THE EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
History
Prior to the independence of Brunei Darussalam in 1984, a Philippine Consulate-General was established in Bandar Seri Begawan in August 1983. It was headed by Consul-General Tristan V. Enverga.
When Brunei Darussalam declared its independence on 1 January 1984 and the Philippines established full diplomatic ties with Brunei Darussalam, the Philippine Consulate-General was elevated to an Embassy.
Ambassador Benjamin B. Domingo was the first Philippine Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam. The following served as Philippine Ambassadors to Brunei Darussalam:
- Benjamin B. Domingo 14 March 1984-01 November 1986
- Eusebio A. Abaquin 16 December 1986-19 June 1993
- Juan V. Saez 29 November 1993- 25 September 1994
- Ramon A. Tirol 09 March 1995-30 June 1998
- Enrique A. Zaldivar 16 March 1999-31 March 2002
- Virginia H. Benavidez 24 April 2002-30 June 2009
- Alexander B. Yano 28 July 2009-30 June 2010
- Nestor Z. Ochoa 25 March 2011 – May 2015
- Meynardo Montealegre 21 April 2015 - 30 May 2018
- Christopher B. Montero 27 May 2019 - 31 August 2021
- Marian Jocelyn R. Tirol-Ignacio 24 May 2022 - present
The Philippine Chancery
The Philippine Embassy pursued the conduct of its relations with Brunei Darussalam from its first address at 473 Kampong Pelambayan in Mukim Kota Batu. After 14 February 1989, it moved to the fourth and fifth floors of the Badi'ah Complex on Jalan Tutong so as to provide greater access to the public.
On 14 August 2002, the Philippine Embassy moved down the street to its own compound at Nr 17, Simpang 126, Km 2, Jalan Tutong, and completely vacated its old offices by 2003.
Coinciding with the celebration of the 25th anniversary of Philippine-Bruneian diplomatic relations in 2009, it was announced that a chancery will be constructed on a 1.1744-hectare (2.902-acre) lot in Bandar Seri Begawan's newly designated Diplomatic Enclave. Its construction began on April 16, 2010 and the new building was inaugurated by President Benigno Aquino III during his state visit to Brunei Darussalam on 2 June 2011. Operations at the new building began two months later on 2 August 2011.
The chancery of the Philippine Embassy in Bandar Seri Begawan is located at Simpang 336-17 Diplomatic Enclave Jalan Kebangsaan, Bandar Seri Begawan. It is the first building seen upon entering the Diplomatic Enclave. It was built at a cost of $2.5 million. Designed by Felino Palafox, Jr., its Bruneian contractor is Wong Sie Sing (WSS) Sdn Bhd. The two-story building is LEED-compliant, with security fences surrounding it. Its design takes into account Islamic aesthetic forms and combines various forms from Asian architectural styles. It is inspired by the nipa hut.
The building's architecture has a number of energy-saving elements. These include a green roof to dissipate heat, high ceilings to allow entry of natural light, and room arrangements that allow as much natural light as possible. The building is arranged along an east-west axis to minimize direct sunlight exposure, and areas which are directly exposed to sunlight have sun buffers installed to mitigate the harsh rays of the sun.
The building's walls are primarily green. Green represents hope and growth. It is also the color of Islam. Antique mirrors decorate the inside of the building, symbolizing the rich culture of Islamic countries. The building's centrepiece are its black teardrop-shaped crystal chandeliers which represents Brunei's major export, oil.
The building houses personnel from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) as well as the Office of the Defense and Armed Forces Attache (ODAFA). It previously housed the Migrant Workers Office (MWO) and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) in Brunei as well as the Offices of the Social Security System (SSS) and Pag-IBIG ("Pagtutulungan sa Kinabukasan: Ikaw, Bangko, Industriya at Gobyerno”) Fund (aka Home Development Mutual Fund or HDMF). The services of SSS and Pag-IBIG have since migrated online. MWO-OWWA Brunei moved to Unit PH43 PH (Level 4), Annajat Complex, Lot 71077, Kampong Mata-mata, Mukim Gadong B, Bandar Seri Begawan on 2 January 2024.
In 2021, the Philippine Embassy building expanded, with the addition of the Consular Annex. Totaling 466.71 square meters, the Consular Annex has a main hall that accommodates up to four hundred forty (440) seats. It also has a stage which measures 49.5 square meters. It has a fully equipped CCTV, air-conditioning, PA systems and lighting fixtures. In December 2024, it acquired a 5 meter x 3 meter wall-sized LED screen.
The Consular Annex is home to Sentro Rizal-Brunei, located at the Philippine Embassy library which is housed in the building's second floor. The Annex is also a vibrant platform for the pursuit of the Philippine Embassy’s political, economic, cultural and public diplomacy objectives. It regularly hosts diverse events from the national day celebrations and the national elections to the annual Paskong Pinoy, Pistang Pilipino festival and the Filipino Language and Cultural Exchange program (FLCEP), the quarterly Kapihan series and Meet and Greet series with the Filipino community and the monthly Lepak Sine! film diplomacy program. It served as a meeting ground for Heads of Diplomatic Missions in Brunei Darussalam as well as ASEAN and BIMP-EAGA activities. It hosted dance performances, music concerts, film showings, exhibits, wellness activities, West Philippine Sea lectures, dialogues, seminars and economic initiatives, among others.
