16 May 2006 – Philippine Ambassador to Singapore Belen Fule Anota reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that the Embassy met Filipino scholars in Singapore on 12 May 2006 to harness their expertise and knowledge in promoting the Philippines and to involve them in activities spearheaded by the Embassy and the different Filipino community organizations in Singapore.

The Filipino scholars are enrolled in various academic programs in the areas of engineering, economics and social sciences in four (4) major academic institutions in Singapore namely, the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore Management University (SMU), and National Institute of Education (NIE). The meeting coincided with the monthly gathering of Filipino community organizations in Singapore at the Philippine Embassy at 20 Nassim Road.

During the meeting, Ambassador Anota encouraged the scholars to get organized and make their presence felt in the Filipino community. She also conveyed her desire to support any activity that are designed to promote the Philippines and provide assistance to incoming batches of scholars, as well as school activities that may require materials and support from the Embassy. The Ambassador also reminded the scholars to follow rules and regulations of the host country and to adopt a proper demeanor at all times.

For their part, the scholars, most of whom visited the Embassy for the first time, expressed their appreciation for being invited to the Embassy and to meet with leaders of the Filipino community. They committed to extend their support in any way they can to the various undertakings of the Embassy and the Filipino community.  "Today, we are very satisfied and this is one time that we truly feel a sense of belongingness within the Filipino community in Singapore", one of the scholars remarked. (Please refer to the accompanying photo release on this subject matter.) END