12 June 2014 – Philippine Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman Narciso T. Castaneda led the Philippine Embassy team in Muscat in a special flag-raising ceremony on the occasion of the 116th anniversary of the proclamation of Philippine independence. Following the flag-raising was the reading of special messages of the President, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and Secretary of Labor and Employment. The program was participated in by Embassy officers and staff, officers of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and Philippine School Oman Board of Trustees and faculty.

The inauguration of the newly-renovated consular section of the Philippine Embassy in Muscat was a major highlight of the program. The renovation project, which was undertaken at no cost to the Philippine Government, provides more modern corporate features and re-designed structures that further streamline passport processing and other consular services. Ms. Diana Ruth Tameta, a staff nurse working at Nizwa hospital, expressed appreciation for the new look of the Embassy, saying that “it looks more organized and the design is more up-to-date.”

In celebration of Philippine Independence Day, a four-page special supplement was published by the Sultanate’s leading English-language newspaper Times of Oman featuring articles on the Philippines’ growing economy and tourism industry.

Another major initiative launched to mark the occasion was the Embassy’s holding y of the first Post-Arrival Orientation Briefing (PAOB) which is designed to further educate newly-arrived and long-staying overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Oman on the host country’s culture and laws affecting the lives of OFWs. About 70 OFWs, mostly household service workers (HSWs) and representatives of recruitment agencies, attended the briefing. The Embassy announced that the PAOB will be a continuing activity. END