Embassy of the Philippines, Warsaw
Pasuguan ng Pilipinas sa Barsobya
Ambasada Filipin w Warszawie
LocationWarsaw
Addressul. Stanisława Lentza 11
Coordinates52°10′22.65″N 21°4′35.47″E / 52.1729583°N 21.0765194°E / 52.1729583; 21.0765194
AmbassadorLeah B. Ruiz
Websitehttp://warsawpe.dfa.gov.ph

The Embassy of the Philippines in Warsaw is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the Republic of Poland. It is located on ul. Stanisława Lentza 11 in the Wilanów district of south Warsaw, near the Wilanów Palace. Although the current embassy dates from 2009, the Philippines also maintained a previous resident embassy in Poland in the early 1990s.

History

The Philippines did not initially open a resident mission in Poland when diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Poland were established on September 22, 1973.[1] Diplomatic relations between the two countries were originally conducted via the Philippine Embassy in The Hague, which maintained jurisdiction over Poland until 1982, when jurisdiction was transferred to the Philippine Embassy in East Berlin.[2] In 1991, with the democratization of Poland, jurisdiction was transferred to the Philippines' newly opened resident embassy in Warsaw.[2]

Financial difficulties forced the closure of the embassy in 1993, with jurisdiction transferred to the Philippine Embassy in Budapest.[3] In 2002 columnist Amando Doronila, writing in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, questioned the wisdom of closing the embassy at a time when the Philippine foreign service was being downsized despite the subsequent rise of Polish influence in Europe since then, as well as its eventual accession to the European Union in 2004.[4] While there was no resident embassy in Poland, the Philippines conducted diplomatic relations in the country through an honorary consulate based in Warsaw.[5] A second honorary consulate was opened in Wrocław in 2005, with jurisdiction over Poland's southern voivodeships.[6]

On September 6, 2009, the Philippine Embassy in Warsaw was opened at its current location,[3][5] around the same time new resident embassies in Ireland, Finland and Portugal were also opened.[7] Alejandro del Rosario, who at the time was completing his deployment as Philippine Ambassador to Hungary, was appointed as the mission's first ambassador, ostensibly out of the need to open the post as soon as possible,[5] and the honorary consulate in Warsaw was moved to Poznań. The opening of the mission was not without controversy: in 2010, Senator Franklin Drilon questioned the need for embassies in countries with small Filipino communities, including Poland, and called for a review of the Philippines' diplomatic presence worldwide.[8] This led to the closure of ten posts in 2012, including the closure of the Philippine Embassy in Stockholm on October 31, 2012,[9] which had jurisdiction over Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.[10] Jurisdiction over the three countries was subsequently transferred to the Philippine Embassy in Warsaw the following year.[11]

In 2018, the Embassy's jurisdiction was widened to include Ukraine,[12] which had previously been under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Embassy in Moscow.[13]

Staff and activities

The Philippine Embassy in Warsaw is currently headed by Ambassador Leah B. Ruiz, who was appointed to the position by President Rodrigo Duterte on December 19, 2018.[12] Prior to becoming Ambassador, Ruiz, a career diplomat, was deployed to the Philippine Embassy in Beirut as Ambassador to Lebanon, the first Filipina to hold the position. Her appointment was confirmed by the Commission on Appointments on February 5, 2019,[14] and she presented her credentials to Polish President Andrzej Duda on July 11, 2019.[15] The Warsaw mission is one of the Philippines' smaller diplomatic missions, with a total of eight staff members.[16]

Many of the Embassy's activities are connected to strengthening the deepening economic and cultural ties between the Philippines and Poland. Among these include holding regular meetings with Polish government officials on furthering economic relations,[17][18] sponsoring showings of Philippine traditional culture in Polish museums,[19] and promoting the country as a tourist destination for Poles.[20] In addition to these activities, the Embassy regularly holds events and other activities for Filipinos in Poland, including holding free Polish language classes for Overseas Filipino Workers,[21] hosting community town halls on matters of importance,[22] and organizing Filipino cultural events like poetry readings.[23]

