23 May 2006 – Consul General Maria Theresa P. Lazaro of the Philippine Consulate General in Sydney, Australia reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that the Philippine Honorary Consulate in Noumea City, New Caledonia has been opened with the installation of Mr. Max Diot as the first Philippine Honorary Consul in the French-administered Territory on 19 May 2006.

Consul General Lazaro swore Mr. Diot into office in a diplomatic reception celebrating the 108th Philippine National Day, the first of its kind held in the capital of New Caledonia.

The Consul General, who has concurrent jurisdiction over New Caledonia, said that the ceremony was witnessed by the Filipino community in the Territory, including members of the newly formed Filipino community organization Amicale des Philippins de la Nouvelle Calédonie et Sympathisants, whose officers were also formally inducted during the event.

Consul General Lazaro likewise graced a Philippine National Day reception attended by officials representing the Office of the French High Commissioner; Office of the President of New Caledonia; Office of the Foreign Minister of New Caledonia; Office of the Mayor of Noumea City and the diplomatic; corps.  The official reception was also the first of its kind held for a Philippine diplomat, the Consul General stated.

In her remarks at the reception, Consul General Lazaro said: “It is an honor to be before you today to share my country’s gratitude in enabling us to be active participants in the economic development of New Caledonia. I personally see this as a way of returning a 200-year-old favor, when the example of the French Revolution and the ideals of Liberté! Egalité! Fraternité! became sources of inspiration for our patriots to aspire for self-determination, and has led to today's celebration.”

During her visit to New Caledonia, Consul General Lazaro also administered oaths to those who reacquired Philippine citizenship and called on the Filipino community “whether in your capacity as individuals or as a collective, to continue to be successful in your endeavors and become active and positive contributors as stakeholders in New Caledonia’s future.”

In her report, the Consul General explained that New Caledonia is an overseas autonomous archipelagic territory under France located in the South Pacific with the port-city of Noumea as its capital. It is located 6,452 km southeast of Manila and 1,991 km northeast of Sydney. It has one of the largest-known nickel resources in the world, supplying 25% of the world's nickel market.

The INCO-GORO Nickel Company of New Caledonia (INCO), a Canadian majority-owned firm considered to be one of the biggest nickel mining companies in the world, has partnered with major Philippine construction firms EEI and AG&P in deploying around 3,000 Filipino workers to build a US$2 billion-dollar mining plant until the end of 2007. The first batch of Filipino workers arrived in March 2006. (Please see Press Release SFA-AGR-246-06, dated 31 March 2006 for more information on this topic.)

As of 2005, there are more than 216,000 residents in New Caledonia, 43 percent of whom are of indigenous Melanesian extraction while 37 percent are mainly of European (French) descent.   Around 90 percent of the population is Christian, 60 percent of whom are Roman Catholics. END