Ambassador Natividad Meets First Batch of Nurses in Frankfurt

January 27, 2014

Berlin, 27 January 2014 – Ambassador Natividad met the first batch of Philippine nurses who arrived in Frankfurt on 15 December 2013.

The Ambassador, who was in Frankfurt for the Thomas Lloyd Cleantech took the opportunity of her presence in Frankfurt to meet the nurses for dinner on 23 January 2014.

The four nurses, Ms. Vanessa Preclaro, Ms. Krystel Anne Sumido, Ms. Eowyn Galvez, and Mr. Ruel Galias, who are all employed by the Nordwest Hospital in Frankfurt seemed to have adjusted well to their new life in Germany. The nurses, who were delighted to meet the Ambassador, mentioned their appreciation for the support given by the hospital’s administration, their co-workers, and especially that of the Filipino community in Frankfurt.

The arrival of the nurses come at a time when nurses from the first wave who came between the mid sixties and mid seventies are reaching retirement age.
The Triple Win Project, under the Philippines-Germany Agreement concerning the Deployment of Philippine Health Professionals in Employment Positions in the Federal Republic of Germany, is currently helping more than 200 nurses undergo training to prepare them for deployment to Germany. The next batch of nurses is expected to arrive in Tubingen in the next few weeks. END

The Philippines takes center stage at the ThomasLloyd Clean Teach Congress in Frankfurt

January 26, 2014

Frankfurt. The Philippines took center stage at the 2014 ThomasLloyd Clean Tech Congress Europe, held at the Frankfurt Convention Center on 24 January 2014. This year’s edition, themed “Meet Asia. Meet Renewable Energy’s Future”, brought together more than a thousand European investors and technology companies to discuss emerging business and investment opportunities in renewable energy infrastructure in Asia.

Owing to its strong partnership with Bronzeoak Philippines Inc., the Stuttgart-headquartered ThomasLloyd Group identified the Philippines as the conference’s focus country. ThomasLloyd and Bronzeoak Philippines Inc. are pursuing nearly USD 500 million worth of investments in three (3) biomass, one (1) wind and two (2) solar energy power projects in Negros Occidental, while another biomass facility is in development in Tarlac.
Investors were provided with an in depth picture of the Philippine economy and opportunities in the renewable energy (RE) sector. Senator Loren Legarda, during her keynote speech, highlighted the legal and regulatory reforms in place to support renewable energy investments such as the Renewable Energy law, Feed-in Tariff, Net Metering, Renewable Portfolio Standards, and Green Energy Option. Senator Legarda stressed that the country’s National Renewable Energy Program has set out aggressive targets on renewable energy development from 2011-2030, aiming to nearly triple the existing capacity of 5,369 megawatts to 15,304 megawatts by the year 2030.

Former Senator Edgardo Angara highlighted the core fundamentals and institutional transformation of the Philippine economy. Senator Angara noted that, with a renewable energy potential of between 150-250 GW, the sector has the ability to ameliorate the conditions of the 16 million Filipinos who are classified as energy-poor and the 40 million who are reliant on traditional solid biomass for cooking.

Ambassador Maria Cleofe Natividad, for her part, provided a snapshot of the Philippine economy and highlighted that the Aquino administration has focused on the principle that “good governance translates to good economics.” Investors were heartened to note key policy successes, such as the government’s anti-corruption drive, enhanced fiscal transparency, and improved tax administration, which have contributed to the country’s improved competitiveness and the attainment of investment grade status in 2013.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, who participated via live satellite link, highlighted that the Philippines is a good partner for renewable energy investors, and commended the Philippines as a leader in the use of geothermal energy. Noting the increased regional tensions in the South China Sea, Mr. Clinton predicted there would be an increased appetite for clean technology as it would provide energy independence and domestic economic security. He further highlighted the need for policymakers in Asia to make a better case for renewable energy and called for the development of a realistic analytical and financial framework for renewable energy that would make RE projects feasible over the long run.

