Ambassador Thomeczek briefed the group on the current thrusts of the Philippine Embassy in promoting the welfare of overseas Filipinos. She informed the delegates of the presence of Philippine honorary consulates providing consular and other services in the different regions of Germany. The Ambassador also took the opportunity to invite the German delegates to visit the Philippines. Consuls Adrian Elmer Cruz, Gabriel Bautista, and Azela Arumpac complemented the Ambassador’s remarks with a short presentation on the initiatives of the Embassy on the political, economic, and consular fronts.
In response, Ms. Imgard Sander, coordinator for the office of MP Wiese, thanked the Ambassador for the warm welcome and expressed appreciation for the open lines of communication with the Embassy, noting the importance of such ties when doing international relief work in the wake of natural disasters like the Typhoon Haiyan. Many of the delegates with Filipino roots approached the Ambassador to share their personal stories in relation to the relief efforts in their own communities.
The Sauerland is one of the largest tourist regions in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. The largest concentration of Filipinos in Germany, estimated at around 3,838, is in North Rhine-Westphalia. A Philippine Honorary Consulate located in Essen and headed by Honorary Consul Heinz-Peter Heidrich has jurisdiction over this region. ***END