Embassy of Palestine, Manila

Embassy of Palestine, Manila
The building that hosts the embassy of Palestine, located in Makati
LocationMakati City, National Capital Region
AddressUnit 22D, Chatham House Condominium, Valero cor. Rufino St., Salcedo Village
Coordinates14°33′34″N 121°01′10″E / 14.5594861°N 121.0193971°E / 14.5594861; 121.0193971
AmbassadorH.E. Mounir Y.K. Anastas

The Embassy of the State of Palestine in Philippines (Arabic: سفارة دولة فلسطين لدى الفلبين) is the diplomatic mission of Palestine in Philippines, located in Makati City, Metro Manila.

The Philippines recognized Palestinian statehood and established diplomatic relations with the Palestine Liberation Organization on 4 September 1989, during the presidency of Corazon Aquino, with the embassy opening in Manila in May of the following year. A resident ambassador was not posted to the mission until 2020, when President Rodrigo Duterte's government described the embassy's reopening as the start of a new period in relations between the two countries. Since February 2025, the mission has been led by Ambassador Mounir Y.K. Anastas, formerly the Palestinian representative to UNESCO.

History

Background

The Philippines was the only Asian state among the 33 countries that voted for UN Resolution 181, the November 1947 plan to partition the British Mandate of Palestine.[1][2] The Philippine delegate, Carlos P. Romulo, initially signaled to the General Assembly that his country would not support dividing Palestine, but President Manuel Roxas instructed the delegation to reverse its position shortly before the vote was taken, reportedly out of concern about the reaction of the United States Senate.[3][4][5]

The Philippines later voted in favor of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 67/19, joining the majority of the UN member-states in recognizing Palestine as a non-member state. Following the vote, the Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Raul Hernandez stated that the Philippine government backs Palestinian self-determination and hopes an independent Palestine will eventually coexist peacefully with neighboring countries.[6]

Recognition and upgrade to embassy

The Philippines recognized the State of Palestine and established diplomatic relations with it on September 4, 1989, during the administration of President Corazon Aquino. The Embassy of the State of Palestine opened in Manila in May 1990.[7] Speaking in 2025, Ambassador Mounir Y.K. Anastas described the Philippines as one of the first countries to recognize Palestinian statehood, and characterized Philippine support since then as more consistent than that of some Western governments that back a two-state settlement without extending recognition.[8]

In June 2020, President Rodrigo Duterte received the credentials of Saleh As'ad Saleh Fhied Mohammad. The Malacañan Palace described him as the first Palestinian ambassador to the Philippines and called the embassy's reopening the previous year the start of a new chapter in relations between the two countries.[9] Mohammad completed his posting in September 2024, paying a farewell call on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.[10]

Ambassador Anastas presented his letter of credence to President Marcos on February 26, 2025, becoming ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the Philippines.[11] He had previously served as the Permanent Representative of the State of Palestine to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris.[12] He is accompanied by Zlad A.M. Bedaiwi has the First Secretary.[13] In a brief remarks after the ceremony, Anastas thanked the Philippines for its support of the Palestinian cause and pointed to what he called shared values of resilience, justice, and human dignity between the two peoples, and President Marcos reaffirmed his government's support for Palestinian self-determination.[14][15]

Premises and diplomatic status

The embassy's offices are on the upper floors of Chatham House Condominium, at the corner of Valero and Rufino Streets in Salcedo Village, Makati, according to the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs' diplomatic and consular list.[13]

The Philippines, on the other hand, does not maintain a resident embassy in Palestine. The Philippine ambassador to Jordan, based in Amman, held concurrent, non-resident jurisdiction over the State of Palestine.[16] In the Department of Foreign Affairs' order of diplomatic precedence, the Palestinian ambassador ranked 20th overall and seventh among ambassadors then resident in the Philippines, as of October 2023.[17]

List of heads of mission

Name Assumed office Left office President Notes
Saleh As'ad Saleh Fhied Mohammad June 20, 2020 September 25, 2024 Rodrigo Duterte Described by the Philippine government as the first resident Palestinian ambassador to the Philippines
Mounir Y. K. Anastas February 26, 2025 Incumbent Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Formerly Permanent Representative of the State of Palestine to UNESCO

See also

References

  1. ↑ Aben, Ellie (December 13, 2017). "Philippines 'will not move its embassy to Jerusalem'". Arab News. Archived from the original on January 28, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2026.
  2. ↑ Talosig-Bartolome, Malou (September 15, 2025). "Why PHL voted for 2-State Solution for Palestine at UN". BusinessMirror. Archived from the original on August 25, 2026. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  3. ↑ Bregman, Ahron; El-Tahri, Jihan (1998). The Fifty Years War: Israel and the Arabs. Penguin Books. p. 25. ISBN 978-0-14-026827-0. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  4. ↑ "501.BB Palestine/12–1047: Memorandum by the Acting Secretary of State to President Truman". Office of the Historian. December 10, 1947. Archived from the original on October 29, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  5. ↑ Fine, Herbert A.; Gleason, Sarell Everett; Reid, John G. Foreign Relations of the United States, 1947, The Near East and Africa, Volume V. Office of the Historian. p. 1306-1307. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  6. ↑ Uy, Veronica (November 30, 2012). "Philippines votes for, hails, Palestine's UN recognition". News5. Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  7. ↑ Embassies & consulates in the Philippines. Best of the Philippines. 1995. p. 219. ISBN 971-91516-0-9. Retrieved August 25, 2026. "The State of Palestine is recognized by over one hundred states including the Republic of the Philippines. In September 1989, diplomatic relations were established between the two governments leading to the opening of the Embassy of the State of Palestine in Manila, May 1990."
  8. ↑ Chi, Cristina (July 9, 2025). "Philippines consistent in recognizing Palestinian statehood, says ambassador". The Philippine Star. Archived from the original on July 24, 2025. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  9. ↑ Gita-Carlos, Ruth Abbey (June 20, 2020). "PRRD renews ties with 4 countries, state of Palestine". Philippine News Agency. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Farewell Call of H.E. Saleh As'ad Saleh Mohammad, Ambassador of Palestine to the Philippines". Presidential Broadcast Staff-Radio Television Malacañang. September 25, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Palestinian Ambassador presents credentials to President Marcos". The Manila Times. March 3, 2025. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  12. ↑ "UNESCO designates ancient 'Jericho' as new World Heritage site". Philippine News Agency. September 18, 2023. Archived from the original on April 18, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  13. 1 2 "Diplomatic and Consular List as of 25 August 26". Department of Foreign Affairs. August 25, 2026. p. 78. Retrieved August 26, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Presentation of Credentials: H.E. Mounir Y.K. Anastas, Ambassador of the State of Palestine". Presidential Broadcast Staff-Radio Television Malacañang. February 26, 2025. Archived from the original on August 7, 2025. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Marcos meets new ambassadors of Palestine, Sweden, Egypt, Slovenia". The Philippine Star. February 27, 2025. Archived from the original on July 24, 2025. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Philippine envoy speaks about diplomacy, resilience and the Filipino connection in the Middle East". BusinessMirror. May 20, 2026. Archived from the original on May 26, 2026. Retrieved August 26, 2026.
  17. ↑ Cruz, Tonyo (October 27, 2023). "Ties that bind the Philippines and Palestine". Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on October 28, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
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