118th Kalayan Celebrated in Malta

The Honorary Consul in Malta for the Republic of the Philippines Roger Strickland Jr. addressed Filipinos in Malta who attended the 118^th Kalayan celebration that took place in Malta on June 12^th 2016.

Held at the Preluna Hotel in Malta, hundreds of members of the Filipinos gathered under one roof on this special occasion with the intent of celebrating Philippine Independence Day – also known as Kalayan. The event was put together by FOCOWIM, the Philippine Consulate, Malta in collaboration with FILCOM.

The programme was rich and inspiring – a true Filipino gathering opening with the national anthem, inspirational talks and folk dance shows, culminating with the proclamation and crowning of Miss Independence 2016.

After taking an oath on the 15^th April, 2016, the new representative of the Philippine government in Malta Consul Roger Strickland Jr. has participated in numerous events and aims to further strengthen Philippines-Malta relations and the assurance of timely and efficient service to the Filipinos based in Malta.

The Philippines has a population of 102 million people and is the 12th country in the world by population size. During the event, the Consul expressed that his vision will be to proactively enhance collaboration between the two countries across a wide spectrum of matters by consciously promoting dialogue between member countries. Further, he envisions that the Consulate would provide effective organisational support to many joint initiatives, trade delegations as well as the setup of a Malta-Philippines Investment Board.

He further believes that the Consulate can also serve as a forum to create employment opportunities for the Filipinos. Over the past few years, Filipinos in Malta has doubled and figures are rising even further. This influx is due to the many work opportunities available on the island. A good amount of opportunities stem from Malta’s investments in the healthcare sector. There has also been a heavy demand for qualified household workers.

A boom in the financial services sector on the island has also increased demand for professional jobs such as auditors and accountants with many Filipino’s coming to work with renowned audit firms on the island. The role of the Honorary Consul is guided by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. The Honorary Consul in Malta is assisted by the Protocol and Consular Directorate of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Philippine Honorary Consul to the Republic of Malta Roger Strickland Jr. conveyed to the Filipino guests present a message of congratulations, saying he looks forward to expanding and developing cooperation. He concluded by thanking those at the Protocol and Consular Directorate of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, leaders and members of FOCOWIM and Filipinos in Malta and last but not least the Ambassador of the Philippines to Italy, Domingo Nolasco.

FOCOWIM President Ms. Mona Rogong also addressed the audience saying that ‘‘independence does not only mean a nation‘s freedom from the clout of an invader’s control and governance. It also means freedom of an individual from the paralysing grip of poverty, ignorance and immorality.’ She continued by saying that it is her fervent hope that ‘‘whatever the reasons each of us hold in coming to this country; we will all achieve those as we unite ourselves as a free Philippines and a Filipino especially here in Malta.’’ On behalf of all the officers of the organisation, she expressed gratitude towards the Consul and all those cooperating during this event among which Ms. Letty C. Siddorn, and Ysa de Jesus of FILCOM as well as performers ; D´Barkads Group, FILCOM dancers, Ms. Saidashin Hussin, Ms. Meriam Ozarraga, Miss Philippines Independence candidates and sponsors, Pinoy Services Ltd. Mariezell Chetcuti, Mr. Michael Gatt, Director of FCM, Care Malta and Ms. Marey Jane Collado of LBC Malta.

The Philippine Consulate in Malta is located in The Penthouse, Tower Business Center, Tower Street, Swatar, BKR 4013, Republic of Malta. The Consulate will be available within opening hours (Monday to Thursday - 8:00am - 5:00pm and Fridays 8:00am - 2:00pm). A dedicated Consulate Administrator would be present during these hours. The Honorary Consul will be available by appointment during the above mentioned hours.

For more information, kindly direct your request to [email protected] or call +356 2557 2557.