30 June 2024.The Philippine Embassy in France held a town hall forum with the Filipino community (FilCom) in Paris on 29 June 2024, as part of its quarterly public engagement. The Department of Foreign Affairs’ Undersecretary for Administration Antonio Morales and Undersecretary for Migration Affairs Eduardo Jose De Vega graced the event. A total of 44 Filipino association representatives participated in the event.
DFA officials Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega (center left) and Undersecretary Antonio Morales (center right) with Ambassador Junever Mahilum-West (center), led the town hall meeting with Filipino community at the Philippine Embassy in Paris.
During the forum, Philippine Ambassador to France, H.E. Junever Mahilum-West took the opportunity to expound on President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos, Jr.’s vision under Bagong Pilipinas and the socioeconomic transformation programs it entails. Her Excellency highlighted the roles of our kababayan and emphasized unity, involvement, and the Bayanihan culture as the main fibers and components for the full realization of Bagong Pilipinas.
H.E. Junever Mahilum-West (center) welcomed FilCom group representatives to the town hall forum and expounded on the Bagong Pilipinas initiative of the administration.
Undersecretary Morales, in his remarks, reminded the Filipino community that they are representatives of our country being in a way, multiplier Ambassadors, and so their activities and behavior abroad inevitably reflect on our country. Undersecretary Morales also gave a background of UA’s role in the DFA’s operations and in ensuring its delivery of effective, efficient, and timely services to all Filipino clients. 
Undersecretary for Migration Affairs Eduardo Jose De Vega and Undersecretary for Administration Antonio Morales expressed their appreciation to the Filipino community and emphasized their roles in representing the country overseas.
Undersecretary De Vega expressed his commitment in ascertaining the plight of Filipino migrant workers in France and his appreciation to them for maintaining a good representation of the Philippines. He also explained the updated government framework and updates in delivering assistance-to-nationals services, i.e., the establishment of the Department of Migrant Workers and the role of DFA’s Foreign Service Posts in countries without a Migrant Workers Office (MWO) like in France. 
MWO Madrid OIC and Welfare Officer Maria Corazon Sangco resopnds to queries of the Filipino community on OEC and OWWA matters.
Representatives from MWO Madrid, Welfare Officer and MWO OIC Maria Corazon Sangco and Administrative Staff Percival Labasan, gave a refresher of MWO and OWWA services through online presence. The Embassy’s Police Attache, Col. Rodolfo Castro, Jr., also gave his security updates and anti-human trafficking briefing to the community.
