11 May 2015 - The Philippine Embassy in Brussels organized the first assembly of Filipino community (Filcom) leaders in Belgium and Luxembourg last March, with four representatives from the Liberal Party in attendance.
Deputy Speaker and Batanes Representative Henedina R. Abad, Representatives Ma. Lourdes Acosta-Alba (Bukidnon), Arlene “Kaka” J. Bag-ao (Dinagat) and Jose Christopher “Kit” Belmonte (6th District, Quezon City) discussed with the Filipino community leaders updates on the current issues in the Philippines. For their part, the Filipino community leaders provided the lawmakers with a ‘peek’ into the real ‘feel’ of the Filipinos vis-à-vis recent controversial events in the country.
Philippine Ambassador to Belgium Victoria S. Bataclan extolled the Filipino community leaders to actively participate in political decision-making for the country by, among others, taking part in the overseas absentee voting processes.
The guest lawmakers expressed their support for the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) as it is all about self-governance for the Moros in Mindanao. Congresswoman Bag-ao said that the BBL should not be held hostage to recent unfortunate events and that the stakeholders eagerly wait for its enactment. Congressman Belmonte cautioned the Assembly about most negative news from the Philippine media because certain sectors exploit situations to put forward their own agenda. The lawmakers appealed for cooperation of Filipino community leaders in Belgium and Luxembourg in supporting peace and development efforts.
The Filipino community event also celebrated the International Women’s Day and the Philippine National Women’s Month. In this regard, Congresswoman Abad proclaimed that the Philippines is ‘gender-proud’, it being one of the top 10 most gender-equal countries in the world. Congresswoman Alba paid tribute to Filipino women for their contribution to society and stressed the critical role being undertaken by Filipino women in peace-making and rebuilding communities in Mindanao. END