FERDINAND ROMUALDEZ MARCOS, JR.
President
ENRIQUE A. MANALO
Secretary of Foreign Affairs
125th Anniversary of the Declaration of Philippine Independence
The Philippine Embassy in Budapest Commemorates the 125th Anniversary of the Declaration of Philippine Independence
and the 50th Anniversary of Establishment of Bilateral Relations Between the Philippines and Hungary
The Philippine Embassy in Budapest held a diplomatic reception on 05 June 2023 to commemorate the 125th Anniversary of the Declaration of Philippine Independence and the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the Philippines and Hungary. The event took place at the Stefania Palota/ Honved Cultural Centre.
The event was graced by Hon. Mr. István Jakab, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Hungary and Ms. Katalin Bihari, Deputy State Secretary for External Economic Relations · Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary.
It was attended by over 180 guests, mostly by members of the diplomatic corps, officials of the Hungarian government, officials of academic institutions, business contacts and representatives from the private sector, and members of the Filipino community, including Filipino scholars pursuing studies in Hungary.
In his remarks, Ambassador Frank R. Cimafranca honored the sacrifices of our forebears in their struggle to fight for the country’s independence. He emphasized that it is our sacred duty to preserve this freedom and ensure its continued enjoyment by future generations of Filipinos.
Aside from the celebration of the Philippines’ Independence Day, the event also commemorated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Philippines-Hungary diplomatic relations, dating back to September 1973.
Ambassador Cimafranca highlighted major developments in bilateral relations as they reach this golden milestone. This includes high-level visits of Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó in Manila in 2017, Secretary of Foreign Affair Teodoro Locsin’s Jr. visit to Budapest in 2019, Philippine senators’ visit to Budapest in 2019 headed by the PH-HU Parliamentary Friendship Group head and now the current Senate President, Juan Miguel Zubiri, and was aptly reciprocated by the visit to the Philippines of a Hungarian Parliamentary Delegation headed by the Hon. István Jakab, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Hungary.
Several bilateral agreements have been concluded including cooperation in the fields of economy, culture, education, science, agriculture, and MOUs between our Service Institutes and Chambers of Commerce and Industry. There are also regular political consultations and joint committee on economic cooperation meetings.
Deputy State Secretary Katalin Bihari, in her remarks, affirmed the close relations the Philippines and Hungary has and hopes that stronger cooperation will be pursued, especially in the fields of trade, agriculture, and labor cooperation.
The celebration was made more meaningful, thanks to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, for bringing to Budapest multi-awarded Filipino pianist, Dr. Raul Sunico. He is a former President of the Cultural Center of the Philippines and a renowned Steinway artist as well. He finished his Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School in New York and a Doctor of Philosophy degree, major in Piano Performance from the New York University.
Dr. Sunico’s repertoire included Filipino classics such as Kumintang (F. Buencamino), Bato sa Buhangin (E. Cuenco/arr. R. Sunico), and Bayan Ko (C. de Guzman/arr. R. Sunico). He also played classical piano pieces of great composers such S. Rachmaninoff, F. Chopin, and C. Debussy. He paid homage to Hungary’s pride and one of the greatest musicians of all-time, Franz Liszt, which delighted the audience. Prior to the concert, Dr. Sunico conducted a masterclass at the prestigious Franz Liszt Academy of Music.
Guests were invited to a cocktail reception after the piano concert. In the reception, guests were also served San Miguel Beer (from the San Miguel Corporation) and Gaina Wines (care of PH Consul in Chisnau, Mr. Victor Gaina). END
PH Ambassador Cimafranca Presents His Credentials to President Radev as Non-Resident Ambassador to Republic of Bulgaria
Press Release 01-2023
Philippine Ambassador Frank R. Cimafranca (left) presented his letters of credence as non-resident Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of the Philippines to President Rumen Radev of the Republic of Bulgaria (left). (Photos courtesy of the State Protocol Directorate)
26 January 2023 – Ambassador Frank R. Cimafranca presented his letters of credence as non-resident Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of the Philippines to H.E. President Rumen Radev of the Republic of Bulgaria at the Presidential Administration Building in Sofia on January 26.
The presentation was followed by a twenty-minute discussion between President Radev and Ambassador Cimafranca with a focus on enhancing relations between the two countries.
Both acknowledged that it is important to resume the political consultations this year, especially that the Philippines and Bulgaria are celebrating in 2023 the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Both also agreed that Philippines and Bulgarian bilateral relations in trade and investment should be further encouraged.
Ambassador Cimafranca thanked Bulgaria for its hospitality to the small but growing Filipino community in the country.
The ceremony was followed by a flower offering at the Monument of the Unknown Soldier located next to the 6th-century Church of St. Sophia, on Alexander Nevsky Square.
Earlier, Ambassador Cimafranca presented open copies of his credentials to Mr. Kostadin Kodzhabashev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The Ambassador was accompanied by First Secretary and Consul Ria E. Gorospe and Mr. Ognian Trajanov, Philippine Honorary Consul General in Bulgaria, both in the meeting at the Bulgarian MOFA and the presentation of credential ceremony.
Ambassador Cimafranca Presents His Credentials to President Djukanovic
Ambassador Cimafranca Presents His Credentials to President Djukanovic
President Milo Djukanovic (left) and Ambassador Frank R. Cimafranca (right).
BUDAPEST, 20 December 2022 – Ambassador Frank R. Cimafranca presented his letters of credence as Non-Resident Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to Montenegro to President Milo Djukanovic in Podgorica on 16 December 2022.
After the presentation of credentials, Pres. Djukanovic and Amb. Cimafranca discussed various issues in Philippines-Montenegro bilateral relations. Pres. Djukanovic noted that there is much room for growth in relations, which were established in 2009, particularly on economic matters. Possible cooperation was also mentioned on energy, tourism, food production, and labor.
Amb. Cimafranca thanked Montenegro for its hospitality to the small Filipino community in the country. He also hoped that exchanges of visits by high-level officials from both countries would spur discussions that would lead to bilateral agreements to strengthen relations. Pres. Djukanovic agreed that such agreements are a good way to move PH-ME ties forward. END
Philippine Embassy Showcases PH Handicrafts, Food in Diplomatic Charity Fair
27 November 2022 – The Philippine Embassy in Budapest once again participated in the annual Diplomatic Charity Fair, held this year at the InterContinental Budapest.
The Philippine booth mainly featured products that were made from Capiz shells, a material popularly used by Filipinos for making decorative items. Visitors of various nationalities flocked to the PH booth to purchase the beautiful items on offer, all sourced from the Philippines and made by local handicraft makers.
Aside from the handicrafts, Filipino food was also showcased via the Philippine food booth. The Filipino community had many different dishes, desserts, and snacks on sale for visitors eager to try Pinoy food.
The Diplomatic Charity Fair is an event regularly organized by the Diplomatic Spouses of Budapest (DSB) and is aimed at raising funds to help various charitable organizations.
In her speech to open the event, DSB President Mrs. Lucila C. Cimafranca, wife of Amb. Frank R. Cimafranca, thanked all participants for their cooperation in this charity event and noted that this diplomatic activity is a reminder of the importance of cooperation among nations in today’s world.
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