UK, PH celebrate Queen’s birthday and friendship

MANILA, Philippines – It was a night of celebration and commemoration.

The diplomatic corps, government officials, and friends of the British embassy in Manila gathered on April 24 at the British School Manila (BSM) to celebrate the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II and to commemorate the long standing friendship between the Philippines and the United Kingdom.

In his speech at the event, British ambassador to the Philippines Asif Ahmad highlighted the robust relations between the two countries, particularly in the business sector with British commercial investment in the Philippines being the largest from the European Union.

Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Linglingay Lacanlale added that investments quadrupled from 2011 to 2012, and that despite the challenges encountered by the Philippines last year, the UK and the Philippines ended 2013 with $860 million in bilateral trade.

Tourism figures are also on a roll with the resumption of direct commercial flights to London.(READ: PAL flies to London)

But the relationship between the two countries is not confined to business alone. Increased people-to-people exchanges are manifested by several projects of the embassy and the Philippine government.

Among them is the Chevening Scholarships that give study grants to Filipinos who want to further their education and the recently concluded Great British campaign in Manila (READ: British Fashion Month kicks off in Manila)

But the most important indicator of the good relationship between Filipinos and the British is the way the British government responded in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

The UK was one of the first countries to make its way to the hard-hit areas to provide assistance and is the largest single foreign aid contributor to the victims.

Commodore Clive Walker who commanded the ships of the British Royal Navy that went to the Philippines for assistance also graced the event, sharing how their operations in the Visayas became one of his unforgettable moments in his career.

(READ: UK envoy: ‘All we need is PH govt’s go-signal’)

“The British public as private donors and as taxpayers have contributed over P13 billion so far. I expect this amount to rise further as the focus shifts to the Philippine government’s plan for reconstruction and rehabilitation,” Ahmad said. “I believe our people felt an immediate connection to the victims. On their TV screens, Britons saw and heard people asking for help, often spoken in English.”

In the international arena, Ahmad says, the Philippines and the UK have a common view on most of the big issues of the day.

“We have a shared desire for a peaceful and secure world. That is as important in our own backyard in Europe as it is here in the Asia Pacific. We believe in a rules-based world covering critical issues of security, commerce and transportation. And as we have shared values, we must be ready to speak out when these are threatened – not on a tactical basis – but based on principles,” Ahmad said.

In the end, the ambassador promised that his country will remain a good friend of the Philippines – “in fair weather and in turbulent times.” – Rappler.com