RP OPENS HONORARY CONSULATE IN POLAND

16 October 2007—The Philippine Embassy in Budapest reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that the Philippines officially opened its Honorary Consulate in Wroclaw, Poland. It is a growing hub of economic activity in eastern Europe, and is bidding to host the 2012 World Exposition. The Honorary Consulate began initial operations late last year.

The Great Room of the Wroclaw City Hall, an imposing medieval structure which stood at the city’s main square, was the site of the opening ceremony of the honorary consulate. However, the official address of the consulate is Ulica Wlodkowica 18, Wroclaw 50-072.

Philippine Honorary Consul Dariusz Viatr, married to a Filipina, is a capitalist and respected member of the Polish business community. Mr. Viatr hosted Wroclaw’s three Deputy Mayors and some 75 guests representing Wroclaw’s cross section of the political and business elite,  and the Lower Silesia Region of Poland.

The Consular and Honorary Consular corps of Wroclaw also graced the affair. Germany, Austria and Denmark were represented.

Philippine Ambassador Alejandro del Rosario, accredited to Hungary and Poland, who delivered the welcome remarks, lauded Wroclaw’s growth as an economic center, and offered the Philippines’ skilled workforce to help augment a shortage in Polish manpower in the medical field, information technology, and construction industry.

He noted that many Polish nationals are leaving their country for higher paying jobs in other European Union (EU) countries. Since its EU membership in 2004, Poles can now travel freely and work without visa within Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Scandinavia.

He expressed the hope that skilled Filipino workers can fill the void left by the migrating Poles, citing the vital economic role of  OFW’s in Middle East oilfields, and Filipino nurses in the USA, UK, and Ireland, the same places where Polish workers now head to.

 The Ambassador also cited the operations of the International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) in the Baltic sea port of Gydnia, which is profitable and employs Polish shipyard workers. He also invited Polish businessmen to invest in the Philippines.

For his part, the Honorary Consul emphasized his priority in promoting the Philippines to Polish tourists, and taking immediate steps to open the Polish labor market to well qualified Philippine companies and workers.

In addition, Wroclaw Deputy Mayor Obremski gave a speech underlining the interest of Warsaw in strengthening its links to the Southeast Asian economies, and requested for the Philippines’ and other countries support for Wroclaw’s 2012 Expo bid. 

The opening ceremony showcased the exhibit of Polish photographer Krzysztof Muskalski’s “The Colors of the Philippines”. A Warsaw-based Filipino band provided entertainment. END.

/Allan