Australian High Commissioner Philp Visits PNG's Western Highlands
Australian High Commissioner Jon Philp visited Western Highlands and Enga Provinces from 1-4 October.
The High Commissioner said he was delighted to return to the Highlands so soon after the warm welcome of his first trip to the region.
In Western Highlands Province, High Commissioner Philp was pleased to again meet Governor the Hon Paias Wingti and discuss Australia’s support for education.
The High Commissioner also met with Mount Hagen Archbishop Douglas Young to learn more about the work of the archdiocese in the province.
The High Commissioner joined Enga Governor, the Hon Chief Sir Peter Ipatas to jointly open the spectacular Enga Cultural Show on Enga Provincial Day.
High Commissioner Philp and Governor Ipatas also opened a new four storey wing at the Enga Teachers’ College, supported by the PNG-Australia partnership.
High Commissioner Philp welcomed the upgrade, which gives the college the capacity to graduate an additional 300 teachers over the next five years.
“By providing high-quality training to teachers, we can improve access to education across PNG. This is why Australia is committed to supporting teachers here in Enga and throughout Papua New Guinea,” the High Commissioner said.
The PGK10 million infrastructure upgrade includes 16 new classrooms, offices, a library and a computer laboratory.
High Commissioner Philp also met Member for Wapenamanda, the Hon Rimbink Pato to open a new portable health clinic at Yaramanda provided by the PNG-Australia partnership. The portable clinic provides a significant boost for health infrastructure capacity in the district.
The High Commissioner reaffirmed Australia’s commitment to supporting Provincial Health Authorities, acknowledging their critical role in health service delivery and combatting COVID-19.
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