Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste to the Philippines Marciano Octavio Garcia Da Silva delivered the inaugural lecture of the Ambassador Lecture Series Nov. 21 at the Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman. The event was also part of AC’s 70th anniversary celebration.
In “Timor Leste’s Path to ASEAN Membership: Opportunities and Challenges,” Da Silva shared his country’s journey toward becoming ASEAN’s newest member. He declared, “For Timor-Leste, joining ASEAN is not the end of a journey; it is the beginning of a shared future, a future where a small nation contributes meaningfully to a large region, where our young people engage and collaborate with yours, and where we build together a Southeast Asia that is peaceful, prosperous, and united in purpose.”
AC created the series to support the establishment of a Pacific Studies Program, a brainchild of UP President Angelo Jimenez. “It was with [former Asian Center] Dean Joefe [Santarita] when I first cajoled, hem-and-hawed to have a Pacific Studies Program, when I was regent almost 10 years ago, and you can just imagine my gratification that this thing is happening today, especially with the entry of Timor-Leste as part of ASEAN,” Jimenez said in his message after Da Silva’s lecture.
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste became the 11th member of the ASEAN on Oct. 26, more than two decades after it gained independence and 14 years after its formal application for ASEAN membership.
The lecture was organized in collaboration with the Foreign Service Institute, a research and training agency attached to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
