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From left to right: Philippine Ambassador Manuel A.J. Teehankee, New Zealand Ambassador Clare Kelly and Swiss Ambassador Didier Chambovey joined forces as they support their respective teams at the FIFA Women’s World Cup. (photo courtesy of Mr. Cedric Barcena)
Geneva, Switzerland, 25 July 2023- Following the World Trade Organization’s High-Level Dialogue on the Making Trade Score for Women held on 1 May 2023, the Philippine Mission to the World Trade Organization kicked-off its Philippine sports diplomacy and women empowerment agenda through the hosting of viewing parties of the Filipinas, the country’s women’s football team, at the Mabini Hall of the Philippine Mission in Geneva.
WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala with Switzerland’s National Football Team during the High-Level Dialogue on the Making Trade Score for Women held on 1 May 2023 at the World Trade Organization. (photo courtesy of Ambassador Manuel Teehankee)
The Filipinas’ Sarina Bolden provided the crucial breakthrough in the first half, which secured the Philippines’ first ever win at the FIFA World Cup against this year’s co-host, New Zealand. The footballing world spotlighted the Philippines for their defensive acumen, backstopped admirably by Olivia McDaniel in goal, and in maintaining their resolve to pick up the first upset win in the tournament. This was the team’s second match in FIFA 2023, after its hard fought debut against Switzerland, last 21 July 2023 (Friday). The team is set to play against Norway on 30 July 2023 (Sunday), with a chance to qualify for the knockout stages.
Sarina Bolden rejoices after scoring the Philippines’ first ever goal of the World Cup. (photo courtesy of Inquirer.net)
Ambassador Teehankee lauded the Filipinas, who exemplified the ethos of the Global Filipino and who have made significant strides in player development in just a few years. He stated that “it remains critical for the country to maintain strong links with the Filipino diaspora; we have leveraged the experience and expertise of our Filipina footballers, who are plying their trade across the globe, but who have bonded together and created a highly organized and cohesive team. We need to continue to tap into our greatest resource - our people, if we are to make similar strides in other fields, such as science, technology, and innovation.”
(Left to Right) Ambassador Sofia Boza Martinez of Chile, Ambassador Clare Kelly of New Zealand, and Philippine Ambassador Manuel Teehankee enjoy Filipino breakfast served during the FIFA Women’s World Cup viewing party at the Philippine Mission in Geneva. (photo courtesy of Mme. April Anne Liong-Resuena and Cedric Barcena)
The event was also an opportunity to promote Filipino breakfast silog, a portmanteau word for the three main ingredients: sinangag (garlic fried rice), itlog (fried eggs) meals paired with longanisa, tocino, and beef tapa. Puto maya (sticky rice cake) with Filipino mangoes and sikwate (hot chocolate drink) were also served for the guests.
Ambassador Manuel Teehankee together with New Zealand Ambassador Clare Kelly (left), Madame Corinne Follmi-Chazaut and Mr. Dominique Follmi of Association de l'Orchestre International de Genève. (photo courtesy of Mme. Ethel Sagun)
The viewing parties were held in partnership with the Permanent Mission of New Zealand to WTO in Geneva, and were attended by delegates to the WTO and United Nations in Geneva.
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President Ferdinand Marcos delivers his remarks during the breakfast interaction with World Economic Forum partners and his economic team. (photo courtesy of Mathias Josi)
Ambassador Manuel A.J. Teehankee, Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the WTO, welcomed the signing into law of Republic Act 11954 establishing the Maharlika Investment Fund on 18 July 2023 and recalled that the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) was soft launched with global economic leaders by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, together with his economic team, at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting held on 16-20 January 2023 in Davos, Switzerland. Ambassador Teehankee noted that “the recently concluded Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) agreement in the WTO, where the Philippines actively contributed and supported robust provisions on sustainable investment, will complement initiatives such as the MIF to enhance business confidence in pursuing big-ticket strategic investments in the country.”
While in Davos, President Marcos emphasized in his WEF engagements that the MIF would leverage liquidity from government financial institutions (GFIs) and government-owned and government-controlled corporation (GOCCs) to pursue strategic and profitable investments in key and high-impact sectors. He assured the global business community that the MIF would adhere to the highest standards of governance and expressed interest to work with international financial institutions in ensuring the successful roll out of the Fund.
