The Irish Embassy hosted the St. Patrick's Day Reception in Manila on March 14, 2024, at the grand ballroom of the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Taguig City. The celebration was filled with fellowship, beautiful music, and the sumptuous flavors of Ireland. The Ambassador of the Embassy of Ireland in the Philippines, H.E. William John Carlos, began his speech with warm greetings in both Tagalog and his native language.
St. Patrick's Day, also known as the Feast of St. Patrick, celebrated annually on March 17 in Ireland, is a cultural and religious holiday commemorating Ireland's foremost patron saint, St. Patrick, and marking the arrival of Christianity in the country. It is also a celebration of the heritage and culture of the Irish people in general.
Amb. Carlos shared, "We are well on the way to establishing the Irish Embassy in the Philippines and our new Chancery will open in June."
Sharing information on the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Ireland and the Philippines, the ambassador remarked, "This year marks a special milestone for our two countries, as we celebrate 40 years of Irish-Philippine Diplomatic Relations. We are in discussions for a Double-Taxation Agreement, planning to hold political consultations soon to discuss broader areas of cooperation. We aim to develop opportunities for increasing exports between our countries and to explore more opportunities for trade and political visits in 2024."
"Our relationship continues to grow. Over 1,000 Irish citizens now call the Philippines home. There is an increasing number of Irish companies choosing the Philippines as a place to invest including Mainstream, CRH, Frontier, AMCS and DAA, to name a few. The beauty of this magnificent country and the welcoming of its people now attracts over 19,000 Irish tourists on an annual basis. Ireland is privileged to host 27,000 Filipino citizens, with a large proportion of them providing outstanding assistance in the health and caregiving sectors. Their warmth and kind-heartedness are so deeply cherished by all in Ireland, and so I wish to take a moment to thank and recognize those workers this evening," concluded the ambassador.
