PHL Senate Undertakes an Official Visit to United Kingdom

Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III meets with Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow MP

08 November 2017 LONDON — A delegation from the Senate of the Philippines led by Senate President Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III successfully undertook a visit to the United Kingdom from October 20 to 25, upon the invitation of the British Group Inter-Parliamentary Union (BGIPU). It may be recalled that British parliamentarians visited the Philippines in September last year, upon the invitation of the Philippine Senate.

The other members of the Senate delegation were Senators Franklin Drilon, Grace Poe, Nancy Binay, Joseph Victor Ejercito, and Sherwin Gatchalian.

The Senators met with several Members of Parliament from the House of Commons and peers from the House of Lords to discuss wide-ranging issues on national, regional and global matters, as well as expand on areas where the Philippine Senate and British Parliament could cooperate with each other. 

Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, FCO Minister for Asia and the Pacific Mark Field, MP, Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel, Senator Nancy Binay, Senator Grace Poe, and Senator Sherwin Gatchalian

A welcome reception led by Nigel Evans MP, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on the BGIPU, was held at the Palace of Westminster in honour of the visiting delegation. The event was co-hosted by the Embassy of the Philippines in celebration of Philippines-UK Friendship Day, an event celebrated annually since 2000, by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 381. The Lahing Kayumanggi Dance Company entertained the guests with traditional Filipino folk dances. The guests also enjoyed artisanal products from the Philippines that are available in the UK.

Senator Pimentel expressed optimism that the visit of the Philippine delegation will further promote deeper understanding between the two countries and encourage more exchanges on the bilateral level. Both sides expressed the desire to do more regular exchanges of visits and to actively follow up on issues of mutual concern.

Meanwhile, the Senators also met with some members of the Filipino community in London through a town hall-style meeting arranged by the Philippine Embassy in its premises. The meeting afforded the Senators the opportunity to update the Filcom on the current situation in the Philippines as well as to inquire on the situation of Filipinos in the United Kingdom. END

Ambassador Antonio Lagdameo welcomes the delegation from the Philippine Senate during a meeting with the Filipino community in London held at the Embassy of the Philippines

For more information, visit www.londonpe.dfa.gov.ph  or https://www.facebook.com/pg/PHLinUK/ and @philippinesinuk on Twitter.