland with a total of 220 employees. He leads
a non-government organization known as PHILKIDS Foundation, which offers scholarship
programs to Filipino children in the Philippines. Other honorary consuls
have wide-ranging business and professional interests ranging from shipping
to food manufacturing.
Addressing the honorary consuls, Secretary Ople said, “You can do much to
promote the trade, investment, and tourism relations between the Philippines
and your consular districts. You can improve market opportunities for Philippine
exports. You can encourage investors and, whenever feasible, accompany them
to the Philippines.“
Ople also reminded the honorary consuls of their role in looking after the
welfare of Filipino migrants in their areas of jurisdiction. “We rely on your
assistance to promote the fundamental rights and welfare of Filipino nationals
in your areas of jurisdiction. I hope you will find time to be with them
and attend their gatherings to foster among them a sense of community and
solidarity.”
He also urged them to not miss out on opportunities to rectify inaccurate
impressions about the Philippines. Contrary to what is portrayed in the international
press, trouble spots in the Philippines are confined to a few specific towns
in the southern region, he stressed.
After a comprehensive briefing on the Philippine situation by Foreign Affairs
Secretary Ople, the honorary consuls were treated to a briefing on economic
diplomacy by Undersecretary Delia Domigo-Albert. In her presentation, she
described each participant as an e-Honorary Consul – ‘e’ for electronic, ‘e’
for economic intelligence and ‘e’ for enthusiastic agents.
She distributed tool kits, which include handbooks on investment incentives
in the Philippines and brochures on IT opportunities in the country. Undersecretary
Albert pointed out the comparative advantages of the Philippines in the IT
sector.
“The Philippines today offers a range of e-services. In the bid for the
global call center market, the Philippines currently ranks second, after
India,” she added.
The two-day workshop was sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs
in response to an overwhelming request from honorary consuls for a seminar
to upgrade their knowledge about the Philippines and re-tool their diplomatic
skills.
The honorary consuls were also briefed by representatives from the Department
of Trade and Industry and the Department of Tourism.