27 February 2014 – Philippine Ambassador to the Court of St. James, Enrique A. Manalo, undertook a visit to Scotland from February 18 to 20.  The visit was organized by the Asia Scotland Institute to promote awareness, understanding and collaboration between the Philippines and Scotland. 

The first official day of Ambassador Manalo’s trip was devoted to meetings held in Edinburgh, particularly at the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce where discussions were held on possible collaboration in the areas of trade and investment, as well as on culture and the arts.  A visit was also made to the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation, a low-carbon building that provides a place for businesses and the public sector to support the Scottish government’s ambitious goal of reducing carbon emissions by 2020 and 2050.

The highlight of the day was Ambassador Manalo’s lecture at the University of Edinburgh Business School on the “Philippine Economic Resurgence”, focusing on the Philippine economy pre- and post-typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), the Philippines and ASEAN, and the latest development on the West Philippine Sea issue.

The next day, Ambassador Manalo and the Embassy team travelled to Glasgow, where, he called on the Lord Provost of Glasgow, the Rt. Hon. Sadie Docherty, to discuss opportunities for closer cooperation between the Philippines and Scotland, particularly with the city of Glasgow.  Thereafter, Ambassador Manalo met with officials from the Universities of Strathclyde and Glasgow to explore possible linkages between these two universities and appropriate universities in the Philippines to engage in a number of activities in the educational and research fields.

The visit to Scotland provided an opportunity for the Philippine Embassy in London to increase the Philippines’ profile in Scotland and potentially broaden areas of cooperation in trade and investment, education, and culture and the arts. END