Foreign Diplomatic Missions in the Philippines, and Philippine Diplomatic Missions abroad

[jpdm]

Originally Posted by xxxriainxxx

Philippine Embassy in Seoul, Korea.



Our meeting with the Philippine Ambassador to Seoul, Luis T. Cruz.

Our embassy in Korea looks good.

[hakz2007]

UK's visa application center relocates near EDSA

MANILA, March 3 (PNA) — It’s now more convenient to apply in Manila for visas to the United Kingdom, with the relocation of the UK Visa Application Centre (VAC) to the EcoPlaza Building at Chino Roces Extension near EDSA in Makati City, the British embassy in Manila announced.

The new location will be inaugurated Wednesday afternoon with embassy Charge d’ Affaires Colin Crorkin and the United Kingdom Border Agency’s Regional Director for Asia Pacific James Sharp officiating.

VAC was formerly accommodated at the difficult-to-access embassy complex at exclusive McKinley Hills in Fort Bonifacio in Taguig city.

The new building increases the VAC’s overall capacity to enable handling of up to 7,000 applications per month.

“The increased seating capacity of over 160 increased submission counters and easier access to the premises will mean a more efficient overall experience for applicants,” the embassy said.

The UK Visa Applications Centre is operated by VFS Global, a commercial company which work in partnerships with the UK Border Agency at the British Embassy in the Philippines.

VFS is providing services to help residents of the Philippines apply for UK visas.

All applicants who require a visa for the UK are required to visit the Centre to submit their visa application form, supporting documents, payments and biometric data. (PNA)

[xxxriainxxx]

Originally Posted by jpdm

Our embassy in Korea looks good.

The building was okay, but the environs are uhm yuck. It is situated on Itaewon which is Seoul's main red light district.

[hakz2007]

Brazil agrees to designation of Betita as RP ambassador -- DFA

MANILA, March 3 (PNA) -- The Brazilian Government has granted what is known in diplomacy as its “agrément” to the designation of career diplomat Eva C. Betita as Philippine Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Sao Paolo.

In announcing Brazil’s move, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it is pleased with the decision but did not explain why the granting of an agrément was considered so special that it has to be announced at this stage.

DFA said the ambassador-designate “is expected to further strengthen the warm relations between the Philippines and Brazil which were intensified by the visit of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to Brazil in June 2009, the first by an incumbent Philippine President.”

Generally, an agreement by a sovereign State to the naming of an ambassador assures that the posting has no hitches.

The previous Philippine ambassador to Sao Paolo, Teresita Bersana, has long assumed her post as chief of mission of the Philippine embassy in Lisbon, Portugal.

Betita has served in various capacities at the DFA headquarters and in posts in San Francisco, Honolulu and Sydney. (PNA)

[hakz2007]

Japan launches J-Pop Anime singing tilt anew to mark RP-Japan Friendship Day
By Gloria Jane Baylon

MANILA, March 4 (PNA)--The annual Philippines-Japan Friendship Month in July will be celebrated with the Japanese embassy in Manila holding for the second time the successful and much-in-demand J-Pop Anime Singing Competition across the Philippines.

The grand final is calendared on July 24, Saturday, at the Cyberzone Event Center, SM North EDSA, Quezon City, the embassy said.

Registration has opened and application forms to register for the contest are available at the Japan Information and Culture Center (JICC) Library, Embassy of Japan, 2627 Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City or can be downloaded at www.ph.emb-japan.go.jp. Registration ends on May 20.

Philippines-Japan Friendship Month used to be held in February but is now celebrated in July to commemorate the designation of July 23 as “Philippines-Japan Friendship Day” by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in 2006. That year was the Golden Jubilee of diplomatic relationship between the two countries.

The contest is one of the month-long activities in July. It is open to all Filipino amateur singing groups composed of three to five members. It could include a Japanese as long as the latter will play only a supporting role in the number such as being instrumentalist, back-up vocal, or dancer.

The competing groups will perform one song popularized in J-Pop or anime in the original Japanese language. Following initial screenings, 10 groups will be invited to perform at the grand finals.

