GOVPH

PH celebrates World Oceans Day with SIDS

^{During the roundtable presentation of Dr.Laura David, Co-Chair of the National Committee on Marine Sciences (NCMS)}

08 June 2022 – In celebration of the World Oceans Day, the Small Island States (SIDS) and the Group of Friends of SIDS in UNESCO organized a round table on “Climate Change and Resilience: Bringing Science and Technology to the Ocean in a Manner Consistent with Traditional Knowledge.” PH is a member of the 49-member Group of Friends of SIDS.

The roundtable was held in hybrid format, with the participation of experts in the field  namely, Mr. Virginijus Sinkevicius (European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries), Mr. Vladimir Ryabinin (Assistant Director General of UNESCO, Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission), Dr. Russel Reichhelt (Representative of the Australian Prime Minister on the High Level Panel for Sustainable Ocean Economy), Dr. Amr Zakaria (President of the National Institute for Oceans and Fisheries of Egypt), Mr. Francois Grunewald (Director for Monitoring and Anticipation of the Emergency Rehabilitation and Development of France), Dr. Hajime Kayanne (Professor in the Graduate School of Science of the University of Tokyo), Mr. Nicolas Imbert (Executive Director of Green Cross France and Territories) and Dr. Laura David (Co-Chair of the National Committee on Marine Sciences of the Philippines).

^{During the roundtable presentation of Dr.Laura David, Co-Chair of the National Committee on Marine Sciences (NCMS)}

Dr. Laura David shared that per latest studies, only 2.4% of the ocean is fully or highly protected from fishing impacts. She emphasized that in advancing marine ecosystems resilience and sustainable development, conservation is key. Towards this end, the Philippines is currently 1) including climate change as part of its risk assessment in establishing marine protected areas (MPAs) 2) including multiple habitats in MPA establishment in order to increase biodiversity in MPAs 3) mitigating stress on the environment by considering sources of sediment, nitrogen and phosphorous and 4) conducting connectivity studies to provide the scientific basis for the prioritization, design and establishment of MPA networks.

She shared that there is a need to re-imagine partnerships with local stakeholders to give more voice to traditional knowledge. Conservation should be framed against global issues but should maintain local relevance. Science needs to be better communicated so that it has relevance on the ground. Finally, there is a need to emphasize that nature-based adaptation is sustainable and can lead to true resilience – the goal of not just surviving but finding a way to thrive in the new normal. END

Embassy celebrates Independence Day with the Filipino Community on Paris

13 June 2022, Paris – The Philippine Embassy in France celebrated the 124th  Anniversary of Philippine Independence at the Philippine Embassy in Paris on 12 June 2022.  Over one hundred members of various Filipino community associations joined the festivities, the first in-person celebration after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19.

The celebration began with a mass in Filipino officiated by Fr. Jose Victor Lobrigo at 8:45am. This was promptly followed by the flag raising ceremony and viewing of the speeches from the President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro Locsin Jr.

HE Ambassador Junever M. Mahilum-West, in her speech in Filipino, reminded the community of the love for freedom for which Philippine heroes offered the ultimate sacrifice. The Ambassador also invited the community to participate in upcoming events to celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and France.  The Ambassador also enjoined the community: “ipakilala at ipagmalaki ang ating bansa, ang ating kultura at ang kakayahan ng mga Pilipino dito sa Pransya (introduce and take pride in our country, our culture and the talent and ability of Filipinos here in France).”

After the formal program, guests were treated to a Filipino breakfast.

END

Philippine Space Agency DDG Visits France

13 June 2022 - Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) Deputy Director General for Space Science and Technology Gay Jane P. Perez, Ph.D. visited the Embassy to discuss the outcome of her successful participation in the XXIV International Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) Congress held from 06 to 11 June 2022, in Nice, France. Dr Perez delivered a presentation at the Earth Observation Forum, particularly on perspectives on international earth observation missions which seek to address the interactions between science, public organizations, industry, and other stakeholders in the geospatial community.

^{Ambassador Mahilum-West receives an image of Apo Reef, the largest contiguous coral reef system in the Philippines and the world’s second largest, with an area of 34 sq.m. The image was taken using the High-Precision Telescope (HPT) of Diwata-2. Diwata-2 is the Philippines’ second microsatellite designed and developed by Filipino scientists and engineers under the PHL-Microsat Programme.}

Ambassador Junever M. Mahilum-West, in response, congratulated DDG Perez for her election as President of the ISPRS Technical Commission on Education and Outreach (TC V). TC V’s main function is to develop cost-effective teaching methods applicable to different levels of learners and to focus on bridging the gap between rapid advances in science and technology and their practical application. This is the first time that the Philippines was elected to preside in one of the five important commissions under ISPRS.

^{DDG Perez discusses the projects of PhilSA with Paris PE officials Ambassador Mahilum-West and First Secretary Malang.}

DDG Perez is also scheduled to meet with counterparts in the Centre National D’Etudes Spatiales (CNES), the French Space Agency, to discuss possible areas of Philippines-France cooperation in the field of space science and technology. END