Senator Loren Legarda, highlighted the Philippines’ environmental protection efforts in her meeting last June 20 with German parliamentarian Renate Künast, member of the Green Party and Chair of the Bundestag’s German-ASEAN Parliamentary Friendship Group.

The Senator informed Ms. Künast that the Philippines, a country extremely vulnerable to climate change, has made great strides in developing a comprehensive legislative framework to address the issue of environmental degradation.

They discussed their experiences in environmental policy-making and best practices in both countries. The Senator also gave an overview of the major pieces of legislation that she authored that are currently in force in the Philippines, such as the Clean Air Act, Climate Change Act, Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, and the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System, among others.

For her part, Ms. Künast shared Germany’s plan to phase out nuclear power and coal-fired power plants by 2022 and 2038, respectively.

The two parliamentarians were also one in advocating sustainable production of food and other consumer items, and the need to transform how human beings live for the sake of the environment.

Ms. Künast was particularly impressed with exquisite Philippine handicrafts and fabrics, as well as the protection afforded by the Philippine Government, through the Intellectual Property Office, against unmitigated commercialization of indigenous culture.

Ambassador Maria Theresa Dizon-De Vega, who accompanied Senator Legarda to the meeting, also took the opportunity to apprise Ms. Künast of the positive developments in the Philippines, particularly on the economy and the Government’s social programs.

Ms. Künast said that there is indeed a need to provide further information on the Philippines to give the German public a fuller picture, which would, hopefully, facilitate further positive engagement between the Philippines and Germany.

The Senator, meanwhile, invited Ms. Künast and the German-ASEAN Parliamentary Friendship Group to see the developments in the Philippines firsthand.

Senator Legarda and Ms. Künast concluded their extensive discussion with a commitment to look into the possibility of working on special projects together in the near future. END

Philippine Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega delivered main remarks at the 15^th Sommerfest (Summerfest) gathering of alumni of top business institutions in Europe  – INSEAD and HHL Leipzig School of Management – organized by alumni associations of the said institutions and former Philippine Honorary Consul in Hesse and businessman Torsten Griess-Nega.  Ambassador Dizon-De Vega spoke of the unprecedented growth of the Philippine economy and the potential for greater economic engagement with the German and international business community. The program concluded with a toast to Philippine-German Friendship during Philippine Independence Month. END

Philippine Ambassador to Germany Theresa Dizon-De Vega met with Mr. Torsten Klavs, Manager for Qualifications of Porsche at the Porsche Office in Stuttgart, Germany on 13 June 2019.

Ambassador Dizon-De Vega discussed with Mr. Klavs the latest developments and future direction of the ground-breaking Porsche Training Center in the Philippines in partnership with the Don Bosco Technical Institute.

A Corporate Social Responsibility initiative of Porsche, this innovative program was presented at the Global Forum on Migration & Development as a model for developing the global talent pool. Porsche, headquartered in Stuttgart is not only a leader in automotive design and manufacturing, but is also contributing to developing the work force of the future by providing Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) opportunities to many underprivileged students in the Philippines with an aptitude for automotive mechanics and technology.  END

Philippine Ambassador Ma. Theresa Dizon-De Vega presented her credentials today to H.E. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, at Bellevue Palace in Berlin.

As is customary in such state events, the Ambassador and her entourage were escorted by officials of the Protocol Division of the German Foreign Ministry to the Presidential Palace.

Upon arrival at the palace grounds, the Ambassador was welcomed by the Chief of Protocol and given military honors by the German Armed Forces. She was then invited to sign the Palace’s official guest book, followed by the formal presentation of her credentials and the letter of recall of her predecessor to President Steinmeier.

The officials had a brief private meeting after the presentation. During the meeting, President Steinmeier and Ambassador Dizon-De Vega had a cordial and substantial discussion about various aspects of Philippine-Germany relations and looked forward to more active engagement in the years.

The ceremony ended with departure military honors and the raising of the Philippine flag over the Palace grounds.

The Ambassador was accompanied by her spouse, Philippine Ambassador to Belgium, the EU, and non-resident Ambassador to Luxembourg Eduardo Jose De Vega; Philippine Consul General in Frankfurt Evelyn Austria-Garcia; Minister and Consul General Lillibeth V. Pono; and other Embassy officials.

Prior to her assignment in Germany, Ambassador Dizon-De Vega was Officer-in-Charge of the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Office of the Undersecretary for Administration. She has served twice as Chief Coordinator of the Department of Foreign Affairs.She also served as Consul General in New York from 2016 to 2018. Her other foreign postings include the United Kingdom, Hong Kong SAR, China, and Mexico. END