AMBASSADOR’S MESSAGE
Independence Day is a day when one looks back with pride at what the nation has achieved over the years, and at the same time, is also mindful of the challenges that face it. Nevertheless, in the 71 years since Independence, India has certainly come a long way. It is today a dynamic economy and a confident nation. In India and abroad, Indians are creating value and wealth. In the Philippines, too, the community of Indians is contributing in numerous ways to their country of domicile and to its economy. It is a tribute as much to the warmth and hospitality of the Filipinos as to the entrepreneurial spirit of Indians that so many of them choose to live and work here.
As a country that shares both a land border and a maritime boundary with ASEAN, the region today is at the centre of India’s Indo-Pacific policy. It is one of our biggest trade and investment partners and also a Strategic Partner. Our relations with ASEAN go back 26 years, but our civilizational relations with this region go back to over a thousand years. It is for this reason that we were honoured to host all 10 ASEAN leaders in New Delhi for our Republic Day celebrations in January this year. Building upon our age-old civilizational relationship with the region, we are forging new ties of economics, security and people-to-people links. The Philippines as the second-largest country in the region, one of the fastest-growing economies and as a fellow nation wedded to pluralism, democracy and the rule of law, is a natural partner for India.
The past year has been one of unprecedented positive developments in bilateral relations. Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Philippines in November last year, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte visited India this January. The two leaders have charted a road map for our bilateral relations in multifarious sectors. These cooperative endeavours are being pursued with energy by both sides.
The private sector in both countries has also been quick to seize opportunities in the fields of IT-enabled services, infrastructure, energy, health and medicine. Tourism traffic from India is booming and the Philippines is well placed to tap what is the biggest potential tourism market for the foreseeable future. Both tourism and business will get a further boost with direct flights between the two countries following successful conclusion of long pending air services talks.
With such bright prospects for the future of our relationship, on this, the 72nd Independence Day of India, I extend my greetings to all Indians in the Philippines and to the numerous friends of India in this country.