The imperfections did not arise from one party abandoning the other, but rather because someone from the Philippines became enamored with another country, neglecting the sanctity of the 60-year “marriage” with the EU and opting for a younger, 34-year-old diplomatic relationship with China. Easily, it would have been wiser to value and remain faithful to a partner who has been with you for six decades, rather than a nextdoor neighbor whose actions betray their words. As the cliché goes, “Talk is cheap.”

I am specifically referring to the individual who called for the expulsion of European Union Ambassadors due to his vexation. This person, who dislikes dissidents, has ruled his small kingdom in the South of the Philippines for over six decades and, perhaps, intends to continue doing so indefinitely. Heaven forbid.

In 2017, China’s ardent supporter, former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, demanded that all European Ambassadors leave the Philippines within 24 hours. This abrupt action was a response to the failure of his drug war and the alarming increase in drug-related killings of innocent and impoverished people in the Philippines. Despite the administration’s claims of success, the world was alarmed as billions worth of drugs continued to flow into the Philippines through the “green lane” during the previous administration.

Label it as an oxymoron or paradox, but Duterte’s war on drugs failed, as no major figures were apprehended during the six years. Peter Lim, closely associated with Duterte, mysteriously fled the Philippines and found refuge in Xi Jinping’s haven.

Sixteen days after assuming office as the 16^th President of the Republic of the Philippines, Duterte met with Lim, informing him during a media briefing that he would shoot him in the face. However, how could he do so if he had pledged allegiance to China? Perhaps it was said in jest.

Interestingly, this marked the first time in Philippine history that a president called for the expulsion of the ambassadors en masse for not subscribing to his despotism, while simultaneously tolerating Xi’s bullying of Filipino fishermen, coast guards, and Philippine Navy personnel from his ivory tower. The reasons behind his actions are as mysterious as they are perplexing.

Whatever the EU has been doing for the Philippines aligns with their goals, values, and raison d’être, with no strings attached.

I will not hide my disappointment with the past administration’s treatment of the EU. I must emphasize that former EU Ambassador Franz Jessen is a dear friend of mine and the media. He even organized a farewell breakfast with the media.

While I respect the current EU Head of the Delegation, who may not be as media-savvy as his predecessor, EU Ambassador Luc Véron was notably active, especially during the height of COVID-19 pandemic, holding several online meet-ups facilitated by the media darling, Thelma Gecolea, of the EU Public Affairs Office.

EU’s efforts in the Philippines

For those unfamiliar with the EU’s contributions to the Philippines, there are numerous initiatives. In terms of investment, the EU is the first foreign investor in the Philippines, holding one of the largest foreign direct investment stocks at 13.7 billion euros in 2021. In trade, the EU is the Philippines’ fourth-largest trading partner. An example of the EU’s commitment to aiding the Philippines in trade is the extension of the Generalized System of Preference Plus (GSP+) trade agreement. The EU is also currently working on a free trade agreement.

The Erasmus Mundus Scholarship program has benefited many Filipinos, providing opportunities for education and cultural exchange. Additionally, there are study visits for journalists, and I was fortunate to be chosen by the Czech and Polish Embassies in the Philippines to lead the media team during one such visit. The National Copernicus Capacity Support Action Program for the Philippines (CopPhil) allocates a significant budget of €10 million for better disaster response and climate change adaptation.

Compared to China, the EU and its member states have provided extensive support to the Philippines in times of disasters, pandemics, and various opportunities, including education, cultural exchange, countryside development, investments, and aid.

During the visit of Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President, various cooperation initiatives between the EU and the Philippines were presented. These include the free trade agreement, holding potential for substantial growth and job creation. Furthermore, the EU President highlighted that through the FTA, new technology cooperation could modernize the broader economy. A third initiative involves turning the Philippines into a digital hub in the region, attracting more foreign investments.

There are numerous other initiatives to mention, but I see promising prospects in our strong, deeper, and longer diplomatic relations with the European Union, particularly with the roadmap that President von der Leyen presented during her visit, propelling the EU-Philippine partnership to the next level.

In short, the European Union and its member states are true friends! Merci, EU!

Postscript: Kudos to SM Super Malls for hosting the launch of the 60^th anniversary logo of diplomatic ties between the European Union and the Philippines on January 12. The iconic globe will display the logo until Jan. 19, 2024. People should visit the area and appreciate the sincerity of the EU’s friendship with the Philippines as we flourish as a Community of Nations.

In his speech, Véron expressed his elevation in the celebration of the 10th anniversary since the official opening of the Southeast Asia Regional Secretariat of the CBRN held at the Bureau of Fire Protection National Headquarters Annex Building in Quezon City on March 23.

“I am delighted this morning to open this very special event on behalf of the European Union.