The Philippine economic team garnered strong interest in the MIF during a breakfast interaction with global business leaders from infrastructure, financial services, mining and information technology sectors. The MIF launch was broadly supported by the “magnificent seven” Philippine business tycoons: (1) Mr. Ramon Ang of San Miguel Corporation; (2) Mr. Sabin Aboitiz of Aboitiz Group; (3) Mr. Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala Ayala Corporation; (4) Mr. Lance Gokongwei of Gokongwei Group; (5) Mr. Enrique Razon Jr. ofInternational Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI); (6) SM Group’s Teresita Sy-Coson; and (7) Mr. Kevin Tan Alliance Global Group Inc.
House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez leads the small group discussions on the Philippine economy and programs together with Senator Mark Villar, Mr. Ramon Ang of San Miguel Corporation, Mr. Kevin Tan of Alliance Global Group, Ambassador Manuel Teehankee, and WEF partners. (photo courtesy of Mathias Josi)
The President underscored the government’s big-ticket projects focusing on agricultural development, energy, infrastructure and digitalization, as part of the country’s post-pandemic economic recovery “build better more” strategy and aligned with the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.
Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo joins Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual, Mr. Enrique Razon of ICTSI, Mr. Lance Gokongwei and Ms. Cecile Ang of San Miguel Corp. in a discussion on country’s economic goals (photo courtesy of Mathias Josi)
This interaction with WEF partners, global and business leaders provided an opportunity to showcase the Philippine development goals, as well as to intensify public-private partnerships in the pursuit of an inclusive and sustainable economic growth. END
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On MSME Day 2023, celebrated on 27 June 2023, the winners of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), International Trade Centre (ITC), and World Trade Organization (WTO) Small Business Champions initiative were announced. Among the victorious entries was the Philippine-based firm, HeySuccess.
The Small Business Champions initiative, first launched in 2021, provides a platform for industry associations, chambers of commerce, NGOs, and small businesses to offer innovative proposals for supporting smallholder farmers in global trade. This year's theme, "Helping smallholder farmers go global," highlights the key role of smallholder farmers, who represent 8.5% of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises and contribute to one-third of global production.
HeySuccess (https://heysuccess.com.ph/), a virtual assistant services company based in the Philippines, emerged as one of the winners. Their project, "Agri-partnership Focused in Bicol Province of the Philippines," offers a comprehensive three-module training course on digital literacy, agripreneurship, and sales and marketing skills. This initiative also addresses financial and project management, agriculture 4.0, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and branding, marketing, and e-commerce strategies, helping small and medium-sized businesses thrive in the international marketplace. Other winners include Divasity.com, a Nigerian marketplace which connects startups and entrepreneurs with resources and Coprogeny, a cooperative from Cameroon dedicated to promoting agro-pastoral activities and improving agricultural value chains.
The ICC-ITC-WTO Small Business Champions initiative winners embody innovative solutions that aid MSMEs in becoming more sustainable, resilient, innovative, and profitable. The Philippine Mission to the WTO celebrate HeySuccess and all winners of the SBC initiative and anticipate their significant impact on the global small business community.
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Ambassador Teehankee congratulated the USC moot team composed of freshmen law students Jovellie Delubio, Philip Jezrael Nobleza and Loranisa Balorio, accompanied by their mentors Attys. Daryl Bretch Largo and Joan Largo, in the presence of First Secretary Oliver Delfin, and encouraged them to join other competitions including the WTO-organized John Jackson Moot Court Competition. (photo courtesy of Mr. Cedric Barcena)
Geneva, Switzerland- Ambassador Teehankee congratulated the University of San Carlos (USC) College of Law moot team, composed of freshmen law students, and accompanied by their mentors Assistant Dean Daryl Bretch Largo and USC Assistant Vice-President for Academic Affairs Joan Largo, for placing third at the recently concluded 15th Nelson Mandela World Human Rights Moot Court. The USC moot team competed with 23 other law schools on 17-20 July 2023 in Geneva for the advanced and in-person round of the Competition after the preliminary virtual rounds in May. The teams underwent a rigid double elimination process including the submission of a memorial and the online preliminary rounds. USC was the lone ASEAN team to have reached the semi-finals.
Philippine Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Manuel Teehankee underscored the importance of holistically discussing international relations issues through moot court competitions. Ambassador Teehankee stressed “law schools play a valuable role in enlightening our emerging pool of legal talent on the different facets of global issues, including multilateral trade issues, by participating in domestic and international moot court competitions.” He explained that moot court competitions, including the John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition on WTO Law, a simulated dispute settlement proceeding on issues relating to WTO Agreements, are excellent opportunities for Filipino law students to hone written and oral advocacy and legal skills as well as learn from trade law experts from other jurisdictions.
Ambassador Teehankee welcomed the John H. Jackson Moot Court representatives from the University of the Philippines College of Law and Ateneo de Manila University Schooly of Law. (photo courtesy of Ambassador Manuel Teehankee).
