28 May 2014 – Philippine Ambassador Alex V. Lamadrid presented his Letters of Credence as non-resident Ambassador to the President of The Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Manuel Pinto da Costa, on May 13.

Ambassador Lamadrid conveyed to President Pinto da Costa the cordial greetings of President Benigno Aquino III and the latter’s best wishes for the well-being of President da Costa. For his part, President da Costa conveyed his best wishes also to President Aquino.

The cordial meeting of Ambassador Lamadrid with President da Costa promises to further strengthen the long standing bilateral relations of both countries. The President and the Ambassador discussed issues of mutual concerns such as continued mutual support in the United Nations and other international fora, education, technical training, tourism, aquaculture, agriculture, boat production, and interestingly, the desire of President da Costa for a Philippine investor to come to  Sao Tome for “barong” production to be sold locally and exported to the neighboring countries in the region.

On the sidelines of the presentation of his credentials, Ambassador Lamadrid presented his open copies of his letters of credence to Foreign Affairs Minister Nathalia Umbelina. Ambassador Lamadrid likewise had meetings with the Minister of Tourism, Trade and Industry, Mr. Demósthene Pires dos Santos and Minister of Education, Culture and Formation, Mr. Jorge Lopes Bem Jesus.

Ambassador Lamadrid was accompanied by Mr. Raymund C. Ondiano, head of the Assistance-to-Nationals section of the Philippine Embassy in Abuja.

After the ceremony, the Ambassador granted an interview to the media, which was broadcast on Sao Tome TV in the evening of the same day.

Ambassador Lamadrid also met with the Filipino community in Sao Tome during his sojourn in the country.END