Philippine Embassy in Berlin Commemorates 116th Anniversary of Rizal’s Martyrdom

December 30, 2012

Berlin. 30 December 2012 – H.E. Ambassador Maria Cleofe Natividad led the officers and staff of the Philippine Embassy in Berlin in the commemoration of the 116th Death Anniversary of Dr. Jose P. Rizal through a simple yet meaningful ceremony at the Embassy’s Bulwagang Bagumbayan.

Philippine Embassy officials hold a flag ceremony, and reflect on the life of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal on the occasion of the 116th Anniversary of Dr. Rizal’s martyrdom.

Ambassador Natividad exhorted the officers and staff of the need to commemorate Rizal’s martyrdom “not out of nostalgia, but out of respect for a man who showed us that everyone is capable of redefining themselves if they chose to do so.” Ambassador Natividad noted that the achievements and sacrifices of Dr. Rizal should serve as an inspiration to all. The Ambassador also echoed the remarks of Javier Gomez de la Serna, who had gone to school with Rizal at the Ateneo Municipal, that Dr. Rizal “has shown us that every Filipino can be like Rizal, that he can obtain what he wishes to obtain if he has the determination, ways and sincerity of purpose similar to what Rizal showed in doing important things in his life.” END

Ambassador Natividad hails Research Partnership on Flood Forecasting between Philippine and German Institutes

November 29, 2012

Potsdam. 29 November 2012.

Ambassador Maria Cleofe R. Natividad, Philippine Ambassador to Germany, visited the University of Potsdam for a discussion on the current research partnership between the University of Potsdam (Chair of Hydrology and Climatology) and the University of the Philippines (National Institute of Geological Sciences – NIGS).

“This joint research project between Philippine and German institutions on flood forecasting is within the context of President Benigno S. Aquino’s Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards). As a country affected by frequent floods and other natural disasters, it is in our national interest to develop expertise in this field and sustain and expand this kind of research partnership with Germany,” said Ambassador Natividad.

(L-R) Prof. Dr. Patrick O’Brien, Catherine Abon, and Ambassador Maria Cleofe R. Natividad discuss the partnership between the Philippine and German universities.

Catherine Abon, a faculty member at the UP NIGS who is currently doing her doctoral dissertation at the University of Potsdam on flood forecasting using radar rainfall forecasting in the Marikina River Basin, facilitated the meeting and initiated the partnership between the University of Potsdam and the UP NIGS.

Prof. Dr. Axel Bronstert, Chair for Hydrology and Climatology at the Institute, gives an overview of the research work of the Flood Research Work at the Institute, including the research on flood forecasting in the Marikina River Basin.

Ambassador Natividad was welcomed by Prof. Dr. Axel Bronstert, Chair for Hydrology and Climatology at the Institute, and Dr. Regina Neum-Flux, who heads the International Relations Office and who represented the University President. Prof. Dr. Manfred Strecker provided an overview of the scope of the research and academic work of the Institute of Earth and Environmental Science, including their international courses on geo-governance. Ambassador Natividad also discussed with Dr. Regina Neum-Flux other possible areas of cooperation between Philippine educational institutions and the University of Potsdam.

Dr. Maik Heistermann, head of the Flood Research Group, gave a presentation on the UP2 or the Partnership between the University of the Philippines and the University of Potsdam. The research involves radar-based rainfall estimation, rainfall “nowcasting”, hydrological simulation and flood forecasting. The current nexus is the dissertation work of Ms Abon in the Marikina River Basin. Dr. Heistermann also discussed their assessment of the recent south-west monsoon (habagat) of August 6-9 2012 which claimed many lives in the Philippines.

The Philippine and German institutes have forged a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to provide the framework for the current research partnership. The MOU covers not only an exchange of scientific materials, equipment, and expertise but also opportunities for mutual research and visits of staff and experts. The MOU provides for deeper institutional involvement between the two “UP” institutes and was signed by Prof. Dr. Axel Bronstert and Dr. Carlos Primo David of UP NIGS.

