Estonia and the Philippines

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Estonia and the Philippines

Bilateral relations

(last updated: 12.12.2011)

The Philippines recognised the Republic of Estonia on 17 September 1991, and diplomatic relations between the two countries were established on 19 December 1991.

Estonia is covered by the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines in Stockholm. The first ambassador accredited in Estonia was Mrs. Luz Q. Del Mundo (1992-1994). Since 2 October 2007, the Filipino ambassador accredited in Estonia is Mrs. Maria Zeneida Angara Collinson.

Since February 2009 Meelis Virkebau has been the honorary consul of the Philippines in Estonia.
Estonia's Honorary Consul General for the entire territory of the Republic of the Philippines has since 1997 been Dr. Juan N. Peña Rivadeneira. Our second honorary consul in the country is Fernando Martin O. Pena, who covers the Subic Bay and Olongapo City areas.

On the basis of a representation agreement, Finland has represented Estonia for the issuing of visas in the Philippines since 17 March 2008.

Agreements

Agreement on cultural and educational co-operation between the governments of Estonia and the Republic of the Philippines (came into force 20 December 2005).

Economic Relations

Trade

Trade between Estonia and the Philippines 2004 – 2010 (million EUR)

	Export	Import	Balance
2004	0.08	0.72	- 0.6
2005	0.12	1.4	- 1.3
2006	0.42	3.2	-2.8
2007	0.14	1.8	-1.6
2008	0.35	2.8	-2.5
2009	0.10	1.1	-1.0
2010	0.56	1.1	-0.5

Source: Statistics Estonia

Main export articles in 2010:

Organic chemicals: 208 286
Machinery and equipment, electrical appliances: 165 509 EUR
Furniture: 92 492 EUR
Paper pulp: 70 764 EUR

Main import articles in 2010:

Machinery and equipment, electrical appliances: 754 691 EUR
Shoes and other such items: 212 265 EUR
Toys and sports equipment: 34 120 EU

Cultural relations

The Filipino choir San Beda College Chorale has visited Estonia. To celebrate the signing of the cultural co-operation agreement, they performed the concert "Pearls of the sea" outside the Stenbock House on Toompea. Within the framework of the agreement, Filipino artist Manuel Baldemor spent the year 2006 in Estonia, and the paintings he completed here were exhibited in the National Library of Estonia. Filipino films have been showed in the PÖFF film festival.

History of contact between Estonia and the Philippines

Relations between Estonia and the Philippines go all the way back to the beginning of the 19th century.

The first news of the Philippines appeared in Estonian journalism in 1825, in the newspaper „Marahwa Näddala-leht”. It was mentioned because O. Von Kotzebue and J. Fr. Eschscholtz returned from their second world tour by way of the Philippines.

C. R. Jakobson was the first to call the archipelago "the Philippines".

Trade relations with the Philippines began in the late 1920s—a shipment of paper in 1928 was the first registered shipment to the Philippines, and the first purchase from the Philippines was made in 1929.

In the first half of the 1930s, regardless of international trade difficulties, Estonia and the Philippines began trading quite regularly. From 1930-1939, Estonia would almost every year import small quantities of hemp, artificial resins, and other Filipino products, altogether over 27 tonnes with a value of about 14,000 kroons. The only Estonian product that found a market in the Philippines was paper, of which a total of 503 tonnes was exported altogether, with a value of about 65,000 kroons. Trade between the two nations ceased in 1939.

Source: Olaf Klaassen "Aasia ja Aafrika 16.-19. sajandil ning kontaktid Eestiga".