Ambassador Hjayceelyn M. Quintana has urged Filipinos across the UAE to “affirm the value of mutual respect of mutual respect that the country’s founding father Sheikh Zayed, has promoted vigorously.”
“Let us together demonstrate our gratitude for the hospitality that the UAE has extended to all of us by helping one another and by supporting members of our community whatever nationality they may be,” said the ambassador in her New Year’s message to the community, a copy of which was obtained by The Filipino Times.
“We thank the leadership of the UAE for fostering a multi-cultural environment where skills and talents of all peoples of all nationalities are harnessed and their rights protected. May both the UAE and the Philippines enjoy great progress in the coming year!” Quintana said.
Quintana said 2019 “will be a truly meaningful year for all UAE residents, including Filipinos” even as she list down historic events happening in the coming months.
“The year will see the historic visit by Pope Francis who will take part in an interfaith meeting that will bring together leaders of Christianity and Islam. Filipinos in the UAE and GCC are truly grateful for this visit and are expected to have a meaningful participation to this interfaith initiative of the UAE,” she said.
She noted other events including the Philippine national football team Azkals seeing action at the AFC Asian Cup, the Special Olympics World Games, and the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2019 in January where a bright young team from Muntinlupa National High School has also been selected as finalist to the Global High Schools Category for the Zayed Sustainability Prize.
“Let us cheer for our teams and for the UAE for these exemplary endeavors advocating fellowship, camaraderie, inclusion and positive social change,” Quintana said, also taking note the elections in the Philippines where registered overseas Filipinos can select 12 candidates for the Senate and a party-list representative on May 13; and Expo 2020 preparations where the Philippine missions in UAE are also expected to accelerate participations.
“Apart from these, we will continue to raise the flag of the Philippines through political and economic cooperation with our host country, and will strive to harness Filipino residents in UAE in cultural diplomacy and to encourage them to access vast investment opportunities in the Philippines,” Quintana said.
