PH Consul General in San Francisco Participates in Panel Discussion on Southeast Asia in 2020

Philippine Consul General to San Francisco Henry S. Bensurto, Jr. (second from left) participates at the panel discussion at Asia Society’s “Looking Ahead: Southeast Asia in 2020” held on 27 February 2020 in San Francisco.  Also in the photo are Indonesian Consul General Simon Soekarno, Singaporean Consul General Darryl Lau, and Vietnamese Deputy Consul General Hoang Huu Anh. (Photo courtesy of Randall Gee / Asia Society)

SAN FRANCISCO 10 March 2020 — The Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco led by Philippine Consul General to San Francisco Henry S. Bensurto, Jr. participated in a panel discussion featuring the four Consuls General from ASEAN represented in San Francisco (Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam) on 27 February 2020. 

The event, entitled “Looking Ahead: Southeast Asia in 2020,” was organized by Asia Society Northern California, and was supported by the four Consulates General. It was attended by members of the Consular Corps, businessmen, the academe, students, and media.

Asia Society is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to promoting mutual understanding and strengthening partnerships among peoples, leaders, and institutions of Asia and the United States. It has branches across the United States and Asia, including Manila. Its Northern California branch is based in San Francisco.

During the panel discussion, the Consuls General shared their candid views on ASEAN and how it addresses internal and external concerns, opportunities and challenges in technology, and harnessing the diaspora, among other topics.

Consul General Bensurto emphasized that while Asia, particularly ASEAN, has been leading the way in global economic growth, there are pervading economic and security issues that need be addressed, specifically the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). The spread of the virus has significantly affected the global economy, particularly in the areas of travel and tourism, trade and global supply chains, demand for commodities and other consumer goods, global stock markets, among others. Most importantly, the virus has caused a growing number of deaths, affecting people from all over the world.

Following the panel discussion, a reception was held to highlight the culture and cuisine from each of the four countries. The Philippine Consulate General, in coordination with the Philippine Trade and Investment Center-Silicon Valley and the Philippine Department of Tourism Office in San Francisco, set up a booth which featured the country’s tourism destinations, as well as various Philippine products, including Filipino owned company Heavenly Ice Cream, and Seafood City food items. END

From left: Consul Vanessa Bago-Llona, Consul Jed Llona, Tourism Representative Marie Soleil Tropicales, Deputy Consul General Raquel Solano, Trade Commissioner Celynne Layug, Ms. Rosalie Say, Ms. Mylene Juan, Consul General Henry S. Bensurto, Jr., and Madame Mariza Bensurto at the Philippine booth at Asia Society’s “Looking Ahead: Southeast Asia in 2020” in San Francisco on 27 February 2020. (San Francisco PCG photo)

Guests converge at the Philippine booth at Asia Society’s “Looking Ahead: Southeast Asia in 2020” in San Francisco on 27 February 2020. (San Francisco PCG photo)

For more information, visit https://www.sanfranciscopcg.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.philippinessanfrancisco.org or https://www.facebook.com/PHinSF/.