EUROSEAS delegates with Amb. Dizon-De Vega and other Embassy officers. (Embassy photo)

Filipino academics from higher education institutions in the Philippines, Europe, and North America gathered at the Philippine Embassy in Berlin today for an afternoon fellowship hosted by Philippine Ambassador to Germany Theresa Dizon-De Vega.

The event dubbed “Salu-Salo sa Embahada” included a tour of the new chancery and a briefing on the Embassy’s latest initiatives, particularly its partnership with Humboldt University on the promotion of Philippine Studies.

EUROSEAS delegates enjoy a hearty Filipino lunch with the Ambassador. (Embassy photo)

The guests also had the opportunity to exchange views and apprise each other of latest developments in their respective fields over a hearty Filipino lunch.

In her welcome remarks, Ambassador Dizon-De Vega informed the group about the first-ever Philippine Studies Program in a German institution with the launch last July 2019 of the Advancing PH Studies Program at Humboldt University, a 3-year program which aims to promote Philippine studies including the Philippine language in Germany. The program is being managed by Filipino Assistant Professor Rosa Del Castillo of Humboldt University. Ambassador Dizon-De Vega lauded the dynamic and active participation of Philippine Studies academicians across various disciplines at the EUROSEAS Conference in order to engage the international academic world in multi-disciplinary discussions about PH conditions which takes into account the PH perspective of our history and culture.

Amb. Dizon-De Vega receives books and journals from the University of the Philippines Archaeology Program. (Embassy photo)

The academics are in Berlin for the 2019 European Association for Southeast Asian Studies (EUROSEAS) Conference, a gathering of academics and other experts on various fields from different parts of the world. This year’s four-day conference is hosted by Humboldt University.

Twenty-one (21) Filipino delegates were beneficiaries of the travel subsidy provided by the Philippine Government as part of the Embassy-Humboldt University partnership agreement. END

The 70-plus nurses pose with Fr Jun de Ocampo and guests from the Philippine Embassy and Filcom church
in what was the biggest gathering, so far, of Filipino nurses from the Berlin-Brandenburg area.
(photo by Mr Vincent Valiente, Filipinos in Berlin)

Ambassador Ma. Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega, who attended the gathering with a team from the Philippine Embassy, took the opportunity to present the newly arrived Labor Attaché who will head the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Berlin, Atty. Delmer R. Cruz. Labatt Cruz introduced himself to the nurses and briefly addressed some of their most pressing questions about applying for an overseas employment certificate (OEC).

Also present was Fr. Jun de Ocampo, the chaplain of the Filipino Community, and representatives of the first batches of healthcare practitioners who came to work in Germany in the late 1960s and the 1970s. Dr. Rebeca Navarozza Kunze delivered a testimonial on their behalf, sharing with the nurses highlights of her experiences as a medical technologist, and later, as a dentist, in Dortmund and in Berlin. A slideshow was likewise presented chronicling the history of Filipino nurses and medical professionals working in Germany.

The speeches and presentations were followed by a buffet salu-salo featuring a spread of Filipino dishes prepared by the nurses themselves. Games, karaoke, and a raffle draw took place alongside the dinner.

Amb. Dizon-De Vega with the nurses event’s organizers, Fr Jun de Ocampo, and the Embassy team.
(photo by Mr Vincent Valiente, Filipinos in Berlin)

Ambassador Dizon-De Vega congratulated the nurses for organizing themselves and for being representatives of the Philippines in Germany that the country can be proud of. She also assured them of the Embassy’s continued support and assistance, especially now that there will be a resident POLO and Labor Attaché in Berlin. (END)