Bermuda has been thanked for being a “friend” to the Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan by the latter country’s top diplomat in Washington.

Arlene Magno, Consul at the Philippine Embassy in DC, was on the Island last week for the embassy’s first official visit to Bermuda.

She told a meeting of Filipinos on Sunday that the November 2013 typhoon shone a “spotlight on the Philippines and brought it to the front page of broadsheets throughout the world for days in a row”.

She added: “As a result, the global community had shared in our grief over the massive devastation in our country and risen up to the call for help. The outpouring of assistance, whether in terms of physical support or financial aid, has been truly inspiring and overwhelming.

“Bermuda belongs to the long list of countries that readily came to help the Philippines. Only when a nation is faced with a disaster like Typhoon Haiyan do you realise the closeness of bonds between two nations. Bermuda has shown itself to be a friend to the Philippines at this crucial time. And we cannot thank them enough.

“On behalf of the Filipino people, here in Bermuda and back home in the Philippines, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

Bermuda is estimated to have about 2,000 Filipinos living here, according to Rowena Comber, vice president of the Association of Filipinos in Bermuda.

She told The Royal Gazette that the visit here by Ms Magno and her team was prompted by new rules in the Philippines which require citizens to renew their passports in person.

“We can’t send our passports by mail now,” said Ms Comber. “They come to different islands especially for those who have no US visa.”

She added that the team helped with 343 passport applications, two oaths of dual citizenship and authenticated documents for Filipinos on the Island.

Ms Magno and Labour Attache Luz Padilla met with Home Affairs Minister Michael Fahy and Deputy Governor Ginny Ferson at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess on Friday to discuss establishing stronger ties between Bermuda and the Philippines.

Senator Fahy thanked the delegation for their visit and highlighted the Filipino community’s integral role in the Bermuda community.

A labour outreach forum organised by the Filipino Association and the Philippine Overseas Labour Office was held on Sunday to address employment concerns among Filipinos. Contributing panellists were Lisa Lister and Sara Clifford, from the Human Rights Commission and former MP Dale Butler.