PH Consulate General in Guangzhou Celebrates 25th Year of its Establishment and Presence in Southern China
Philippine Consul General to Guangzhou Louis Alferez (center) presents Filipino paintings to Guangdong Foreign Affairs Office Deputy Director General Luo Jun (left) and Guangzhou Foreign Affairs Office Deputy Director General Liu Liu (right). (Guangzhou PCG photo)
GUANGZHOU 28 March 2022 – Philippine Consul General to Guangzhou Louis Alferez hosted an official lunch to commemorate the silver anniversary of the establishment of the Philippine Foreign Service Post in southern China, Philippine Consulate General in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China, on 22 March 2022. The consulate general has jurisdiction over the southern provinces of Guangdong, Hainan, Hunan and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
Top Guangdong and Guangzhou officials led by Provincial Foreign Affairs Office Deputy Director General Luo Jun graced the event. Also in attendance were the Consuls General of ASEAN, Mexico, and the Republic of Korea.
In his remarks, Consul General Alferez emphasized the important role of the Consulate General in advancing the broader Philippines-China bilateral relationship, and how “it has continued to serve as an avenue for fruitful collaboration and linkages between Filipino and Chinese political leaders, our business communities and our peoples.” He added that “the Philippines’ foresight in 1997 has since reaped dividends from the direct engagement of this dynamic and innovative region of China.”
In response, Deputy Director General Luo fondly recalled being a junior officer at the formal opening ceremony of the consulate in 1997, a milestone that he described as “a wise decision.” Through the consulate’s efforts through the years, he said the Philippines has had a “booming” relationship with Guangdong and the rest of southern China.
The consulate general was the third Philippine Foreign Service Post in mainland China when it opened in 1997, after the embassy in Beijing and the Consulate General in Xiamen, Fujian Province. There have been nine Consuls General since then, beginning with now retired Foreign affairs assistant secretary Luis T. Cruz.
The presence of the Consulate General in southern China opened economic opportunities for the Philippines, which now exports USD 19.98 Billion in goods to Guangdong Province or around half of total Philippine trade to China in 2021. Major investments have been made in the Philippines by Guangdong-based companies as well such as Huawei, Tencent and Mindray. Top Philippine companies like San Miguel Corporation likewise made large investments in southern China.
Through the years, the Consulate General’s close partnership with local authorities helped develop 11 twinning arrangements between Philippine and Chinese provinces and cities, which were instrumental in facilitating the transport of urgent medical equipment and testing kits to the Philippines early in the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as medical donations to Manila, Tagaytay, and Cebu Province at the time. In addition, the consulate general looks after some 3,000 Filipino executives, teachers, musicians and service workers who are based in southern China. END
Philippine Consul General Alferez delivers remarks to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Philippine Consulate General in Guangzhou. (Guangzhou PCG photo)
Attendees at the lunch commemorating the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Philippine Consulate General in Guangzhou. (Guangzhou PCG photo)
For more information, visit https://www.guangzhoupcg.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.facebook.com/PHinGuangzhou/, https://twitter.com/PHinGuangzhou or https://www.instagram.com/phinguangzhou/.