Consulate General of the Philippines Frankfurt

CONSUL GENERAL GARCIA OFFICIALLY OPENS VIRTUAL SENTRO RIZAL DIGITAL EXHIBIT AS SHE ENDS TOUR OF DUTY IN FRANKFURT

30 October 2021- The Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt, led by Consul General Evelyn D. Austria-Garcia, officially launched today the Virtual Sentro Rizal (VSR) permanent digital exhibition as the Consul General ends her tour of duty in Frankfurt. The VSR, which is established in cooperation with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), is a digital multilingual collection composed of over 200 text, video and photo contents related to Jose Rizal and other Filipino heroes, Philippine resources on arts and culture, values, literature, history, geography, environment, tourism and architecture, among others.

The VSR permanent digital exhibition aims to complement the Consulate’s cultural diplomacy initiatives, adapt and cope with the demands of the digital age and tech-savvy audience. The establishment of the immersive and interactive VSR exhibit incorporates technology, augments participants’ learning experience and creates another avenue to engage with the Consulate’s constituents.

During the event, the Consul General emphasized the importance of utilizing modern tools to advance the country’s interests abroad. She stressed that digital transformations, such as the establishment of the VSR, can be used to enhance the services provided by Foreign Service Establishments. She hopes that the VSR digital exhibition will be among her legacies at the Consulate and expressed optimism that the introduction of such modern technology could heighten interest on the Philippines’ national hero, and other aspects of the country’s culture.

In addition to the VSR permanent exhibition in Consulate’s consular area, other VSR exhibitions have been established this year, including those at the Philippine Honorary Consulates in Munich and Stuttgart and Ruhr University in Bochum, which is home to an existing Philippine Studies program. END

RESEARCH PROJECT SUPPORTED BY THE PHILIPPINE CONSULATE GENERAL IN FRANKFURT YIELDS NEW KNOWLEDGE ON 19th CENTURY PHILIPPINE CULTURAL OBJECTS IN GERMAN MUSEUMS

21 October 2021- The Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt, in cooperation with the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), held today the virtual launch of the publication of the final report of the one-year research project by Professor Stephanie Marie Coo via Facebook livestreaming in the FB pages of the Consulate and FSI. The published article entitled “Journey of Culture Through Objects: The Philippine Collection at the Linden Museum in Stuttgart” presented part of the research findings on the evidences of 19th century Philippine material culture found in German ethnographic museums. The project received funding support from the Office of then Senator and now Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda.

During the event, Professor Coo, who is a Marie Curie Post-doctoral Fellow at the University of Granada, Spain and Universidad de Lisboa, Portugal, emphasized that the first phase of the research project yielded significant research data which had never been previously published. She noted that insights gained from her person-to-person interactions with curators, researchers and academics have been invaluable and critical in providing context to the Philippine collections found in German institutions. She expressed hope that the second phase of the research project will yield further significant research data that will result in the publication of a full-fledged book on the subject.

Consul General Evelyn D. Austria-Garcia congratulated Professor Coo on the completion of this significant research material which documented Philippine realia in German institutions and contributed in enriching knowledge and information on the subject. “In bringing together museum experts, professors, researchers, diplomats and through the exchange of new ideas and fresh perspectives, this project has opened up meaningful opportunities of utilizing Philippine collections in German repositories, other than enriching cultural knowledge,“ the Consul General said. She expressed appreciation to Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda, who was instrumental in providing financial support for the pioneering research project. The Honorable Deputy Speaker Legarda and FSI Director Jose Maria Carino extended congratulatory messages as well. END

PHILIPPINES UNVEILS STAND AT THE 2021 FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR WITH HIGH HOPES TO BAG THE GUEST OF HONOR COUNTRY IN 2025

20 October 2021- The Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt, in cooperation with the National Book Development Board (NBDB) and the Office of Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda, today unveiled the Philippine stand at the 73rd edition of the Frankfurt Book Fair which is being held from 20 to 24 October 2021 at Messe Frankfurt. Dubbed as “Books Philippines: An Archipelago of Stories,” this year’s stand highlighted the country’s rich oral and print literary heritage which has survived more than three centuries of colonization.

