GOVPH

PHILIPPINES HANDS OVER CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE ASEAN COMMITTEE IN COPENHAGEN (ACC) TO THAILAND

26 March 2025, Copenhagen. Ambassador Leo M. Herrera-Lim handed over the rotating chairmanship of the ASEAN Committee in Copenhagen (ACC) to Thai Ambassador-Designate Suphanvasa Chotikajan Tang at a short ceremony in Asia House. The Philippines held the chairmanship of the ACC from 07 March 2024.

The ceremonial handover took place after the event entitled “Business Opportunities in ASEAN” and was witnessed by the resident Heads of Mission of Indonesia and Vietnam in Denmark, as well as attendees from the diplomatic corps, the private sector, and the academe.

During its chairmanship of the ACC, the Philippine Embassy organized several activities to engage the host government, the private sector, and other relevant stakeholders. In addition, the ACC continued to exert efforts to raise awareness of the ASEAN region’s increasing significance in light of current geopolitical trends, in order to open up new avenues for collaboration with Denmark and the European Union.

The ACC is composed of the resident Heads of Mission of Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam in Denmark. END.

PH EMBASSY HOLDS “BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN ASEAN” TO ATTRACT MORE DANISH COMPANIES TO INVEST IN THE REGION

26 March 2025. Under its Chairmanship of the ASEAN Committee in Copenhagen (ACC), the Philippine Embassy organized an event entitled “Business Opportunities in ASEAN” on 26 March 2025 at Asia House, aimed at showcasing the region’s economic prowess, its strong collaboration with Danish firms and investors, and its potential to create good business sense for Danish locators. Participants from the private sector, diplomatic corps, and the academe attended the event.

Through two (2) interactive panels, officials from Danish companies, such as Carlsberg, Mærsk, DSV, Ecco, Grundfos, and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) shared their positive experiences in doing business in the ASEAN region, as well as offered insights for other firms that are interested in setting up their operations in the region.

Ambassador Herrera-Lim emphasized that ASEAN is the world’s 5th largest economy, with a combined GDP of over 3.9 trillion US Dollars, and a projected annual growth rate of 4-5% despite global economic uncertainty. With over 680 million people, ASEAN has a young, digital-first consumer base, driving demand for innovation and sustainable solutions. In addition, ASEAN is a strategic trading hub and gateway to the broader Asia-Pacific market due to its regional integration through free trade agreements such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). He also highlighted that despite the distance, Denmark has strong economic ties with ASEAN, as evidenced by numerous Danish investments in the region, in the areas of water technology, maritime solutions, smart infrastructure, renewable energy, and sustainable food production, among others.

The discussants highlighted the availability of a highly-skilled workforce, the ease of having dialogues with government authorities, and relatively predictable regulatory frameworks in the ASEAN region. However, they also identified the scarcity of renewable energy sources and the lack of critical infrastructure as some difficulties.

In addition to the engaging discussions, the guests enjoyed a variety of ASEAN dishes, such as satay marinated chicken on stick with dip (Indonesia), spring rolls with beef (Philippines), fishball with papaya salad (Thailand), and banh mi with roasted veal (Vietnam), which were prepared by a Filipino caterer based in Copenhagen. END.

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY CONDUCTS CONSULAR OUTREACH IN ESBJERG, DK

The Philippine Embassy in Denmark, in cooperation with MWO-OWWA London and Filipino community in Esbjerg, successfully conducted a consular outreach program on 29-30 March 2025 at the Frivillighuset Vindrosen, Esbjerg, Denmark. The team was also joined by MWO Officer-in-Charge and Welfare Officer Sheila Mae J. Aguilar and Ms. Marife C. Manzano of OWWA London, UK.

London-based MWO-OWWA also provided labor service and conducted living quarters inspection of OFWs employed by DanePork and Tican Fresh Meats in Give, Denmark.

The consular team provided a total of 173 services, which include: the processing of 13 passport applications/biometric data capture; 7 civil registry applications; 17 notarials; 8 consultations on various matters; 80 employment contract registrations; and 48 OWWA membership renewals.

Members of the Filipino community in Esbjerg, led by Ms. Marirose Linsbauer of the Filippinsk Dansk Integrations Forening, assisted the consular team in the provision of the venue and other logistics. The Filipino community across the Jutland peninsula also expressed their appreciation for the conduct of the outreach program and welcomed the Embassy’s efforts in bringing government services closer to them.

Ebsjerg is the fifth-largest city in Denmark located on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula (about 298 km southwest of Copenhagen) in Southwest Denmark. It is a seaport city with an urban population of 71,505. As of the first quarter of 2025, approximately 2,980 Filipinos are registered across the Peninsula, excluding the cities of Funen island. END.

PH Embassy joins the Celebration of the 2025 National Arts Month

In celebration of the 2025 Philippine National Arts Month, the Embassy is holding a painting exhibit by Filipino painters at the Embassy Hall for the month of February. The main collection includes:

1. “Pamana” by Manny Sinquenco, 1999;
2. “Bahay kubo” by Jimmy Vista, 1997;
3. “Mangangalakal” by Brando Bati, 2000;
4. “Banga” by Jimmy Vista, 1999; and
5. “Mangingisda” by Charlie Timtiman (CharTim), 1998.

Under this year’s theme “Ani ng Sining, Bayang Malikhain," Post portrayed the Filipino identity by exhibiting artistic expression of our cultural heritage: “Pamana” symbolizes Filipino traditional ancestral houses; the classic “Bahay kubo” represents the unity of the Filipino community; “Mangangalakal” describes the conventional trading/market system; “Banga” narrates our traditional food/water preservation; and “Mangingisda” illustrates one of our country’s main source of livelihood.

Consular clients and Embassy visitors can view the artworks at the Embassy Hall until 28 February 2025.

END.