PH Ambassador Presents Credentials, Received in Royal Audience by Cambodian King
Philippine Ambassador Flerida Ann Camille P. Mayo presents her Letter of Credence to His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni. (Photo courtesy of the Royal Palace of Cambodia)
PHNOM PENH 20 June 2024 – Philippine Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Cambodia Flerida Ann Camille P. Mayo presented her credentials to King of Cambodia Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boromneath Norodom Sihamoni on 17 June 2024 at the Royal Palace.
King Norodom Sihamoni received the Philippine Ambassador and her entourage in a Royal Audience where he immediately extended his best regards to President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and congratulations on the occasion of the 126th anniversary of declaration of independence.
His Majesty spoke at length on the overarching goals of peace, stability, and development in Cambodia’s ties with the Philippines. The King and the Philippine Ambassador focused their discussions on key priorities of the bilateral relationship, including various areas of cooperation such as education, agriculture, tourism, trade, security and defense and people-to-people and cultural exchanges.
Ambassador Mayo took the occasion to put front and center the contributions of Philippine enterprises and thousands of Filipinos working in the Kingdom to Cambodian national development. In particular, she lauded the spirit of volunteerism moving Filipinos in Cambodia to build homes, serve in medical missions, care for rural communities, and run teachers’ camps, among other civic works. She likewise highlighted the work of Philippine non-government organizations (NGOs) including in fostering media literacy among Cambodian parents and children as well as the joint efforts of Filipino missionaries and Cambodian monks to uplift lives in the countryside. She affirmed the Embassy’s support for Filipino community initiatives to make friends with the Cambodian people and to make a difference in their lives.
His Majesty offered to the Philippine Ambassador gifts of traditional Cambodian silver craft and publications on his coronation 20 years ago and about the King Father Norodom Sihanouk. Reciprocating the gesture, Ambassador Mayo presented a painting which she had personally commissioned for His Majesty. Entitled “The Ballerinas”, the 2’ x 3’ acrylic on canvas artwork by Filipino artist Shai Lirio pays homage to His Majesty’s love for classical dance which he taught as a professor in France in the 1980s.
Ambassador Mayo is a trained diplomat whose foreign service career spans 42 years. Phnom Penh is her seventh foreign posting. END
Ambassador Mayo arrives at the Royal Palace with her spouse, Philippine Consul General in Macao Porfirio Mayo, Jr., Deputy Chief of Mission Emma Sarne, Third Secretary Genina Rafal, Defense Attache Leo Dimoc and Cultural Attache Hermenegilda Carino. (Photo courtesy of the Royal Palace of Cambodia)
From left to right: Ambassador Mayo presents a painting by Filipino artist Shai Lirio which the former personally commissioned for His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni. The Philippine Ambassador and the King discuss priority interests in Philippines-Cambodia relations during the Royal Audience. (Photos courtesy of the Royal Palace of Cambodia)
For more information, visit https://www.phnompenhpe.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.facebook.com/PHLinCambodia/, or https://twitter.com/PhilippineIn.