17 May 2024, CANBERRA – The Embassy of the Philippines in Canberra and the Australian National University (ANU) Library celebrated Philippines-Australia Friendship Day with the turn-over of Philippine foreign policy publications to the Library on 16 May 2024. By virtue of a presidential proclamation, the Philippines observes Philippines-Australia Friendship Day on the 22nd of May of every year.

In a ceremony held at the Menzies Library at the ANU, Ambassador of the Philippines to Australia Ma. Hellen De La Vega thanked the ANU Library for providing a significant platform for the Philippines to share its history and lessons in foreign policy. She said that the advancement of Philippine studies in Australia is important as the two countries implement the Strategic Partnership.

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Assistant Secretary for Maritime Southeast Asia Jane Duke said that the bilateral relations of Australia and the Philippines are at a historic high point. She added that the people-to-people connections have always been at the heart of the partnership. University Librarian Roxanne Missingham thanked the Ambassador for the publications received from the Foreign Service Institute of the Philippines and underscored the importance of Asian and Pacific studies to the university as well as the contributions of Filipinos scholars to the library collection. The Menzies Library hosts the ANU Library’s Asia-Pacific collection and services.

The transfer of publications was made possible through the assistance of the ANU Philippines Institute, represented in the ceremony by Deputy Director Maria Tanyag.