BERLIN, 08 May 2026 – The Philippine Embassy in Berlin donated Philippine UN80 Commemorative Stamps and Official First Day Cover to the Museum for Communication Berlin, the oldest postal museum in the world, on 7 May 2026.  

Titled “The Philippines’ 80 Years in the United Nations: A Journey of Hope & Endeavor,” the se-tenant stamps were launched by the PhilPost and the Department of Foreign Affairs on 26 June 2025. It commemorates the 80th anniversary of the Philippines in the UN as one of its 51 founding members, and highlights the Philippines’ contributions and enduring commitment to multilateralism and international diplomacy. 

Amb. Maria Teresa T. Almojuela presents the UN80 Commemorative Stamps and Official First Day Cover.

Ambassador Maria Teresa T. Almojuela handed over the stamps to Ms. Anja Schaluschke, Head (Curator) of the Museum Foundation for Post and Telecommunications, and Director of the Museum for Communication Berlin; and Dr. Andreas Hahn, Head of the Philatelic Archive Museum Foundation-Bonn for Post and Telecommunications-Bonn.

In her message, Ambassador Almojuela thanked Ms. Schaluschke and Dr. Hahn for the excellent arrangements for the presentation of the Philippine donation and their openness to explore future collaboration with the Embassy on Philippine collections of the Museum and the Philatelic Archives in Bonn.

Amb. Maria Teresa T. Almojuela (center) with Ms. Anja Schaluschke (left) and Dr. Andreas Hahn (right) during the ceremonial donation.

Ambassador Almojuela highlighted that stamps tell a lot about the heritage and values of nations and peoples. She shared the story behind the UN80 Commemorative Stamps, and linked the Philippines’ advocacy for freedom, democracy, human rights and sovereignty in the UN to the Philippines’ historical ties with Germany.  She explained that the ideals were championed by our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, who lived in Heidelberg and Berlin and drew inspiration from Germany’s liberal and scientific traditions.  Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere was printed in Berlin in 1887.

Dr. Andreas Hahn presents Philippine stamps collection in cardboards from the Philatelic Archive Museum Foundation Bonn, which dates back the Spanish colonial period

Forming part of the program was a presentation by Dr. Hahn on the early Philippine stamps printed during the Spanish colonial era and Philippine post-independence period. Dr. Hahn said that Spain began to issue postal stamps in the 1850s, and by 1854 Spain shipped the first postal stamps to the Philippines. These were among the first stamps printed just over a decade after the United Kingdom issued the first stamp in 1840. –END.

20 November 2021, Hamburg – The Hamburg-based Federation of Filipino Organizations in Northern Germany (FFONG e.V.) held the induction of its new officers and annual Christmas party on 20 November 2021. The Philippine Embassy’s Chargé d’affaires,a.i. Lillibeth V. Pono administered the oath to the officers of the Federation led by its incoming President, Ms. Corazon Entapa.

Dr. Resurreccion R. Repotente, M.D., one of the founders of the Federation, in her Welcoming Remarks recounted the history of the organization, including the objective of creating a forum of exchange through the FFONG after the closure of the Philippine Consulate in Hamburg in 2008. She encouraged the new officers to continue to harness the potential of each organization into a common force and continue to be a light to each other.

On the other hand, former FFONG President Ms. Divina Gracia-Martens underscored  that the Embassy has always been supportive of FFONG and able to troubleshoot problems and address the concerns of Filipinos, especially  the undocumented ones.

Ms. Corazon Entapa, in her acceptance speech as FFONG President  emphasized the need for Bayanihan and  cooperation.  She appealed  to the members of  the Federation to continue upholding their mission and organizational objectives.

Ms.  Pono  conveyed  to the newly-inducted officers that they are  leaders,  with assumed responsibilities,  to advance the welfare of their communities.   She  assured the FFONG that despite the closure of the Philippine Consulate in Hamburg, the Embassy will always be a partner of the Federation, as it has always been, in promoting the interests Filipinos and Filipino-Germans in northern Germany.

The Federation was established in 18 April 2010 in the wake of the closure of the Philippine Consulate General in Hamburg and is a registered organization (eingetragener Verein e.V.) under local German laws. Its membership includes 17 Filipino community organizations from the States of Hamburg, Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony. There are around 5,000 Filipino-Germans in the Northern German area. (END)

Deputy Speaker Legarda Legarda and Dr. Analyn Salvador-Amores are Featured Speakers on Philippine Textiles at Humboldt University

15 July 2021, Berlin  –  Humboldt University (HU), one of the largest universities in Europe, through its Advancing Philippine Studies Program and in partnership with the Philippine Embassy in Berlin held an online panel discussion entitled “Habi: Weaving Philippine Textiles’ Future,” on 14 July 2021 with guest speakers Deputy Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives Loren Legarda and Dr. Analyn Salvador-Amores of the University of the Philippines-Baguio and the Museo Kordilyera. The discussion was one of the best attended sessions co-organized by the Philippine Embassy this year with over 140 participants eager to learn more about the textile weaving culture of the Philippines.

Dr. Salvador-Amores shared with the audience how cultural revival of weaving and production of textiles is taking place in the Cordillera Region of the Philippines through the Cordillera Textiles Project or CordiTex, a multi-disciplinary research approach in analyzing textile production and how this tradition can be made sustainable in contemporary times. It is the goal of advocacy projects like CordiTex, which brings together cultural studies and technology, to empower weaving communities and sustain the critical cultural practice of weaving.

Deputy Speaker Legarda, one of the most vocal and active champions of Philippine cultural preservation, shared efforts by the Philippine legislature and other institutions in the promotion and preservation of Philippine weaves and weaving culture. The Deputy Speaker focused on the production of pineapple fiber-sourced weaves more popularly known in the Philippines as piña and piña-seda (pineapple silk) to illustrate the urgent need to preserve and sustain Philippine weaving traditions and production.

She spoke of the need for convergence in the efforts of legislators like herself, in pushing for responsive legislation and the effective implementation of sustainable programs by all stakeholders in the entire weaving process. She emphasized that it literally takes an entire community of advocates and practitioners to realize this and in the process engender cultural preservation and identity, promote sustainable practices, institutionalize fair trade practices, provide livelihood, and cultivate Filipino artistry.

Deputy Speaker Legarda also showed photos of more than a century old Philippine artifacts, including piña items and Philippine weaves, donated by Philippine national hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal and now housed at the Berlin Ethnological Museum.

Likewise present at the talk were Philippine Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega, German Ambassador Anke Reiffenstuel, Prof. Dr. Vincent Houben of Humboldt University’s Institute for Asian and African Studies, and Dr. Rosa Cordillera A. Castillo of Humboldt University and Program Director for the Advancing Philippine Studies Program who served as session moderator.

Advancing Philippine Studies at HU aims to advance and promote Philippine and Filipino studies through various academic and research platforms. The program is made possible through the efforts of Deputy Speaker Legarda who facilitated the program grant, Humboldt University, and the Philippine Embassy in Berlin. END