PRESS RELEASE
PR-026-2023
(14 February 2023, Singapore) H.E. Medardo G. Macaraig, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of the Philippines to the Republic of Singapore, presented his Letter of Credence to Singaporean President Halimah Yacob in a ceremony held at the Istana (Presidential Palace) this morning.
He also presented the Letter of Recall of his predecessor, former Ambassador Joseph del Mar Yap.
Ambassador Macaraig was accompanied by Deputy Head of Mission and Consul General Emmanuel R. Fernandez in the ceremony.
The ceremony started with the customary inspection of the Presidential Guard-of-Honor and salute at the grounds of the Istana. After the presentation of the Letter of Credence and the Letter of Recall, Ambassador Macaraig paid a courtesy call on President Halimah.
During the courtesy call, Ambassador Macaraig expressed appreciation to President Halimah for the warm welcome and conveyed the best wishes of Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for her well-being and for the continued prosperity of Singapore. Both the President and the Ambassador recalled the State Visit of President Marcos Jr. to Singapore in September 2022, which reaffirmed the strength and vitality of the bilateral relationship between Philippines and Singapore, which spans 54 years.
Ambassador Macaraig also conveyed that he looks forward to working with the Government of Singapore to jointly address both countries’ shared interests and challenges and to contribute to the continued flourishing of Philippines-Singapore partnership, as well as the promotion of the interests of the 200,000-strong Filipino community that regards Singapore as its second home.
President Halimah expressed that Philippines-Singapore partnership remains vibrant and was even made stronger during the pandemic. She noted with appreciation the professionalism and hard work of Filipino workers in Singapore, especially the healthcare workers. She also mentioned the other possible areas of cooperation that the Philippines and Singapore could further explore, such as on healthcare, digital economy and trade relations.
Prior to his assumption as the Philippines’ top diplomat to Singapore, Ambassador Macaraig served as the Assistant Secretary of the Office of Asset Management and Support Services at the Department of Foreign Affairs. His previous foreign postings include assignments in Ottawa, Canada; Saipan, CNMI; and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. For a brief profile of Ambassador Macaraig, please visit: https://www.philippine-embassy.org.sg/ambassador/ (END).
