18 November 2016 — Around 300 members of the Filipino community in the cantons of Geneva and Vaud in Switzerland hosted a surprise community farewell gathering last at the Salle Communale Grand Lancy in Geneva on November 12 in honor of the outstanding leadership, compassion, and innovative dedication of Philippine Ambassador to Geneva Cecilia B. Rebong in serving the Filipinos in Geneva. 

Ambassador Rebong is set to retire from the Philippine Foreign Service by the end of this month.

Community leaders took turns in recalling their respective wonderful and positive experiences with Ambassador Rebong during her three-year leadership of the Philippine Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva and the Philippine Consulate General in Geneva.  All are in agreement that it was during her tenure in Geneva that the Mission and Consulate became closer to the Filipinos in Geneva.

Some of Ambassador Rebong’s initiatives that were cited by the Filipino leaders who spoke during the gathering are the following: “PCG Ko, Bukas Ng Linggo”, which gives opportunity to Filipinos who cannot leave their jobs during the week to avail themselves of consular services on a Sunday; regular consular outreach missions to Canton of Vaud; Financial Education and Entrepreneurial Workshop, which is conducted for a total of 12 hours (4 Sundays); services of SSS and PAG-IBIG representatives from Milan PCG every quarter; gender and development (GAD) activities focusing on health concerns, legal rights, and social services for Filipino migrants.

Ambassador Rebong thanked the Filipino community for their deep appreciation of the efforts of Geneva PM/PCG not only in improving its consular services but more importantly, in its sincerity in reaching out to the members of the Filipino community. 

The Ugnayan Bayan, the federation of the Filipino Community organizations in the cantons of Geneva and Vaud, organized the surprise farewell gathering for Ambassador Rebong with the assistance of the Philippine Consulate General in Geneva. END