PH Ambassador to Belgium Shares How Embassy Helped FilCom During COVID Lockdown in 2020
Philippine Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, and the European Union Eduardo José A. de Vega, (fourth from left), discusses how the Philippine Embassy assisted Filipino nationals during the lockdown imposed by the Belgian government from March to May 2020 to counter the COVID-19 pandemic at a forum discussing lockdown journeys held at the Russian House in Brussels, Belgium on 02 December 2021. He is joined by (from left) photographer Alexander Khimushin, Sri Lankan Ambassador H.E. Grace Asirwatham, Dr. Pick Keobandith, and events manager Sara Corti Jayasuriya. (Brussels PE photo)
BRUSSELS 07 December 2021 – Philippine Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, and the European Union Eduardo José A. de Vega, was among the panelists at a forum discussing the impact of the 2020 COVID lockdown in Belgium at the Russian House in Brussels, Belgium on 02 December 2021.
Ambassador de Vega spoke about assistance rendered to Filipino nationals in need during the lockdown implemented by the Belgian government to counter the COVID-19 pandemic from March to May 2020. More than 100 food packages were prepared and distributed by Embassy personnel to undocumented Filipinos residing in Brussels as well as Filipino graduate students in Leuven, as these kababayan did not have access to welfare assistance from the Belgian government. In addition, the Embassy also facilitated the return home of a Filipino tourist as well as 74 Filipino seafarers (including a Belgian married to a Filipina) who were stranded in Belgium.
Among the panelists were photographer Alexander Khimushin, who discussed his “The World in Faces” exhibit, event manager Sara Corti Jayasuriya, and Sri Lankan Ambassador H.E. Grace Asirwatham, who discussed her country’s culinary contribution in the cookbook “Lockdown Journeys”, which featured dishes from many countries, including the Philippines, and invited the audience to visit Sri Lanka. Dr. Pick Keobandith, who authored “Lockdown Journeys”, served as the moderator. END
For more information, visit https://www.brusselspe.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHinBelgium/.