Page 32 - Hello Philippines March 2016 'A' issue

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SECRETARY of Foreign
Affairs Albert F. del Rosario led the
inauguration of the newly-renovated
Chancery Annex of the Philippines
at 1617 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, D.C. on February 24.
Secretary Del Rosario, who will be
stepping down from office effective
March 07, 2016, also took the
opportunity to thank members of the
Washington community at a reception
hosted by the Philippine Embassy in
recognition of his faithful service to the endures, so do Philippines-U.S.
Philippines and the Filipino people.
Philippine Ambassador to the
United States Jose L. Cuisia, Jr.
welcomed more than 120 guests,
including Senator Mazie Hirono
(D-HI); Representative Robert
“Bobby” Scott (D-VA); Representative
Madeleine Bordallo (D-GU); State
Department Counselor and former
U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines
Kristie Kenney; Admiral Harry Harris,
Jr., Commander of the U.S. Pacific
Command; Assistant Secretary of
Defense Robert Scher; Ambassador
Scot Marciel, Principal Deputy
Assistant Secretary to the Bureau
of East Asian and Pacific Affairs,
Department of State; Ambassador
Peter Selfridge, U.S. Chief of Protocol;
and the Ambassadors of several
countries.
Also present were Philippine
Permanent Representative to
the United Nations in New York,
Ambassador Lourdes O. Yparraguirre;
Consul General Generoso D.L.
Calonge (Chicago); Mario L. De Leon,
Jr. (New York); Consul General Leo
M. Herrera-Lim (Los Angeles); Consul
General Henry S. Bensurto, Jr. (San
Francisco); Deputy Consul General
Edgar Tomas Q. Auxilian (Agana);
and Deputy Consul General Roberto
T. Bernardo (Honolulu).
“While the inauguration of
this historic building is already a
PHILIPPINE EMBASSY AROUND THE WORLD
compelling reason to celebrate, our
gathering tonight is made even more
special as we pay tribute to a man for
whom we hold the highest respect and
admiration—the man that the Filipino
people are privileged and proud to
have as Secretary of Foreign Affairs—
the Honorable Secretary Albert del
Rosario,” said Ambassador Cuisia.
“The building we are inaugurating
today is symbolic of our long history
with the U.S. Just as this building
relations; and so, too, shall Secretary
Del Rosario’s legacy,” the Ambassador
further stated.
According to State Department
Counselor Kristie Kenney, it was
through Secretary Albert del Rosario
and Mrs. Gretchen del Rosario that
she “first came to know and love the
warmth, the charm, the grace and the
dignity of the Filipino people.”
In a letter addressed to Secretary
Del Rosario and read by Counselor
Kenney, U.S. Secretary of State John
Kerry expressed pride in calling
Secretary Del Rosario a “trusted
colleague and a personal friend.”
“There’s simply no doubt that
today’s close U.S.-Philippines
relationship is thanks in large part
to your sound judgment and strong
commitment to diplomacy. Your
steady leadership not only ensured the
vitality of our countries’ friendship, it
has also helped steer the course of
events in the Philippines and around
the world in the right direction,”
Secretary Kerry wrote.
“As we live in an increasingly
uncertain and complex world, the
international community will need
more statesmen like you. Thank you
for being a tireless champion of U.S.-
Philippines relations and, always, a
true gentleman,” he added.
Senator Hirono likewise expressed
appreciation for Secretary Del Rosario’s
Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario (2nd from right), US Senator
Mazie Hirono (3rd from left), US Representative Madeleine Bordallo (2nd from left).
USDepartment of State Comselor Kristie Kenney (1st from right), and Philippine
Ambassador to the United States Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. lead the ribbon-cutting
ceremony to inaugurate the newly-renovated Chancery Annex of the Embassy of
the Philippines in Washington, D.C. on 24 February 2016.
leadership and continuing commitment and the Partnership for Growth; and
in view of the large Filipino population its selection as a recipient of a US$ 434
in the State of Hawaii and the growing million grant under the Millennium
importance of the Asia Pacific region in Challenge Corporation.
world affairs.
“As I relinquish my position
In response, Secretary Del Rosario next month, I think about how we
thanked colleagues and partners in managed our partnership with
the Philippine and U.S. Governments the United States. Joey [referring
for contributing their time and effort to Ambassador Cuisia] and I ask
in enhancing the ties between the ourselves whether we will leave the
Philippines and the United States. The relationship in a better state now than
Secretary also cited the highlights when we began. Working with friends
of the bilateral relationship, such as such as your goodselves, we believe
the gradual increase in U.S. Foreign we can confidently say, ‘absolutely, but
Military Financing for the Philippines; there will always be room to further
the inclusion of the Philippines in the enhance this relationship,’” Secretary
Global Security Contingency Fund Del Rosario stated.
“Even if it is our belief that
Philippines-U.S. relations have never
been better, we must still persist
in working together to further
strengthen our alliance so that we
can proactively, effectively, and
strategically address our shared
formidable challenges in the Asia
Pacific region,” the Philippines’ top
diplomat stressed.
The building that is currently
known as the Chancery Annex was
the first Embassy of the Philippines
as a sovereign state. It served as the
Office of the Resident Commissioner
of the Philippines to the United States
beginning in 1943, then as Chancery
of the Embassy of the Philippines
following Philippine independence
and establishment of diplomatic
relations with the U.S. in 1946. It
continued to be the Chancery until the
Embassy moved to a new building at
1600 Massachusetts Avenue in 1995.
March 2016 – No. 05 • UK & Europe Edition
Top photo: Secretary del Rosario offers a toast for Philippines-US relations at
the inauguration of the newly-renovated Chancery Annex of the Embassy of
the Philippines in Washington, DC. on 24 February 2016. Bottom photo: (from
left) Representative Robert “Bobby Scott, Representative Madeleine Bordello,
Mrs. Gretchen del Rosario, Senator Mazie Hirono, Secretary Albert del Rosario,
Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia. Jr., State Department Counselor Kristie Kenney, and
Admiral Harry Harris, Jr.
Since then, the building had slowly
degraded due to lack of use. After
years of stalled plans, renovation
finally went under way in 2015.
“During my stint as Ambassador,
we had wanted to rehabilitate the
building but we did not succeed. It is
thus gratifying to see that a complete
renovation had been done. I thus
take this opportunity to congratulate
Ambassador and Mrs. Cuisia for being
so proactive, so hands on, and for
their stick-to-itiveness in seeing this
project through until its completion,”
said Secretary Del Rosario.
The reception was held in a wide,
high-ceilinged space on the second
floor of the Chancery Annex. The
guests enjoyed the entertainment
provided by Filipino-American tenor
Allan Palacios-Chan and the ethereal
lighting emanating from chandeliers
by celebrated Filipino furniture
designer Kenneth Cobonpue.
Prior to the reception, Secretary
Del Rosario, Ambassador Cuisia,
and Embassy personnel witnessed
the blessing of the building presided
by Monsignor Mariano Balbago, Jr.
Secretary Del Rosario then unveiled
the marker of the new building with
the assistance of Mrs. Gretchen del
Rosario, Ambassador Cuisia and Mrs.
Maria Victoria Cuisia.
The inauguration concluded
with a ribbon-cutting ceremony led
by Secretary Del Rosario, Senator
Hirono, Representative Bordallo,
Counselor Kenney and Ambassador
Cuisia. n Philippine Embassy Philippines /
February 26, 2016