On June 17, 2025, H.E. Mr. Noel Servigon, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of the Philippines to Romania organized the reception dedicated to the National Day of his great country.

On this occasion, he delivered a speech, which, on mutual consent, is now published by IRSEA.

"SPEECH BY AMBASSADOR NOEL SERVIGON PHILPPINE NATIONAL DAY RECEPTION

17 June 2025

The Honorable Secretary of State Ana Cristina Tinca, Esteemed officials of Romania,Their Excellencies, The Ambassadors and Members of the Diplomatic Corps, The Honorary Consuls of the Philippines in Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova, Fellow Filipinos, Romanian Friends of the Philippines, Ladies and Gentlemen.

I have the honor to welcome all of you to our celebration of the 127th Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Independence of the Philippines. It was in June 12, in the year 1898, that Filipino revolutionaries declared our freedom from our colonial master and established the first modern republic in Asia. Every year, we honor our ancestors who made the sacrifice for the Philippines to take its rightful place in the table of nations.

This year is also the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Philippine Embassy in Bucharest, the first in Eastern Europe. The international conditions during the 1970s did not deter our two countries from finding common grounds in developing friendly relations.

Although the Embassy was physically closed in 2012, our interaction continued to flourish such that after ten years, the Philippines decided to re-open the Embassy. Last year, my colleagues and I came to your country and realized that the situation is very much different from what we know more than a decade ago.

I am pleased to announce that we have a new chancery at the Skytower in the emerging business center in Floreasca, northern Bucharest. Our modern office symbolizes the fact that we are back in business, we are here to pursue new domains of cooperation that will bring more meaningful benefits to our two countries.

Although current trade figures between Romania and the Philippines are modest, we know that new technologies and systems allow us now to narrow the physical distance between our two countries. We are identifying potential businesses that could be developed through economic complementarities.

Since my arrival in Bucharest in November, I have discovered that there are many areas of cooperation that could be further developed. Both our countries are strategically located in the southeast corner of our respective continents: Romania is in southeast Europe while the Philippines is in southeast Asia. Both our countries border historical trading seas- the Black Sea for Romania and the western Pacific Ocean for the Philippines.

Thus, in my meetings with Romanian university officials and academic deans, I encouraged them to propose to their masters and doctorate students to conduct research projects on possible business relations between our two countries. I have also suggested to our young business students to collaborate with each other in studying the complex legal and technical trading and customs procedures in our countries. Our Embassy can provide the necessary links to facilitate such joint practical projects.

 Ladies and Gentlemen,

We would also like to recognize the valuable role of the Philippine diaspora here in Romania. The overseas Filipinos are our links to the grassroots of Romanian society. Their presence not only in hotels and factories but also in Romanian homes has been effective in generating local interest about our country. We should always remember that our two countries share a common Latin past, a factor which has caused easier interaction between our two peoples. We deeply appreciate the Romanian policy of welcoming Filipino migrant workers into this country.

Before I conclude, I would like to thank the government of Romania for being a like-minded country in the global stage. We are especially grateful for the support for the Philippines’ candidature for the United Nations Security Council. We assure you of our commitment to international law, especially on maritime matters.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The Philippines is back in Romania. And we are hopeful that this time, after having identified many areas of mutual interest, our relations will solidify for the benefit of our peoples.

Long live the friendship between Romania and the Philippines. Trăiască prietenia dintre România  si Filipine.”

The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position or view of IRSEA