The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), together with the Embassy of Romania, launched the two-day event Philippine-Romania Friendship Week, aimed at celebrating the deepening ties between the two countries in the migrant labor sector, as well as in cultural and people-to-people relations.
The opening ceremony was led by the OIC of DMW, Hans Leo Cacdac, together with the Ambassador of the Embassy of Romania, H.E. Raduta Dana Matache. They were joined by other officials of DMW and the Embassy of Romania, recruitment agencies, as well as OFWs.
The event, held from April 16 to 17, 2024, at the DMW Building in Ortigas City, consisted of several presentations on the latest updates on migrant workers, cultural presentations, and the first screening in the Philippines of the 2023 Romanian film "To The North," which starred Filipino actors Soliman Cruz and Bert Guigona.
There was also a food tasting of traditional Filipino foods like turon, okoy, suman, taho, sorbet, and other dessert treats. Romanian cuisines served included a variety of cheeses, sarmale (stuffed vine leaves with meat, rice, and spices), ghiudem and babic (salami), as well as pastries such as covrigi (Romanian pretzels) and cozonac (traditional holiday bread).
A presentation on matters related to labor market opportunities in Romania was delivered by Yosef Gavriel Peisakh, the General Manager of the Romanian recruitment agency Work from Asia. For visa-related issues, Consul Daniel Coman, together with Consular Officer and Head of Administration Ana Maria Jitcovici of the Romanian Embassy, were available to address these concerns.