GOVPH

First-Ever Visit of Members of the Parliament of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to Brussels

BRUSSELS 22 February 2024 -- A delegation of five (5) Members of Parliament (MP) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) headed by MP Jaafar Apollo Mikhail L. Matalam, MP Baintan Adil-Ampatuan, MP Khalid Hadji Abdulla, MP Rasul E. Ismael, MP Sittie Fahanie Sindatok Uy, Mr. Khomeini Gayak Oyod, Director, Irrigation with Ms. Cherrie Atilano and Ms. Sonia Gonzales of AGREA Foundation and joined also by Mr. Dionisio Santos, Jr. of ConGen Mgt Pte Ltd., who visited Brussels on 22 February 2024.

The MPs called on Ambassador Jaime Victor B. Ledda, and met with the European Commission’s Directorate General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), Mr. Mario Ronconi, Head of Unit of the South and Southeast Asia. The delegation expressed appreciation to the EU for the recently launched Bangsamoro Agri-Enterprise Program and for other EU programs specifically aimed to support the development of the BARMM under the Philippines-EU Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.

This is the first ever visit of a delegation of BARMM MPs to Brussels and to the European Commision.

The study mission’s objective is for the MPs to learn the fundamentals of sustainable agriculture, agribusiness opportunities, agritech and water management technologies which will better guide them to develop sound policies in BARMM. It was organized by AGREA Foundation in cooperation with ProFound Advisers in Development, the Embassy of the Netherlands in Manila and PH Agriculture Attaché Kristine Jeanne A. Yap.

Embassy Conducts Consular Outreach Mission in Luxembourg City

Brussels PE conducted its first consular outreach mission for 2024 at the EY Auditorium in Kirchberg, Luxembourg City, on 24 February.

Led by Vice Consul Ma. Filonila Alcaraz-Arguelles, and in cooperation with Mr. Alain Kinsch, Philippine Honorary Consul General in Luxembourg, the Embassy’s consular section provided a total of 44 consular services to 34 clients living in Luxembourg and Belgium, including passport renewal, civil registration, NBI fingerprinting, and legalization of documents. The Embassy also conducted overseas voter registration for the 2025 National Elections.

The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) of the Migrant Workers’ Office in Berlin joined the outreach mission and conducted labor counseling and OWWA membership registration for OFWs in Luxembourg.

Invitation to Halo-Halong Hibla-Hibla, a Fabric Assemblage Workshop

The Embassy, along with BeLikha Art Collective and the Philippine Arts and Culture Exchange (PACE), invite you to HALO-HALONG HIBLA-HIBLA, a free fabric assemblage workshop, to be held in anticipation of the National Women's Month. It will be held at The Loft of GC Elzenhof, Avenue de la Couronne/Kroonlaan 12, 1050 Ixelles.

To register and find out more, click here.