Embassy of the Philippines, Cairo

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.

Embassy of the Philippines, Cairo
Pasuguan ng Pilipinas sa Cairo
LocationCairo
Address28, Street 200, Maadi, Cairo Governorate
Coordinates29°57′20″N 31°16′30″E
AmbassadorSulpicio M. Confiado
WebsiteOfficial website

History

Although relations between the Philippines and Egypt were established on March 3, 1946,[1] four months before the country secured its independence from the United States, the Philippines did not immediately open a resident mission in Egypt. A consulate was established in Cairo during the presidency of Ramon Magsaysay in 1956,[2] with Yusup Abubakar serving as the mission's first consul.[3]

The following year on March 25, 1957, Magsaysay's successor, Carlos P. Garcia, nominated retired colonel Pullong Arpa of Sulu to serve as minister to Egypt,[4] elevating the consulate to a legation. After his appointment was confirmed by the Commission on Appointments (CA), Garcia administered the oath of office to Arpa on April 12, 1957, becoming the first Muslim Filipino to be appointed minister to a foreign country.[3] Arpa left for Egypt shortly thereafter,[5] with Abubakar becoming the mission's chargé d'affaires.[3]

On February 26, 1960, Arpa was appointed by Garcia as Ambassador to the United Arab Republic, elevating the legation to an embassy.[6][7] However, the exact date of when the Embassy was established is unclear, with accounts from students at Al-Azhar University attesting to its existence starting in the early 1960s.[1] Until the mid-1970s, it was also the only Philippine diplomatic mission in both Africa and the Middle East.[8]

Staff and activities

The Philippine Embassy in Cairo is currently headed by Ambassador Sulpicio M. Confiado, who was appointed to the position by President Rodrigo Duterte on April 23, 2018.[9] Prior to becoming Ambassador, Confiado, a career diplomat, previously served as Consul General and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Philippine Embassy in Vienna. After his appointment was approved by the CA's Foreign Affairs Committee on May 29, 2018,[10] the committee en banc confirmed his appointment the following day,[11] and Confiado arrived in Cairo to assume his post on November 10, 2018.[12]

The Embassy's activities center around providing to the welfare of the many Overseas Filipino Workers and other Filipinos in Egypt, for which it has been recognized by the Department of Foreign Affairs for its efforts in providing those services.[13] It regularly monitors the employment situation for Filipinos in Egypt to ensure that they only enter the country legally,[14] and actively repatriates OFWs there back to the Philippines during periods of unrest,[15] even if the measures are opposed by the host government.[16] The Cairo mission also actively assists Filipinos beyond Egypt in the countries within its jurisdiction, including Sudan,[17] Ethiopia,[18] Eritrea,[19] and Djibouti.[20] In addition to its consular and welfare functions, the Embassy has also encouraged Egyptian businesses to invest in the Philippines,[21] sought to build cultural ties between the two countries,[22] and also showcased Filipino culture in Egypt.[23]

Beyond its jurisdiction, the Embassy has also been involved in assisting and repatriating Filipinos escaping war-torn countries and areas, including Libya, where it works with the Philippine Embassy in Tripoli,[24] and the Gaza Strip, where it works with the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv.[25]

See also

References
  1. "The Embassy". Embassy of the Philippines, Cairo. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  2. "Ramon Magsaysay, Fourth State of the Nation Address, January 28, 1957". Official Gazette. January 28, 1957. Retrieved January 1, 2021. This year we will exchange diplomatic representatives with Egypt, where we established a consulate last year.
  3. "Official Month in Review: April 1 – April 15, 1957". Official Gazette. Retrieved January 1, 2021. IN the evening the President administered the oath of office to Pullong Arpa as minister to Egypt. [...] The first Filipino Moslem appointed to the foreign service with the rank of minister, Arpa thanked the Chief Executive for the confidence reposed in him. [...] He will be the first minister of the Philippines to Egypt since the elevation of the Philippine diplomatic office in that country from consulate to legation. Yusup Abubakar, Philippine consul general there, will be charge d’affaires of the new Philippine legation.
  4. "Appointments and Designations: March 31, 1957". Official Gazette. March 31, 1957. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  5. "Official Month in Review: April 16 – April 30, 1957". Official Gazette. Retrieved January 1, 2021. The President also received Minister Pullong Arpa, who is leaving shortly for his post in Cairo, Egypt. Minister Arpa called on, the President for final instructions before leaving for his post.
  6. "Appointments and Designations: June 6, 1960". Official Gazette. June 6, 1960. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  7. "Official Week in Review: July 24 – July 30, 1960". Official Gazette. Retrieved January 1, 2021. Back in Malacañang about 11 a.m. the President received [...] Philippine Ambassador Pullong Arpa to the United Arab Republic, who is going back to his post after a few weeks’ vacation here.
  8. Lee-Brago, Pia (May 18, 2014). "Del Rosario off to Egypt to bolster bilateral relations". The Philippine Star. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  9. Mendez, Christina (April 24, 2018). "Duterte names new MMDA chief". The Philippine Star. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  10. Ager, Maila (May 29, 2018). "CA panel OKs nomination of 2 PH envoys to Middle East". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  11. Ager, Maila (May 30, 2018). "3 Cabinet execs, AFP chief get CA nod". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  12. "Amb. Sulpicio M. Confiado Arrives in Cairo" (Press release). Embassy of the Philippines, Cairo. November 19, 2018. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  13. "DFA lauds foreign service personnel for exemplary service". GMA News and Public Affairs. August 6, 2013. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  14. Andal, Rudy (February 1, 2008). "OFWs tiyaking ligtas sa pag-abuso – PGMA" [Ensure that OFWs are safe from abuse – PGMA]. Pilipino Star Ngayon (in Filipino). Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  15. Quismundo, Tarra (August 25, 2013). "Filipinos in Egypt told again: Leave now". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  16. Quismundo, Tarra; Santos, Tina G. (August 30, 2013). "Too drastic, Egyptian envoy says of Filipinos' evacuation". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  17. Flores, Helen (April 13, 2019). "DFA calls for caution among Pinoys in Sudan". The Philippine Star. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  18. Jordan, Angellic (April 29, 2020). "312 OFW mula Ethiopia, nakabalik na ng Pilipinas" [312 OFWs from Ethiopia returned to the Philippines] (in Filipino). Radyo Inquirer. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  19. Mendoza, Norman V. (April 6, 2016). "Pinoy fishermen held in Eritrea will be home soon, DFA assures". Cebu Daily News. Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  20. "CAIRO PE CONDUCTS CONSULAR MISSION IN DJIBOUTI, 11–12 APRIL 2019" (Press release). Embassy of the Philippines, Cairo. April 14, 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  21. "Egyptian businessmen briefed on economic prospects in the PH". Manila Bulletin. June 30, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  22. "وزير الثقافة يلتقي وفدا من الفلبين لبحث سبل زيادة التعاون الثقافي بين البلدين" [Minister of Culture meets with a delegation from the Philippines to discuss ways to increase cultural cooperation between the two countries] (Press release). Ministry of Culture of Egypt. September 25, 2016. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  23. Orejas, Tonette (November 27, 2019). "Pampanga lanterns lit up Egypt, UAE". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  24. Esplanada, Jerry E. (August 29, 2011). "Gov't to mount 2nd attempt to evacuate Filipinos from Libya". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  25. Lee-Brago, Pia (July 15, 2014). "Pinays in Gaza willing to be repatriated". The Philippine Star. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
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