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AMBASSADOR ALMOJUELA MEETS PRESIDENT OF THE LAW OF THE SEA TRIBUNAL
HAMBURG, 26 June 2026 – Ambassador Maria Teresa Torres Almojuela met H.E. Judge Tómas Heiðar, President of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), in Hamburg on 26 June 2026.
They exchanged views on the important role of international judicial institutions such as ITLOS in upholding the rule of law, promoting the peaceful settlement of disputes, and strengthening a rules-based international order.
Ambassador Almojuela emphasized the Philippines’ unwavering commitment to the 1982 United Nations’ Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and steadfast support for its bodies, i.e. the ITLOS, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS). Together, these bodies form an integrated framework for the governance of the oceans and the implementation of UNCLOS.
Both photos: Amb. Maria Teresa T. Almojuela with ITLOS President Tómas Heiðar.
During the meeting, President Heiðar and Mrs. Ximena Hinrichs Oyarce, Registrar of the Tribunal, informed the Ambassador of the recent activities of ITLOS in New York, where the 36th Meeting of States Parties approved the work program and budget of the 21-member Tribunal and its Secretariat. They also noted that there is stronger recognition among States of the role and functions of the Tribunal, based on the number of cases brought before it.
Ambassador Almojuela noted that this highlights the confidence of States in ITLOS as an independent, impartial and effective forum for the peaceful resolution of disputes concerning the interpretation and application of UNCLOS.
Noting the 30th anniversary of the ITLOS this year, Ambassador Almojuela commended the Tribunal and its Summer Academy on their efforts to build a community of legal professionals and scholars worldwide who are key to implementing and supporting the Law of the Sea, particularly as an instrument for the peaceful settlement of disputes. She cited programs to train thousands of scholars, legal professionals and public officials across the world, including from the Philippines.
Ambassador Almojuela also pointed out the value of ITLOS regional activities, including in Africa, Latin America and Asia, where the application of the Law of Sea is better understood and advanced in specific regional contexts. This engagement is key to helping all regions benefit from, and effectively engage with, institutions established under UNCLOS. Recent workshops of ITLOS in Asia were cited in the meeting.
Photo: (from left) ITLOS Registrar Mrs. Ximena Hinrichs Oyarce, Amb. Maria Teresa T. Almojuela, President Tómas Heiðar, Deputy Chief of Mission Gerardo P. Abiog, and Third Secretary Dana Michelle C. Del Rosario at ITLOS on 26 June 2026.
The Philippines’ commitment to international law was demonstrated in its participation in the Tribunal’s proceedings in September 2023 on the Request for an Advisory Opinion submitted by the Commission of Small Island States (COSIS) on Climate Change and International Law. The Philippines strongly welcomed the Tribunal’s Advisory Opinion issued months later – in May 2024 – which clarified that states have a legal obligation to prevent, reduce, and control these emissions to protect the marine environment, thus strengthening legal certainty on the subject.
In key parts of that Advisory Opinion, the Tribunal cited the South China Sea Arbitration Award of 12 July 2016 as authoritative. Twenty six (26) States or Group of States, such as the COSIS itself, the African Union and the European Union, and two international organizations, also referenced the Award as legal authority in their respective oral and written arguments during the Tribunal’s proceedings. This establishes that the 2016 Arbitral Award, which marks its 10th Anniversary in two weeks, is well-recognized as part of the body of international law.
In the 36th Meeting of UNCLOS States Parties held last 15-19 June in New York, the Philippines called for compliance with decisions and rulings duly rendered through the compulsory dispute settlement mechanisms under UNCLOS, such as the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award, and respect for decisions as well as respect for the advisory opinions that provide authoritative clarity to its provisions, such as the 2024 ITLOS Advisory Opinion. –END.
PHILIPPINE EMBASSY IN BERLIN COMMEMORATES DAY OF THE SEAFARER 2026 WITH BACK-TO-BACK EVENTS IN BREMERHAVEN
BREMERHAVEN, Germany – On 25 June 2026, the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines in Berlin commemorated the Day of the Seafarer with two back-to-back events in Bremerhaven, Germany, bringing together seafarers of Filipino and other nationalities, port officials, maritime community leaders, university students, and local government partners in a day of advocacy, fellowship, and recognition.
The afternoon opened with an Embassy-hosted activity at the Seaman’s Club Welcome, Bremerhaven. Ambassador Maria Teresa T. Almojuela delivered the keynote message on the theme “Advancing International Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Well-Being of International Seafarers.”
