As part of the newly arrived Ambassador’s thrust of familiarizing himself with the situation of Filipinos based in Bangladesh, Ambassador Alan L. Deniega met with all three major Filipino community organizations in Dhaka, as soon as he finished his mandatory quarantine.
During the first week of September, Ambassador and Mrs. Deniega met with officers and representatives of the Philippine Society in Bangladesh (PSB), Filipino Grand Alliance in Bangladesh (FGAB) and Philippine Bangladesh Association (PBA).
Aside from learning first-hand the lives of Filipino workers and spouses of Bangladeshi nationals, the meetings were also an opportunity for Ambassador Deniega to thank them for keeping the spirit of unity strong among Filipinos in the host country, and for their efforts to deepen the grassroots ties with the people of Bangladesh. It was noted that all the Filipino organizations in Dhaka have been very supportive of the activities of the Philippine Embassy, including in a number of repatriation flights.
As the pandemic situation continues to improve, Ambassador Deniega said that he looks forward to meeting all the members of the organizations in the coming weeks. He assured them of the Embassy’s support and cooperation with all Filipino nationals in Bangladesh.
As part of its commitment to serve the passport renewal needs of Filipinos in the Maldives, a consular outreach mission was conducted in Malé by the Philippine Embassy in Bangladesh on 24-26 September 2021. More than 200 Filipinos were able to avail of the services offered during outreach, which also included the registration for overseas voters (OAV).
Ambassador Alan L. Deniega of the Philippine Embassy in Dhaka extends his gratitude to the extensive support of the Philippine Consulate in Malé headed by Honorary Consul Abdulla Salih, and to the Filipino community in the Maldives for their cooperation and assistance to the outreach team headed by Third Secretary and Vice Consul Christian Hope Reyes, and composed of Mr. Marcelino Solano, Ms. Lesslie Mercado, and Mr. Paul Vincent Ferrer.
Shukuriyaa!
In keeping with diplomatic tradition and after his Presentation of Credentials, Ambassador Alan L. Deniega called on the most senior diplomatic representative of the Diplomatic Corps in Bangladesh, H.E. Archbishop George Kocherry, the Apostolic Nuncio (Vatican Ambassador), in his official residence today.
The Apostolic Nuncio generously shared his insights not only as the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Bangladesh, but also as an accomplished diplomat of the Holy See since 1978. He discussed, among others, the various events of the diplomatic community in Dhaka, and the diplomatic gatherings that are being planned, commensurate with the gradual easing of pandemic restrictions.
Ambassador Deniega thanked the Apostolic Nuncio for his warm-hearted welcome in his chancery and its beautiful garden, and said he looks forward to more interactions with foreign diplomats in the host country.
Several Filipino professionals working in international organizations in Bangladesh called on Ambassador Alan L. Deniega on September 23, 2021, just before their registration for the Overseas Absentee Voters (OAV) in the Philippine Embassy in Dhaka.
Organized by Mme. Helen Colon Omana of BRAC-Netherlands, the Filipinos also welcomed Ambassador and Mrs. Deniega to a dinner on the same day. The Filipinos have been actively engaged in humanitarian activities in both the Cox and Dhaka areas, with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), German Red Cross, Australia Awards, the World Food Programme (WFP), British Red Cross, and Sajida Foundation.
Ambassador Deniega thanked his countrymen for their invaluable contribution to Bangladesh, and for their service in international humanitarian organizations. He said he looks forward to meeting them again, and other Filipinos based in Bangladesh who have also been promoting and deepening people-to-people ties with the host country.