The Bronzeoak Philippines management team, led by its President Jose Maria Zabaleta, Jr., also briefed investors on the project cycle from concept to commercial operation, and provided status updates on all eight ongoing and prospective projects, which are expected to provide 190 MW to the national grid between 2014 and 2016. The San Carlos Solar Energy I development will be the first project to be implemented under the 2008 Renewable Energy law and the feed-in-tariff (FIT) rates.

At the end of the conference, ThomasLloyd CEO Michael Seig presented a USD 100,000 check to Ambassador Natividad and Senator Legarda to be used for renewable energy solutions in schools affected by Typhoon Haiyan.

ThomasLloyd is a leading investment banking and investment management group, solely dedicated to the renewable energy sector in Asia. The company operates 13 offices in 12 countries for its 37,144 clients, with approximately USD 2.7 billion in assets under management or advisory services. Under its Cleantech Infrastructure Fund, ThomasLloyd has invested USD 82 million in Bronzeoak’s renewable energy projects and is looking to invest an additional USD 130 million for future projects. END.

Benefit Concert Successfully Held: German Private Donations at Almost 50 million Euros

November 30, 2013

Benefit Concert Successfully Held at Berlin City Hall: German Private Donations at Almost 50 million Euros for Typhoon Yolanda

28 November 2013, Berlin. The Filipino Community and Philippine Embassy in Berlin, together with several high profile partners, successfully staged a benefit concert for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) on 27 November 2013 at the Berlin City Hall (Rotes Rathaus). The concert, organized in less than a week, was made possible through the valuable support of the Federal Foreign Office (Auswäertiges Amt), Berlin Senate Chancellery (Senatskanzlei von Berlin), Willkommen in Berlin, and Germany’s Relief Coalition (Aktion Deutschland Hilft). Dr. Abelardo Galang II, a German-trained Filipino pianist based in Berlin, served as musical director.

In the spirit of solidarity, hundreds packed the main hall of the Rotes Rathaus to learn more about how the general public could help those in the disaster-stricken areas of the Central Philippines. Mr. Christoph Waffenschmidt, Chair of World Vision Germany and Board Member of Aktion Deutschland Hilft, emphasized the importance of these charity events, which ensure that the plight of the typhoon victims remains in the public limelight. Mr. Waffenschmidt and Director Clemens von Goetze of the Federal Foreign Office both highlighted that although many German and international relief organizations are now ramping up the delivery of assistance, much more needs to be done. Ambassador von Goetze emphasized that the Federal Government, in addition to the 6.5 million Euros provided in immediate humanitarian assistance, was committed to help the Philippines in the recovery and reconstruction phases. Ambassador Maria Cleofe R. Natividad, for her part, thanked the German government and people for their steadfast support. She highlighted: “Tonight, just as we pay respect to those whose lives were cut short and to those who have survived, we also pay tribute to those who stood by us in our time of need, and to those who continue to stand by us as we clear the rubble, pick up the pieces, and rebuild… And Germany, the Federal government, and the German people, stood by us at the darkest hour. If there is any silver lining in the dark cloud that was Haiyan, it is this hand of friendship extended to us by Germany, and by the international community.” Private companies and citizens in Germany have now donated almost 49.6 million Euros (PhP 2.95 billion) to the NGO alliances of Aktion Deutschland Hilft and Aktionsbuendnis Katastrophenhilfe, which are now providing food and potable water as well as sanitation, shelter and medical services to the typhoon victims. Almost PhP 350,000 was raised during the evening’s concert and at an earlier concert at the Filipino community’s Bayernallee parish.