Amb. Maria Teresa T. Almojuela delivered her keynote message to the seafarers on 25 June 2026 at the Seaman’s Club Welcome, Bremerhaven.
Speaking to an audience of seafarers and port officials, the Ambassador underscored that seafarers must be recognized as rights-holders, not merely as workers in a logistical chain, and called on governments, industry, and international organizations to translate global commitments into concrete protections.
The Ambassador highlighted that the Philippines is home to over 400,000 to 500,000 seafarers serving on vessels across the globe, representing approximately 20 to 25 percent of the world’s maritime workforce. She drew attention to key international and domestic milestones in advancing seafarers’ rights: UN Human Rights Council Resolution 56/18, the first standalone resolution dedicated to seafarers’ human rights, and the Manila Declaration on Seafarers’ Human Rights, Safety, and Well-Being, issued in September 2025.
Ambassador Almojuela also noted Germany’s early endorsement of the Manila Declaration and the shared responsibilities of the Philippines and Germany as current IMO Council members for 2026 to 2027, including their co-chairmanship in international humanitarian law processes aimed at strengthening protections for seafarers and critical maritime infrastructure.
Close to 60 seafarers attended the Embassy’s event, co-sponsored by the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) – Berlin.
Left photo: Amb. Almojuela with Harbour Master Stephan Berger, Prof. Dr. Suzette Suarez, Mr. Thomas Reinold, Senator Kristina Vogt (first row), Mr. Robert Howe, Mr. Matthias Ristau , Prof. Dr. Ivan Krämer and Pastor Uwe Baumhauer (second row). Right photo: Ambassador Almojuela delivers her opening remarks at the Seafarers Day event of the Seaman’s Mission Bremerhaven.
Later that afternoon, the Embassy joined the Seafarers event organized by the Club. Over 120 attendees joined the celebration which featured a basketball tournament, games and barbeque. To open the event, Ambassador Almojuela delivered her remarks on the challenges faced by seafarers in times of crisis, and what the international community is doing to protect the rights, safety, and well-being of seafarers.
At 18:00, attendees gathered in anticipation as three long blasts of the horn rang out from vessels docked at the Port of Bremerhaven, a new tradition initiated by Captain Stephan Berger, Harbour Master and Head of Port Authority Bremen, and current Vice-President of the International Harbour Masters’ Association, as a symbolic tribute to seafarers worldwide.
Top photo: Seafarers and attendees awaited and cheered for the three long blasts from the vessels at port. Bottom photo: Seafarers, guests, and community members cheer for the Day of the Seafarer, lead by Prof. Dr. Iven Krämer.
The day’s programme was organized in close coordination with Pastor Uwe Baumhauer and Deacon Thomas Reinold of the Seaman’s Mission Bremerhaven. Among the attendees were Hon. Kristina Vogt, Senator for Economic Affairs, Ports and Transformation of Bremerhaven; Captain Stephan Berger, Head of Port Authority Bremen and Harbour Master; Prof. Dr. Iven Krämer, Head of Department for Port Economics, Infrastructure and Shipping at the office of Senator Vogt; Mr. Robert Howe, General Manager of BremenPorts; Mr. Matthias Ristau, General Secretary of the German Seaman’s Mission; Mr. Magnus Deppe, Manager of the Seaman’s Mission Bremen; and Prof. Dr. Suzette Suarez of the Hochschule Bremen.
Ambassador Almojuela joins the seafarers and community members for photos.
The day’s events were a special opportunity for the Philippine Embassy to bring recognition and solidarity to Filipino seafarers far from home. With the Philippines among the world’s foremost suppliers of maritime personnel, the Embassy reaffirmed its commitment to championing the welfare, rights, and dignity of every Filipino seafarer, wherever they may be sailing. –END.
Philippine Embassy Explores Early Philippine-German Ties Through Culture and Heritage
BERLIN, 21 May 2026 – The Philippine Embassy in Germany, in partnership with the Zentral- und Landesbibliothek Berlin (ZLB), University of the Philippines-Baguio and the Bavarian Academy of Science and Humanities, successfully held “Archipelago Alive: Early Philippine-German Connections Through Ethnology,” an event that brought together approximately 50 participants from the academic, diplomatic, museum, and Filipino community. The event took place at the Berlin Saal of the ZLB on 21 May 2026 from 5:30 to 8:00 PM, and formed part of the Embassy’s ongoing UPLIFT Series – a space for community dialogue and engagement on issues that matter to the Filipino diaspora in Germany aimed at fostering Philippine-German ties.
