Ambassador Marian Jocelyn R. Tirol-Ignacio led the commemoration of the 124th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence with a diplomatic reception held at the Berkshire Hall of the Royal Brunei Polo and Riding Club on 07 June 2022. The celebration highlighted milestones in Philippine-Brunei relations.
The Guest of Honor was Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohammad Amin Liew bin Abdullah, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II.
“Having arrived in Brunei Darussalam and presented my credentials to His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah two weeks ago, it is my honor to host my first national day celebration this evening,” said Ambassador Tirol-Ignacio.
She spoke on the successful national election recently held by the Philippines with President-elect Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. winning a resounding victory by garnering more than 58% of votes cast. She recalled that “full diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Brunei Darussalam were established on 01 January 1984 during the term of the President-elect’s father, then President Ferdinand E. Marcos”. She also underlined the strong close, mature and fraternal relationship between the Philippines and Brunei.
She said that in a letter personally presented by Secretary of Finance Carlos G. Dominguez III last week, outgoing Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte thanked His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah for the honor of His Majesty’s friendship and warm bilateral relations and in the context of ASEAN.
Milestones in economic relations were highlighted by the Philippine Ambassador’s speech.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Guest of Honor for his invaluable support in moving forward Philippines-Brunei Darussalam economic relations in the area of trade and investments. The agreement on the avoidance of double taxation signed in July 2021 by our Department of Finance and the Ministry of Finance and Economy portends well for our bilateral economic cooperation,” said Ambassador Tirol-Ignacio.
The Philippine Ambassador mentioned that both countries are currently working together on the implementation of a memorandum of understanding on halal industry and halal export development and promotion. In addition, she stated that a private nursing school will soon be established in Bandar Seri Begawan as a joint venture between Far Eastern University in Manila, the Ministry of Health, and Jerudong Park Medical Centre.
Strong bilateral defense relations were also highlighted. Ambassador Tirol-Ignacio thanked Brunei Darussalam for actively participating since 2004 in the International Monitoring Team (IMT) and the Independent Decommissioning Body (IDB) that were founded to promote peace in Mindanao. She noted that Brunei’s significant support paved the way for the signing and successful implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), the establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), and the enactment of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).
Ambassador Tirol-Ignacio highlighted the S-70i Black Hawk flight simulator training for pilots of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) that commenced last year with strong support from the Ministry of Defence, Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) and the Royal Brunei Air Force (RBAirF).
The diplomatic reception celebrated the maritime heritage of the Philippines. Ambassador Tirol-Ignacio stated that, as an archipelagic state, the Philippines is party to most international maritime agreements and strongly adheres to an international law-based regime in maritime governance.
An exhibit entitled “Pearl of the Orient: The Philippines in a Shell” displayed shell-based craft and jewelry, including the highly valued South Sea pearls. A cultural performance showcased a microcosm of Philippine dances inspired by water and sea, and life in the country’s coastal communities. The giveaway bags featured two of the world’s endangered species found in Philippine waters: the sea turtle (pawikan) and the whale shark (butanding).
The theme reflected the Philippines’ commitment to marine conservation with the country recognized to be a global center for marine biodiversity. She said ‘Their beauty is a reminder of what we stand to lose if we do not address climate change, marine plastic pollution, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and other environmental threats to our oceans and seas.” END
