PH Consulate General in LA Hosts Welcome Dinner for Ambassador to US
Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez (ninth from right) with the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles headed by Consul General AdelioAngelito Cruz (tenth from right) during a welcome dinner held on 14 September 2019 at the Consul General’s residence. (Los Angeles PCG photo)
ARCADIA 08 October 2019 — Consul General Adelio Angelito S. Cruz, together with the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles officers and staff, hosted a welcome dinner in honor of Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel G. Romualdez on 14 September 2019 at the Consul General’s official residence.
More than a hundred guests attended the dinner, including Filipino-American elected and appointed officials from various cities of Southern California as well as key members of the Filipino-American community. Upon their arrival, the guests were given the opportunity to briefly introduce themselves to the Ambassador.
In his formal introduction of the Ambassador, Consul General Cruz said, “Our guest of honor scored a landmark victory for the Filipino people when the U.S. Government finally decided to return the Balangiga Bells, an artifact of deep historical, emotional, and symbolic significance to the Philippines.”
In true Filipino fashion, three Filipino-Americans welcomed the Ambassador with tokens of appreciation. Grace Ouano gave the Ambassador a copy of her award-winning cookbook entitled, “The Age Beautifully Cookbook”, Theresa Arroyo-Finnegan presented a mother pearl replica of a waist ornament traditionally worn by Ifugao men and a book entitled, “Ifugao: People of the Cordilleras,” and Gil Mislang gifted a numbered print of a painting by John Solie illustrating the last U.S. Calvaray Charge in Morong, Bataan in 1942.
Also included in the guests were Ambassador Romualdez’s former classmates he had not seen in decades. Aside from a being a reunion of sorts, the dinner was also an opportunity for the Ambassador to invite his fellow Filipinos to look back to the Philippines and see the many exciting developments taking place in the country.
Ambassador Romualdez was appointed by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte as the country’s envoy to the U.S. in July 2017, and presented his credentials to U.S. President Donald J. Trump in November 2017. He was in Los Angeles on 13-16 September 2019 for his first official visit to Southern California. END
From left: Former Commissioner Mr. and Mrs. Fred Alain Docdocil, Mr. and Mrs. Gil Mislang, Ambassador Romualdez, Commissioner Mr. and Mrs. Abraham Lim, Commissioner Emmanuel Liban, and Consul General Cruz. (Los Angeles PCG photo)
From left: Beaumont City Mayor Pro-Tem Mr. and Mrs. Rey Santos, Carson City former Council member Elito Santarina, Bellflower City Mayor Pro-Tem Sonny Sta. Ines, Claremont City Council member Jed Leaño, Ambassador Romualdez, Artesia City Council member Melissa Ramoso, Claremont City Mayor Corey Calaycay, Culver City Mayor Thomas Small, Cerritos City Council member Mark Pulido, and Consul General Cruz.(Los Angeles PCG photo)
For more information, visit https://www.philippineconsulatela.orgor https://www.facebook.com/PHLinLA/.