NEW ZEALAND AMBASSADOR TO THE PHILIPPINES MAKES A COURTESY CALL TO MAYOR MMK AND ATTENDS HAPAG NG PAMANA

NEWSFLASH: His Excellency Peter Kell, the New Zealand Ambassador to the Philippines paid a courtesy visit to Mayor Michael Marcos Keon and graced the ceremonial ribbon cutting and opening program of Hapag ng Pamana on April 18, 2023, a food festival conducted by the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA). The City of Laoag was chosen by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) in Luzon to host the 2-day event in celebration of Filipino Food Month advocating the appreciation, preservation, and development of traditional culinary processes by demonstrating the traditional preparation of Ilocano dishes.

On April 16, 2023, Mayor Keon hosted a dinner with the ambassador and was accompanied by Ms. Christelle Jovenir, Policy Officer of the New Zealand Embassy together with Burgos SB Member Hon. Trinah Saguiguit-Fulgar and Ms. Rina Lopez-Bautista, the founder of Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc. that operates Knowledge Channel, the first and only-all curriculum educational television channel in the country.

The ambassador was in Ilocos Norte for the implementation of Learning Effectively through Enhanced and Evidence-based Pedagogies (LEEP) in the Municipality of Burgos to strengthen advocacy on boosting early childhood development education among children and ensure access to education, particularly for the most vulnerable and marginalized children in the country.

Exploration of opportunities and collaboration on various projects and activities in the future between the Embassy and the city were also discussed.