PORTO ALEGRE: The Philippine Embassy in Brasilia conducted its first consular outreach for 2019 in Porto Alegre on 3 February. Porto Alegre is the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, in southern Brazil.

A total of 20 consular services was rendered during the Consular Outreach, all of them passport renewals.

The Embassy regularly conducts outreach missions to provide consular services to Filipinos under its jurisdiction. The Embassy intends to hold more consular outreach missions this year in order to reach more Filipinos in the areas of its jurisdiction.

As part of its Gender and Development (GAD) Program, the Philippine Embassy in Brasilia, in partnership with ABAC Luz - Associação Brasiliense de Apoio Ao Paciente com Câncer (Brazilian Association for Supporting Patients with Cancer), held a talk on Breast Cancer Prevention for the Filipino community in Brasilia on 9 December 2018 at the Chancery. Dr. Lucy Ishii of ABAC Luz was the resource speaker. She also provided free breast screening to the attendees.

After a traditional Filipino lunch, the attendees were treated to a screening of Bamboo Flowers, a film by the late Maryo J. de los Reyes.

Ambassador Marichu Mauro handed over the chairmanship of the ASEAN Committee in Brasilia (ACB) to Malaysian Ambassador Lin Juay Jin on 6 December 2018 in a ceremony during the seventh meeting of the year of the ACB and the fourth convened under the Philippines’  chairmanship.

The Philippine Embassy in Brasilia participated in the annual bazaar, “13th Feira Internacional das Embaixadas,” held at the Expobrasilia, Parque da Cidade, in Brasilia on 10 November 2018. The bazaar was organized by the Grupo dos Cônjuges dos Chefes de Missão (GCCM) (Group of the Spouses of the Chiefs of Missions) and participated in by the 84 diplomatic missions based in Brazil.  

BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA: Colombia’s commitment to moving forward its bilateral relations with the Philippines was the main sentiment that was highlighted during H.E. Ambassador Marichu Mauro’s meeting with the Director-General of Asia, Oceania and Africa of the Colombian Ministry of External Relations, Mr. Alfredo Ramos (left) last 25 October 2018 in Bogotá.  The meeting between the two officials was held to follow-up on matters discussed during their previous meeting last July. Assistant Director Rodrigo Amaya (center) was also present in the meeting.

BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA: The Chairperson of the Transportation Committee of the House of Representatives, Congressman Cesar Sarmiento of Catanduanes, and his Vice-Chairperson, Congressman Edgar Mary Sarmiento of the 1st District of Samar along with Ambassador Marichu Mauro experienced the TransMilenio Bus Rapid Transit System of Bogotá first-hand by taking a ride on the system and visiting various parts of the city like one of its main terminals and bus depots as well as the control centers.

BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA: Bogotá Mayor Enrique Peñalosa granted Congressman Cesar Sarmiento of Catanduanes, Chairperson of the Transportation Committee of the House of Representatives, and his Vice-Chairperson, the Honorable Congressman Edgar Mary Sarmiento of the 1st District of Samar an audience on 23 October 2018 during their study visit of the TransMilenio, the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System of Bogotá, the capital of Colombia.

The Philippines hosted the sixth meeting of the year of the ASEAN Committee in Brasilia (ACB) last 10 October 2018 at the Chancery. This was the third ACB meeting convened under the Chairmanship of Ambassador Marichu Mauro.