25 January 2017 – Philippine Consul General to New York Ma. Theresa Dizon-de Vega recently met with the members of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) Global Jewish Advocacy to discuss possible collaborations that can promote closer ties and invigorate the people-to-people exchanges betweenthe Filipino-American and Jewish communities in New York.
Regional Director Michael Schmidt; Ms. Shira Loewenberg, Head, AJC Asia Pacific Institute; Ms. Marlene Altman, and Ms. Francine Port led the AJC Global Jewish Advocacy delegation that met with Consul General Dizon-de Vega.
Consul General De Vega welcomed AJC and said that she was pleased to work again with AJC after serving as Deputy Consul General in New York back in 2013, when AJC and Consulate General collaborated on holding a public screening of “Rescue in the Philippines” at the Philippine Center and the AJC Headquarters in Manhattan.
Mr. Schmidt said that 2017 marks the 111th year Anniversary of the founding of AJC, which was formed to promote the well-being of Jewish people worldwide. He added that with 22 offices in major US cities, AJC has partnered with key US agencies, international organizations, and diplomatic missions to promote various advocacies such as tolerance of religion, inter-faith dialogue, and addressing the issue of religious extremism.
Consul General De Vega shared the Consulate General’s key objectives such as working on political- security matters, building bridges with the U.S., connecting with members of the U.S. Congress on legislative issues concerning the Philippines, promoting trade and investment including a foothold in the kosher food market in the U.S.
Ms. Loewenberg conveyed AJC’s interest to assist the Philippines and the Consulate General in promoting Philippine political and economic interests and identifying possible synergies between Jewish and Filipino-American communities.
The meeting also highlighted key issues pertaining to Philippine-Israel bilateral relations and the sharing of best practices. The AJC members relayed their reports on the rise of anti-Semitism worldwide while Consul General de Vega addressed the security concerns raised by AJC, including confronting violent extremism in the country and the ongoing peace negotiations.
She also mentioned the socio-economic programs of President Rodrigo Duterte and the excellent bilateral relations between the Philippines and Israel.
Consul Felipe Cariño III, The Consulate General’s Economic Officer, also reported on his recent participation in the AJC Project Interchange Seminar held in Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem, Israel last December 2016. He shared his ideas on possible initiatives for future collaborative activities between the Philippines and Israel. END
