Embassy of the Philippines, Beirut Pasuguan ng Pilipinas sa Beirut سفارة الفلبين في بيروت Ambassade des Philippines au Beyrouth | |
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Location | Beirut |
Address | W Building, Rue Mar Geries, Hadeth, Baabda District, Mount Lebanon Governorate |
Coordinates | 33°50′34.2″N35°32′03.9″E / 33.842833°N 35.534417°E |
Ambassador | Raymond R. Balatbat |
Website | http://beirutpe.dfa.gov.ph |
The Embassy of the Philippines in Beirut is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the Republic of Lebanon. Opened in 1996, it is currently located at the W Building on Rue Mar Geries in the southern Beirut suburb of Hadeth, part of the Baabda District in the Mount Lebanon Governorate.
Although the Philippines and Lebanon established diplomatic relations in 1946, the Philippines did not establish an embassy in Lebanon until November 1996, [1] [2] with Fortunato Oblena becoming the country's first resident ambassador. [3] Prior to the establishment of the Embassy, the Philippines conducted diplomatic relations with Lebanon through an honorary consulate in Beirut which, at various points in its history, was accredited to the Philippine Embassy in Cairo, and subsequently the Philippine Embassy in Amman. [3]
Initially located at Raouché in Ras Beirut, [4] the Embassy moved to a larger space in Achrafieh in 2006, enabling it to consolidate consular and labor functions under one roof. In 2012, it moved to its current location outside the city: a new building which also enables it to host larger events. [3]
Between 1996 and 2008, the Embassy also exercised jurisdiction over Syria, [3] until a separate embassy was established in Damascus which formally opened on April 17, 2009. [5]
The Philippine Embassy in Beirut is headed by Ambassador Raymond R. Balatbat, who was appointed to the position by President Rodrigo Duterte on December 3, 2020. [6] Prior to his current post, Balatbat, a career diplomat who has served with the Philippine foreign service since 1997, served as the Executive Director of the Office of Middle East and Africa Affairs at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), [7] and prior to that served at Philippine diplomatic missions throughout the Islamic world, including at the embassies in Bandar Seri Begawan and Jakarta. [8] His appointment was confirmed by the Commission on Appointments on December 16, 2020, [8] and he presented his credentials to President Michel Aoun on June 9, 2021. [9]
A notable diplomat who served at the Embassy was Bernardita Catalla, who served as Ambassador between 2018 and 2020. Known for championing the welfare of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) throughout her career, [10] Catalla died while in office on April 2, 2020 due to COVID-19 amidst a pandemic of the disease. [11]
The Embassy's activities center around providing to the many OFWs in Lebanon, which began on November 7, 2000 with the opening of a Filipino Workers’ Resource Center to help provide legal aid to OFWs in the country. [4] The treatment of OFWs in Lebanon is a regular point of contention for the Embassy and for the DFA in general: in 2005, it protested a raid in Beirut conducted by the Lebanese government against OFWs despite them being legally documented, [12] while in 2011, it went so far as to encourage people to not go to the country for work. [13] In 2017, in one of Catalla's first acts as ambassador, the registration of Filipinos in Lebanon was swiftly resumed after it was discovered that the Embassy had not been keeping track of how many Filipinos were in the country — by the following year, more than 12,000 OFWs were registered and given registration cards. [10] The Embassy has also facilitated the repatriation of Filipinos affected by war and other conflicts in Lebanon, which it did in 2006, [14] and in 2019, [15] which Catalla personally led. [16] This has also extended to facilitating the evacuation of Filipinos from Syria as a result of that country's civil war. [17]
The Embassy also engages in promoting Filipino culture in Lebanon, as well as promoting cultural links and exchanges between the two countries. These include hosting a screening of the 2002 film Kailangan Kita in 2013, [18] organizing Lebanon's first-ever exhibition of Filipino art — primarily the works of Marvin Baldemor, son of Manuel Baldemor — the following year, [19] and presenting the Filipino translation of The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, prepared by Ruth Elynia Mabanglo, to his eponymous museum in 2018. [20]
The Embassy of the Philippines in Warsaw is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the Republic of Poland. It is located on ul. Stanisława Lentza 11 in the Wilanów district of south Warsaw, near the Wilanów Palace. Although the current embassy dates from 2009, the Philippines also maintained a previous resident embassy in Poland in the early 1990s.