From its modest beginnings to its current grandeur at Simpang 336, Diplomatic Enclave, Jalan Kebangsaan, the Philippine Embassy in Brunei Darussalam stands as a testament to the enduring friendship between the Republic of the Philippines and Negara Brunei Darussalam.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHART
ATTACHED AGENCIES
The following partner agencies or attached services have resident offices in Brunei Darussalam:
- Office of the Defense and Armed Forces Attaché (ODAFA)
- Migrant Workers Office (MWO)
- Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA)
They provide active support in promoting the interests of the Philippines and Filipino nationals in Brunei Darussalam.
The Office of the Defense and Armed Forces Attaché (ODAFA) in Brunei was established in 1990 in view of Brunei Darussalam’s important role as a member state of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), its geographic proximity as a neighboring country and Its active contribution to the Mindanao peace process. Over the years, the implementation of MOU on Defense Cooperation with its defense cooperation activities and joint-military exercises conducted between the Philippines and Brunei Darussalam have proven to be fruitful and beneficial to both countries. It is headed by the current Defense and Armed Forces Attache, Colonel Garry L. Atienza, PAF .
Formerly known as the Philippine Overseas Labor Office, the Migrant Workers Officer (MWO) caters to the labor-related concerns of Filipino migrant workers based in Brunei Darussalam. It offers services ranging from Overseas Employment Contract issuances, labor contract verifications, repatriation support, the facilitation of pre-departure orientation seminars, psychological counseling as well as legal assistance and other forms of assistance to migrant workers in distress. MWO is led by Labor Attache Roel R. Martin.
The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), established in 1990, caters to the growing welfare needs of the sizeable population of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and bring government programs and incentives, such as OWWA membership concerns, closer to OFWs residing in the Sultanate. It is led by Welfare Officer, Ms. Maria Cristina B. Mallare.
On 2 January 2024, with the formal reorganization of the Department of Migrant Workers, the MWO and OWWA moved their operations to their present location at the Annajat Complex.
The Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) of the Department of Trade and Industry based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and the Special Agricultural Representative (SAR) of the Department of Agriculture based in Bangkok, Thailand, assist the Embassy on a non-resident basis for its trade, investment, and other economic diplomacy programs and initiatives. PTIC-Kuala Lumpur is headed by Commercial Counsellor Ms. Norjamin G. Delos Reyes while the Philippine SAR to Brunei Darussalam is Ms. Annalyn L. Lopez.
The Pag-IBIG (Home Mutual Development Fund) closed its representative office in 2021 as part of the agency’s digitalization efforts, followed by the Social Security System (SSS) which closed office in 2022 with its online services being supervised by the SSS representative office in Singapore. The SSS Representative to Brunei is Ms. Joy-Anne E. Cabading.
Contact Us
Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines
Simpang 336-17, Diplomatic Enclave
Jalan Kebangsaan
Bandar Seri Begawan BA2312 Brunei Darussalam
Opening Hours
Monday – Thursday 8:00 a.m – 5:00 p.m.
Friday 8:00 a.m – 12:00 noon 2:00 p.m – 5:00 p.m
Phone / Fax Numbers
Trunk Line : (+673) 224 1465, 224 1466,
Fax No. : (+673) 223 7707
Office of the Ambassador : 224 1465 local 207
Political Section : 224 1465 local 204 and 105
Economic Section : 224 1465 local 105
Cultural Section : 224 1465 local 201 and 105
Administrative Section : 224 1465 local 101
Consular Section : 222 0781
Assistance to Nationals (ATN) : 224 1465 local 120
Emergency Phone Numbers (24-hour Hotline)
Consular Section : 729-1937
ATN Section : 871-4881
Others
Email Address : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website : http://www.bruneipe.dfa.gov.ph
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/PHinBrunei
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/phinbrunei
Office of the Defense and Armed Forces Attaché (ODAFA)
Simpang 336-17, Diplomatic Enclave
Jalan Kebangsaan
Bandar Seri Begawan BA2312 Brunei Darussalam
Tel No. : 882-5372
Email Address : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Migrant Workers Office (MWO)
Unit PH43 (Level 4) Annajat Complex
Lot 21007 Kg Mata-mata, Mukim
BE1718, Brunei Darussalam
Tel. No. : 223-7052
24-hour Hotline : 729-1316
Email Address : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (MWO-OWWA)
Unit PH43 (Level 4) Annajat Complex
Lot 21007 Kg Mata-mata, Mukim
BE1718, Brunei Darussalam
Tel. No. : 222-5526
24-hour Hotline : 729-1315
Email Address : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Facebook : OWWA Brunei Darussalam
