02 September 2016 — Philippine Consul General to Dubai Paul Raymund Cortes led the official turnover of the Philippine Cookbooks and Mama Sita’s Commemorative Stamps to the Dubai Public Library on August 28 as a part of the Philippines’ Cultural Diplomacy Program.

Mr. Fahad Almamari, Director of the Dubai Public Library System, received the donations during simple turnover ceremonies held at the Dubai Public Library branch in Al Qusais, Dubai. Joining him were Mr. Aries Geronimo, Manager of Mama Sita’s Sales and Distribution Division, and Ms. Eleanor Balanquit, Political and Economic Attaché of the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai.

Consul General Cortes said that the donation is part of the Philippine Government’s efforts to further bridge the people of the Philippines and the UAE Community. Consul General Cortes is optimistic that the presence of the Philippine cookbooks in the public library will ignite the Emirati community’s interest in exploring Philippine cuisine.

The Philippine population in the UAE is one of the largest foreign-born groupings in Dubai and the Northern Emirates. Dubai is also home to one of the fastest growing Filipino communities around the world.

According to the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs estimate that there are over 610,000 Filipinos in the entire UAE, with about 415,000 residing in Dubai and the Northern Emirates.

Mr. Almamari expressed his gratitude to the Consul General and the Filipino people for this wonderful donation. He said that he is certain that Emiratis and other ethnicities will develop a deeper interest and awareness of Philippine cuisine with these cookbooks available at the public libraries. He further requested more of these publications to be distributed to more branches in the Dubai Public Library System. END