18 June 2015 - In commemoration of the 117th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence, the Philippine Embassy in Tripoli held a flag raising ceremony and breakfast with members of the Filipino community on June 12 in the Embassy Chancery.

The activities included the reading of Independence Day messages, an induction ceremony, and a special unveiling of the bust of Dr. Jose P. Rizal.

The Independence Day message of President Benigno S. Aquino III for overseas Filipinos was read by Embassy Charge d' Affaires (CDA) Adelio Angelito S. Cruz. The Independence Day messages of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario and Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda D. Baldoz were read by Third Secretary and Vice Consul Norman Padalhin and Labor Attaché Nasser Munder, respectively.

The Embassy also apprised the community of the volatile political situation in Libya and once again appealed that they avail of the Philippine Government's mandatory repatriation program.

Following the reading of the Independence Day messages, CDA Cruz inducted the interim officers of the Filipino Community in Libya (FILCOL) group. FILCOL was the first Filipino community organization in Libya to seek accreditation from the Embassy since the country was placed under Alert Level 4 by the Department of Foreign Affairs in July 2014.

A new addition to the interior of the Chancery was introduced by CDA Cruz to the Filipino community when he unveiled a bust of Dr. Jose P. Rizal in the lobby of the building. Rizal is one of the most studied and influential national heroes of the Philippines. Many of the guests took pictures with the bust, which the Embassy intends to make a permanent marker in the lobby.

At noon, a mass was celebrated by Fr. Alan L. Arcebuche, a well-known Filipino priest in Tripoli.

Immediately after the event and in keeping with the Embassy's priority of implementing the mandatory repatriation program of the Philippine Government, CDA Cruz led a team of Embassy staff in transporting 33 Filipinos from Libya to neighboring Tunisia, where the repatriates would board flights to Manila. The group successfully crossed the Libya-Tunisia border in the early evening of June 12, bringing the total number of Filipinos evacuated from Libya since the start of the program to 5,091.

To date, 3,466 Filipinos have chosen to remain in Libya for economic and other reasons. The Embassy continues to encourage them to register for repatriation in view of the ongoing fighting and conflict in the country. END