Page 32 - NOVEMBER 2017 'A' ISSUE

32 www.hello-philippines.com
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MANILA – The Department of
Foreign Affairs (DFA) conducted a
seminar on Philippine Treaty Law and
Practice for government agencies which
is designed to further enhance their
negotiations capabilities.
A major project of the DFA Office
of Legal Affairs, the half-day seminar
was led by Assistant Secretary for
Legal Affairs J. Eduardo Malaya. It was
attended by some 100 officials and
lawyers from different government
departments and agencies, notably
those who negotiate with foreign
counterparts.
Held at the DFA’s Bulwagang Elpidio
Quirino, the seminar provided the
participants with a refresher course on
treaty law and practice, particularly
the distinction between treaty/MOA
and MOU, and between treaties and
executive agreements, as well as the
procedure in the negotiation, signing
and ratification of international
agreements.
The Office of Legal Affairs distributed
PH Expresses Appreciation to US for Honoring Filipino WWII Vets
THE Philippines today expressed
its appreciation to the United States
for bestowing its highest civilian
honor—the Congressional Gold
Medal—to thousands of Filipinos
who fought under American
command during the Second World
War.
“We welcome this important
gesture by the United States Congress
to pay tribute to the gallantry and
sacrifices of the more than 260,000
Filipinos who fought alongside their
American brothers-in-arms in the
Philippines during the last world
war,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan
Peter S. Cayetano said.
Spain Lauds PH Victory VS ISIS-Backed Terrorism in Marawi, Pushes for Greater Bilateral Cooperation
PHILIPPINE EMBASSY AROUND THE WORLD
copies of the Treaty Handbook, which
puts together relevant circulars,
international conventions and other
basic references in the drafting,
negotiation and ratification of
international agreements.
“Familiarity with treaty law and
practice, which is where domestic law
meets international law, will facilitate
the work of our negotiators and also
give them a competitive edge during
negotiations,” Assistant Secretary
Malaya said.
The DFA Office of Legal Affairs also
launched in August the book “Forging
Partnerships: Philippine Defense
Cooperation under Constitutional
and International Laws” authored by
Assistant Secretary Malaya and Atty.
Maria Antonina Mendoza-Oblena.
The 129-page book is published by
the Foreign Service Institute and the
UP Law Center. Copies of the book are
available at UP Law Center Book Room,
with telephone no. 632-920-5514, loc.
226, and email address ipdbookroom.
“We are heartened to know that
after more than 70 years, Filipino
veterans were finally given the honor
that they very much deserve,” Secretary
Cayetano said in a statement issued
by the Department of Foreign Affairs
on Wednesday—the 72nd anniversary
of the American landings in Leyte that
ended the Japanese occupation of the
Philippines during the Second World
War.
“The Congressional Gold Medal
affirms and celebrates the stories
of our two great nations that have
been brought together by the shared
sacrifices of our soldiers in war time
and the shared commitment to freedom
MADRID – Spain commended the
Philippines’ recent victory against ISIS-
backed terrorists in Marawi City and
proposed stronger cooperation between
the two countries in fighting terrorism.
“We commend the Philippines on
your recent success in your fight against
terrorists in Marawi and we think
cooperation between our countries
The Philippines and Spain discuss areas where
they can further deepen bilateral cooperation at
the 4th Philippines-Spain Political Consultations
on October27, 2017 in Madrid, Spain
uplc@gmail.com.
The participating agencies in the
Treaty Law Seminar included the
Departments of Justice; Labor and
Employment; Education; Interior and
Local Government; Tourism; Science
and Technology; Energy; Health;
Agriculture; and Transportation, as well
as the Office of the Solicitor General.
Other attendees were from the
Civil Aeronautics Board, Bureau of
Internal Revenue, Bangko Sentral
ng Pilipinas, MARINA, Development
Academy of the Philippines, Philippine
Drug Enforcement Agency, Bureau of
Customs, National Security Council,
Philippine National Police, National
Intelligence Coordinating Agency,
Armed Forces of the Philippines,
Philippine Center on Transnational
Crime, Philippine Coast Guard, Office
of the Special Envoy on Transnational
Crime, Presidential Communications
Operations Office, and the Social
Security System. n Philippine Embassy
Philippines | October 30, 2017
and democracy of the Filipino and
American peoples during peace time,”
the Secretary added.
Secretary Cayetano also
congratulated leaders of the Filipino
Veterans Recognition and Education
Project (FilVetREP) for spearheading
the congressional gold medal project.
The group is led by retired US Army
Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba, himself
the son of a Filipino-American
veteran, with Defense Secretary Delfin
Lorenzana who was then Veterans
Affairs Representative at the Philippine
Embassy in Washington, serving as its
adviser.
According to Chargé d’Affaires
in the fight against terrorism will be
good,” Spain’s Secretary of State for
Foreign Policy, Hon. Ildefonso Castro,
told Undersecretary for Policy Enrique
A. Manalo at the 4th Philippines-Spain
political consultations held here today.
During the meeting, discussions
between the two sides also covered a wide at the earliest opportunity.
range of areas for bilateral cooperation.
November 2017 – No. 21 • UK & Europe Edition
Patrick Chuasoto of the Philippine
Embassy in Washington, D.C., the
presentation of the medal is in
accordance with the “Filipino Veterans
of World War II Congressional Gold
Medal Act of 2015,” a bipartisan
initiative that recognized the important California Rep. Ed Royce and Hawaii
contributions of Filipino World War II
veterans and their impact on American
history and culture.
Chargé d’Affaires Chuasoto
said House Speaker Paul Ryan led
congressional leaders in presenting the
medal to surviving Filipino veterans
and their families in ceremonies at the
Emancipation Hall of the US Congress
on Wednesday.
The Philippines and Spain
expressed readiness to sign
agreements on air transport and
economic and financial cooperation
Both sides also welcomed the recent
entry into force of the Memorandum of
Understanding on Defense Cooperation
and discussed initiatives to implement
the same.
They likewise expressed
commitment to further negotiations
on the social security, and willingness
to consider a possible cooperation on
higher education.
The Spanish delegation stated
that they were “deeply satisfied”
with its cultural cooperation with the
Philippines, both in the bilateral and
multilateral fora. Concrete initiatives
such as the inclusion of the Manila
Among those present in the
ceremonies were Senate Majority
Leader Mitch McConnel, Senate
Democratic Leader Charles Schumer,
Hawaii Senator Mazie Hirono, House
Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi,
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.
The Philippines was represented
in the ceremony by Pangasinan Rep.
Leopoldo Bataoil, Chargé d’Affaires
Chuasoto, Minister Jose Victor Chan-
Gonzaga, Administrator Ernesto
Carolina of the Philippine Veterans
Affairs Office, and Veterans Affairs
Representative Elson Agular. n Philippine
Embassy Philippines | | October 26, 2017
Galleon in UNESCO’s “Memory of the
World Program,” possible establishment
of a Las Casas Filipinas in Madrid, 9th
PH-Tribuna and inaugural meeting of
the PH-Spain Joint Standing Committee
on Education, Culture and Sports (JSC)
were also discussed.
Undersecretary Manalo told
Secretary Castro that he looks forward
to the latter’s visit to Manila for
the 5th Philippines-Spain Political
Consultations next year.
Aside from Undersecretary Manalo,
the Philippine Delegation consisted
of Philippine Ambassador to Spain
Phillipe Lhuillier, Foreign Affairs
Assistant Secretary for European Affairs
Maria Cleofe Natividad, Director Leila
Lora Santos and Special Assistant to
the Undersecretary Shirley L. Flores. n
Philippine Embassy Philippines | October 27, 2017