20 January 2014 – Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon Leah M. Basinang-Ruiz attended the 2013 Christmas celebration of the Western Visayas Association in Lebanon (WEVAL), on 15 December 2013 in Beirut, Lebanon. 

WEVAL has 290 active members and is one of the oldest and most active Filipino community organizations in Lebanon, often participating in Embassy-organized activities as well as other Filipino community events.

A short Christmas program was prepared by WEVAL during which Ambassador Ruiz conveyed her Christmas message and New Year wishes to the officers and members of the organization and the attendees.  She commended the group for their various initiatives aimed at benefiting OFWs in Lebanon, delivering parts of her remarks in the Visayan dialect, which was very much appreciated by the officers and members of the organization. Towards the end of the Christmas celebration, raffle prizes were given away and there were also exchanges of gifts. END