In her opening remarks, Ambassador Maria Teresa T. Almojuela said that “Ethnography inspires reflections on identity and community. In our globalized world it is a treasure to know what makes us unique and special, and what carries us forward in our days as a people and as a community. Ethnography is about journeys of discovery, when we peel and behold layers of otherness in those who are different to us and those who came before us, and at the same time, we uncover threads of humanity that bind us to one another.” This set the tone for the rest of the evening’s conversation.
The program centered on early Philippine-German ethnological connections, followed by the Berlin launch of the 2024 publication “Hunting for Artifacts: 19th Century German Explorers in the Luzon Cordillera”, a collaborative project among Austrian, German, and Philippine universities and museums. The book traces the expeditions of 19th-century German scientist-explorers in the Philippines and documents Philippine cultural artifacts now preserved in various ethnology museums in Germany such as in Dresden, Leipzig, Munich, and Berlin.
Amb. Maria Teresa T. Almojuela delivers her opening remarks (left); attendees of the event at the Berlin Saal of the Zentral- und Landesbibliothek Berlin (ZLB) (right).
The evening’s conversation featured presentations from two distinguished scholars, Dr. Analyn Salvador-Amores, Professor of Anthropology at the University of the Philippines-Baguio spoke about her experience and discoveries while researching and documenting Cordilleran artifacts in Germany, how these objects were acquired early in the days, and their eventual digital repatriation to the “source communities” and cultural bearers in the Philippines; and Dr. Christopher Kast, Head of Research at the Bavarian Academy of Science and Humanities, shared the specific Philippine collections of German pharmacist Heinrich Rothdauscher from 1873-1883, and discussed the contemporary academic and methodological dimensions of cataloguing these artifacts, shedding light on how the expeditions were conducted and how the resulting collections are being studied and interpreted today.
Top left: Cordillera Germany Organization, e.V. performs the Hudhud.
Top right: Amb. Maria Teresa T. Almojuela together with Consul Benjamin A. Celedio, Jr. (rightmost), Vice Consul Dana Michelle C. Del Rosario (second from right), members of the Cordillera Germany Organization, e.V., and Dr. Analyn Salvador-Amores.
Bottom row (photos of panelists, from left): Dr. Rosa Cordillera Castillo, Dr. Christopher Kast, Dr. Analyn Salvador-Amores, Mr. John dela Rosa, Ms. Ms. Den Argao, Ms. Apricot Maysano, Ms. Mild Hombrebueno, and Dr. Rosa Cordillera A. Castillo.
A panel of reactors brought personal and community perspectives to the discussion. Ms. Apricot Maysano of the Cordillera Germany Organization, e.V. shared poignant reflections as a Cordillera native living in Germany on the significance of the artifacts to her tribe, and how he felt about the presence of some sacred artifacts in Germany. Academic and anthropologist Dr. Rosa Cordillera A. Castillo, who is also a former coordinator of the Philippine Studies Program at Humboldt University, spoke on the importance of sustaining conversations on Philippine identity in relation to “decolonizing” Philippine colonial artifacts. Baybayin artist Ms. Den Argao shared her fascination with Philippine artifacts and how this motivates her into promoting Baybayin as a proud Philippine cultural heritage. Visiting native scholars and PhD candidates Ms. Mild Hombrebueno and Mr. John dela Rosa reflected on their personal insights on the Philippine collections in Germany through their participation in the Spring School organized by the Bavarian Academy of Science and Humanities.
Book Launch and Cultural Performance
The event closed with the official Berlin launch of the 2024 publication “Hunting for Artifacts: 19th Century German Explorers in the Luzon Cordillera,” a collaborative project among Austrian, German, and Philippine universities and museums. The book was earlier launched in the Philippines in April 2025, and at the 77th Frankfurt Book Fair in October 2025.
Amb. Maria Teresa T. Almojuela and Dr. Analyn Salvador-Amores on the launch of the book, “Hunting for Artifacts” at the Berlin Saal of the Zentral- und Landesbibliothek Berlin (ZLB), 21 May 2026.
Following the launch, the Cordillera Germany Organization e.V. capped the night with an evocative performance of the Hudhud chant, an ancient oral tradition of the Ifugao communities. This tradition was proclaimed by UNESCO as a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity” in 2001, and was later inscribed on the “Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” in 2008. The haunting, melodic performance of the Hudhud chant offered a living expression of the cultural heritage that was discussed throughout the evening, and was received with deep appreciation by guests.
The event was made possible through the generosity of the Zentral- und Landesbibliothek Berlin (ZLB), and efforts of Dr. Salvador-Amores of UP Baguio and Dr. Kast of the Bavarian Academy of Science and Humanities. –END