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Embassy of the Philippines, Damascus

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Coordinates: 33°29′49.5″N 36°14′0.5″E / 33.497083°N 36.233472°E / 33.497083; 36.233472
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Embassy of the Philippines, Damascus
Pasuguan ng Pilipinas sa Damasko
سفارة الفلبين في دمشق
Map
LocationDamascus
Address56 Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib Street, Western Villas, Mezzeh
Coordinates33°29′49.5″N 36°14′0.5″E / 33.497083°N 36.233472°E / 33.497083; 36.233472
Chargé d'affairesJohn G. Reyes
Websitehttps://damascuspe.dfa.gov.ph/

The Embassy of the Philippines in Damascus is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the Syrian Arab Republic. Opened in 2009, it is located in the Western Villas district of the Mezzeh municipality in southwestern Damascus, near the Presidential Palace.

History

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Although the Philippines and Syria established diplomatic relations in 1946, the Philippines did not establish an embassy in the country until much later, with diplomatic relations initially being conducted through the Philippine Embassy in Cairo. In 1960, while Syria was part of the United Arab Republic (UAR), retired colonel Pullong Arpa of Sulu was appointed by President Carlos P. Garcia as the first Philippine ambassador to the country.[1][2]

Although Syria left the UAR the following year as a result of the 1961 Syrian coup d'état, the Cairo mission continued to exercise jurisdiction over the country.[3] Jurisdiction over Syria later passed to the Philippine Embassy in Amman, and following that the Philippine Embassy in Beirut when it opened in 1996,[4] with an honorary consulate in Damascus serving the country.[5]

A resident mission in Syria was not opened until the presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, when the Embassy was formally opened on April 17, 2009 to serve the country's then-growing Filipino community.[6] Following the closure of the honorary consulate in Damascus, one was opened in Aleppo, Syria's second-largest city.[7]

Staff and activities

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As of 2023, the Philippine Embassy in Damascus is provisionally headed by a chargé d'affaires, pending the appointment of a new ambassador by the Philippine government. The current chargé d'affaires is John G. Reyes, while the last (and so far, only) resident ambassador was Wilfredo R. Cuyugan, who was appointed to the position by President Arroyo. A career diplomat, his appointment was confirmed by the Commission on Appointments on June 11, 2008,[8] and he assumed his position with the mission's opening the following year.

Many of the Embassy's activities center around evacuating Filipinos fleeing the Syrian civil war, with over 4,500 Filipinos being repatriated by 2013,[9] and an activity it coordinates with the embassy in Beirut.[10] While most Filipinos have been evacuated, some still remain in the country and the Embassy occasionally reminds those who have remained that repatriation is still available to them, in addition to staying safe and indoors.[11] Aside from repatriation, the Embassy participates in a number of cultural activities, like promoting Philippine products at an international bazaar,[12] and holding an art exhibition and art therapy session for World Mental Health Day.[13]

On January 24, 2021, The Washington Post broke a story accusing Embassy officials of mistreating and abusing female Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), many of whom were trafficked into the country illegally, who were in their care.[14] OFWs who sought shelter at the Embassy have since been repatriated back to the Philippines,[15] with the first group of OFWs arriving into the country just two weeks after the Washington Post story broke,[16] and the last group arriving in the Philippines on June 24, 2021.[7] The DFA also opened an investigation into the conduct of Embassy staff soon after the story's publication.[17]

Appointment of a new ambassador

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Appointing a new Philippine ambassador to Syria has likewise been complicated by the Syrian civil war, as well as controversies within the Philippine diplomatic service.[18]

On August 30, 2011, after Arroyo was succeeded as President by Benigno Aquino III, Cuyugan was controversially recalled by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and replaced with chargé d'affaires Ricardo Endaya. DFA spokesperson Raul Hernandez disclosed to the media that because the mission's focus has shifted to evacuating Filipinos from Syria, Cuyugan was replaced by Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario with a diplomat with more experience in repatriation,[18] although the DFA was also reportedly incensed by Cuyugan's position that Filipinos in Syria were safe despite the deteriorating security situation there,[19] reinforced by a statement he made to the media to that effect.[20] Some Filipino community leaders in Syria questioned the timing of Cuyugan's recall and asserted that his position was not wrong but that they will nonetheless work with the mission's new leadership,[21] while others lauded the move, accusing Cuyugan of making those statements but not leaving the Embassy compound to assess the situation on the ground.[22]

