18 December 2017—Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia Charles C. Jose visited the Federal Territory of Labuan on December 12 to pay a courtesy call on Labuan Corporation Chairman Datuk Rozman Bin Isli and to meet with the leaders of the Filipino community in the area.

In his courtesy call, Ambassador Jose conveyed the need to foster a more active cooperation between the Philippines and Malaysia, particularly in trade and investment, as well as in the ambit of Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).  He also thanked Datuk Rozman for the support and assistance given to the Embassy in its consular and assistance to nationals (ATN) activities in the island.

For his part, Datuk Rozman he was honored to receive the Ambassador, mentioning of developments in the island, particularly the construction of the bridge that will connect Labuan to Sabah.  He also mentioned that Labuan is diversifying its revenue sources to also include tourism, financial services, logistics and methanol production, and hopes for increased cooperation in trade and investment between the Philippines and Labuan.

Around 15 Filipino leaders and community members were present at the dinner-meeting held at the Marwilla Yacht Club Restaurant.  

In his remarks, Ambassador Jose thanked the attendees for their constant and usual support to the Embassy, particularly in ATN cases.  

The Filipino community members expressed their appreciation for the visit, considering it “an honor” to be visited by an incumbent Ambassador this early into his tour of duty.  They also expressed their support on the Embassy’s activities and initiatives.  END