13 April 2015 – A 40-member all-female delegation from Sauerland celebrated women’s month at the Philippine Embassy in Berlin on March 24. As part of the Philippine Embassy’s efforts to cultivate good relations with members of the German Parliament (Bundestag) and link up with Filipino communities in Germany, Ambassador Melita S. Sta. Maria-Thomeczek welcomed the delegation to the Philippine Embassy, whose visit was facilitated by the office of Bundestag Member Dirk Wiese (Social Democratic Party). Around 20 of the delegates had Filipino roots. They shared stories of courage and solidarity in relation to the relief efforts in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan which were conducted by their respective communities in the Sauerland region.

Ambassador Thomeczek briefed the group on the current thrusts of the Philippine Embassy in promoting the welfare of overseas Filipinos. She informed the delegates of the presence of Philippine honorary consulates providing consular and other services in the different regions of Germany. The Ambassador also took the opportunity to invite the German delegates to visit the Philippines. Consuls Adrian Elmer Cruz, Gabriel Bautista, and Azela Arumpac complemented the Ambassador’s remarks with a short presentation on the initiatives of the Embassy on the political, economic, and consular fronts.

In response, Ms. Imgard Sander, coordinator for the office of MP Wiese, thanked the Ambassador for the warm welcome and expressed appreciation for the open lines of communication with the Embassy, noting the importance of such ties when doing international relief work in the wake of natural disasters like the Typhoon Haiyan.

The Sauerland is one of the largest tourist regions in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. This region is home to the largest concentration of Filipinos in Germany, estimated at around 3,838. A Philippine Honorary Consulate located in Essen and headed by Honorary Consul Heinz-Peter Heidrich has jurisdiction over this region.  END