Consul General Evelyn D. Austria-Garcia expressed the Consulate’s unwavering commitment to partner with the NBDB and the Office of the Deputy Speaker in attaining the Guest of Honor (GOH) status for the Philippines in 2025 and in promoting Philippine book publishing at the annual international book trade. Though this year’s three-member Philippine delegation is miniscule compared with the 2019 FBF which saw the biggest ever Philippine delegation, the Consul General stated that “the Philippine participation provides a good opportunity to showcase Filipino publishing/cultural luminaries in the world stage while proving the country’s relentless pursuit of GOH status in FBF.”

NBDB Director Anthony Balisi and Vice Consul Mueller are set to meet with Dr. Juergen Boos, President and Chief Executive Officer of FBF, to continue discussions on the Philippines’s bid to become GOH country in the 2025 edition of the FBF. The Philippine delegation will be joined virtually by Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda and NBDB Executive Director Charisse Aquino-Tugade to assure the FBF organizers of the country’s readiness to take on the responsibility of being the GOH country.

For six consecutive years now, the country brought to the 2021 FBF its top publishers, that included 19th Avenida, Adarna House, Anvil Publishing, Ateneo de Manila University Press, Milfores Publishing, University of the Philippines Press, University of Santo Tomas Publishing House, and Komiket, among others.

This year, the NBDB has staged exciting digital programs to put the spotlight on the best Filipino creatives whose works will be showcased in the Fair. The virtual offerings range from virtual exhibitions, special presentations, to strong voices on climate stories, epic sagas, colorful messages of inclusivity and modern twists to Philippine folklore. The Philippine participation will also feature the first drop of an NFT Graphic Story from the country. END

PCG FRANKFURT BRINGS CONSULAR SERVICES TO ULM, BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG

The Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt held its fourth consular outreach mission for the year with an outreach activity at Hotel Ulmer Stuben in Ulm last 16 October. The City of Ulm lies in the border of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria.

Consul General Evelyn Austria-Garcia led the outreach team in providing passport, authentication, civil registry and other consular services. Assistant Labor Attaché Delia Palomar from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Berlin participated in the event to provide information and extend the services of POLO and OWWA.

Applicants coming from different cities in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria traveled to Ulm to take advantage of the outreach mission and avail themselves of consular services. A total of 124 consular services were rendered. Based on the latest data from the German Federal Statistics Office, the states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria host almost 10,000 Filipinos combined.

The Consulate General will hold its last outreach event for the year in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia on November 13 as it seeks to bring consular services closer to the members of the Filipino-German community. (END)

“PINOYFEST IN ULM” BRINGS FESTIVE WEEKEND, DELIGHTS GERMAN PALATES WITH NEW FILIPINO FUSION FOODTRUCK

18 October 2021- The Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt in coordination with the Philippine Honorary Consulate in Stuttgart, brought a festive weekend to the Filipino-German community in Baden-Wuerttemberg as it conducted a cultural event entitled, PinoyFest in Ulm on 16 October 2021 at the Hotel Ulmer Stuben, Ulm. The event, which coincided with the Consulate’s consular outreach mission in the city, showcased Filipino food, art, music, travel and featured Filipino fusion Pacifico Foodtruck, the cubism-inspired artwork of Cebu-based artists Vidal Alcoseba and Darby Vincent Alcoseba.

During the activity, Consul General Evelyn D. Austria-Garcia bid farewell to the attendees and highlighted Post’s accomplishments since its re-opening in 2018. She sought the support of the Filipino-German community in Baden-Wuerttemberg in advocating Philippine interests and encouraged them to patronize Filipino-owned food businesses, such as the Pacifico Foodtruck in order to help promote Filipino cuisine in Southern Germany. The foodtruck, which served Filipino dishes such as adobo, beef caldereta, sisig, pancit, and lumpia to Filipinos and Germans alike, proved to be a big hit and served as an indication of the locals’ willingness to try such delicacies.