Top winners will bag free lessons from Nihongo Center Foundation and Center for Pop Music Philippines and exciting prizes from Ajinomoto, Canon, Heritage Hotel, Panasonic, Sony, Toshiba and Yakult. At the grand finals, the participants can also enjoy special treats, courtesy of Yoshinoya restaurant.

The embassy said the contest aims to further promote appreciation of the Japanese language and culture among Filipinos and to strengthen the long-standing friendship between Japan and the Philippines.

The J-Pop and Anime Singing Contest is presented by the embassy in cooperation with the Japan Foundation-Manila in partnership with SM Supermalls, SM Cyberzone, TOEI Philippines, Nihongo Center Foundation, Center for Pop Music, Yoshinoya, Animation International Licensing Philippines, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Philippines, Inc., Ajinomoto, Canon, Heritage Hotel, Panasonic, Sony, Toshiba, Yakult, and HERO TV and MAX FM 103.5 as media partners.

For contest mechanics and further details, please visit www.ph.emb-japan.go.jp or email jicc-mnl@ma.mofa.go.jp or call 551-5710 local 2318. (PNA)

[hakz2007]

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo receives the credentials of His Excellency Carlos Leitao Frota, non-resident Ambassador of the Portuguese Republic in a ceremony Wednesday (Mar. 10) at Malacanang's Rizal Hall. (Exequiel Supera-OPS/NIB Photo)


President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo receives His Excellency Yohanes Kristiarto Soeryo Legowo, Ambassador-designate of the Republic of Indonesia, during a presentation of credentials ceremony Wednesday (Mar. 10) at Malacanang's Rizal Hall. (Dado Aguilar-OPS/NIB Photo)


President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo receives the credentials of His Excellency Joaquin Daniel Otero, Jr., Ambassador-designate of the Argentine Republic during a presentation of credentials ceremony Wednesday (Mar. 10) at Malacanang's Rizal Hall. (Exequiel Supera-OS/NIB Photo)

Source

[xxxriainxxx]

Apparently the Philippine embassy moved to a new location. No updates yet on the PE-Seoul website however.

[kevinb]

Originally Posted by diz

Philippine embassy in Diplomacy Island, virtual sim game Second Life

image hosted on flickr

Looks like a school building.

[kiretoce]

Manila now UK’s largest visa hub in Asia-Pacific

Manila is now the United Kingdom’s largest visa hub in the Asia-Pacific.

United Kingdom’s Border Agency International Group Director Barbara Woodward bared this as she said the British government is targeting 80,000 visa applications in Manila this year.

“I am delighted to be visiting the Philippines and seeing in detail the important work carried out in the British Embassy’s visa section. Our visa hub in Manila is now the largest in the Asia-Pacific region taking in applications from five different areas as well as Filipino applications,” said Woodward, who was in Manila Friday for her Asia-Pacific regional tour.

“We expect to process upwards of 80,000 applications in total this year in Manila. These present a range of interesting migration challenges for us – from dealing with those wishing to join ships to those wanting to visit, study, or settle in the UK,” she added

Woodward is the most senior migration official to visit the Philippines in recent years. She is responsible for overseeing the work of the United Kingdom Border Agency in 135 locations throughout the world.

For his part, British Ambassador to the Philippines Stephen Lillie said: “People-to-people links are a vital part of the UK-RP relationship. We pride ourselves on running an efficient and customer-friendly visa operation in Manila – now Asia Pacific’s largest visa hub.”

The UK’s visa section in Manila takes in visa applications not only from the Philippines but also from South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, making it the largest visa hub in the Asia-Pacific region.

The British embassy in Manila recently opened its new Visa Application Centre (VAC), located at Unit 606, 6th Floor, 2305 Chino Roces Ave. Extension, Makati City.

New applications for a British passport from the Philippines, however, is being handled by the British Consulate in Hong Kong to ensure efficiency and security from fraudulence and tampering.

The British embassy had warned that those who will be caught submitting fake documents will be arrested and banned from making further applications for a period of 10 years.

The UK is the first European Union member country to adopt biometrics and has so far rolled out the procedure at its visa issuing centers in many countries worldwide. Its system has been adopted by other countries, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Visa applicants are required to submit their biometric details such as fingerprint scans and digital photo to ensure that future applications from individuals who have used false or fraudulent documents are refused without question.

