15 April 2014 – Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon Leah M. Basinang-Ruiz paid a courtesy call on Lebanese Minister of Public Health Wael Abou Faour on April 08 to personally convey to him the Philippines’ felicitations and best wishes on the formation of the new government and on his appointment as the new Minister of Public Health.

The meeting also gave Ambassador Ruiz the opportunity to brief Minister Faour on the status of Philippines-Lebanon relations, particularly on the initiatives of the Embassy in strengthening political, economic and cultural ties, as well as on bilateral efforts to advance and protect the rights and welfare of Filipino workers in Lebanon. On behalf of the Philippine Government, she also expressed deep appreciation for the Minister’s personal intervention in the case of a distressed Filipino worker who had passed away. The Minister welcomed the Ambassador’s visit and her briefing and expressed his support for the ongoing efforts to forge agreement on an employment contract for household service workers.

Before the meeting ended, Ambassador Ruiz presented Minister Faour with Philippine-made gift items and tourism brochures, as part of the Embassy’s initiatives to promote trade, tourism and cultural linkages between the two countries. 

At 41 years old, Minister Faour is currently the youngest member of Prime Minister Tammam Salam’s National Interest Cabinet. He earned a business degree from the prestigious American University of Beirut and, since 1997, was a member of the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) led by Member of Parliament Walid Jumblatt. He was elected Member of Parliament in 2005 and was re-elected in 2009. Minister Faour was appointed Minister of State in the Hariri Government in 2009 and then Minister of Social Affairs in the Mikati Government in 2011. END