22 June 2015 – Philippipne Ambassador to the United Kingdom Enrique A. Manalo delivered a public lecture entitled “Philippines: rising star in Asia”, on June 08 in the Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS) at the University of Cambridge.

In his remarks, Ambassador Manalo focused on the Philippines’ economic resurgence and its response to domestic and global challenges. He talked about developments in Philippine-British relations, citing cooperation on Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda, the Mindanao peace process, wildlife trade prevention, and countering trafficking in persons, among others. The lecture also covered regional issues, including the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) at the end of 2015 and the country’s advocacy for a peaceful and rules-based resolution of the maritime dispute in the West Philippine Sea.

The lecture was facilitated by Dr. Tomas Larsson of POLIS and Dr. Kelvin Bowkett of Christ’s College. It was attended by students and faculty members of the university, as well as researchers and other professionals from Cambridge and London. The event was hosted by the Cambridge University Filipino Society (CUFS) and the Cambridge University South-East Asia Forum (CUSEAF).

Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge has been a leading institution of higher education at the highest international levels of excellence. This global university comprises 31 autonomous colleges with over 19,000 students from 120 countries. To date, affiliates of the university have won 90 Nobel prizes. END