Honorary Consul to the Republic of Malta Assumes Office

The new representative of the Philippine government in Malta aims to further strengthen Philippines-Malta relations and the assurance of timely and efficient service to the Filipino community based in Malta. Further to assuming office, the Consul’s appointment was subsequently followed by the Philippine Ambassador to Rome Domingo P. Nolasco meeting with leaders and members of the Filipino community based in the Republic of Malta to promote overseas voting. In attendance were FILCOM President Ms. Ruzzell Faure, FOCOWIM President Ms. Mona Rogong and ENFID Country Representative Ms. Criselda Magsino. During this visit, Consul Roger Strickland, Jr. met Filipino community leaders and volunteers during the Embassy outreach mission conducted in Malta on the 16^th and 17^th of April. The Consul’s 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. "It is very important to establish a double tax treaty between the countries’’ he says. "There are myriad investment opportunities to be explored and establishing closer trade relations between the countries is key.’’

He further believes that the Consulate can also serve as a forum to create employment opportunities for the Filipino community. Over the past few years, the Filipino community 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 Ambassador to Italy Domingo P. Nolasco conveyed to the Consul a message of congratulations, saying he looks forward to expanding and developing cooperation. 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.