19 August 2015 – Philippine Ambassador to Mexico Catalino R. Dilem, Jr. led the ASEAN Embassies of Mexico in the commemoration of the 48th Anniversary of ASEAN on August 08.
The Ambassadors and personnel of the five ASEAN countries represented in Mexico met at the residence of the Thai Ambassador Surasak Chuasukonthip to hold an ASEAN flag ceremony and joint breakfast. The guests of honor included Vietnamese Ambassador Le Lin Lanh, Malaysian Ambassador Muhammad Razhak, Indonesian Ambassador Yusra Khan, and Ambassador Catalino Dilem. Members of the press were also in attendance to cover the event.
As the current chair of the ASEAN Committee in Mexico City, Ambassador Dilem delivered the opening remarks at the flag ceremony, during which he described the accomplishments of ASEAN and its continuous promotion of people-to-people linkages and greater cross-cultural understanding.
Ambassador Dilem also highlighted the upcoming inauguration of the ASEAN Economic Community, saying that ASEAN economies together represented one of the most crucial economic engines in the world today, with a combined market of over 600 million people and a GDP of almost US$1.8 trillion.
Lastly, the Ambassador stressed the importance of ASEAN solidarity and harmony, noting that it is imperative that ASEAN continue to do its utmost to remain a credible and strong grouping in order to project and protect its members’ shared interests more effectively in the global arena.
The ambassadors and assembled staff then partook of a joint breakfast consisting of dishes from all five ASEAN embassies. The families of the ASEAN embassies convened later that day for a bowling tournament and general socialization activity, organized by the Philippine Embassy. END