During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Embassy was instrumental in the evacuation and repatriation of Filipinos in the war-torn country.[24] It sent a consular team to Lviv in Western Ukraine and immediately established an emergency contact base in the city.[25]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "PH EMBASSY HOSTS CELEBRATION OF THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF PHILIPPINES-POLAND DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS" (Press release). Embassy of the Philippines, Warsaw. September 12, 2013. Archived from the original on September 25, 2013. Retrieved September 23, 2013.
  2. 1 2 Szczepanik, Krzysztof; Herman-Łukasik, Anna; Janicka, Barbara (2010). Stosunki dyplomatyczne Polski. Informator. Tom III Azja, Zakaukazie, Australia i Oceania 1918-2009 [Diplomatic relations of Poland. Directory. Volume III: Asia, Transcaucasia, Australia and Oceania, 1918-2009] (in Polish). Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Askon. ISBN 978-83-7452-042-3.
  3. 1 2 "History and Establishment of the Post". The Official Website of the Philippine Embassy in Warsaw, Poland. Department of Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on September 30, 2013. Retrieved September 23, 2013.
  4. ↑ Doronila, Amando (October 30, 2002). "Poland in EU, and ASEAN horizons". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved September 23, 2013 – via Google News.
  5. 1 2 3 Del Rosario, Alejandro (October 27, 2010). "Close some embassies". Manila Standard Today. A4–5.
  6. ↑ "Honorary consul in Poland named". Philippine Daily Inquirer. October 23, 2005. Retrieved September 23, 2013 – via Google News.
  7. ↑ Balana, Cynthia (July 15, 2009). "Philippines opens embassy in Dublin". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on September 23, 2013. Retrieved September 23, 2013.
  8. ↑ Ager, Maila (October 20, 2010). "Review sought over number of RP embassies". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on October 23, 2010. Retrieved September 23, 2013.
  9. ↑ Del Callar, Michaela (September 4, 2012). "DFA shuts down five overseas posts, with five more to close this year". GMA News and Public Affairs. Retrieved September 23, 2013.
  10. ↑ "The Philippine Embassy in Stockholm". The Official Website of the Philippine Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. Department of Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on October 6, 2012. Retrieved September 23, 2013.
  11. ↑ Ubac, Michael Lim (July 27, 2013). "9 appointed to foreign posts; turf of envoy to US widened". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  12. 1 2 Villanueva, Ralph (December 21, 2018). "Duterte appoints 4 new ambassadors". The Manila Times. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  13. ↑ Ager, Maila (December 17, 2014). "CA confirms appointment of 7 ambassadors, 2 foreign service officers". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  14. ↑ Garcia, Patrick (February 6, 2019). "CA confirms Secretaries Bautista of DSWD, Año of DILG". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Prezydent przyjął listy uwierzytelniające od ambasadorów pięciu państw" [President receives letters of credence from five countries' ambassadors] (Press release) (in Polish). Office of the President of Poland. July 11, 2019. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  16. ↑ "Embassy Directory". The Official Website of the Philippine Embassy in Warsaw, Poland. Department of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  17. ↑ "EMBASSY OFFICIALS DISCUSS BROADENING OF TRADE AND INVESTMENT RELATIONS WITH POLAND'S UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION" (Press release). Embassy of the Philippines, Warsaw. July 18, 2014. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  18. ↑ "AMBASSADOR LEAH M. BASINANG-RUIZ CALLS ON THE POLISH MFA UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE FOR ECONOMIC DIPLOMACY" (Press release). Embassy of the Philippines, Warsaw. February 14, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  19. ↑ "PHL Traditional Games on Exhibit at Poland's Museum of Asia and the Pacific" (Press release). Department of Foreign Affairs. April 12, 2018. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  20. ↑ "PHILIPPINE EMBASSY IN WARSAW PARTICIPATES IN THE WORLD TRAVEL SHOW 2016" (Press release). Embassy of the Philippines, Warsaw. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  21. ↑ "PH Embassy in Warsaw Offers Free Polish Lessons to OFWs" (Press release). Department of Foreign Affairs. September 11, 2018. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  22. ↑ "Warsaw PE conducts Seminar/Forum on ASEAN and Social Insurance Benefits in Poland" (Press release). Embassy of the Philippines, Warsaw. September 4, 2017. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  23. ↑ "PH Embassy in Warsaw Celebrates Buwan Ng Wika with Poetry Reading in Different PH Languages" (Press release). Embassy of the Philippines, Warsaw. September 2, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  24. ↑ Rocamora, Joyce Ann L. (February 26, 2022). "40 Filipinos flee Ukrainian capital: DFA". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
  25. ↑ "PH Embassy in Poland Sends Consular Team to Lviv, Ukraine". dfa.gov.ph. Retrieved 2022-02-27.
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