GOVPH

12th Igorot Cordillera Bimaak-Europe (ICBE) Conference Held in Brussels

The 12th Igorot Cordillera Bimaak-Europe (ICBE) Conference 2025 was held from 29 May - 1 June 2025 in cooperation with the Cordillera Community in Belgium, ICBE and the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) in Solbosch, Brussels, Belgium.

The Closing Ceremonies of the Conference was held on Saturday, 31 May 2025 at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) in Solbosch, Brussels, Belgium The occasion was graced by the Guests of Honor Ambassador Jaime Victor B. Ledda, Philippine Ambassador to Belgium and Mr. Alexander ‘Sasha’ Newel, Director of Laboratoire d’Anthropologie des Mondes, ULB.

It was attended by 200 Igorot participants all over the world from 17 countries. The Gala Night was filled with a variety of cultural and indigenous performances and Filipino food.

Philippine Ambassador to Belgium Jaime Victor B. Ledda delivers his remarks at the closing ceremony of the 12th Igorot Cordillera Bimaak–Europe (ICBE) Conference

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Badz Magsumbol to Hold Art Workshops in Brussels

The Philippine Embassy in Brussels is pleased to welcome papercut artist Mr. Alberto "Badz" Magsumbol, who will be visiting Belgium in June.

Mr. Magsumbol is a visual storyteller based in Manila. He does art projects and commissions, and shares his advocacy of reaching out to children through art all over the country and abroad. His conservative style reflects the somewhat countryside feel of the old Valenzuela where he grew up.

Aside from his remarkable portraits, Badz is more well-known for his papercuts, which transcend the usual papercut craft from simple two-dimensional art to three-dimensional paper relief sculptures.

Those interested may wish to join Mr. Magsumbol's art workshops (limited slots available):

Art Workshop for Adults

14 June 2025, 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 n.n.
Philippine Embassy in Brussels, Avenue Molière 297, 1050 Brussels
Register here: https://forms.gle/LPjs7kqGJSQDh9mr7

Art Workshop for Kids (6-12 years old)

15 June 2025, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Artiste du Monde for Kids, Rue des Cygnes 10, 1050 Bruxelles
Register here: https://forms.gle/zN4U83ccrFVbG2J36 

Philippine Embassy and Port of Antwerp Push for Stronger Port Cooperation

Antwerp, 14 May 2025 – Philippine Ambassador to Belgium Jaime Victor B. Ledda met with senior officials of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges International (PoABI) on 14 May 2025 to explore new opportunities for collaboration between Philippine port authorities and one of Europe’s leading maritime hubs.

The meeting, held at the Port House in Antwerp, discussed ways to expand existing cooperation in training, port development, and sustainable infrastructure development.

PoABI officials expressed their interest in expanding the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding with the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), which focused on capacity-building through the APEC training center. With the agreement set to expire later this year, the port is looking to widen the partnership to include technical advisory support and joint planning for modern, sustainable port infrastructure.

Read more: Philippine Embassy and Port of Antwerp Push for Stronger Port Cooperation