Embassy News
- Tuesday, 16 June 2020 THE PHILIPPINE EMBASSY IN SWITZERLAND COMMEMORATES THE 122ND ANNIVERSARY OF THE PROCLAMATION OF PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE WITH A FLAG CEREMONY
- Friday, 12 June 2020 Message of Ambassador Denis Yap Lepatan For the Filipino Community in Switzerland and Liechtenstein On the Occasion of the 122nd Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence
- Friday, 27 December 2019 THE PHILIPPINE EMBASSY IN SWITZERLAND JOINS THE NATION IN THE 500-DAY COUNTDOWN TO THE 2021 QUINCENTENNIAL COMMEMORATION
- Monday, 23 December 2019 ANNOUNCEMENT DECEMBER 2019 AND JANUARY 2020 HOLIDAYS
Announcements
- Monday, 18 January 2021 ANNOUNCEMENT NO. 02- 2021- CALL FOR NOMINATIONS 2020 PRESIDENTIAL AWARDS FOR FILIPINO INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATION OVERSEAS – NEW DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF NOMINATIONS
- Tuesday, 15 December 2020 ANNOUNCEMENT 19-2020- INTERMITTENT CONNECTIONS AND ACCESS TO THE PHILIPPINE EMBASSY WEBSITE AND FACEBOOK PAGE
- Wednesday, 09 December 2020 ANNOUNCEMENT-18-2020- INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (DOJ)´S HUMAN RIGHTS SUMMIT WITH THE THEME “PEACE IS THE WORK OF JUSTICE” 7, 9 AND 10 DECEMBER 2020
- Friday, 30 October 2020 ANNOUNCEMENT-17-2020- NOVEMBER 2020 HOLIDAYS
A POETRY READING OF DR. JOSE RIZAL'S "EL CANTO DEL VIAJERO" IN COMMEMORATION OF THE 159TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF DR. JOSE RIZAL
Ms. Sarah Andrea Aquino Samson-Banaag reads Dr. Jose Rizal's "El Canto del Viajero" in Spanish and its Filipino translation entitled "Awit ng Manlalakbay"
at Sentro Rizal, Embassy of the Philippines, Berne, Switzerland.
11 June 2020 - In commemoration of the 159th birth anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal, Sentro Rizal (SR) Berne, in cooperation with the Gender and Development Section of the Embassy, held a poetry reading of Dr. Jose Rizal’s "El Canto del Viajero" on 11 June 2020 at the SR Berne. The poem reading was attended by the officers and staff of the Embassy. The poem was read in its original Spanish version, and translations in the English version entitled, "Song of the Traveller" by Charles Derbyshire, and the Filipino translation entitled, “Awit ng Manlalakbay" as published by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines’ 2011 book, Jose Rizal: Mga Tula.
Ms. Sarah Andrea Aquino Samson-Banaag read the poem in the Spanish and Filipino. Ms. Banaag is an overseas Filipino who first moved with her family from the Philippines to Spain in 2001. She has been residing in Berne, Switzerland since 2004. The English version was read by Ms. Ma. Shiela Sotto-Diaz, Information Officer of the Embassy.
(Top photo) First Secretary and Consul Princess Tomas-Tayao (left) introduces the poem readers, Ms. Banaag (center), and Ms. Ma. Shiela Sotto-Diaz (right), Information Officer of the Philippine Embassy.
Ms Ma. Shiela Sotto-Diaz reads the English version of Dr. Rizal’s poem entitled "The Song of the Traveller" by Mr. Charles Derbyshire.
Amb. Denis Yap Lepatan (right, partly hidden) and Madame Maria Teresa C. Lepatan (right, front), and Minister and Consul General Josephine M. Reynante (middle)
join other Embassy officials and staff in listening to the reading of Dr. Rizal’s poem “El Canto del Viajero” at the SR Berne of the Philippine Embassy.
(From left to right) Ambassador Denis Yap Lepatan, Ms. Sarah Andrea Aquino Samson-Banaag, Madame Maria Teresa C. Lepatan and Ms. Ma. Niña Barranta pose for a souvenir photo.
PUBLIC ADVISORY NO. 02-2021-EXEMPTIONS FROM TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS RELATIVE TO THE SARS-CoV-2 VARIANT DETECTED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
07 January 2021 – Further to Public Advisory No. 43-2020 and Public Advisory No. 01-2021 on the inbound travel from countries with new variant of COVID-19 and pursuant to the Resolution no. 92 of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) dated 05 January 2021, the concerned public is informed that only the following foreign nationals coming from, or with travel history within the last 14 days prior to arrival in the Philippines in countries/jurisdictions covered by travel restrictions for the COVID-19 variant, will be allowed entry into the Philippines, with immediate effect:
- Diplomats and representatives of international organizations accredited to the Republic of the Philippines and their qualified dependents with valid and subsisting 9(e) visas, who shall likewise be exempted from quarantine protocols provided that:
- They undergo Reverse Transcription – Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) testing upon arrival at the airport;
- Submit/present a duly executed Undertaking (Annex C) to the Department of Health-Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) personnel at the port of entry; and
- Observe strict 14-day self-quarantine at their declared accommodation or quarters;
- Foreign dignitaries who shall observe existing testing and quarantine protocols upon arrival in the Philippines; and
- Foreign nationals travelling to the Philippines for medical and emergency cases, including their foreign medical escorts, if any.
Please note that Item E of the IATF Res. No. 92 states that “Cognizant of the current limited knowledge as to the effect of available vaccines on the transmissibility of COVID-19, any individual arriving in the Philippines who may have received vaccination for COVID-19 in other countries/jurisdictions shall still be required to observe the mandatory testing and quarantine protocols.”
The concerned public is also advised to refer to the Advisory of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) on the Revised Guidelines as per IATF Res. no. 92 dated 06 January 2021, which can be viewed from:
https://www.immigration.gov.ph/images/Advisory/2021/01_Jan/2021Jan07_advisory.pdf.
Foreign nationals not covered by the above exemptions shall still not be permitted entry into the Philippines, notwithstanding any previous IATF resolutions or exemptions.
For a copy of IATF Resolution No. 92, please visit:
https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/downloads/2020/12dec/20210105-IATF-Resolution-no-92.pdf .
All overseas Filipinos traveling to the Philippines during this period are again reminded of the limited quarantine facilities in place and are thus strongly urged to reconsider travel plans to the Philippines for the duration of the travel restrictions.
Those entering the Philippines from the affected countries and jurisdiction, including Switzerland, are also reminded that they will be required to undergo and complete a strict mandatory 14-day stringent quarantine at a DOH-approved facility, regardless of negative RT-PCR result. The list of facilities suitable for stringent quarantine may be accessed at the following link: https://bernepe.dfa.gov.ph/images/Facilities_Suitable_for_Stringent_Quarantine.pdf.
Embassy calls on the public to carefully reconsider their travel plans, including postponing their trips until after the end of the travel restrictions to avoid personal inconvenience and possible additional expenses as well as help prevent the incidence of the new COVID-19 variant in the country.
The Embassy again reminds travellers to always check ahead of travel dates with their airlines before their scheduled departure date or before booking a ticket as information published could change at any time.
Facebook Post: https://www.facebook.com/PHinSwitzerland/posts/3479932332232983