Today, we come together to celebrate 10 years since the official inauguration of the Regional Secretariat for Southeast Asia, one of eight regional secretariats established within the framework of the European Union Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Risk Mitigation Centres of Excellence Initiative.

In view of this important milestone, let me first thank the Government of the Philippines for having hosted the CBRN Centre of Excellence Regional Secretariat for Southeast Asia since its opening on March 6, 2013.

Thanks to this long-term cooperation, and in the spirit of the European Union’s goal to promote peace, stability and conflict prevention, the Government of the Philippines has helped strengthen and fortify the Southeast Asia region’s capacity to collectively prevent, detect and respond to CBRN emergencies, whether natural, accidental or criminal in origin.

Moreover, in doing so, the Government of the Philippines has helped all countries be better prepared to mitigate CBRN risks, risks that “do not stop at borders”.

Indeed, if the world needed further evidence of why we must work together to address CBRN risks, the COVID-19 pandemic, which has, to date, resulted in 760 million cases and 6.9 million deaths, provides an acute example that a threat to one country is a threat to all countries. We must therefore work collectively to better understand the risks we face and to take decisive action to be better prepared.

It is in this spirit of working together towards a safer and more secure world that the European Union commends the governments of the Philippines and the other ASEAN nations for their commitments as well as their coordinated approach to mitigate CBRN risks.

Collectively, the EU CBRN Centre of Excellence Partner Countries in Southeast Asia, represented in the room today by National Focal Points from across the region, have demonstrated a profound commitment to take collective action to strengthen national, regional and transregional CBRN risk mitigation capacity.

Since the inception of the Initiative, ASEAN countries have established inter-agency CBRN National Teams, worked to identify and prioritize critical actions for capacity-building and engaged in more than 30 regional projects covering areas from chemical and biological security to CBRN first response training to strategic trade controls.

Therefore, on this day, we come together to not only celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Regional Secretariat for Southeast Asia, but also to take stock of and to applaud the many achievements of all Partner Countries in the Southeast Asia region. It is testament to your hard work and dedication that we have come so far.

At the same time, let’s be conscious that a lot remains to be done. There is room for improvement to coordinate more efficiently at the regional level, let alone at the transregional level. Risks are evolving and new challenges are coming up. Technology is advancing rapidly, ranging from progress in biotechnology to the growing use and availability of drones, artificial intelligence or quantum computing. These technologies present new opportunities but also new avenues for accidents and potential misuse. Furthermore, CBRN risk mitigation is connected to maritime security and safety, the protection of critical infrastructure, border and export controls, and much more. In addition, the effects of climate change exacerbate the CBRN risk.

This growing complexity is one more reason for the EU to believe that the CBRN Risk Mitigation Centres of Excellence Initiative with its holistic approach is the right way to address these challenges.

Working together also means strengthening partnerships with regional and international partners, from ASEAN to UN agencies to individual UN Member States, who work to mitigate CBRN risks through their own programs and projects. For this reason, the EU and UNICRI, which supports the implementation of the CBRN Centre of Excellence, are continuously seeking to share information with regional and international partners and to find new ways of productive exchange and collaboration.

The EU funds the CBRN Centre of Excellence under its cooperation instrument called Global Europe, which identifies CBRN risk mitigation as a priority to address global and transregional threats and challenges.

“We believe that mitigating CBRN risks not only contributes to ensure the safety and security of our populations and industries, but also to the Philippines,” he said.

The EU funds the CBRN Centre of Excellence under its cooperation instrument called Global Europe, which identifies CBRN risk mitigation as a priority to address global and transregional threats and challenges.

We believe that mitigating CBRN risks not only contributes to ensure the safety and security of our populations and industries, but also to prevent the disruption of global supply chains, which is key to our collective prosperity.

Therefore, the EU Indo-Pacific Strategy underlines that the EU CBRN Centre of Excellence will continue to support partners and regions in strengthening CBRN risk mitigation and all-hazards security governance, following a voluntary and demand-driven approach.

The Plan of Action of the ASEAN-EU Strategic Partnership (2023-2027) also foresees that the EU and ASEAN will “enhance cooperation in mitigating risks associated with chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear materials building on the achievement of the EU CBRN Risk Mitigation Centre of Excellence Initiative and exploring collaboration with the Network of ASEAN CBR Defence Experts.”

Finally, our action is also fully in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. The EU CBRN Centre of Excellence addresses a number of them, especially SDG 3 (Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages), SDG 6 (Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all), SDG 11 (Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable), and SDG 12 (Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns).

Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the European Union, let me thank you for being here today.

Together let’s celebrate the 10th anniversary of the opening of the Regional Secretariat for Southeast Asia of the EU CBRN Centre of Excellence.

