21 July 2016 –   Noted Guatemalan philanthropist Ms. Silvana María Ayuso de León took her oath of office as the new Philippine Honorary Consul to Guatemala before Philippine Ambassador to Mexico Eduardo José A. de Vega in a ceremony held on July 19 at The Chancery of the Philippine Embassy in Mexico City. Consul Ayuso is a citizen of Guatemala and a prominent member of Guatemalan society. Her advocacy lies in providing charitable contributions to the marginalized and underprivileged sector of Guatemala.

During the ceremony, Ambassador de Vega, who is concurrently accredited as the non-resident Ambassador to Guatemala, noted that with the designation of Honorary Consul Ayuso, he hopes that the presence of the Philippines would be further enhanced in her area of jurisdiction. He also exhorted Consul Ayuso to ascertain that the rights and privileges of Filipinos in Guatemala will be observed and protected, to which Ms. Ayuso pledged her utmost commitment.

The message of the Philippine Ambassador was then followed by the oath of Honorary Consul Ayuso. After the administration of her oath, Consul Ayuso intimated that she will endeavor to fulfill her duties as an Honorary Consul and hoped that her network of connections in both the public and private sectors will be enough to aid her in the tasks that will be requested from her by the Embassy.

Consul Ayuso also said that her current advocacy to provide support to the underprivileged sector of society will serve as an impetus for her to provide counseling to the members of the Filipino community, if necessary. Lastly, she expressed her gratitude for the honor given to her to serve the Philippines and gave her assurance that she will undertake all efforts to promote the interests of the Philippines in Guatemala.

After the program, Consul Ayuso was thoroughly briefed by Embassy personnel on matters concerning consular services, assistance to Filipino nationals, cultural, trade, administrative and financial matters. END