Embassy of the Philippines, Canberra

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.

Embassy of the Philippines, Canberra
Pasuguan ng Pilipinas sa Canberra
LocationCanberra
Address1 Moonah Place, Yarralumla
Coordinates35°18′33.8″S 149°07′01.1″E
AmbassadorMa. Hellen Barber de la Vega
Websitehttps://www.philembassy.org.au/

History

Although diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Australia were established in May 1946, the Philippines did not establish a presence in the country until three years later, when Roberto Regala, at the time serving as Consul General at the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco,[1] being appointed by President Elpidio Quirino as consul to Australia on July 8, 1949. Regala's appointment was subsequently accepted by the Australian government a month later,[2] and he was elevated to the rank of minister the following year.[3]

Despite there being a consul — and later minister — to Australia, the Philippines did not have a mission in Canberra; at the time, the country's interests were represented through the Philippine Consulate General in Sydney. For a time, the Consulate was upgraded to an embassy in 1956 with the naming of Jose Imperial as the first resident Philippine ambassador to Australia.[4][5] The Embassy was then moved to Canberra in 1962,[6] with Imperial's successor, Mariano Ezpeleta, becoming the first Philippine ambassador to reside in the city.[7]

The Embassy has seen itself become the subject of scandal in 2018, when the ABC News investigative program Four Corners found that a former ambassador to Australia had exploited a Filipino worker,[8] and in 2020, when it had been accused on social media of calling in for questioning a certain person who had criticized President Rodrigo Duterte — a charge which it subsequently denied.[9]

Building

The buildings of the Philippine Embassy in Canberra were designed by noted Filipino architect Federico Ilustre, who had also designed the chancery of the Philippine Embassy in New Delhi,[10] alongside the Australian firm Moir and Slater.[11] Construction began in 1962, and it was opened on Philippine Independence Day, June 12, 1964, with both the chancery and the ambassadorial residence being located within the same compound.[12]

Staff and activities

The Philippine Embassy in Canberra is currently headed by Ambassador Ma. Hellen Barber de la Vega, who was appointed to the position by President Duterte on June 7, 2018.[13] Prior to becoming Ambassador, de la Vega, a career diplomat, served as Assistant Secretary at the Department of Foreign Affairs Office of ASEAN Affairs, and prior to that headed the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles and the Philippine Embassy in Yangon.[14] Her appointment was confirmed by the Commission on Appointments on August 15, 2018,[15] and she presented her credentials to Governor General Peter Cosgrove on November 29, 2018.[14]

Notable diplomats who have been deployed to the Embassy as Ambassadors to Australia include Leticia Ramos Shahani, who would later become Senator,[16] and future Foreign Affairs Secretary Delia Albert.[17]

Many of the Embassy's activities center around fostering continuing relations between the Philippines and Australia, and in particular with respect to the more than 300,000 Filipino Australians.[18] These include organizing a lecture on the discovery of Homo luzonensis,[19] hosting the Loboc Children's Choir during its tour of Australia,[20] and facilitating cultural exchanges between the two countries.[21] It also works closely with Filipino communities and community organizations throughout Australia, particularly during natural disasters,[22][23] and also works with government agencies in the Philippines to ensure the welfare of Filipinos coming to Australia.[24]

See also

References
  1. "Official Month in Review: July 1949". Official Gazette. Retrieved June 18, 2020. A RESHUFFLE in the higher echelons of the foreign service was announced by the foreign office on July 8. Consul General Roberto Regala in San Francisco was ordered transferred to Australia as Consul General with the assimilated rank of Minister
  2. "Official Month in Review: August 1949". Official Gazette. Retrieved June 18, 2020. THE Philippine nominations of Judge Roberto Regala as consul general to Australia and of Tagakotta Sotto as first consul to Pakistan have been formally accepted by both governments, according to separate cabled dispatches received from the two governments by the Foreign Office on August 3.
  3. "Appointments and Designations: May, 1950". Official Gazette. Retrieved June 19, 2020. Ad interim appointments confirmed by the Commission on Appointments on May 11, 1950: Hon. Roberto Regala, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary.
  4. "BREEDING CATTLE FOR PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT". The Sydney Morning Herald. July 19, 1957. p. 22. Retrieved June 19, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "AMBASSADOR OPENS SCHOOL DISPLAY". The Sydney Morning Herald. August 10, 1957. p. 4. Retrieved June 19, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. Conoza, Adrian Paul B. (May 22, 2019). "A broad and deep relationship". BusinessWorld. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  7. "Hello! Hello!". The Sydney Morning Herald. June 19, 1960. p. 95. Retrieved June 19, 2020 – via Newspapers.com. THE MARIANO EZPELETAS are house-hunting—until the new Philippine Embassy is built in Canberra.
  8. Milligan, Louise (February 12, 2018). "Exploited foreign workers falling into 'black hole' of diplomatic immunity". Four Corners. ABC News. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  9. Mabasa, Roy (May 15, 2020). "DFA denies claim in viral post that they harrassed [sic] woman who criticized Duterte". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  10. India Philippines Bilateral Relations (PDF) (Report). Confederation of Indian Industry. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  11. Yarralumla Diplomatic Estate Tour (Report). National Capital Authority. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  12. "The Embassy". Embassy of the Philippines, Canberra. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  13. Lopez, Virgil (June 7, 2018). "DOT exec Pompee La Viña transferred to DA". GMA News and Public Affairs. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  14. "New Philippine Ambassador to Australia". The Philippine Times. Filcom Publishing Pty Ltd. December 15, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  15. Terrazola, Vanne Elaine (August 15, 2018). "CA confirms PH ambassador to Australia, 38 DFA officials". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  16. Ramos, Fidel V. (March 25, 2017). "A tribute to Senator Leticia V. Ramos Shahani". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  17. Villasanta, Art (September 11, 2005). "Order, diplomacy and Philippine coffee". The Philippine Star. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  18. "PHL Embassy-Canberra highlights importance of youth". BusinessMirror. September 12, 2019. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  19. Mateo, Janvic (July 7, 2019). "Pinoy archaeologist brings new human species discovery to Australia". The Philippine Star. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  20. Dayrit-Singson, Marianne; Hobbs, Michael (August 30, 2015). "Loboc Children's Choir connects with Australian communities". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  21. "Cultural extravaganza to mark 70th celebration of PH-Australia relations". Manila Bulletin. November 24, 2016. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  22. Lee-Brago, Pia (January 14, 2011). "Pinoys in Australia urged to be strong". The Philippine Star. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  23. Ramos, Christia Marie (January 5, 2020). "300 Filipinos given temporary shelter as fires rage in Australia". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  24. Fernandez, Ariel (March 9, 2020). "BI honored for efforts vs. foreign sex offenders, fugitives". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
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