In support of the One-Country Team approach, Philippine Ambassador to Canberra Belen F. Anota met with the Philippine Honorary Consuls and Consuls General to Australia and Vanuatu for a workshop on 14 November 2011.

Ambassador Anota emphasized to the honorary consular officials that “We are Team Philippines. Therefore we should be on the same page and we move Australia together in one direction.”

Ambassador Anota gave particular emphasis to the Department of Foreign Affairs’ mandate from President Benigno S. Aquino III to promote economic diplomacy and encouraged the honorary consuls and consuls general to work closely in partnership with the Embassy in achieving this goal.

During the one-day workshop, Philippine Trade and Investment Representative Michelle Fatima Sanchez, Tourism Representative Consuelo Jones, Defense and Armed Forces Attaché Capt. Ernesto Enriquez and Labor Attaché Atty. Jalilo Dela Torre gave brief presentations on what is happening in their areas and how the honorary consular officials can help them in achieving their targets and ultimately, contributing to the over-all Country Team effort.

For their part, Embassy officials gave a briefing on new developments and pertinent aspects of consular operations, including assistance to nationals. The workshop also provided the Honorary Consuls and Consuls General the opportunity to report from their consular frontlines, and clarify issues with the Embassy.

The Embassy also informed the honorary consular officials of the ongoing absentee voters’ registration and encouraged them to drum up support for this endeavor within their respective constituents.

In attendance at the workshop were Dr. Reynaldo Dante G. Juanta, Honorary Consul General in Adelaide, South Australia; Mr. Alan Grummitt, Honorary Consul General in Brisbane, Queensland; Mr. Januario John Rivas, Honorary Consular General in Darwin, Northern Territory; Ms. Virginia Kalong, Honorary Consul in Melbourne, Victoria; Mr. Gerald Donnelly, Honorary Consul General in Perth, Western Australia; and Mr. Florentino Serrano, Honorary Consul General in Port Vila, Vanuatu. Also present at the workshop was Philippine Consul General to Sydney Anne J. Louis.

Ambassador Anota had in early October met with the officers of the Philippine Embassy and the Philippine Consulate General and the Philippine Attachés for Trade and Investments, Defense and Armed Forces, Labor and Tourism for a briefing on current developments in their key areas and to discuss the formulation of the Embassy’s 2012 Workplan