The Philippines’ newly arrived Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam Marian Jocelyn R. Tirol-Ignacio met Filipino Community leaders for the first time at the Philippine Embassy’s first Kapihan sa Pasuguan of the year. The well-attended Kapihan, the first Filipino Community gathering organized by the Embassy since the third wave of pandemic hit Brunei Darussalam last year, was held at the Philippine Chancery on 11 February 2022.

The Kapihan tackled a broad range of concerns from surviving the COVID-19 pandemic in Brunei, to the upcoming Philippine National Elections, to new health regulations when traveling to the Philippines, to the condonation of SSS loans.

Ambassador Marian Jocelyn R. Tirol-Ignacio thanked Filipino Community leaders for actively supporting the successful implementation of the Embassy’s programs and initiatives in 2021. The previous year’s activities were featured in a video highlighting the Philippine Embassy’s achievements in a year dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic. “Despite the present challenges, we can surmount difficulties when we work together and remain dauntless in our resolve”, the Ambassador stated. “I look forward to working with the Filipino Community in Brunei Darussalam in promoting Philippine interests as well as uplifting the welfare of overseas Filipino workers”, the Ambassador added.

The Kapihan sa Pasuguan is a well-regarded institution by the Filipino Community in Brunei. An initiative organized by the Philippine Embassy, it is a forum held regularly for Filipinos in Brunei to keep them abreast of the Philippine Embassy’s services or programs, as well as of current developments that affect them.

There are approximately 18,000 Filipinos in Brunei Darussalam. The Filipino community in the Sultanate is diverse, comprising skilled and semi-skilled workers in the construction and services sector, as well as professionals in various fields such as medical, accounting, education, engineering and architecture. END