In addition to the art exhibition, a tourism fair was also conducted with the support of the DOT-Office in Frankfurt and Filipino-owned Jes Travels travel agency which promoted Philippine destinations, and provided information on the country’s preparations for tourism recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Consulate also took the opportunity to invite the guests to view OPCD’s special episode of Fiesta Filipinas: Masskara Festival of Bacolod City. Fiesta Filipinas kits and other tourism items were also raffled off to the attendees. Moreover, attendees were entertained with Filipino folk songs during the event. END

May be an image of one or more people, people standing, footwear, outdoors and text that says 'Bohol = Bohol OCTOBER 2021 PINOYFEST IN ULM Ulm 1'

Consul General Garcia Highlights Stronger Philippine Presence in Southern Germany as She Ends Tour of Duty

22 September 2021- Consul General Evelyn D. Austria-Garcia, who will end her tour of duty next month, hosted several receptions where she highlighted stronger Philippine presence in Southern Germany since she led the re-opening of the Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt  in September 2018.

Among the several farewell receptions she hosted were for the Women and ASEAN Consuls General and Heads of Southeast Asian Consulates in Frankfurt last 15 and 21 September 2021, respectively.

Consul General -Garcia expressed appreciation to the women Consuls General of France, Ireland, Greece, Mexico, Morocco, Georgia, and Sri Lanka, who provided support to several of Consulate’s projects and activities, including cultural and gender and development events. She also took the opportunity to introduce them to officers of the International Women’s Club Frankfurt, who were also present during the event, for possible collaboration in the future.

During the reception with the ASEAN Consuls General, the Consul General urged them to establish prominent presence in Southern Germany through joint activities to promote the region’s economic and cultural interests. The Consuls General of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam as well as the Honorary Consul of Cambodia expressed their support to the proposal and pledged to intensify cooperation in the coming year.

Farewell dinners were also organized in Stuttgart (13 August), Bonn (27 August), Munich (10 September), and Frankfurt (19 September) for selected members of the Filipino community. During these events, she  apprised those in attendance of the Consulate’s accomplishments since its re-opening in 2018 and thanked them for their vital collaboration. The events in Stuttgart, Bonn and Munich coincided with Post’s consular outreach missions in the area, while the event in Frankfurt was held following the regular Sunday Mass at the St. Ignatius Church and  in coordination with the Filipino Catholic Community of Bistum Limburg. END

Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt Brings Consular Services, Promotes Philippine Arts in Bavaria

13 September 2021- The Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt held its third consular outreach mission this year in Munich, Bavaria on 11 September 2021. The 9-member consular team, led by Vice Consul Mueller, rendered 173 consular services including passport renewal, legalization of documents and civil registry. Moreover, 58 registered as overseas voters and 26 were provided one-on-one consultations by Assistant Labor Attaché Delia Palomar from the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Berlin, who also participated in the event to provide information and extend the services of POLO and OWWA. The occasion provided an opportunity as well for Consul General Evelyn D. Austria-Garcia to bid farewell to the Filipino community in the State of Bavaria.

To coincide with the consular mission, the Consulate also conducted an art exhibition featuring the cubism-inspired artwork of Cebu-based artists and relatives Vidal Alcoseba and Darby Vincent Alcoseba, who won the 2013 Metrobank Foundation Art Grand Prize.  The mini-exhibition, which was held in coordination with FamilyOffice Inc., a Filipino-German art, philanthropic and capital venture firm, was warmly welcomed by the Filipino-German attendees.

There are approximately 5,100 Filipinos living in Bavaria, primarily composed of healthcare and I.T. professionals, students and spouses of German nationals. END