GOVPH

Mabini, intellect of Philippine revolution and first Foreign Minister, memorialized with bust at PCG

CG Ignacio with the Consuls General of (L-R) Singapore, Ireland, Thailand, Lao PDR, Vietnam, Indonesia and Switzerland, at the unveiling of Mabini’s bust.

SHANGHAI – In one of his final ceremonial acts, outgoing Philippine Consul General Josel F. Ignacio ceremonially unveiled a bust of Philippine national hero Apolinario Mabini at the Consulate General on 11 January.

Educator and lawyer Mabini (1864-1903) was a stalwart of the Philippine revolution against Spanish rule. Although partly physically incapacitated by polio in 1895, his intellect and patriotism made him adviser to the revolutionary movement, for which he gained recognition as the intellect and ideologue of the revolutionary movement.

Following the establishment of the First Philippine Republic, he was named to the post of first Prime Minister and Secretary of Foreign Affairs, for which he is highly esteemed within the Department of Foreign Affairs and its missions abroad. He died in 1903.

On hand for the unveiling were the officers and staff of the PCG, the Consuls General of several countries, leaders of Filipino organizations in Shanghai and Zhejiang, and representatives of various local Chinese organizations and enterprises. END

The bust of Apolinario Mabini after and before unveiling

CG Ignacio pays farewell call on Shanghai FAO

FAO extols contributions to economic and cultural bonds

SHANGHAI –  Outgoing Philippine Consul General in Shanghai Josel F. Ignacio paid a farewell call on the Foreign Affairs Office (FAO) on 05 November at the latter’s Headquarters on West Nanjing Road.

CG Ignacio, who has been named Philippine Ambassador to India, is concluding his assignment in Shanghai on 13 January 2024. He took up his post in Shanghai on 12 April 2021.

The Consul General was received by Deputy Director General Mr. Bei Zhaojian, Consular Affairs Director Ms. Yan Yanqiu, Deputy Director Mr. Chen Yongliang, and official Ms. Tan Lian. 

Consul General Ignacio was accompanied by Consul John Francis S. Herrera, Vice Consul Richard L. Recella, and Ms. Tang Mingxian.

DDG Bei conveyed sincere and ardent appreciation on behalf of the Shanghai Municipal Government for CG Ignacio’s active involvement in the city’s initiatives and events with the consular corps.

He lauded the Consul General’s assiduous efforts to buttress and boost economic, cultural and people-to-people bonds between the Philippines and China’s financial capital throughout his term.

In turn, Consul General Ignacio recapped the Consulate General’s major achievements during his term, including the expansion of the mission’s facilities and operations to support people-to-people exchanges, and PCG’s pioneering work on the revival of Tour Group Visas and the electronic visa for Chinese nationals. He thanked the Municipal Government for supporting the work of mission.

Special mention was made of the strong cooperation cultivated by PCG and FAO in 2022 in relation to PCG’s efforts to assist Filipinos, as Shanghai entered its challenging bout with COVID-19, culminating in a two-month lockdown.

CG Ignacio expressed gratitude as well for his having been featured by the Municipal Party paper, Jiěfàng Daily (解放日报) in October – the first Philippine Consul General to be so recognized -- on the FAO’s nomination.

The FAO thanked CG Ignacio for the PH Country Team’s full backing of the annual China International Import Expo (CIIE). CG Ignacio proudly reported the CIIE’s rise as the Philippines’ most fruitful overseas trade event, netting USD 1.1 billion in sales and orders in the most recent iteration.

Both sides agreed to support mutual investment by Filipino and Shanghainese firms, and to pursue more activities to enhance the 40-year-old sister city ties between Metro Manila and Shanghai, including reciprocal visits by officials.

In sending off the Consul General, DDG Bei conveyed the city’s best wishes, and expressed the hope that the CG Ignacio would be able to continue visiting Shanghai in the years to come.  END

PCG Congratulates Cebu Pacific on 2023 Gains; Reiterates Commitment to Boost Travel Numbers to PH

SHANGHAI – Travel industry optimism added to holiday cheer as Cebu Pacific reported on its 2023 accomplishments and plans for 2024 at the year-end reception of the airline’s

Shanghai Representative Office for local travel industry partners on 20 December at the Anokhi Restaurant, Xuhui District.

Hosting the gathering were Sales Manager Ms. Kelly Tao and Sales Supervisor Mr. Sam Ni.

The Cebu Pacific Team reported on the steady recovery of flight connections between the Philippines and Mainland China, and the airline’s expanding fleet of Airbus units.

The airline is optimistic about prospects in 2024, with planned further increases in frequency.

Guest of Honor Consul General Josel F. Ignacio congratulated Cebu Pacific on its overall, system-wide gains in 2023. He outlines the Philippine Country Team’s various initiatives in 2023 to support tourism into the Philippines and through it, the health not just of communities in destinations, but of the airline, hospitality and travel industry as a whole.

The Consul General cited, among others, the round-the-clock work of the Consulate General’s visa staff; the revival of the Tour Group Visas for Chinese nationals in April 2023; and the implementation of the Philippine electronic visa between August and November.

He called for a concerted effort to boost promotion and further enhance traveler experience in Philippine destinations, as attendees acknowledged remaining challenges such as the continuing preference of Chinese travelers for domestic tourism, post-pandemic.

Cebu Pacific and travel industry representatives all expressed appreciation for the Consulate General’s efforts. END