Aquino would later appoint Nestor N. Padalhin, who formerly served as ambassador to Nigeria, as ambassador to Syria on March 9, 2012.[23] However, Padalhin's appointment was derailed after he had failed to disclose his ownership of a three-bedroom condominium in Seattle in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), a day after a similar SALN issue led to the successful impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona.[24] He was nonetheless still appointed to head the Embassy, but instead as chargé d'affaires en pied, until the end of Aquino's term,[25] when Padalhin was then replaced by Alex V. Lamadrid after Aquino was succeeded by Rodrigo Duterte as President.[11] Lamadrid was subsequently recalled by the DFA after the Washington Post story broke, with the OFWs in question accusing him of ignoring their plight while, as they recalled to columnist Ramon Tulfo, "holding parties for his handsome Syrian friends".[26] Lamadrid was then replaced as chargé d'affaires by Verzosa, a human rights lawyer who was first deployed to Syria on December 20, 2020,[7] and who served in this capacity until January 27, 2023, when she was succeeded by Reyes as chargé d'affaires en pied.[27]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Appointments and Designations: June 6, 1960". Official Gazette. June 6, 1960. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  2. ^ "Official Week in Review: July 24 – July 30, 1960". Official Gazette. Retrieved December 5, 2022. Back in Malacañang about 11 a.m. the President received [...] Philippine Ambassador Pullong Arpa to the United Arab Republic, who is going back to his post after a few weeks' vacation here.
  3. ^ Lee-Brago, Pia (May 18, 2014). "Del Rosario off to Egypt to bolster bilateral relations". The Philippine Star. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  4. ^ "THE PHILIPPINE EMBASSY". Embassy of the Philippines, Beirut. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  5. ^ Punay, Edu (October 31, 2007). "BI blacklists Syrian for insulting RP consuls". The Philippine Star. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  6. ^ Fernando, Ellen (April 17, 2009). "Philippine Embassy sa Syria itinayo" [Philippine Embassy in Syria established]. Pilipino Star Ngayon (in Filipino). PhilStar Daily, Inc. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c Santiago, Maxxy (July 1, 2021). "PH embassy shelter in Syria now empty, last batch of trafficked OFWs repatriated". ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  8. ^ "Cabinet men, officers, envoys get CA approval". GMA News and Public Affairs. June 11, 2008. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  9. ^ Lee-Brago, Pia (August 30, 2013). "DFA concerned over safety of OFWs in Syria". The Philippine Star. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  10. ^ Aning, Jerome (May 30, 2014). "More Filipinos come home from Syria". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  11. ^ a b Mateo, Janvic (April 22, 2018). "Department of Foreign Affairs: Embassy ready to repatriate Pinoys in Syria". The Philippine Star. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  12. ^ Santiago, Maxxy (October 6, 2021). "Pinoy products take spotlight in Damascus International Charity Bazaar". ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  13. ^ "Art exhibit binuksan ng PH Embassy Syria" [Art exhibit opened by PH Embassy in Syria] (in Filipino). ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. November 4, 2022. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  14. ^ McQue, Katie (January 24, 2021). "Sold into Syrian servitude, Filipina workers tell of abuse, rape and imprisonment". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  15. ^ Tulfo, Ramon T. (July 7, 2022). "Protect abused household workers". The Philippine Star. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  16. ^ Perez-Rubio, Bella (February 6, 2021). "6 Filipino women who were trafficked to Syria, now on the way home — DFA". The Philippine Star. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  17. ^ Viray, Patricia Lourdes (January 25, 2021). "DFA investigates staff for possible abuse of trafficking victims staying at embassy in Syria". The Philippine Star. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  18. ^ a b "PH recalls envoy to Syria". ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. August 30, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  19. ^ Fernando, Ellen (August 31, 2011). "Sumablay sa repatriation, Envoy sa Syria sinibak" [Failing in repatriation, envoy to Syria fired]. Pilipino Star Ngayon (in Filipino). PhilStar Daily, Inc. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  20. ^ "Ligtas ang mga Pinoy sa Syria, ayon sa isang opisyal" [Filipinos in Syria are safe, according to one official] (in Filipino). GMA News and Public Affairs. April 23, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  21. ^ Santiago, Maxxy; Cruz, RG (August 31, 2011). "Timing of Syria envoy's recall wrong, say Pinoys". ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  22. ^ Corpuz, Niña (June 23, 2016). "Infighting reports mar replacement of envoy to Syria" (in Filipino). ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  23. ^ Legaspi, Amita (March 9, 2012). "PHL to send new ambassador to strife-torn Syria". GMA News and Public Affairs. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  24. ^ Sy, Marvin (May 31, 2012). "SALN stalls confirmation of envoy". The Philippine Star. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  25. ^ "PNoy at peace with leaving Palace". ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. June 23, 2016. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  26. ^ Tulfo, Ramon T. (June 29, 2021). "Undiplomatic diplomats". The Philippine Star. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  27. ^ "Damascus PE Chargé d'Affaires Receives Warm Welcome from the Filipino Community in Syria" (Press release). Embassy of the Philippines, Damascus. February 5, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
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