Philippine Ambassador to Laos Belinda M. Ante leads the singing of the Philippine National Anthem during the Flag Raising Ceremony celebrating the 122nd Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence on 12 June 2020 at the Embassy grounds.
The Philippine Embassy in Vientiane, Laos hosted a Flag Raising Ceremony in celebration of the 122nd Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence on 12 June 2020 at the Embassy grounds. Post’s personnel, family, and private staff were joined by 16 members of the Filipino community in Vientiane, comprising FilCom leaders and members of the community who provided assistance to the Embassy’s provision of food packs to Filipinos in distress due to the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020. During the event, Post ensured that all personnel and guests were practicing physical distancing in accordance with Lao government regulations.
The flag raising ceremony opened with the singing of the Philippine National Anthem and this was followed by the recitation of the Panunumpa sa Watawat ng Pilipinas led by Ms. Marianne Pante, voluntary missionary of Every Nation Church in Vientiane. Afterwards, Ambassador Belinda M. Ante and Third Secretary and Vice Consul Jose Carlo Morales read the messages of Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro Locsin Jr., respectively, in commemoration of the 122nd Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence.
A simple Filipino breakfast followed the Flag Raising Ceremony, featuring Filipino cuisine, including fried eggs, adobo, daing, longganisa, lumpiang shanghai, ensalada, biko, and rice.
Ambassador Ante delivered her own remarks and said that the flag raising ceremony was an opportunity for the Embassy to discuss pressing issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic, with the Filipino Community. She expressed her appreciation for the assistance extended by the FilCom to the Embassy, as well as to fellow Filipinos in distress. Ambassador Ante also thanked Mr. Barry Antonio of Whessoe Sdn. Bhd., whose company will repatriate Filipinos to the Philippines on 13 June 2020. The Ambassador also requested the FilCom to inform Filipinos who are in need of assistance to contact the Embassy immediately in order for the Embassy to address their needs and concerns.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, Embassy personnel and the FilCom enjoyed a simple Filipino breakfast with fried eggs, daing, longganisa, lumpiang shanghai, ensalada, biko, and rice. The attendees discussed several issues at hand including the current developments in Laos regarding COVID-19, the repatriation of Filipinos via the Whessoe-chartered Air Asia flight, and other matters during the breakfast, and the FilCom leaders assured the Embassy that they will continue to assist in the dissemination of information regarding Philippine government and Embassy-led initiatives. END
