President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced on Friday that his administration will establish new embassies in Astana, Kazakhstan, and Accra, Ghana, to actively extend the country’s global diplomatic reach.
Speaking at the traditional Vin d’Honneur held at Malacañang, the President shared the administration’s strategy to strengthen foreign engagement.
“As an integral part of widening our diplomatic footprint, I am very pleased to announce that this year we will open our new embassies in Astana, Kazakhstan, and Accra,” the President stated.
Beyond expanding ties in Central Asia and Africa, the government is also improving support for the Filipino diaspora in the Western Hemisphere.
“We are also working on establishing our new consulate general in Miami, Florida to serve Filipinos in the U.S., Southeast, and in the Caribbean,” he added.
This diplomatic expansion complements data from the 2024 survey of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). The report indicated that while 74.5% of OFWs remain based in Asia, significant populations reside in Europe (10.6%), North and South America (9.2%), Australia (4.4%), and Africa (1.3%).
The state expects these upcoming missions to offer vital, accessible consular assistance to citizens overseas.
Marcos further noted that the new outposts are engineered to stimulate fresh economic cooperation, cultural exchanges, and stronger political relationships with the host countries.
The announcement coincided with the Vin d’Honneur—a traditional formal gathering meaning “wine of honor”—which occurs biannively in January to welcome the New Year and in June to mark Philippine Independence Day.