ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN THROUGH WEBINAR ON INVESTMENT, TAX AND DOING BUSINESS IN THE PHILIPPINES  

To empower migrant Filipino women in Germany and encourage them to participate in economic activities , a webinar on Investment , Tax and Doing Business in the Philippines was held on Saturday, 25 March 2023. 

In her welcome remarks,  Ambassador-designate Irene Susan Natividad said that while the World Economic Forum’s 2022 Global Gender Gap Report cites the Philippines as among the top 20 countries that have taken measures to close the gender gap,  more needs to be done to  encourage greater participation of women in economic activities.  Research shows that skills gap, wage gap, care work, and societal norms continue to be stumbling blocks for the greater economic empowerment of women in the Philippines.   She expressed hope that the webinar will be able to provide participants, especially Filipino women in Germany, with information on economic opportunities and access to resources .

The main speaker, Mr. Mon Abrea, Founding Chair and Chief Tax Advisor of the Asian Consulting Group and trustee of the Center for Strategic Reforms of the Philippines, spoke about the Philippines’ economic overview and forecast and investment vehicles in the Philippines, including those with tax exemptions.

Mr. Chris Lim, president of the Philippine Franchise Association and franchise matching company U-Franchise, provided insights on the business franchise model and presented franchising opportunities in the Philippines. 

Ms. Patricia Villaseñor, owner and managing director of Berlin-based company Kape de Filipina, walked the audience through her journey as an entrepreneur.  Ms. Villasenor champions Philippine coffee and chocolates in Europe, with the goal of bringing the Philippines back on the global coffee map.

The webinar was in line with the Philippines’ National Women’s Month celebration and the Trabaho Negosyo Kabuhayan Program of the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Labor and Employment.  It was organized by the Philippine Embassy in Germany, in partnership with the Asian Consulting Group, the Center for Strategic Reforms of the Philippines, Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt, the Philippine Trade and Investment Center and the Migrant Workers’ Office in Berlin, the UP Alumni Association and the Ateneo Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship group.   

There  are 32,245 Filipinos in Germany.  Around 75% of this figure, or 24,575 are female.

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY AND FILIPINO COMMUNITY IN BERLIN  WELCOME NEW AMBASSADOR-DESIGNATE TO GERMANY

20 March 2023, Berlin, Germany – The Philippine Embassy in Berlin welcomed the arrival of H.E. Irene Susan B. Natividad, Philippine Ambassador-Designate to the Federal Republic of Germany on 15 March 2023.

Ambassador-designate Natividad was met at the airport by Mr. Bernd Kübart, Unit Head of Protocol of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany (Bundesministerium fuer Auswaertiges Amt) and they briefly discussed Philippine-German relations.

The Filipino community also welcomed the Ambassador after a Sunday Holy Mass with a “Harana” by the Philippine community’s resident tenors.  In her remarks, the Ambassador thanked the Filipino community for their warm welcome and their continued support for the Embassy’s projects, and committed to work with them on programs that would benefit the community and improve the Embassy’s delivery of services.   She joined them for a salo-salo in the parish hall where she interacted with various Filipino groups.

Ambassador-designate Natividad served in the Philippine Missions to the United Nations in New York and Vienna, at the Embassies in Canada and Austria,  in the Consulates General in Honolulu and Milan and on secondment to the APEC Secretariat in Singapore.  In the Home Office,  she served in the Office of the Undersecretary for Administration, in the Office of Legal Affairs and in the Office of the Secretary.

Ambassador Natividad is the Philippines’ sixth consecutive female ambassador to Germany. (END)

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY IN BERLIN COMMEMORATES NATIONAL WOMEN’S MONTH WITH PARA KAY JUANA EXHIBIT

BERLIN, 18 March 2022 – The Philippine Embassy in Berlin opened “Para kay Juana: Mga Kwento at Larawang Migrante sa Alemanya,” an exhibition of paintings of women migrants in Germany, and depicts the intersectionality of migration and gender. The exhibit features the works of Krisanta Caguioa-Mönnich, a Filipina social worker specializing in cases of human trafficking and violence against women.

The exhibit opening was the first event with the Filipino community of Ambassador-designate Irene Susan B. Natividad.  In her opening remarks, Ambassador Natividad emphasized that the portraits “remind us that despite the hardships, migrant women are not helpless, but strong individuals who have the power to shape their own destinies.” 

Three women – Jona, Yoly, and Maria – who were some of Caguioa-Moennich’s subjects in her paintings, shared their stories and experiences with the audience and offered their insights into the challenges they have faced in their lives, as well as their triumphs. 

The program incorporated the “human library” concept, where the speakers acted as books that the audience can “borrow” and interact with to draw out their stories.    This allowed the visitors to connect with the subject and the artwork on a deeper level. 

This exhibit will run until 31 March at the Embassy of the Philippines in Germany, located at Luisenstrasse 16, 10117 Berlin. (END)