Embassy of the Phl in Wellington sports new look

Thursday 30th of August 2012

MANILA, Aug 30 -- The more than a century-old Chancery of the Embassy of the Philippines located at 50 Hobson Street in Thorndon, Wellington now sports a new, brighter and more presentable look inside and outside after undergoing some major repairs, repainting and decoration for the past months.

The building, which was owned and occupied by the Philippine Embassy since October 1976, lies alongside with the French Embassy and the Mexican Embassy Residence, the Cuban Embassy and the Australian High Commission in a designated heritage zone with protective covenant under the Wellington City Council’s district plan.

Any developments in the building are governed by restrictions under heritage rules to preserve its historic character, a statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs said.

Upon her arrival in Wellington in September 2011, Ambassador Virginia H. Benavidez has given priority to the Chancery’s refurbishment after seeing that the building was long overdue for maintenance and repairs.

After several months of ensuring that the allowable resources are maximized and in-house creative and artistic talents were used, the building now beams proudly with its new cream and beige colored paint and the grounds are livened up with colorful flowers and decorative landscaping.

To enhance the Filipiniana ambience of the Embassy’s first and second floors, Ambassador Benavidez displayed her collection of paintings by various Filipino artists depicting Philippine sceneries and significant events in the history of the Philippines.

The rooms were decorated with some Philippine handcrafts and frames of beautifully embroidered inspiring biblical quotations to brighten up one’s day.

Philippine made coffee, tea and “salabat” or Philippine ginger brew are made available by the entrance to welcome Filipinos and guests and enable them to enjoy Filipino hot drinks while waiting for the processing of their documents at the reception area.

A prayer request box at the public area has been made available for the prayer requests of Filipinos and non-Filipino clients.

Regular showing of Philippine tourism videos is also being done as part of the Embassy’s cultural and tourism promotion campaign.

“We continue to make the Embassy Chancery as presentable as possible so that the Filipino community will feel proud of our rich culture and allow all our guests and clients to experience renowned Filipino hospitality and Filipino artistry and excellent and sacrificial service by the Embassy Team,” Ambassador Benavidez stated. (DFA)