Viewing category: Political

Philippines lauded by the German Business Community at OAV´s 94th Liebesmahl

March 10, 2014

Hamburg, 10 March 2014. The German Asia-Business Association (OAV) lauded the Philippines for its impressive economic performance at the 94th Liebesmahl on 7 March 2014 in Hamburg. OAV Chairman and Deutsche Bank co-CEO Juergen Fitschen invited Finance Secretary Cesar V. Purisima as the keynote speaker in recognition of the country’s improved competitiveness and Secretary Purisima’s commitment to economic reforms and good governance.

In his welcome remarks, Mr. Fitschen stressed that the Philippines was proving to be a true success story in the Asia Pacific region, with growth being underpinned by strong fundamentals in contrast to other emerging markets where growth has been artificially created. Mr. Fitschen was especially bullish about growth prospects in the Philippines and he noted that the German business community is gaining a keen awareness of the country’s core strength: its people. Deutsche Bank, for instance, employs more than 2,000 staff at its Deutsche Knowledge Services in Bonifacio Global City. Speaking extemporaneously before 400 high-level representatives from business and government, Secretary Purisima painted a vivid and detailed picture of the Philippine economy, whose 7.2% growth despite Typhoon Haiyan proved to be Asia’s second fastest growing economy in 2013. Mr. Purisima highlighted that the government’s good governance platform has translated to good economics and was contributing to a virtuous and self-reinforcing economic cycle.

For example, the government’s credit ratings upgrades have lowered borrowing costs and allowed the government extra fiscal space to increase spending in education, health and social services while local companies are capitalizing on cheaper credit to aggressively invest in infrastructure and industry. As ASEAN’s second largest population and one of Asia’s youngest with a median age of 22, the Philippines is benefiting from a demographic dividend that is creating inflection points for growth in certain industries such as automotive demand. And while many had argued that the country was witnessing a “brain drain”, Secretary Purisima explained that migration was actually proving to be a “brain grain”, where returning Filipinos have been at the forefront of the growth of the shipbuilding, IT and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), and tourism sectors.

Secretary Purisima noted that in this Asian century, many leading German and global companies were now opting to diversify investments across ASEAN and China. Given the Philippines’ success factors, as well as its central geographic position in Asia-Pacific, its European heritage, and the opportunities afforded by the ASEAN Economic Community, Secretary Purisima emphasized the government’s commitment to engage Germany’s Mittelstand, or small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) that form the backbone of the German economy. To ensure a sustainable future partnership with the Mittelstand, the Philippines is looking to replicate the success of Germany’s dual education system in creating 100,000 jobs per year. Secretary Purisima’s commitment to bolster this economic relationship was evident when he offered to host the 15th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business after this year’s edition in Ho Chi Minh City.

For his part, Mr. Hubert Lienhard, the newly elected Chair of the Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business (APA), congratulated Secretary Purisima on being awarded Finance Minister of the Year for Asia-Pacific. This marks the fourth consecutive year that Secretary Purisima has received such honors from relevant award bodies.

Mr. Lienhard, in his own remarks, emphasized that the APA was prioritizing equality, partnership and sustainable development in its strategy as it seeks to stimulate greater two-way trade and investments with the Asia-Pacific region. He emphasized that the APA is committed to ensuring that German companies have a strong and local presence in Asia

Earlier in the day, Ambassador Maria Cleofe R. Natividad co-hosted an afternoon tea reception with Mr. Ernst Peter Komrowski, OAV Country Committee Head for the Philippines. Representatives from the private sector, including Deutsche Bank, Hamburg Port Consulting, and the German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GPCCI) discussed economic developments in the Philippines and explored possible future cooperation, including the eventual creation of German Center for Industry and Trade in the Philippines.

The German Asia-Pacific Business Association (OAV), which was founded in 1900 as a lobbying platform for North German trading houses, has become Germany’s nationwide representative in engaging Asian economies. The OAV regularly invites prominent guests from Germany and the Asia-Pacific region. The 2013 Liebesmahl included the participation of Federal Minister of Economics Philipp Rösler and Mongolia’s President Tsakhia Elbegdorj.END

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

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 –

Berlin Model United Nations – Future Leaders extend support to typhoon victims

November 25, 2013

The Berlin Model United Nations (BERMUN) Conference, a bi-annual gathering of senior high school students from 28 countries and 63 participating schools demonstrated its solidarity with the Filipino people and expressed its unequivocal support for the typhoon Haiyan victims. The Conference held from 20 to 23 November was hosted by the JFK School in Berlin in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung , a non-profit German political institution dedicated in promoting discussion and search for solution to global issues.

In a moving speech during the opening ceremonies of the Conference, Ms. Sophia Natividad, daughter of Her Excellency Ambassdor Maria Cleofe R. Natividad invited attention to the devastation left by typhoon Haiyan and the unprecedented global efforts underway to extend humanitarian assistance to typhoon victims. Her speech aided by powerpoint presentation of photos taken during the onslaught of typhoon and complemented by the powerful rendition of “O Bayan Ko” (call on the country to rise from the ashes of the calamity) by tenor Jose Mari Rubio and soprano Mylah Rubio of the Embassy stunned the audience and filled the packed amphitheater of FES with standing ovation applause and misty eyes.

At the end of the Conference, BERMUN raised more than a thousand euro from the sales of BERMUN mug which will be turned over to the Philippine Embassy.

Berlin Model United Nations Conference is a simulation of actual UN General Conference where students dressed in suits play the role of delegates to UN Conference, draft speeches and resolutions, lobby and negotiate assigned country positions.
These future leaders learn basic international and political law, and get acquainted with UN procedures. These would be leaders are trained in decision making while maintaining the UN ideals.
Directors Karin Howevann, William Robertson and Dr. Walter Peterson organized and managed the Conference.

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Viewing category: Political

Philippines lauded by the German Business Community at OAV´s 94th Liebesmahl

Ambassador Natividad Meets First Batch of Nurses in Frankfurt

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

Berlin Model United Nations – Future Leaders extend support to typhoon victims

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