In celebration of the Mana Mo 2022 with the theme Our Seas, Our Livelihood, Our Life Source: A Whole-of-Nation Approach Towards Raising Maritime and Ocean Awareness, and with the Department's subtheme, UNCLOS @ 40, Damascus PE hosted a discussion on the 40th Anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which was attended by the diplomatic and international communities in Syria on 08 September 2022 at CDA Vida Soraya Verzosa's private residence.

CDA and newly-appointed President of the Diplomatic Club Vida Soraya Verzosa discussed a three-part presentation on UNCLOS that provided basic information on Maritime Zones, Archipelagic Doctrine, and 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) Arbitral Award on the Philippine-China dispute over the West Philippine Sea. She also invited the audience to visit the MANAMO Microsite and briefed them about Philippine maritime issues.

The attendees in the discussion were Argentinian Ambassador H.E. Sebastian Zavalla, Libyan Ambassador H.E. Mohammad Abdul Razzaq Shaaban, Palestinian Deputy Chief of Mission lmad ai-Kurdi, Russian Deputy Chief of Mission Eldar Kurbanov, Bulgarian Charge d'Affaires Plamen Hristov, Czech Charge d'Affaires Petr Kasicka. Egyptian Charge d'Affaires Muhammad Atif AI Hussaini, Pakistani Charge d'Affaires Safdar Ali Khan, Romanian Charge d'Affaires Emil Moldovan, Serbian Charge d'Affaires Marko Mojasevic and wife, Indonesian Minister Eko Himawan, and other diplomatic officers of the Embassies of Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Indonesia, Pakistan, Palestine, Romania and various UN Organizations.

Seafood sushi and shawarma prepared on-site were served after the program. For dessert, the Embassy prepared Ube Ice Cream (Filipino ice cream flavor prepared using purple yam as the main ingredient) and Turon (banana, jackfruit, and brown sugar rolled together in a spring roll wrapper and fried to a golden crisp). -END