PH Ambassador to Turkey Meets with Filipino Community Leaders, Spearheads Consular Services in Istanbul
Philippine Ambassador-designate to Turkey Raul S. Hernandez, with Madame Maria Ana A. Hernandez and Embassy officers and staff in Istanbul for official activities, including meeting with the Filipino Community in Istanbul and nearby areas and the consular mission which served close to 200 Filipinos. (Ankara PE photo)
ISTANBUL 28 June 2019 — Philippine Ambassador-designate to Turkey Raul S. Hernandez met and discussed concerns with the Filipino community and spearheaded consular services in Istanbul and nearby areas on 1 June 2019.
The meeting with Filipinos in Istanbul is the second for Ambassador-designate Hernandez following the gathering in Ankara last 5 May 2019, a day after he assumed his duties as the country’s envoy in Turkey. The Filipino community in Istanbul and nearby areas constitute the largest concentration of Filipinos in Turkey, which represent close to 70 percent of the estimated total of 3,000 overseas Filipinos in Turkey.
The meeting underscored the importance of continuously working together for a stronger and united Filipino community in Turkey despite the challenges and difficulties. To further promote Philippine interests in Turkey as partner’s for the nation’s development, it is key for Filipinos to showcase the country’s best, more so, because 2019 is also the 70th year of Philippine-Turkey diplomatic relations.
The meeting also provided the opportunity for dialogue on the concerns of overseas Filipinos in Turkey and to reiterate Philippine foreign policy goals towards national/political security; economic diplomacy; and the promotion and protection of OFs’ rights and welfare.
Present in the meeting were the leaders and representatives from the Filipino Community in Turkey (FCT), Filipino Medical Team Istanbul (FMTI), Kabalikat Civicom, Golden Women of Turkey, Filipino Students of Turkey (FST), Moro Students Association of Turkey, Filipino Community in Istanbul (FCI), Filipino International Charity for Social, Culture and the Arts (FICASCA) as well as the invitees from the Budz Girlz, the Duterte Die Hard Supporters (DDS), and the other Filipino students.
Ambassador-designate Hernandez together with Madame Maria Ana A. Hernandez also met members of the Filipino Community at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. He spearheaded an Embassy team to render consular services and served close to 200 overseas Filipinos in the day-long mission. END
The Philippine Embassy in Ankara renders consular services and serve close to 200 overseas Filipinos in the day-long mission. (Ankara PE photo)
For more information, visit www.ankarape.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHinTurkey/.