PHILIPPINE AMBASSADOR TO DHAKA LEADS EMBASSY AND THE FILIPINOS IN CELEBRATION OF THE 110™ ANNIVERSARY OF PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE 1082 times read
Ambassador Tacorda-Rabago speaks before a well-attended gathering of FilCom in Bangladesh
12 June 2008 - H.E. Ambassador Zenaida Tacorda-Rabago led the Philippine Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and the expatriate Filipinos, including their Bangladeshi friends and other guests from the host country, in a celebration of the 110th anniversary of Philippine Independence on 6 June 2008 as part of the Embassy's ongoing activities in connection with Independence Day 2008.
The Embassy chose 6 June 2008 to host this affair with the Filipinos in Bangladesh, as the day was a Friday, a non-working day in Bangladesh, when Filipinos are mostly on holiday. 12 June 2008 will fall on a Thursday.
The New King's Kitchen restaurant was packed by the Filipino attendees and their friends who numbered at least 113 people, the biggest Embassy-sponsored event so far ever attended by Filipinos in Bangladesh.
The affair kicked off with the singing of the Philippine National Anthem led by the Embassy's Finance Officer Mr. Maximo F. Ortiz, joined by a choir of Filipino singers conducted by Professor Dr. Charles Villanueva of the American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB). Professor Danilo Morgia, also of AIUB, earlier installed a beautifully digitized multimedia backdrop of the Philippine flag as the National Anthem, was being sung by all those present.
Ambassador Tacorcla-Rabago then read the message of the Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Dr. Alberto Gatmaitan Romulo.
In the Ambassador's speech that followed, she announced the accomplishments and projects of the Embassy since she arrived to assume her duty as Philippine Ambassador to the People's Republic of Bangladesh in February this 2008.
She encouraged every Filipino to be the Embassy's partner in all its activities, especially in tourism, as the Embassy is strongly promoting this aspect in its work. She announced her ongoing project of providing a Philippine tourism CD for each tourist from Bangladesh or from any other country going to the Philippines.
She also told everyone present that the Embassy is intensifying its Assistance-to-Nationals (ATN) thrust and encouraged everyone never to hesitate to ask the Embassy for help in their problems.
She announced the implementation of the Machine Readable Passport (MRP), its benefits, and the turnaround time for processing, asking for everyone's patience with regard to the new procedures. She also announced the newly-opened website of the Embassy, www.philembassydhaka.org. Another announcement was the transfer of the chancery to a new location by 1 August 2008.
After the Ambassador’s well-applauded speech, First Secretary and Consul Alfredo M. Borlongan led the audience in a walk-through of the new website, with its beautiful and user-friendly features for tourists, passport and visa applicants, businessmen, investors, and the public at large. He encouraged everyone to give their suggestions for the website's improvement as the website belongs to everybody and was for their benefit, adding that the website will evolve to become more and more handy, user-friendly, and customized for Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Maldives, the three countries under the Philippine Embassy in Dhaka's jurisdiction.
After the launching of the website, selected Filipinos led by Dr. Viilanueva and Mr. Erwin Policar entertained everyone with a folk dance, the Binasuan, followed by a medley of Filipino folk and patriotic songs. A sumptuous buffet lunch followed.
Near the end of the affair, the Embassy announced and invited everyone to the forthcoming showing of the movie on the life of Dr. Jose Rizal directed by Marilou Diaz Abaya, to be shown inside the chancery, as part of the Embassy's ongoing June celebrations of Independence Day.
