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Embassy of the Philippines, Madrid

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Coordinates: 40°26′47.8″N 3°41′08.0″W / 40.446611°N 3.685556°W / 40.446611; -3.685556
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Embassy of the Philippines, Madrid
Pasuguan ng Pilipinas sa Madrid
Embajada de Filipinas en Madrid
Map
LocationMadrid
AddressCalle Eresma 2, Madrid, Spain
Coordinates40°26′47.8″N 3°41′08.0″W / 40.446611°N 3.685556°W / 40.446611; -3.685556
AmbassadorPhilippe J. Lhuillier
Websitemadridpe.dfa.gov.ph

The Embassy of the Philippines in Madrid is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the Kingdom of Spain. Opened in 1951, it is located at the corner of Calle Eresma and Calle Guadalquivir in the barrio (neighborhood) of El Viso, part of the district of Chamartín in northern Madrid, where it has been since 1998.

History

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Relations between the Philippines and Spain were established in 1947, shortly after the Philippines obtained full independence from the United States. Initially, relations between the two countries were conducted through a legation, with Manuel Escudero being appointed as the mission's first minister plenipotentiary.[1]

The legation was upgraded to a full embassy on January 5, 1951 with President Elpidio Quirino signing Executive Order No. 397,[2] establishing the Philippines' first embassy in Europe.[3] Establishing the embassy also reorganized the Philippines' diplomatic presence in continental Europe, with it also assuming jurisdiction over the legations in Paris and Rome.[2] Manuel Morán, who previously was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, was appointed by Quirino as the mission's first ambassador on March 20, 1951.[4]

In 1997, the Philippine government purchased a 1,200-square-meter (13,000 sq ft) villa in El Viso, where other embassies were also located, to serve as the embassy's new chancery. Originally a two-story manor house, which was demolished to make way for the chancery,[1] the fifty-year old property also included a stable and a large garden, on which the ambassadorial residence was later built.[5] After a year of renovation work, the chancery was inaugurated by President Fidel V. Ramos in April 1998.[1]

Staff and activities

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The Philippine Embassy in Madrid is headed by Ambassador Philippe Lhuillier, who was first appointed to the position by President Rodrigo Duterte on October 11, 2016.[6] Prior to his current post, Lhuillier, a businessman who served as chairman of the pawnshop chain Cebuana Lhuillier, headed the Philippine Embassy in Lisbon as ambassador to Portugal,[7] and prior to that served 11 years at the Philippine Embassy in Rome as ambassador to Italy.[8] His appointment was confirmed by the Commission on Appointments the following week on October 19, 2016,[9] and he presented his credentials to King Felipe VI on June 15, 2017.[10]

Lhuillier would be subsequently reappointed by President Bongbong Marcos, Duterte's successor, on July 20, 2022,[11] with his appointment being confirmed again by the CA on September 28, 2022.[12] In addition to Lhuillier, the Embassy is also staffed with 27 officials and other staff.[13]

In addition to Moran and Lhuillier, other notable diplomats who have been deployed to the Embassy as Ambassadors to Spain include León María Guerrero III, who would serve between 1962 and 1965,[14] and José Manuel Stilianopoulos, who would serve between 1972 and 1977,[14] and who later in life would permanently settle in Spain.[15] Current Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations Antonio Manuel Lagdameo also briefly served a year as ambassador from 2008 to 2009.[14]

Part of the embassy's philosophy is that Filipinos living outside Madrid should not need to go to the capital in order to receive consular services.[7] To that end, the embassy itself also conducts consular missions in other parts of Spain at least once or twice a year,[7] with missions traditionally being held in southern Spain, Bilbao in the Basque Country and the Canary Islands, and more recently on the islands of Menorca and Ibiza.[16]

In addition to the embassy, the Philippines maintains a network of honorary consulates throughout Spain which provide many of the same consular services in their respective areas,[7] as well as assuming jurisdiction over the Consulate General in Barcelona, which reopened on March 2, 2020 after closing in 2012.[17]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "The Embassy". Embassy of the Philippines, Madrid. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Executive Order No. 397, s. 1951". Official Gazette. January 5, 1951. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  3. ^ "Administrative Order No. 205, s. 1952". Official Gazette. December 3, 1952. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  4. ^ "Official Month in Review: March, 1951". Official Gazette. Retrieved May 15, 2021. In a ceremony held at the council of state room in Malacañan at noon, of the same day, the President inducted former Chief Justice Manuel V. Moran as Philippine Ambassador to Spain...
  5. ^ "The Embassy". Embassy of the Philippines, Madrid. Archived from the original on August 17, 2003. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  6. ^ Cabacungan, Gil C. (October 11, 2016). "Duterte swears in 124 gov't officials". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  7. ^ a b c d Tañada, Lorenzo III (December 29, 2015). "DFA Frontliners - PH Embassy in Spain". Frontliners (in Filipino). UNTV Channel 37.
  8. ^ Litton, Johnny (July 4, 2010). "A joyful homecoming to remember". The Philippine Star. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  9. ^ Ager, Maila (October 11, 2016). "4 PH envoys get CA panel's nod". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  10. ^ "Ambassador Lhuillier Presents His Credentials to King Felipe VI of Spain" (Press release). Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines. June 21, 2017. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  11. ^ Bajo, Anna Felicia (July 21, 2022). "Marcos retains Philippe Lhuillier as Philippine envoy to Spain". GMA News and Public Affairs. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  12. ^ Fernandez, Daniza (September 28, 2022). "Manalo, 23 other DFA execs hurdle CA confirmation". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  13. ^ "ORGANIZATIONAL CHART - PHILIPPINE EMBASSY, MADRID (as of 28 June 2019)" (PDF). Embassy of the Philippines, Madrid. June 28, 2019. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  14. ^ a b c "Former Ambassadors". Embassy of the Philippines, Madrid. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  15. ^ Bianchi, Martín (October 21, 2013). "Pitita Ridruejo "A mucha gente no le conviene que llegue el Apocalipsis"" [Pitita Ridruejo: "A lot of people don't agree that the Apocalypse will come"]. ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  16. ^ Castro, Nieves (September 29, 2013). "Miembros de la Embajada filipina se desplazan a San Pedro para atender a sus compatriotas" [Members of the Philippine Embassy head to San Pedro to attend to their countrymen]. Diario Sur (in Spanish). Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  17. ^ "Bagong Career Consulate General sa Barcelona simula ng March 2020" [New Career Consulate General in Barcelona starting March 2020] (Press release) (in Filipino). Philippine Consulate General, Barcelona. March 2, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
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