5 August 2013 - The Department of Foreign Affairs conferred the “Best Organization Award” for the year 2013 to the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur for its outstanding achievements during ceremonies on July 31 on the occasion of the 115th DFA Foundation Day in Manila. The DFA award was received by Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia J. Eduardo Malaya from Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert F. del Rosario.
The Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur is one of only three organizations to be bestowed this esteemed award. The two others are the Philippine Embassy in Damascus, Syria and the DFA Office of Fiscal Management.
“This award is most meaningful as it is a recognition of the collective efforts and hard work of the members of the Philippine Embassy team to serve our Filipino community members to the best of our abilities and to further enhance bilateral partnership with Malaysia and the Malaysian people”, Ambassador Malaya said.
The DFA cited the Embassy for its “outstanding performance, dedication and commitment to excellence by the embassy officers and staff which exemplify the mission and vision of the Department of Foreign Affairs worldwide.”
Among the innovative activities recently undertaken by the Embassy were the first-ever unification of some 28 Filipino-Malaysian community organizations into the Federation of Filipino Associations in Malaysia (FFAM), the first-ever Filipino-Malaysian community Philippine Independence Day Parade in Kuala Lumpur and its strong advocacy for the establishment of alternative learning centers for Filipinos and other migrant children in Sabah.
With strong support from a key community benefactor, the embassy also underwent and completed in May 2012 the long-sought renovation of the Embassy chancery, which now features a modern, open workspace lay-out.
Other major activities undertaken were the art exhibit “Glimpses of Mindanao: Peace in the Land of Promise” at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center (May 2013), Business Networking Forum on opportunities in Mindanao (November 2012), performances of the University of the Philippines Concert Chorus in Kota Kinabalu (June 2013), Kuala Lumpur (October 2012) and Kuching (October 2012), Philippines-Malaysia Investment Partnership Forum at the Kuala Lumpur’s Royal Chulan Hotel (May 2012), and the Official Working Visit to Malaysia of Vice President Jejomar C. Binay (May 2012).
“These initiatives, which projected our country and people well in Malaysia, were the product of teamwork, and the award belongs to each and every member of the embassy team,” Ambassador Malaya said. END