The UK Boarder Agency has intercepted increasing fraudulent applications, from 584 in 2007 to 657 in 2008 alone.

The British government is likewise planning to change its migration policies that would allow individuals applying for a citizenship in the UK to go back to their home country for a period of time while waiting for their naturalized citizenship. This “circular migration” is expected to benefit developing countries like the Philippines.

There are currently about 200,000 to 300,000 Filipinos based in the UK, most of whom are in the health sector.

[kiretoce]

Filipinos face long waits to renew their passports
Consulate staff draw criticism over delays

Philippine consular officials came under fire Friday for not anticipating the huge numbers that turned out for an "outreach event" in Calgary, where foreign nationals from that country could get their passports renewed.

Crowds of Filipinos from across Alberta began lining up before dawn Friday, only to wait long into the afternoon before their papers were processed.

Hundreds more people who were turned away late Friday afternoon when officials cut off the line for the day will have try again through the weekend, prompting complaints from some who stood waiting for hours.

"It's not good. Everybody's complaining. There's no system. Volunteers are few. It needs better organization, better system," said Angie Balangitan, who drove to Calgary from Edmonton and was queued up by 6 a.m. Friday at the Marlborough Community Centre, where the event is being held.

"We'll see what happens next, or we'll come back tomorrow."

The program is part of a consular passport outreach organized by the Philippine Consulate in Vancouver aimed to help immigrants, contract workers and those who need their visas and other documents renewed.

In the past, Filipinos had to travel to Vancouver to get their passports renewed, said Antonio Tolentino, a consulate volunteer.

Ten workers processed the documents as quickly as possible all day Friday, but Tolentino admitted they weren't expecting the huge crowds that snaked across the parking lot and circled onto the adjacent playing fields. Just two washrooms were available for thousands of people, and the only food and water available throughout the day had to be brought in by friends and family.

"For them, it's totally a big sacrifice. But they have no choice, because they need their papers. It's tough for them," Tolentino said.

The offices will be open again today and Sunday, and even though larger crowds are expected because people have time off work, Tolentino said he's confident everyone will be processed.

Friday, Carmen de la Cruz, 50, rested for a few moments on a portable stool one of her new friends she met in line had brought to make the wait bearable. Though lengthy, the wait is more agreeable than the expense of travelling to Vancouver, she said.

"You have to be very patient."

Sally Rioferio, 47, a live-in nanny who has been working in Calgary since October 2008, stood in line by 6 a.m., when it was cold, dark and snowing.

[kiretoce]

Philippine Embassy Holds Language And Enrichment Classes

The Filipino language and cultural enrichment class at the Philippine Embassy opens today (Friday) at the Philippine Embassy.

Volunteer teachers are handling the three classes for beginners (ages six to eight), juniors (ages nine to 11) and seniors (12-14) from March 19 to 27. This programme is offered for free during this school break for children of Filipino overseas workers in Brunei. "Children who returned to the Philippines to continue their studies often struggle with their Filipino subject in school and outside the classroom.

"To help enhance the basic language skills of Filipino children whilst helping them prepare for further studies or travels to the Philippines, and rekindle their ties with their mother country, the Philippine Embassy in Brunei has been offering Pilipino Po Ako: Mag-Aral Tayong Mag-Pilipino' for the fourth time," said Minister and Consul Celeste Vinzon-Balatbat.

"Cultural enrichment activities have always been a part of the Embassy's vision for this programme. However, we saw the need to introduce the Filipino language first. Our language embodies our culture and is an essential element of our identity as Filipinos," said Minister Balatbat. "Classes on the Filipino language remained the programme's core, with the curriculum focusing on the Filipino alphabet (vowels and consonants), numbers (cardinals and ordinals), parts of the body, telling the time, and other basic elements," she said.

This morning (Friday), Minister Balatbat will be speaking in the cultural enrichment programme, which is part of the course on notable Filipinos, especially women, Philippine history and development. Carolyn Cruz, whose children have been enrolled in the programme since its pilot run in September 2008, attributed the noticeable improvement in their use of the Filipino language due to the Embassy's programme.

