Womanthismonth.com 12 June 2024 PEOPLE | interview LEADING A VIBRANT COMMUNITY In an exclusive interview with Woman This Month, HE Anne Jalando-on Louis, Ambassador of the Philippines to Bahrain, shares insights into her extensive diplomatic career, the robust bilateral relations between the Philippines and Bahrain, and the vibrant Filipino community’s role in the Bahraini economy. She discusses the goals and initiatives of the ASEAN Committee in Manama, Bahrain (ACMB), which she will soon chair, and on the occasion of the Philippines’ 126th Independence Day, highlights the cultural and economic collaborations that continue to strengthen ties between the two nations. Your Excellency, can you give our readers an overview of your diplomatic career to date? I joined the Philippine Foreign Service back in 1996 after I passed the Philippine Foreign Service Officers’ Examination the year before. After joining the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines, I went through a year-long cadetship programme. Subsequently, I was assigned to several offices at the Department in Manila such as the Office of ASEAN Affairs, the Office of European Affairs and the Office of the Secretary. My first posting was to the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Following that, I served as the Philippine Consul General in Sydney, Australia. Before I arrived in Bahrain in April 2022, I was on my second tour at our Embassy in Malaysia, serving as Deputy Chief of Mission and Consul General. You recently took over as the head of the ACMB. Can you let us know what this responsibility entails and what your primary objectives will be? ACMB was established in 2017, joining 54 ASEAN Committees in other countries where there are ASEAN diplomatic missions. Here in Bahrain, the ACMB comprises the five ASEAN Diplomatic Missions of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand. I will be taking over as the chair of ACMB from my Indonesian colleague, HE Ardi Hermawan. The primary aim of ACMB is to promote awareness and deeper understanding about ASEAN, paving the way for closer engagement between the ASEAN member countries and Bahrain, whether politically, economically or in other areas. For instance, I note that ASEAN as a bloc represents a significant opportunity for trade and investment. What can you tell us about the state of
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