20 March 2015 – A high-level delegation from the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament led by Deputy Speaker Petr Gazdik called on Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario on March 17, to discuss enhanced bilateral cooperation in the fields of environmental protection and renewable energy.
During the meeting, the Deputy Speaker expressed appreciation for the Secretary’s message of support to the Czech people in the aftermath of the shooting incident in Uherský Brod. He extolled the strong cultural links that bound the Philippines and the Czech Republic, noting the presence of several Czech Jesuits during the pre-independence days of the Philippines. Among these were Fr. Georg Joseph Kamel, widely considered among the most eminent European naturalists who provided the first descriptions of Philippine flora and fauna, such as the tarsier, and for whom the camellia flower was named by Linnaeus; and Fr. Paul Klein (Pablo Clain), a noted pharmacist who worked with medicinal plants, in addition to being a noted astronomer, a linguist fluent in Tagalog and the first European to discover Palau.
Both sides highlighted opportunities for enhanced economic cooperation between the Philippines and the Czech Republic. The Czech side noted the Philippines’ dynamic economy and expressed confidence at the expansion of bilateral trade. The Philippines, in particular, expressed interest in a bilateral environment cooperation agreement that could include areas such as renewable energy, flood protection, and disaster risk management
The delegation also conveyed readiness to strengthen cooperation with the Philippines in the energy and environmental conservation sectors. Established in 2008, the Czech Republic has funded the Talarak Conservation Project in Negros Occidental, which is engaged in the protection and conservation of endangered species, and is a duly-accredited rescue center of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The Czech Republic is also helping Cagayan de Oro’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Office improve its flood-warning system through a web-based tool.
On 18 March, the delegation inspected the Talarak Project, as well as the St. Joseph The Worker church in Bacolod, one of the earliest examples of modernist church architecture in the Philippines, and coincidentally built by the Czech-American architect Antonin Raymond, considered one of the greatest apprentices of Frank Lloyd Wright.
Prior to their meeting with the Secretary, the Czech delegation also met with Senator Legarda in her capacity as Head of the Senate’s Committee on Energy, as well House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte and Congressmen Reynaldo Umali and Amado Bagatsing of the House Committees on Energy and Ecology, respectively, on March 16. END