Allow me to begin with some words from the late statesperson and former Foreign Affairs Secretary Carlos P. Romulo. And I quote: “The reinvigoration of the national spirit must take place in the grassroots, in every city, town, and barrio in the Philippines, and it must start among our own people.” For verily, he said, “to be a worthy citizen of the world, one must first prove himself to be a good Filipino.”

Yet here we are, huddled together on a warm day in a foreign city, celebrating service and goodwill to our kababayan in a country thousands of kilometers away from the Philippines. Therefore, the questions presented to us this morning are: First, have we proven to be good Filipinos? Second, can we be considered worthy citizens of the world?

Let that sink in for a bit.

Friends, I welcome the invitation extended to the Philippine Embassy to take part in the charter and induction ceremony of the Qatar Black Gold Sapatilha Eagles Club. This is a good opportunity for me to personally see members of the Filipino community who have vowed to undertake socio-civic activities for the benefit and empowerment of our fellow Filipinos here in Qatar.

The Philippine Government, through the Philippine Embassy in Doha, is always grateful to forge partnerships with service-oriented organizations. This is, of course, for the purpose of realizing our collective ambitions as a people and as a nation both in the immediate future and over the long term. After all, it is my view that the strength of our nation lies not in the government alone, but more importantly, in an engaged and participative citizenry.

I have only been in Qatar as an Ambassador for three months or so. But during this short period, I am pleased to note that I have seen how heavily involved Filipino expatriates are in community affairs. As a result, we have a vibrant and dynamic Filipino community that we can all be truly proud of.

In the end, we may be away from our home country, but the goal of nation-building remains. The reinvigoration of the national spirit, as noted by the former Foreign Affairs Secretary Romulo, must now transcend domestic borders and manifest itself in cities, towns, and communities abroad where the new generation of global Filipinos, like yourselves, now find themselves in. The goal is to have a community of good Filipinos who are also worthy citizens of the world.

Along this line, I can assure you that the Department of Foreign Affairs remains hard at work in pursuing our foreign policy agenda while staying committed to the welfare of every overseas Filipino. The Philippine Embassy here in Doha stands ready as per usual to provide its assistance to our kababayan whenever possible.

Before I conclude, I wish to once again extend my thanks and congratulations to the officers and members of the Qatar Black Gold Sapatilha Eagles Club on your charter and induction ceremony. May you enjoy continued success in the years to come.

Maraming salamat po at mabuhay!