Pinoys called ‘builders of Marshall Islands’

MANILA, Philippines - Top officials of the Marshall Islands and Micronesia lauded the Filipinos’ contribution to their respective countries, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

A delegation from the Office of Asian and Pacific Affairs (ASPAC) of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), led by Executive Director Bernardita L. Catalla, went on an official visit to the Republic of the Marshall Islands last March 7.

During a call of the ASPAC team on Marshall Islands President Christopher Loeak, he described Filipinos as “the builders of Marshall Islands.”

There are around 600 Filipinos in the Marshall Islands. Filipinos are credited for building the Marshall Islands’ vital infrastructure such as the airport, seaports, roads, government offices and buildings, among others.

Filipino doctors and nurses are employed in Marshall Islands’ government hospital. Filipinos can also be found in government and private offices working as accountants and production and technical staff. There are also seafarers, fisheries technicians and fishermen, Marshall Islands having the third largest open registry of sea vessels in the world.

The ASPAC team also paid a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Phillip Muller on March 07.

The team, led by Catalla, was on an official visit to the Federated States of Micronesia from March 04 to 06 and met with top-ranking government officials of Micronesia and Micronesia’s Foreign Secretary Lorin Robert on March 5. 

Robert noted that Filipinos, “are not merely spectators but players in Micronesian development.”

Filipino workers in Micronesia, numbering to about 1400, are professionals and highly-skilled, such as doctors, nurses, pharmacists, medical technologists, educators, accountants, engineers, mechanics and construction technicians, and some are highly-placed officials in government.

The DFA said the ASPAC team’s visit aimed to energize bilateral relations and explore new areas of cooperation between the Philippines and the abovementioned countries.

Among the important bilateral matters discussed during the meetings were the possibility of pursuing cooperation on fisheries and providing assistance in capacity-building on technical areas between the Philippines and the two countries.

They also discussed the prospect of establishing a bilateral mechanism that will regularize and strengthen engagement between the DFA and the foreign ministries of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands.

The ASPAC team offered the Philippines’ excellent, yet affordable, services and facilities for health and wellness services and encouraged the two governments to send their scholars/students to the Philippines for higher learning, especially in teacher education and training. 

During the official visit, Catalla also met with Micronesia’s Acting Justice Secretary Leonito Bacalando, Jr., Social Security Deputy Administrator Dernista Capelle and MiCare Administrator Nena Nena, and the Marshall Islands’ Bilateral Affairs Director Anjanette Katill. The topics discussed in these meetings were  labor and immigration matters, social security concerns of Filipinos and the improvement of the medical referral system.

The visit to Micronesia and the Marshall Islands completed ASPAC’s initial mission to invigorate the Philippines’ bilateral relations with its Pacific neighbors. Earlier, ASPAC Assistant Secretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro led an official visit to Palau from Feb. 27 to March 1.

Since the closure of the Philippine Embassy in Koror, Palau on 31 July 2012, the DFA, through ASPAC, has taken over direct management of the Philippines’ bilateral relations with Palau, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands.