GOVPH

DOHA 12 December 2023 – The ASEAN Committee in Doha (ACD) celebrated the first ASEAN Community Sports Day at the University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST) the whole day of Friday, 01 December 2023, with the theme, "United in Harmony."

Led by Indonesia and the Philippines, the aim of the event was to promote camaraderie among ASEAN communities residing in Qatar, as well as encourage a healthy and active lifestyle.


In her opening message, Philippine Ambassador to the State of Qatar and the current Chair of the ACD Her Excellency Lillibeth V. Pono extolled the value of sports as a unifying force — a way of bringing together members of the ASEAN community in Qatar. She also noted that the event was a display of camaraderie and sportsmanship, and a reflection of the collective aspirations of all the Member States of ASEAN.

The seven ASEAN communities in Doha competed in football, basketball, volleyball, badminton, table tennis, and tug-of-war. Different food stalls offering Southeast Asian food complemented the friendly matches.

Qatari dignitaries led by Dr. Saleh Al Naemi, President of the UDST, accompanied by Director Dr. Michael Phillips, graced the event. They were joined by Director Mariam Al Hammadi and Ms. Mariam Al Ali from the Ministry of Culture.


The Philippine Embassy in Doha appreciates the support of the UDST, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Culture for making the event a success.

For more information, visit dohape.dfa.gov.ph, facebook.com/PHinQatar, or instagram.com/phinqatar.

DOHA 10 December 2023 – In observance of the 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women, the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines in the State of Qatar co-organized a seminar on understanding VAW and the various mechanisms to address it on 09 December 2023 at the Katara Cultural Village in Doha. 

Entitled “United to End Violence Against Women: A VAW Awareness Seminar and Empowerment Self-Defense Session,” the event was held in partnership with the Katara Cultural Village Foundation, Global Public Diplomacy Network (GPDnet), and AMAN Center (Protection and Rehabilitation Center) under the Ministry of Social Family Affairs and Development.

The event saw the participation of representatives from partner institutions in Qatar and the expatriate Filipino community.

In her opening remarks, Philippine Ambassador to the State of Qatar H.E. Lillibeth V. Pono said that “while progress has been made on various fronts to address the pervasiveness of VAW, a lot still needs to be done.” 

She added that “governments, institutions, as well as private individuals would need to work together more closely to reduce incidents of VAW, or even eradicate such incidents entirely.”

The seminar featured discussions by Ms. Cathy Torres, previously of UN Women, on VAW and its various manifestations, as well as by Ms. Sunny Graff, a feminist martial arts practitioner and trainer, on empowerment self-defense and confidence-building as a key strategy for the prevention of VAW.

Representatives from the Migrant Workers Office-Qatar, the Embassy’s Assistance to Nationals Section, and AMAN Center also provided  information on existing mechanisms and relevant programs designed to address VAW.

An initiative originally institutionalized in 2006, the 18-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women integrates the efforts of all Philippine government agencies, including Philippine embassies all over the world, to actively support and participate in the protection of human rights of women against violence and all other forms of discrimination.

For more information, visit dohape.dfa.gov.ph, facebook.com/PHinQatar, or instagram.com/phinqatar.

05 December 2023 — Philippine Ambassador to the State of Qatar H.E. Lillibeth V. Pono met with H.E. Nayef bin Abdullah Al-Siddiqi Al-Emadi, Director of the Department of Arab Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, on 03 December 2023.

The two officials exchanged views on issues of mutual concern, including the latest developments in the region.

For more information, visit dohape.dfa.gov.ph, facebook.com/PHinQatar, or instagram.com/phinqatar.