Rokiah Mahmud
Philippine Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte in her capacity as the President of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO) Council and Secretary of Education of the Philippines celebrated the Philippines’ 125th anniversary of the proclamation of the Philippines independence and nationhood with the Filipino community in a reception at Royal Berkshire Hall of the Royal Brunei Polo and Riding Club last evening.
The ceremony began with the singing of Brunei’s and the Philippine’s national anthems followed by remarks from Ambassador of the Philippines to Brunei Darussalam Marian Jocelyn R Tirol-Ignacio.
Tirol-Ignicio shared that there are more than 23,000 Filipinos in the Sultanate, before a video from the Office of Vice President (OVP) was shown on activities, programmes and initiatives that have been carried out.
Being her first visit to the Sultanate after being appointed as the SEAMEO Council president, the vice president called on the Filipino community to preserve their language, Tagalog. The ceremony also featured a cake-cutting ceremony and a book launch.