Last month, Ambassador Teehankee also received the moot court teams of the schools of law of the University of the Philippines and the Ateneo de Manila University which participated in the 21st edition of the John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition on WTO Law and discussed with them the works currently undertaken by the Mission in Geneva. The University of the Philippines team secured 4th place overall at the 2023 competition, besting teams from the National University Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, National Law University of Delhi and Georgetown University before falling to the National University of Singapore in the semi-finals. END
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The Philippine Missions in Geneva presented a wide selection of high-quality Philippine products, representing the geographic breadth and unique indigenous endowments of the archipelago, to celebrate the 125th Anniversary of Philippine Independence.
The Philippines took center stage at the terrace garden of the World Trade Organization (WTO), which serves as the seat for global trade rule-making. The celebration, held on 20 June 2023, drew more than 400 dignitaries, diplomats, business executives and local officials. Among the distinguished guests who attended the event were WTO Director-General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, WTO Deputy Directors General Angela Ellard and Jean-Marie Paugam, former Attorney-General of Botswana and current Chair of the WTO General Council, Ambassador Athaliah Molokomme.
The Philippines was able to feature organic and single-sourced chocolates from Davao, Samar, Cebu and Bohol through partnerships with boutique manufacturers: Malagos Agriventures Corp., Chicago-based Chocs n Boxes, Bohol Chocolate Farm, and Tablea Chocolate of Cebu.
For many guests, it was also their first exposure to the indigenous and unique purple hue of ube (purple yam), through the creative concoctions of Distileria Barako’s mixologists. Distileria Barako featured the Ube Cream Fiesta, Pag-Ube sa Kanto, and Mr. Ongpin original cocktail recipes, which maximized the flavors from their line featuring ube cream liqueur, gayuma liqueur, agimat gin, and agimat at ugat vodka. Beyond their quality, guests were impressed to learn about the product origins and the relationships the companies had cultivated with local communities and small-scale farmers. Mr. Paolo Enrile, Distileria Barako’s EU Head for Sales and Marketing, noted that his company itself sources its ingredients from farmers from several islands such as Negros, Luzon, Mindanao, Mindoro and Bacolod.
Maximizing the summer weather, guests were able to cool down with a bespoke “halo-halo” buffet or by doing the traditional “tagay” with ice cold San Miguel Pale Pilsen beer. Guests, including many Ambassadors and senior officials, were seen enjoying the grand Lake Geneva view with cigars in hand, courtesy of Tabacalera Incorporada, the first and oldest cigar company in Asia.
Guests were also interested to learn more about the indigenous and sustainable materials that have been harnessed by Filipinos for generations. The Philippine Fiber Industry and Development Authority (Philfida) exhibited abaca, sisal, rami, buri, piña (pineapple fiber), and silk materials that have been transformed into wearables and decorative items. Dignitaries were also surprised to learn that Ananas-Anam, a UK-based startup, is sustainably sourcing from the Philippines pineapple fiber to produce “Piñatex” vegan leather for major international fashion labels.
In his remarks, Ambassador Manuel A.J. Teehankee, Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the WTO, said that the Philippines “remains committed to working collaboratively with all WTO members to strengthen the rules-based multilateral trading system, promote sustainable development, address climate change, close gender and digital gaps, and foster an inclusive and resilient global economy.” He further noted that “over the years, the Philippines has made significant strides in advancing its economic potentials, embracing globalization, and integrating itself into the global marketplace. Our dynamic and diverse economy, coupled with a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit, and advocacy for MSMEs has positioned us as a reliable trading partner and a hub for trade and investment in Asia-Pacific.”
As the festivities continued through the evening, guests were able to embrace the atmosphere of the Filipino “kundiman” at the WTO’s Salle des Pas Perdus through the hands of seasoned musicians Michael Lao Cu (piano), Solveig Breger (piano) and Mikko Pablo (cello). The Filipino Kundiman is a genre of traditional Filipino love songs and the traditional song of serenade in the Philippines. The trio performed four Filipino classics: “Pandangguhan”, “Romance”, “First Nocturne”, and “Souvenir de Filipinas.” The four hands “Pandangguhan” piece was inspired by the Philippine folk dance Pandanggo which also evolved from Fandango, a Spanish folk dance. Pandanggo dance involves snapping of fingers and stomping of feet to the beats of the accompanying music. The second piece, “Romance”, written by Philippine National Artist for Music Lucio San Pedro in 1998, witnessed its European premier at the Palace of Fine Arts in Brussels by Michael Cu and Mikko Pablo in October 2018.
