19 May 2016 - The Philippine Embassy convened the third meeting of Filipino community leaders in Singapore on Saturday, May 14, at the public area of the Philippine Chancery. The meeting was the first to be convened following the successful conclusion of overseas voting in Singapore on May 09. Around a hundred people attended the event.
During the meeting, Philippine Ambassador to Singapore Antonio A. Morales expressed his profound gratitude to the leaders of the Filipino community for their contribution in helping ensure a smooth, orderly, peaceful and successful conduct of the Philippine overseas voting in the city-state.
He noted that registered overseas voters in Singapore came out to cast their vote early in the process to avoid congestion. He made special mention of the volunteers from Filcom organizations who ably assisted the Embassy electoral teams in managing the crowd during days with heavy turnout of voters.
Minister and Consul General Victorio Mario M. Dimagiba Jr. who headed the conduct of overseas voting at the Embassy, informed the participants of the election results in Singapore. Singapore recorded the second highest turnout of Filipino overseas voters next to Hong Kong SAR PCG.
The heads of the various sections of the Embassy updated the participants on relevant developments. A rosy outlook of the Philippine economy highlighted the presentation of Commercial Counsellor Glenn Peñaranda of the Philippine Trade and Investment Centre-Singapore.
Former DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma and the members of his team representing the insurance sector gave a presentation on the mandatory insurance coverage for OFWs under RA 10022.
Filcom organizations also provided updates on their activities. The Embassy informed participants on the commemorative events for the 118th Anniversary of the Declaration of Philippine Independence in Singapore.
The cookbook, “A Helping Hand: Delicious Recipes in English and Tagalog,” authored by British national Rowena “Frog” Michaels with the support of the Philippine Embassy, was introduced. Ms. Michaels explained that a guide written in Tagalog would help Filipina household service workers (HSWs) in Singapore attain more proficiency in preparing non-Filipino dishes in the kitchen.
Towards the end of the meeting, Ambassador Morales administered the oath-taking ceremony of the new set of officers of the UP Alumni Association Singapore.
The meeting was preceded by the “Kapihan sa Embassy” and concluded with a networking lunch, arranged by POLO/OWWA Singapore.
The next Filcom leaders meeting will be held in July 2016. END