Embassy of the Philippines, Baghdad

The Embassy of the Philippines in Baghdad is the diplomatic mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the Republic of Iraq. Opened in 1980, it is located in the Al-Jadriya neighborhood of the Karrada district in eastern Baghdad, near the main campus of the University of Baghdad.

Embassy of the Philippines, Baghdad
Pasuguan ng Pilipinas sa Baghdad
سفارة الفلبين في بغداد
LocationBaghdad
AddressHouse No. 4, Zukak No. 22, Mahalat 915, Al-Jadriya, Karrada District
Coordinates33°17′8.5″N 44°23′3.3″E
Chargé d'affairesChristopher P. Castillo
Websitehttps://baghdadpe.dfa.gov.ph/

History

The Philippine Embassy in Baghdad was opened on September 19, 1980, five years after the Philippines and Iraq established diplomatic relations on January 12, 1975.[1]

Operations of the Embassy were affected by the Iraq War. On February 9, 2003, National Security Adviser Roilo Golez disclosed to the press that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ordered the Embassy's closure owing to the impending war, which Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye promptly denied the next day.[2] However, by the following March the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) had announced that it was ready to close the Embassy at any time the United States were to invade the country.[3] Although most staff had already been evacuated to Amman, the capital of neighboring Jordan, officials later mentioned that the Embassy would initially remain open with a skeletal staff complement even after U.S. troops arriving in Iraq.[4] The worsening security situation in Iraq at the time would eventually lead to its full relocation to Amman by June 30, 2005, with Iraqi employees continuing to provide services to Filipinos in Iraq from the main chancery in Baghdad.[5] Filipino diplomats, on the other hand, would be based out of an Embassy satellite office in Amman,[6] with the DFA making monthly assessments based on U.S. intelligence reports to determine when it would be safe to fully reopen.[7]

The DFA began considering fully reopening the Embassy in 2008 owing to improving conditions in Iraq at the time,[7] a position reaffirmed by Vice President Noli de Castro early the following year.[8] Concrete measures to reopen the mission, however, were not made until the administration of Benigno Aquino III, when Iraq requested the Embassy's reopening in September 2011,[9] and the DFA dispatched a delegation to Baghdad to discuss this, among other issues of concern, with Iraqi officials.[10] The Embassy fully relocated back to Baghdad in November 2011,[1] capped with a visit by Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario to Iraq in January 2012.[11]

Staff and activities

The Philippine Embassy in Baghdad is provisionally headed by a chargé d'affaires, pending the appointment of a new ambassador by the Philippine government. The current chargé d'affaires is Christopher P. Castillo, while the last resident ambassador was Generoso D.G. Calonge, who was appointed to the position by President Rodrigo Duterte on February 16, 2021.[12] Prior to becoming Ambassador, Calonge, a career diplomat, served as Assistant Secretary for Maritime and Ocean Affairs,[13] and before that served as Consul General at the Philippine Consulate General in Chicago, where he was regarded as a popular diplomat known for his productivity and work ethic.[14] His appointment was confirmed by the Commission on Appointments on March 24, 2021,[15] and he presented his credentials to President Barham Salih on June 1, 2021.[16]

Many of the Embassy's activities center around ensuring and safeguarding the welfare of the thousands of Filipinos in Iraq. It has reminded Filipinos to be vigilant owing to the country's volatile security situation,[17] and it has conducted repatriations back to the Philippines when the security situation warrants it.[18] Because many Filipinos in Iraq are undocumented,[19] the Embassy has also begun issuing IDs to Filipinos in Iraq to more accurately determine how many there are in the country.[20] Beyond these functions, the Embassy has also engaged in other activities, such as gathering letters from overseas Filipinos and even some Iraqis in support of Philippine troops fighting in the siege of Marawi.[21]

On December 10, 2021, six Filipino diplomats who were serving at the Embassy in 2015 revealed that they had consented to a suicide pact. Led by Elmer G. Cato, at the time serving as the mission's chargé d'affaires en pied, the diplomats promised to defend the Embassy or die together rather than be taken hostage by Islamic State (IS) insurgents despite the worsening situation in Iraq at the height of the country's war against IS.[22]

See also

References
  1. Lee-Brago, Pia (June 2, 2012). "Pinoys ready to be hired for massive Iraqi reconstruction effort". The Philippine Star. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  2. "EDITORYAL – Maling pahayag nakabubulag" [EDITORIAL – Wrong statements can be blinding]. Pilipino Star Ngayon (in Filipino). PhilStar Daily, Inc. February 12, 2003. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  3. Calica, Aurea (March 10, 2003). "RP ready to close Baghdad embassy". The Philippine Star. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  4. Clapano, Jose Rodel (March 11, 2003). "US won't extend Saddam's March 17 deadline". The Philippine Star. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  5. Lee-Brago, Pia (June 30, 2005). "RP embassy in Baghdad relocates to Amman". The Philippine Star. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  6. "Directory of Philippine Embassies worldwide". The Philippine Star. April 1, 2011. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  7. "DFA exec: RP may re-open embassy in Baghdad". GMA News and Public Affairs. July 15, 2008. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  8. "Deployment ban sa Iraq posibleng alisin, ayon kay Noli" [Deployment ban to Iraq may be lifted, according to Noli] (in Filipino). GMA News and Public Affairs. January 27, 2009. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  9. Carvajal, Nancy (September 24, 2011). "Iraq asks Philippines to reopen embassy". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  10. Lee-Brago, Pia (September 20, 2011). "DFA mulls reopening of Phl embassy in Baghdad". The Philippine Star. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  11. "Secretary of Foreign Affairs del Rosario to visit Iraq on Sunday" (Press release). Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines. January 27, 2012. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  12. ACTION: CONFIRMED – Appointment From July 27, 2020 To June 3, 2021 (PDF) (Report). Commission on Appointments. p. 3. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  13. Mangosing, Frances (June 14, 2019). "Ramming an anchored boat 'not normal maritime accident' – PH Navy chief". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  14. "Chicago PH Consul General Calonge recalled to Manila". Philippine Daily Inquirer. February 20, 2017. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  15. Ramos, Christia Marie (March 24, 2021). "5 PH ambassadors, 51 DFA officers get CA approval". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  16. "Today, 01 June 2021, His Excellency President Barham Salih receives the letter of credence of His Excellency Generoso D. G. Calonge, the Philippine Ambassador to Iraq" (Press release). Embassy of the Philippines, Baghdad. June 1, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  17. Ramos, Christia Marie (January 8, 2020). "PH orders mandatory repatriation of Filipinos in Iraq". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  18. "PH Embassy reminds Filipinos in Iraq to be vigilant". Philippine Daily Inquirer. July 5, 2016. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  19. Pazzibugan, Dona Z. (January 6, 2020). "1,000 Pinoys in Iraq undocumented". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  20. "PH Embassy in Iraq launches ID program for Pinoys". Philippine Daily Inquirer. April 20, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  21. "Kurdish Peshmerga express support for PH troops in Marawi". Philippine Daily Inquirer. July 12, 2017. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
  22. Pascual Jr., Federico D. (December 30, 2021). "Philippines envoys' suicide pact in Iraq bared". The Philippine Star. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
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