12 August 2014 – During his visit to Venezuela, Philippine Ambassador to Mexico Catalino R. Dilem, Jr. met with the three resident ASEAN Ambassadors based in Caracas at the official residence of the Malaysian Ambassador Mahinder Singh. The invited guest during the meeting was the Vice Foreign Minister for Asia, Middle East and Oceania H.E. Xoan Noya accompanied by the Multilateral Affairs Coordinator from the Office of the Vice Minister, Ms. Angelica Ziems.
During the meeting, the the Ambassador was briefed by the ASEAN Ambassadors on the projects and activities conducted by the ASEAN Group, specifically the ASEAN Fair scheduled on August 8. Ambassador Dilem for his part also informed the ASEAN Ambassadors of the projects and meetings of the members of the ASEAN-Mexico Working Group with the officials from the Mexican government.
The meeting ended with the ASEAN Ambassadors reinforcing the strong bond that exists between the member countries and posed for the trademark ASEAN handshake.
Ambassdor Dilem also met with Mr. Jorge Roig, President of Venezuelan Chamber of Commerce and Production (FEDECAMARAS) at the office of the chamber located in Caracas. The chamber founded in 17 July 1944 currently has 320 member chambers translating to about 4,000 total individual members.
During the meeting, Ambassador Dilem and Mr. Roig both agreed that the trade between the Philippines and Venezuela is minimal and vowed to bolster its present state by looking for ways to expand trade between both countries.
Ambassador Dilem issued an invitation to Mr. Roig and the members of FEDECAMARAS to visit Manila to participate in the FAME 2014 to be held in October 2014. He provided Mr. Roig with informational materials on FAME 2014 and sought his assistance in disseminating the information to the members of the chamber. Mr. Roig welcomed the invitation and stated that he would notify the members of the FEDECAMARAS of the upcoming trade exhibition.
The Ambassador also invited Mr. Roig to the International Food Exhibition to be held in Manila from May 21 to 24, 2015.
In the afternoon, a group of 17 Filipinos residing in Venezuela met with Ambassador Catalino R. Dilem at the office of the Philippine Honorary Consul General.
During the gathering, Ambassador Dilem encouraged those present to register as overseas voters so they can exercise their right of suffrage in the 2016 presidential and senatorial elections.
Ambassador Dilem also promoted the campaign of the City of Vigan for the right to be named as one of the New Seven Wonder Cities of the World. Promotional materials were handed out to assist them in participating in the online voting process.
Those present raised questions and concerns regarding visa matters, passport services and residency issues. The Ambassador answered each concern and provided solutions and recommendations in order to help address their respective interests.
The Filipinos in Venezuela are members of the religious order, workers in the service sector and married to Venezuelan nationals.
Ambassador Dilem also conducted a coordination meeting with the Philippine Honorary Consul General Andres Duarte at his residence in Caracas. During the meeting, the Consul General reiterated his unwavering commitment to assist the Philippine Embassy and the members of the Filipino community, especially in providing consular and legal services when necessary. END