She also lauded several of the programme's activities intended to enhance their children's knowledge of the country's rich historical and cultural heritage such as the story-telling session on popular Filipino myths and stories such as Ibong Adarna and Juan Tamad, Minister Balatbat said. Teacher Toni Therese P Banzuela will be delivering the stories. Another resource speaker will deliver an introduction to Philippine literature and mythology, and the use of Philippine comics as a tool to teach the national language.

Tomorrow (Saturday), Philippine cuisine, from the most ancient of Philippine food, kinilaw, a way of cooking with liquid fire, to bibingka, a rice cake introduced by the Chinese, will also be discussed by the same speaker. A hands-on cooking session for a traditional Philippine snack by Rhoda Sta Maria at the Philippine Embassy will follow the introduction to Philippine cuisine.

Philippine Ambassador to Brunei Alexander B Yano will lead a session on showing respect for the flag, and will deliver a briefing on the Philippine peace process next week. Resource persons from Asean missions and Brunei government offices will speak on Asean day. An interfaith dialogue will also be conducted. Labour Attache Elizabeth 0 Recio will talk on financial literacy.

Cultural and Information Officer, Ruby G Banzon will make a presentation on Philippine tourist attractions. Teacher Neil Molina will introduce Philippine history and basic facts on the Philippines. Teacher Bernadette Respicio will also discuss Filipino customs, etiquette and good manners. Jojo Lemque and Ched Kaith M Vallejos are to round up the weeklong cultural enrichment programme that will tackle Philippine arts, dances and music.

There will be a tree planting at the Berakas Forest Recreational Park, with participation from the Forestry Department, Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources, and Filipino outdoor games and kite flying before the graduation ceremony the following day.

[hakz2007]

DFA Secretary Romulo meets Serbian foreign minister

MANILA, March 21 (PNA) -- Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo met with Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic at the sidelines of the March 16-18 Special Non-Aligned Movement Ministerial Meeting (SNAMMM) on Interfaith Dialogue and Cooperation for Peace and Development at the Philippine International Convention Center.

It is the first time a Serbian foreign minister visited the Philippines.

Minister Jeremic expressed his appreciation on the Filipino hospitality extended to him and lauded the Philippines’ efforts in hosting the SNAMMM and pushing for interfaith dialogue.

He said that Serbia plans to host a similar NAM ministerial meeting next year in Belgrade to mark the 50th anniversary of a NAM conference held in the Serbian capital.

For his part, Secretary Romulo reiterated the friendship the Philippines has with Serbia will continue and deepen through economic exchanges. (PNA)

http://positivenewsmedia.net/am2/pub...minister.shtml

Efficient consular services an offering to the Filipino people -- Secretary Romulo

MANILA, March 21 (PNA) -- Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo said that the modern technology and facilities in the new Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of Consular Affairs (DFA-OCA) building is an offering dedicated to the Filipino people.

“Our goal of an efficient, effective and comfortable consular services is our offering to the Filipino people as we cater to and serve their needs,” he said during the blessing on Friday of the DFA-OCA building graced by Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales and other guests from the business and diplomatic sectors.

Secretary Romulo said that as a frontline government agency, the DFA is determined to bring a world-class consular services to the Filipino people.

“In addition to the new consular building and the full implementation of the ePassport, we are bringing consular services closer to the Filipino people through opening more regional consular offices (RCOs) around the country and improving the services of existing ones, and through the fielding of mobile passporting services," Romulo explained.

"They do not have to spend money to go to Manila to get their passport, but only have to go to the DFA regional office nearest to them or go to our mobile passporting sites, and avail of the same fast and efficient services,” he said.

"With the opening of the new consular building and the full implementation of the ePassport, we are on our way to achieving our dream of a world-class passport and consular services,” he added.

More than the modern technology and facility, the best asset of the DFA is its people, Secretary Romulo said.

“It is the commitment and dedication of the people working in the DFA. They are our heroes,” he stressed.

The new building is part of the ongoing modernization program undertaken by Secretary Romulo to further improve the DFA’s frontline services which include harnessing new technologies in passport and visa issuances and streamlined procedures in the authentication of documents. (PNA)

http://positivenewsmedia.net/am2/pub...y_Romulo.shtml

[jpdm]

Originally Posted by hakz2007

DFA Secretary Romulo meets Serbian foreign minister
http://positivenewsmedia.net/am2/pub...minister.shtml

Efficient consular services an offering to the Filipino people -- Secretary Romulo
http://positivenewsmedia.net/am2/pub...y_Romulo.shtml

Good news!

