GOVPH

11 March 2022 – On the final day of his meeting for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Asia Pacific Regional Conference in Dhaka, Philippine Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar met with the Filipino community in Dhaka at the Philippine Embassy. 

In his address to the Filipino community, Secretary Dar commended members of the Filipino-Bangladeshi community and OFWs for their contribution in propelling the country’s growth. He encouraged them to invest their hard-earned income in the agricultural sector in the Philippines, and be part of the country’s development. 

He shared that the DA has been implementing key programs to facilitate and channel investments to the sector through access to low-interest, zero collateral loans of up to P15 million; grants and loans for youth-led agri-business start-ups, and initiatives to address issues such as animal diseases. 

Members of the Filipino community in Bangladesh took the opportunity to ask the DA Secretary and other members of the delegation on the Philippine Government’s plans to facilitate and accommodate investments from non-OFWs living abroad and foreigners with Filipino spouses wishing to retire in the Philippines, and training programs and webinars to better inform and equip overseas Filipinos interested to invest in the sector. 

The DA Secretary also lauded Bangladesh in its successful initiatives in achieving food security for its population. With the Bangladesh Government’s prioritization of food self-sufficiency and support for its local agricultural sector, it has been rapidly rising in terms of agricultural development. 

Ambassador Alan Deniega shared that plans are underway to strengthen the Philippines’ cooperation with Bangladesh in the field of agriculture development, including an MOU in agricultural cooperation. 

Secretary Dar was joined by Undersecretary Fermin Adriano, Assistant Secretaries Agnes Miranda and Noel Reyes, Director Junel Soriano, and Ms. Frances Ramos. Together with Ambassador Alan Deniega and Third Secretary and Vice Consul Christian Hope Reyes, they comprised the Philippine Delegation to APRC36. 

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Bangladesh, the Philippine Embassy held a brief ceremony at the Chancery yesterday, with officers and members of the Filipino Grand Alliance in Bangladesh (FGAB), the Philippine Society in Bangladesh, and the Philippine-Bangladesh Association (PBA) -- the three major Filipino community organizations in the country, which have members who have been in Bangladesh for decades; one even has Bangladeshi nationals as members.

In his speech, Ambassador Alan L. Deniega recognized the important role of the Filipino community in maintaining and strengthening relations between the two countries, especially at the grassroots level. They were also described as key to ushering in the second generation of people who will carry on the friendly ties between the Philippines and Bangladesh, through their children.

The Embassy’s Youtube channel was also launched during this event. Through this platform, various aspects of the Philippines’ friendly relationship with Bangladesh will be showcased in the coming months.

11 January 2022 – The Philippine Embassy, represented by Ms. Christian Hope Reyes, Chargé d’affaires, a.i., participated in the farewell dinner organized by Mr. S.M. Rahman, Managing Director of the Novo Group, in honour of the foreign students of the Army and Naval Staff Course of the Bangladesh Army’s Defense Services Command and Staff College (DSCSC). Mr. Rahman serves as the foreign students’ Civil Sponsor in Bangladesh. 

Lieutenant Colonel Dennis Malinit of the Department of National Defense (DND), together with students from Mali, Nepal, Nigeria, and Thailand, recently finished their year-long training at the military institution. 

In her speech, Ms. Reyes expressed hope that the participation of the students in the course can help facilitate and strengthen cooperation among countries and with Bangladesh in the area of defense, security, and peacekeeping. She thanked the students’ Civil Sponsor and host, Mr. Rahman, for his relentless support and kind hospitality and towards the foreign students, including to the Philippines’ Lt. Col. Malinit.   

Other guests of honour present in the dinner were H.E. Makawadee Sumitmor, Thailand’s Ambassador in Bangladesh, and Mr. Kumar Rai, Nepal’s Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. Both emphasized the importance of professional military education and training to promote peace and development in the region. 

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The Defense Services Command and Staff College is a military institution of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. It provides professional military training to select mid-career officers in the Army, Navy, and Air Forces.