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

Rizal @160 Commemorated in Germany

21 June 2021, Berlin – The Philippine Embassy in Berlin commemorated the 160^th Birth Anniversary of Dr. Jose P. Rizal with the Philippine and global premiere of the documentary film “Finding Rizal in a Time of Barriers”, a project envisioned and conceptualized by Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda and executed by a team composed of Deputy Speaker Legarda, award-winning Director Floy Quintos and Light Vision Films, the Department of Foreign Affairs, The Philippine Embassy in Berlin, and the Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt.

 

Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega likewise joined Deputy Speaker Legarda and other special guests for the Pre-Launch Program and Press Conference before the airing of the documentary.

 

The Embassy also held a simple wreath-laying ceremony to mark Rizal’s birth anniversary with guests from the Knights of Rizal and Ladies for Rizal. END