The Embassy of the Philippines in Bandar Seri Begawan is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the Sultanate of Brunei. Opened in 1984 after Brunei gained independence from the United Kingdom, it is currently located in the Diplomatic Enclave of Bandar Seri Begawan, behind the offices of the country's Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports.
The Embassy of the Philippines in Tokyo is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of the Philippines to Japan. Opened in 1944 as the first embassy established by a Philippine government, it is currently located in the Roppongi district of Tokyo's Minato ward, near the Roppongi Hills development.
Kuwait–Philippines relations refers to the bilateral ties of Kuwait and the Philippines.
The Embassy of the Philippines in Tel Aviv is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the State of Israel. Opened in 1962, it is located on 18 Bnei Dan Street in the Yehuda HaMaccabi neighborhood of central Tel Aviv, across from Yarkon Park.
Bernardita Leonido Catalla was a Filipina career diplomat who was last appointed the Philippine ambassador to Lebanon. Prior to her posting in Lebanon, she was also assigned to Hong Kong, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
Overseas Filipinos, including Filipino migrant workers outside the Philippines, have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. As of June 1, 2021, there have been 19,765 confirmed COVID-19 cases of Filipino citizens residing outside the Philippines with 12,037 recoveries and 1,194 deaths. The official count from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on the cases of overseas Filipinos is not included in the national tally of the Philippine government. Repatriates on the other hand are included in the national tally of the Department of Health (DOH) but are listed separately from regional counts.
The Embassy of the Philippines in Stockholm is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the Kingdom of Sweden. It is located on the island of Lidingö in Stockholm County, east of Stockholm city proper. Although the current embassy dates from 2020, the Philippines also maintained a previous resident embassy in Sweden between 1978 and 2012.
The Embassy of the Philippines in Mexico City is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the United Mexican States. It is currently at Avenida Thiers 111 in Colonia Anzures, part of the alcaldía (municipality) of Miguel Hidalgo in northwestern Mexico City.
The Embassy of the Philippines in Santiago is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the Republic of Chile. Opened in 1981, it is currently located at Calle Félix de Amesti 367, northeast of Santiago proper in the city of Las Condes, Santiago Province.
The Embassy of the Philippines in Canberra is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the Commonwealth of Australia. It is currently located at 1 Moonah Place in the Yarralumla suburb of south Canberra, just beyond the periphery of Parliament House.
The Embassy of the Philippines in Oslo is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the Kingdom of Norway. Opened in 2007, it is currently located along Nedre Vollgate in central Oslo, near Kontraskjæret and the Akershus Fortress.
The Embassy of the Philippines in Cairo is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the Arab Republic of Egypt. Opened in 1960, it is currently located in the southern Maadi district of Cairo, near the Cairo American College.
The Embassy of the Philippines in Rome is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the Italian Republic. First opened in 1947, it is currently located along the Via Aurelia in the quarter (quartiere) of Aurelio, part of Municipio XIII in western Rome, just west of Vatican City.
The Embassy of the Philippines in Lisbon is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the Portuguese Republic. It is located in the freguesia of Santo António in central Lisbon, next to the Casa-Museu Medeiros e Almeida, and near the Avenida da Liberdade and the Marquis of Pombal Square. Although the current chancery dates from 2010, the Philippines also maintained a previous resident embassy in Portugal between 1965 and 1974.
The embassy of the Philippines in Paris is the diplomatic mission of the Philippines to France.
The Embassy of the Philippines in Damascus is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the Syrian Arab Republic. Opened in 2009, it is located in the Western Villas district of the Mezzeh municipality in southwestern Damascus, near the Presidential Palace.
The Embassy of the Philippines in Baghdad is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the Republic of Iraq. Opened in 1980, it is located in the Al-Jadriya neighborhood of the Karrada district in eastern Baghdad, near the main campus of the University of Baghdad.
The Embassy of the Philippines in Amman is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. It is located in the neighborhood of Sweifieh in the Wadi Al-Seer district of western Amman. Although the current embassy dates from 1998, the Philippines also maintained a previous resident embassy in Jordan between 1980 and 1993.