PH consulate celebrates independence day

Sonia Chan (left), Lilybeth Deapera and Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Alexis Tam

Pagkakaisa, Pag-aambagan, Pagsulong” (Unity, Participation and Progress) is the theme of the 118th anniversary of the declaration of Philippine Independence, which was celebrated in the city yesterday.
The celebration is momentous as the Filipino people are set to enter a new chapter in the country’s history under the leadership of the incoming administration of president-elect Rodrigo Duterte.
As this year’s National Elections recorded one of the largest turnouts in recent history, with 81 percent of registered voters casting their ballot, Philippine Consul General Lilybeth Deapera confidently said: “The people’s voice has been heard and together the Filipino people will move toward just and participatory governance.”
“I hope he will be a president for all,” said Deapera when commenting on the vast majority of votes Duterte received. Moreover, she expressed her hope that the new president will be able to fulfill his duties in terms of promoting inclusive growth in the economy to the benefit of all sectors of society, including marginalized sectors.
Deapera recalled in her speech that the 2016 first quarter figures show that the country continues to be one of the fastest growing economies in Asia as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund project 6 percent growth in the  economy.
The Consul General acknowledged that economic relations with MSAR have played a vital role in the economic development of the Philippines. According to Deapera, the two region’s bilateral merchandise trade in 2015 increased 28.4 percent over 2014, emphasizing that several business ventures not only cater to Filipino nationals but to expatriates and locals as well.
“It is my hope that the cooperation between our respective private sectors remains strong and that the trade between our two countries continues to expand and grow,” she added.
The Secretary for Administration and Justice, Sonia Chan, attended the event and  acknowledged Filipino workers as a “valuable” addition to the manpower resources of the city. As such, she expressed her hope that the community would continue to make “significant contributions to the sustainable development of the local economy.”
The Consul General also thanked local NGO’s including Macau’s Architecture Sans Frontiers (ASF) as it has been extending aid to a province in the country affected by typhoon Haiyan in 2013.
“Through exchanges like these, the peoples of the Philippines and Macau learn from each other and enrich each other’s culture and experiences,” she said. Staff reporter

tourist arrivals grow

As the city continues to be a favored destination for the Filipino citizens, tourist arrivals from the Philippines grew by 5.3 percent in 2015, according to the Consul General of the Philippines in Macau. The trend continued for the first quarter of 2016 as 91,314 Filipinos visited the city, representing an 8.1 percent increase year-to-year for tourist arrival figures. Moreover, Deapera revealed that as of April 2016 some 24,963 Filipinos were working in the city, stressing that the Filipinos are indeed given the opportunity to contribute the territory’s development and economy.