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ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE HOUSE
JOINT MEMORIAL 4015
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Passed
Legislature - 1993 Regular Session
State
of Washington 53rd Legislature 1993
Regular Session
By
Read
first time 03/03/93.
Requesting the Philippines to keep its consulate open.
TO THE HONORABLE WARREN CHRISTOPHER, SECRETARY
OF STATE OF THE UNITED STATES:
We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of
Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled,
respectfully represent and petition as follows:
WHEREAS, There exists a long history of warm
relations between the people of Washington and the Philippines, of personal
friendships, and family ties; and
WHEREAS, Washington is greatly honored that the
Philippines chose to open a Consulate in our state; and
WHEREAS, The Pacific Northwest and the
Philippines are neighbors in the Pacific Rim with a shared economic future; and
WHEREAS, The Philippine Consulate has played a
critical role in trade between the Philippines and Washington State; and
WHEREAS, The Philippines conducted over two
hundred twenty-five million dollars worth of waterborne trade with the Port of
Seattle in 1991; and
WHEREAS, The Philippines are a major buyer of
Washington wheat and other agricultural products; and
WHEREAS, Exports from the Philippines to
Washington State reached almost five hundred million dollars in 1991,
representing a nearly three hundred million dollar trade surplus in favor of
the Philippines; and
WHEREAS, The estimated sixty-five thousand
Washington State residents of Philippine descent are closely linked to the
Consulate and raised over thirty-seven thousand dollars for the victims of the
Mt. Pinatubo volcanic eruption; and
WHEREAS, The Filipino community in Washington
State is growing at a rate in excess of one thousand persons per year; and
WHEREAS, We look forward to the months and
years ahead as the people of the Philippines and Washington continue to build a
firm foundation of business and personal ties to create a better future for our
children;
NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully
pray that the United States Department of State seek through diplomatic efforts
to encourage the Philippine government to allow its Seattle Consulate to remain
open, and to consider downsizing staff and office space to cut costs instead of
closing the Consulate.
BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be
immediately transmitted to the Honorable Warren Christopher, Secretary of State
of the United States and to His Excellency Fidel Ramos, President of the
Republic of the Philippines.