The MOU and the research work of Ms Abon will be highlighted in the upcoming Ambassador’s fellowship and roundtable on education cooperation with stakeholders in the field. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is expected to attend the event. END

Philippine Embassy gears up for “Expert Talks” on Social Security Cooperation with Germany

November 22, 2012

Berlin. 22 November 2012. Ambassador Maria Cleofe Natividad met with officials of the International Department of the German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales – BMAS) on 13 November to discuss details of the upcoming “expert talks” on social security cooperation between the Philippines and Germany. Officials from the Social Security System and the Government Service Insurance System will lead the talks which will take place March 2013.

Ambassador Maria Cleofe Natividad and Minister Mardomel Melicor pose with officials of the German Federal Ministry for Labour and Social Affairs led by Mr. Wolfgang Heller.

Discussions on social security cooperation with Germany have a long history and the upcoming expert talks, which is considered to be the initial phase of negotiations, is a breakthrough. A bilateral social security agreement is expected to benefit Filipinos in Germany which estimated by the Commission on Filipinos Overseas at 55,800.

The Philippines has just recently concluded the final round of negotiations with the German Federal Ministry of Finance (FMF) on the Double Taxation Agreement (DTA). END

Amb. Natividad meets Charlotte Gödicke, German teacher who transformed Sagay, Negros Occidental

November 16, 2012

Berlin. 16 November 2012. As part of the Embassy’s efforts to forge and sustain cooperation with German citizens who champion Philippine causes, Ambassador Maria Cleofe R. Natividad met with Charlotte Gödicke, a German teacher whose selfless dedication helped transform the community of Sagay in Negros Occidental. Ms Gödicke was part of a team working under the Sagay-Osterholz Partnership, a three-decade cooperation programme between the Sagaynons and the people of Osterholz District, Germany.

(Left to Right): Dr. Anne-Sophie Endres from the Evangelical Geriatric Center; Milagros Antonio-Kropp, Cultural Attaché, Charlotte Gödicke, Ambassador Maria Cleofe R. Natividad

The Partnership, and the commitment of Ms. Gödicke in the years to follow, changed the course of Sagay’s history. The former Mayor of Sagay, now Congressman Alfredo G. Marañon, Jr., himself notes that his singular contribution to the development of the community is the successful negotiations of the sponsorship contract with the District of Osterholz in West Germany.

It was in 1982 when Charlotte Gödicke, in her capacity as photographer and English teacher, traveled to Sagay, Negros Occidental, with Karl Deneke, then town councilor of Osterholz-Scharmbeck, near Bremen, northern Germany. In the early 1980s, the economy of Sagay, primarily based on revenues from sugar production, had collapsed. Prices of sugar had dropped and the sugar plantations could no longer sustain the region.

This was the condition when Ms. Gödicke arrived in Sagay for the first time. She was appalled by the widespread poverty. She immediately realized that it was not enough to donate money to the people of Sagay. Upon her return to Germany, she forged contacts with development organizations, educational institutions, church communities and youth unions to gather resources for Sagay. For 25 years, she worked to improve the health condition of children, organized water supply, taught how to administer the city, acquired medical assistance, and established schools for the community. For decades, she was able to gather a total of 1.5 million Deutsche Mark for the city of Sagay.

Today, Sagay is an emerging tourist destination with a 32,000 hectares marine reserve and a carbin reef with a 200 hectares marine sanctuary.

In 2004, Ms Gödicke’s work was recognized with a presidential award given to individuals for supporting specific sectors or communities in the Philippines.

Ambassador Natividad also met Dr. Anne-Sophie Endres, a former trainee in Sagay, who now a medical doctor, who expressed her interest to organize a medical mission to Sagay again in the near future. END

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The Philippine Embassy in Berlin

Philippine Embassy in Berlin Commemorates 116th Anniversary of Rizal’s Martyrdom

Ambassador Natividad hails Research Partnership on Flood Forecasting between Philippine and German Institutes

Philippine Embassy gears up for “Expert Talks” on Social Security Cooperation with Germany

Amb. Natividad meets Charlotte Gödicke, German teacher who transformed Sagay, Negros Occidental

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