GOVPH

PCG reaches out to Filipino child liver transplant recipient at Renji Hospital, Shanghai

SHANGHAI, 14 February 2025 – Representatives from the Philippine Consulate General, led by Consul and Acting Head of Post Francis S. Herrera, paid a visit to a one-year-and-nine-month-old Filipino child who was the recipient of a life-saving liver transplant procedure at the Renji Hospital in Shanghai.

The child had been suffering from biliary atresia, a rare liver disease that blocks bile ducts and leads to liver damage. The Consulate General representatives were happy to find that child and his father-donor, Mr. Herdie Vasquez, were recovering well after the hours-long procedure which was performed on 11 February 2025.

The consulate general representatives were met by Dr. Wang Chun Ming (Michael), Director, and Ms. Zhou Ying (Joey), Deputy Director of the Smart Hospital Development Department of Renji Hospital, as well as the doctors and nurses who were involved in the liver transplant procedure. The lead doctor who performed the operation, Renji Hospital President Dr. Xia Qiang was unfortunately on an official trip to Mongolia and was not available for the meet-and-greet.  

Consul Herrera was pleasantly surprised to discover that doctors from the Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center in Manila (CGHMC), led by Dr. Noruel Gerard Salvador and Dr. James Uy, also flew in to Shanghai to monitor the liver transplant procedure and look after the child-recipient and father-donor   The child was initially being treated at the CGHMC for his condition.

Consul Herrera expressed thanks and gratitude to the Renji Hospital and CGHMC doctors and nurses who remained vigilant in ensuring that the life-saving procedure went smoothly and the child and his father-donor were monitored closely during their recovery. As a simple gesture to wish them a quick recovery, Consul Herrera presented a bag of food items and a toy for the child to the child’s mother, Ms. Editha Delos Santos. END

Anhui Province holds New Year Reception for Shanghai-based Consulates General and International Organizations

SHANGHAI, 18 February 2025 – The Anhui Provincial Government held a Chinese New Year Reception for the Shanghai-based consulates general and foreign organizations on 18 February 2025 within the sprawling compound of the Xijiao State Guest Hotel in Shanghai. Consul Francis S. Herrera had the opportunity to meet Anhui Province Vice Governor Sun Yong during the pre-event meet and greet portion of the reception and wish Vice Governor Sun a prosperous new year and express his hope for increased economic engagement between the Philippines and Anhui Province.

The reception was an opportunity for Anhui Province to highlight its economic and socio-cultural achievements in 2024 while encouraging greater engagement with foreign partners towards the province’s development and opening-up.  Anhui Province, with a strong manufacturing base and advanced automotive industry, is also a key player in the renewable energy sector and boasts of a rapidly growing AI industry with strong government support towards AI research and development.

 The Philippine Consulate General is eager to deepen its engagements with Anhui provinces noting its great potential to complement the Philippines’ move towards green energy and high-tech manufacturing. END

Philippine Airlines ready to soar new heights with its new Shanghai office

SHANGHAI – In a bid to soar new heights and conquer more miles, Philippine Airlines opened the doors to their newly renovated Shanghai Office on 18 February 2025 at Shanghai’s posh Jing’An District.

The event was attended by PCG and PDOT personnel led by Consul John Francis S. Herrera, and joined by an intimate crowd composed of tour and chartered flight operators, PAL officers and employees, and select members of the Filipino community.

In his welcome remarks, Consul Herrera underscored the importance of tourism to heighten people to people exchanges between the Philippines and China, and shared his hope that more tourists would soon land on Philippine shores. Consul Herrera also cited some top Philippine tourist destinations and briefly introduced them to the Chinese-majority crowd.

Philippine Airlines renewed presence in Shanghai marks the beginning of a new year with an anticipated increase in the travel appetite of Chinese tourists, resembling pre-pandemic levels and the Consulate General in Shanghai stands ready to assist PAL and other airlines in capturing this very promising market. END