Philippines envoy in Sweden dies of COVID-19

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines’ honorary consul general in Stockholm, Sweden died on Saturday after contracting the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

A report of Swedish news site Aftonbladet said Erik Belfrage, 74, died at the Sankt Goran Hospital where he was confined for less than two weeks.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed the death of Belfrage.

“Deeply saddened at losing Erik Belfrage PHL Honorary Consul General in Stockholm,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. tweeted. 

He said Belfrage “held the fort for us there when we cut out.” 

“Phl-Sweden relations thrived in his seven-year term. He helped many Filipinos. Sincere condolences to his wife Anna and family. He will be missed a lot,” Locsin said.

Belfrage was appointed honorary consul general of the Philippines in Stockholm in 2013. 

He was founder and chairman partner of Consilio International AB, an independent strategic advisory firm based in Stockholm that works with the management and owners of Swedish multinational corporations, as well as with a number of foreign clients interested in the Scandinavian and Baltic markets, by providing business intelligence, advice, network relations, and corporate and commercial associations.

He obtained his MBA at the Stockholm School of Economics in 1969, and started his career at Sal Oppenheim in Cologne before entering the Swedish diplomatic service from 1970 until 1987. He was assigned at the following foreign posts: Geneva, Switzerland; Washington; Bucharest, Romania; Hungary; Beirut, Lebanon, and Paris, France.

COVID-19 also claimed the life of Philippine ambassador to Lebanon, Bernardita Catalla.

Catalla, a senior career diplomat from La Union, passed away on April 2 in a hospital in Beirut where she was confined.