The Juans in Porto had a chance to meet and greet the Filipino ambassador in Portugal, Paul Raymund P. Cortes, last May 11, 2024. The event took place at Café Ceuta, a popular restaurant located at the heart of Porto. It was coordinated and organized by the officers of the Filipino community in Porto, in collaboration with the Philippine embassy in Portugal.
It was one of the stops made by the team from the Philippine Embassy in Portugal during their visit, which included courtesy visits with the city Mayor, Rui Moreira, and at the University of Porto.
The event kicked off with the introduction of the Filipino ambassador, Paul Cortes, and his team. In his speech, he thanked the growing Filipino community in Porto for their very welcoming spirit, which is embedded in our values and is comparable to Portuguese values and culture. He commended the organizers of a few events held in Porto, like the Christmas party in December, meet-ups, and the spring picnic in April 28, initiated by the officers to bring together the Filipino community in Porto. He also shared a few plans to collaborate with the Portuguese government in Porto and Lisbon that will benefit the Filipino community in Portugal in the next few years. He talked about the services the embassy can offer to the Filipino community and assured that they will come back to Porto to conduct an outreach program to cater to the needs of the Juans in Porto, such as passport renewal, etc.
It turned out to be even more interesting after enjoying food and lots of drinks. Every Juan felt the Filipino camaraderie as the after went on. Sharing their experiences with one another, laughing at someone’s silly jokes, and hugging or tapping each other after a comfortable conversation or realization that they can connect with each other, the Juans of Porto were able to convey and relay their thoughts. Overall, it was a good initiative by the Philippine Embassy in Portugal to reach out to the Filipino community in Porto and make them feel seen, that they are part of a larger community in Portugal.
And again, to the Philippine Embassy team in Portugal, on behalf of this amazing group of Juans in Porto, I, Juan (the ambassador called me João), would like to personally thank you for coming over. We were mean it when we said that you can count on us if you need any help on our end. Mabuhay po kayo.
Here are some of the photographs captured during the event, courtesy of Lesty Ng Palanyag, one of our official photographers for all Porto events.