Let’s applaud our collective achievements.

Let’s prepare for the challenges ahead of us.

Congratulations and happy birthday!

The European Delegation to the Philippines, together with the EU member-states embassies and cultural offices, will inaugurate this year’s European Higher Education Fair (EHEF)  on 2 October 2020 via www.ehefphilippines.com and the EU Delegation Facebook Page at 1:30pm. The Fair will open from 14.00 h to 20.00 h. on 2 and 3 October.

Mr. Thomas Wiersing, Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the EU Delegation to the Philippines, said that EHEF 2020 is a milestone event because “this is the first-ever virtual staging of the much-awaited showcase for Filipino students who dream of pursuing higher education in the EU.” Mr Wiersing will be joined by officials from the Commission on Higher Education as well as ambassadors and counsellors from the EU member states’ embassies and cultural institutes.  Rizal Technological University’s Choir RTU Himig with conductor Mr Ranier Aguilar shall render the PH and the EU anthems during the opening ceremony. Youth achievers who graduated from European universities who are dubbed goodwill ambassadors as well as alumni of the EU’s Erasmus+ and Marie Curie programs will be available to share their experience with students and academicians during the two-day EHEF.

This year’s theme, “Study in Europe: The Future is EUrs,” further reinforces EU’s distinction as a center of excellence in higher education by highlighting its successful efforts to be one of the early adopters of digital innovations in education through online and blended learning. 

#VirtualEHEF2020PH is also the biggest edition thus far with 93 participating European higher education institutions (EHEIs) from Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Hungary, Netherlands, Austria, Slovak Republic, Finland and Sweden.

With EHEF 2020 going digital, Filipino students and educators outside Metro Manila can now register and participate in various programs of the fair. There will be webinars on research, scholarship, and mobility opportunities for students as well as country presentations and live chats with HEI representatives, alumni, and scholars. Another added feature this year is the virtual meeting rooms for Philippine higher education institutions (PHEIs) and their EU counterparts for linkages and collaboration opportunities. 

Going virtual has also enabled EHEF 2020 to go regional for the first time, and in real-time. Regional partner institutions Ateneo de Manila University (Manila), Wesleyan University (Luzon), Silliman University (Visayas), and Xavier University –Ateneo de Cagayan (Mindanao) will be co-hosting clustered presentations for interested students and educators alike.

The EU Delegation has also collaborated with the following university partners: Mabalacat City College, De La Salle University, Mindanao State University, Tarlac Agricultural University, Saint Louis University, Notre Dame College of Tacurong, Ateneo de Davao University, Rizal Technological University, University of the Cordilleras and Cebu Technological University

EHEF 2020 is organized by the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines, together with EU Member States’ Embassies in partnership with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and supported by media partners Business Mirror – Envoys & Expats, Business World Spark Up, Gadgets Magazine, Roots & Wings Online, Sub Selfie, The Philippine Business and News, and When in Manila.  

Watch related video:

By Victoria “NIKE” De Dios

Reaffirming their commitment to support justice sector reform in the Philippines, the European Union provided the much-needed support to the penitentiary system to face COVID-19

Through its European Union (EU) through the Governance in Justice (GoJust) Programme, donated a bus worth PhP 5.6 M and was turned over in the Quezon City Jail this afternoon, July 16.

The bus will be used to transport Persons Deprived of Liberty positive for COVID-19 to designated quarantine facilities to contain the spread of the virus in jails.

Apart from that, the EU also distributed (almost PhP 400,000 worth of) supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as facemasks and face shields to the Philippine National Police and the justice sector media organizations in the DOJ, such as Justice and Court Reporters’ Association (JUCRA), Justice Reporters’ Association (JUROR), the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP), and the Philippine Center for Photojournalism (PCP).

Counsellor Enrico Strampelli, Head of Cooperation of the European Delegation to the Philippines who led the turnover said, “The assistance package reaffirms the European Union’s commitment to enable the justice sector to address the needs of the court and penitentiary systems, especially during this pandemic.

For his part, Jail Director Allan S. Iral, Chief of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology said, “The BJMP would like to thanks the European Union for its committed support to our country’s justice reform initiatives, through the GoJust cooperation. The new bus the EU donated for Quezon City Jail will augment our lift capability.”

This new donation by the EU complements other assistance provided by them earlier such as PHP 50 million in relief distribution to vulnerable communities, a top-up of PHP 17 million for the EU funded program on Enhanced Biosecurity in South East Asia in order to better address pandemics, and the PHP 1.1 billion provided to strengthen the WHO’s COVID-19 response in 8 ASEAN countries.

Read related story:

https://thephilbiznews.com/eu-gives-bus-ppes-to-support-ph-justice-sector-reform/