In 2016, for the first time, the EU adopted a “Strategy for international cultural relations” that focuses on advancing cultural cooperation with partner countries across three main strands: supporting culture and education as engines for sustainable social and economic development; promoting intercultural dialogue for peaceful inter-community relations; and reinforcing cooperation on cultural heritage.

A delegation of "Youth Ambassadors" organized by Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) to the Philippines and Indonesia participated in the handing out of rice donated by Taiwanese civic groups in Manila to local disadvantaged families Monday. Under the MOFA's 2017 International Youth Ambassadors Exchange Program, the delegation, which arrived in the Philippines Saturday, visited Tondo, a district of Manila, with representatives from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines, the Taipei Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, and the local branch of Taiwan's Buddhist

Singapore has shipped humanitarian aid to the Philippines as part of the understanding reached during Singapore Minister for Defense Ng Eng Hen's visit to Manila in July 2017. [...] Singapore has also offered to provide training for AFP troops, and a detachment of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to enhance the AFP's intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities in conflict-prone areas of the Philippines.

In his first State of the Nation Address, President Duterte called for the creation of a People’s Broadcasting Corp. (PBC), replacing PTV-4, the government-run TV station. [...] The Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines recognizes the vital role of communication and information in nation building and the right of the people to information on matters of public concern.

About two dozen municipalities, mainly from the region, have partnered with most of Guam’s villages throughout the years to form sister-city relationships. The bond is meant to be mutually beneficial as the two cities from different nations share business, cultural and educational ideas. The relationship is often established through an agreement with elected officials, such as mayors. [...] The council’s latest travel record showed that teams of village mayors attended festivals in the Philippines in recent months.

Why is culture important in this day and age? When the world, as some say, is becoming more flat, when social media platforms make instant communication possible, when cities all over the globe resemble each other more and more, of what significance is it that the Philippines should project itself as having a distinct identity and culture—in other words, possess a brand that is as easily identifiable as the Japanese, the Brazilian or the Egyptian?This is the question that cultural diplomacy poses, and which is the challenge given to Filipino diplomats in the 21st century.

The Philippines hopes the European Union revives an offer to provide development grants -- but this time without conditions linked to the country’s human rights record, according to Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez. “We believe that to help a friend and provide aid it must be without conditions,” Lopez said in an interview late Saturday at a meeting of Asia-Pacific trade ministers in Hanoi, Vietnam. “We would appreciate all aid but we would just request that there be no conditions,” he said.