28 March 2014 - Chargé d’ Affaires Nestor N. Padalhin, Head of Post of the Philippine Embassy in Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic, on March 12 celebrated 39 years of dedicated service to the Filipino people and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). He joined the DFA on March 12, 1975.

Ambassador Padalhin marked the anniversary with simple activities. In the morning, he met overseas Filipino workers at the Embassy’s Halfway Quarters (HWQ) who are awaiting repatriation, served them snacks prepared by Mrs. Padalhin and had souvenir photographs with them.

In the evening, Ambassador and Mrs. Padalhin hosted a simple dinner-cum-karaoke party at their residence in West Mezzeh, Damascus for members of the Philippine Embassy/Team Syria and friends.

On March 16, Ambassador and Mrs. Padalhin met the officers and members of the Filipino Community of Syria (FCS), after mass held at the St. Anthony Parish in Hamra, Damascus. They also served snacks to the FCS and other foreign nationalities in the Parish.

Ambassador Padalhin took advantage of this opportunity to, once again, brief the Filipino community of the security situation in Syria and remind them of the Mandatory Repatriation Program (MRP), under Alert Level 4, for Filipinos in the strife-torn country.

Ambassador Padalhin was one of the recipients of Gawad Mabini (Dakilang Kamanong) for 2013. END