The audience witnessed a medley of classical and contemporary songs, which included performances by Barbara Leifer, twin Indonesian pianists Sonja and Shanti Sungkono as well as Andion Fernandez and Dr. Abelardo Galang, who are Berlin-based Filipino artists. Wilkommen in Berlin, the Federal Foreign Office’s diplomatic club, had its WIB Choir serenade the audience with Ryan Cayabyab’s “Paraiso” while the Philippine Embassy’s Mylah and Jose Mari Rubio closed the evening with a moving rendition of Cayabyab’s “O Bayan Ko.”

Aktion Deutschland Hilft, an NGO coalition composed of: Action Medeor, ADRA Deutschland, CARE Deutschland-Luxemburg, Help – Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe, Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe, Malteser Hilfsdienst, Habitat for Humanity, and World Vision, among others, is continuing to raise support for the typhoon victims. More information on the organization may be obtained here: http://www.aktion-deutschland-hilft.de/de/hilfseinsaetze/taifun-haiyan-philippinen-vietnam/kurzinfo-taifun-haiyan-philippinen/
– END –

Philippine Chancery in Berlin soon to rise

November 26, 2013

26 November 2013, Berlin – Negotiations for the procurement of a lot and building for the Philippine Embassy and Residence in Berlin started off on its first round, with general developer Groth Development GmbH & Co KG (Groth Gruppe) from Berlin meeting the Embassy’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) in the presence of its technical and legal advisers and Ambassador Maria Cleofe R. Natividad.

Ambassador Natividad welcomed the participants to the two-hour negotiations that took place in the Embassy, encouraging them to conduct the negotiations in a constructive manner towards a fair and satisfactory conclusion. At the rate the talks are going, the contract signing might be expected in the first quarter of next year.

The proposed project is a 5-storey building on Von-der-Heydt-Strasse in Berlin’s prime diplomatic quarter at Berlin-Tiergarten. The building combines the Residence at the top floor with the Chancery in the floors beneath.

The Embassy has hired the services of an expert building consultant that will advise it all the way from the negotiations with the bidders until the conclusion of the building project. HPP International Planungsgesellschaft mbH with main headquarters in Düsseldorf, Germany is the Embassy’s consultant. HPP has worked with many German institutions, including the Federal Foreign Office.
HPP is one of Germany’s leading architectural partnerships with 80 years of experience in producing buildings of every type and size in Germany and abroad. HPP constructed or advised the German government in the construction of its Embassies in Kiev, Bucharest, Warsaw and Kabul, and the Press and Information Office of the Federal Government in Berlin. It was also commissioned for the expansion of the Embassy of Japan in Berlin. HPP’s achievements can be seen at their website www.hpp.com.

Groth Gruppe has 30 years of experience in the industry, and it has constructed in Berlin the Mexican and Malaysian Embassies, as well as buildings for the Embassies of Luxemburg, Bahrain, Malta and Monaco. Within the Köbis-Triangle where the prospective site of the Philippine Embassy is envisioned, Groth Gruppe was responsible for several representative buildings including Konrad Adenauer Foundation building, and is now building the “Heydt Eins” high-end residential project which will rise beside the prospective site.

Other important buildings of Groth Gruppe in Berlin are the CDU Headquarters, and the building for the “House of German Business” which has the offices of the interest groups DIHK, the BDI and the BDA. One can appreciate Groth Gruppe’s past and present projects through its website www.grothgruppe.de.

The Embassy has been renting portions of a business building at Berlin-Wilmersdorf for its Chancery since it moved from Bonn to Berlin in 1999. If the building project pushes through with a contract signing in the first quarter of 2014, construction will be concluded by 2016 and the Philippines can finally boast of its own Embassy building in the European capital where Dr. José P. Rizal first published his Noli Me Tangere over a century ago. (END).

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The Philippine Embassy in Berlin

Ambassador Natividad Meets First Batch of Nurses in Frankfurt

The Philippines takes center stage at the ThomasLloyd Clean Teach Congress in Frankfurt

Benefit Concert Successfully Held: German Private Donations at Almost 50 million Euros

Philippine Chancery in Berlin soon to rise

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