06 January 2014 - Vice President Jejomar C. Binay arrived in Johannesburg on 10 December 2013, accompanied by Makati Mayor Junjun Binay and others, to attend the memorial service of the late Nelson Mandela. Philippine Ambassador to South Africa Constancio R. Vingno, Jr. met the Vice President at OR Tambo International Airport  and they immediately proceeded  to the FNB Stadium at Soweto, Johannesburg for the memorial service.

Tens of thousands attended the rain soaked memorial service at the FNB Stadium. Major personalities and world leaders who paid tribute to President Mandela were United States (US) President Barack Obama, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao and Cuban President Raul Castro.  Likewise in attendance were former US Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, Nobel Peace Prize awardees  F.W. de Klerk and Desmond Tutu, former UK Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, UK Prime Minister David Cameron,  as well as 90 other Heads of States and Governments.

Vice President Binay and Ambassador Vingno, together with the other eight members of the Philippine delegation, also viewed the remains on December 11 at the Union Building in Pretoria where the late Nelson Mandela’s remains lay in state until December 13 before the state funeral in his hometown at Qunu, Eastern Cape on December 15.  END