Ambassador Antonio Lagdameo, Madame Linda Lagdameo and the Philippine Embassy officers and staff pose with Senator Joel Villanueva before the start of the reception at The Langham Hotel

10 July 2017 LONDON – The Philippine Embassy in London hosted a diplomatic reception to celebrate the 119th anniversary of the Declaration of Philippine Independence at The Langham Hotel in London on June 23. The evening reception was attended by members of London's diplomatic community and representatives from the Filipino community.

A number of Philippine government officials who were in London on official missions such as Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, Senator Emmanuel Joel Villanueva, and Supreme Court Justice Noel Tijam also joined the reception.

The UK government was represented at the reception by UK parliamentarians, civil servants, and diplomats, among others. Mr. Philip Malone of Her Majesty's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) delivered a message on behalf of the UK government.

Ambassador Antonio Lagdameo mentioned the theme for this year’s independence celebration: “Pagbabagong Sama-samang Balikatin.” He said that, "while we celebrate and salute the sacrifices and struggles of our past leaders and forebears who resolutely toiled to attain self-governance and independence, we resolve to achieve the vision of our President Rodrigo Duterte to strengthen old partnerships and build new ones in order that our people will continue to enjoy their freedom and also be freed from the vestiges of poverty, crimes, and corruption."

Formal diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the UK were established on 4 July 1946. Since then, the two countries have worked tirelessly to foster more robust political, economic, cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

For more information, visit www.londonpe.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinUK and @philippinesinuk on Twitter. END

Ambassador Antonio Lagdameo addresses the guests at The Langham Hotel