[jpdm]

Originally Posted by kiretoce

Manila now UK’s largest visa hub in Asia-Pacific

Manila is now the United Kingdom’s largest visa hub in the Asia-Pacific.

United Kingdom’s Border Agency International Group Director Barbara Woodward bared this as she said the British government is targeting 80,000 visa applications in Manila this year.

“I am delighted to be visiting the Philippines and seeing in detail the important work carried out in the British Embassy’s visa section. Our visa hub in Manila is now the largest in the Asia-Pacific region taking in applications from five different areas as well as Filipino applications,” said Woodward, who was in Manila Friday for her Asia-Pacific regional tour.

“We expect to process upwards of 80,000 applications in total this year in Manila. These present a range of interesting migration challenges for us – from dealing with those wishing to join ships to those wanting to visit, study, or settle in the UK,” she added

Woodward is the most senior migration official to visit the Philippines in recent years. She is responsible for overseeing the work of the United Kingdom Border Agency in 135 locations throughout the world.

For his part, British Ambassador to the Philippines Stephen Lillie said: “People-to-people links are a vital part of the UK-RP relationship. We pride ourselves on running an efficient and customer-friendly visa operation in Manila – now Asia Pacific’s largest visa hub.”

The UK’s visa section in Manila takes in visa applications not only from the Philippines but also from South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, making it the largest visa hub in the Asia-Pacific region.

The British embassy in Manila recently opened its new Visa Application Centre (VAC), located at Unit 606, 6th Floor, 2305 Chino Roces Ave. Extension, Makati City.

New applications for a British passport from the Philippines, however, is being handled by the British Consulate in Hong Kong to ensure efficiency and security from fraudulence and tampering.

The British embassy had warned that those who will be caught submitting fake documents will be arrested and banned from making further applications for a period of 10 years.

The UK is the first European Union member country to adopt biometrics and has so far rolled out the procedure at its visa issuing centers in many countries worldwide. Its system has been adopted by other countries, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Visa applicants are required to submit their biometric details such as fingerprint scans and digital photo to ensure that future applications from individuals who have used false or fraudulent documents are refused without question.

The UK Boarder Agency has intercepted increasing fraudulent applications, from 584 in 2007 to 657 in 2008 alone.

The British government is likewise planning to change its migration policies that would allow individuals applying for a citizenship in the UK to go back to their home country for a period of time while waiting for their naturalized citizenship. This “circular migration” is expected to benefit developing countries like the Philippines.

There are currently about 200,000 to 300,000 Filipinos based in the UK, most of whom are in the health sector.

[hakz2007]

Thomas confirmed as U.S. ambassador to Manila

MANILA, March 23 (PNA) — The nomination of Harry K. Thomas Jr. as U.S. ambassador to the Philippines has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate, paving the way for his arrival in Manila “within the coming weeks,” according to the U.S. embassy in Manila.

The confirmation of the U.S. Senate on March 19 “is a necessary step under the U.S. Constitution in the ambassadorial nomination process,” the embassy said in announcing the new assignment.

Thomas replaces Kristie A. Kenney, who left Manila in early January.

The embassy said he is learning Tagalog (Filipino) in preparation for his new assignment, the first in Southeast Asia.

Official biography released by the embassy said that Thomas’s last ambassadorial assignment was in Bangladesh from 2003 to 2005. He joined the Foreign Service in 1984.

He is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service and served most recently as Director General of the Foreign Service and Director, Human Resources.

He previously served as a Special Assistant to the Secretary and Executive Secretary of the Department.

He also served in the White House as the Director for South Asia at the National Security Council from 2001 to 2002.

His other postings included New Delhi in India, Harare in Zimbabwe, Kaduna in Nigeria, and Lima in Peru.

The incoming ambassador is from the State of New York, and speaks Spanish, Hindi, and Bangla and is learning Tagalog.

He is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and pursued further study at Columbia University. (PNA)

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=0&nid=1&rid=266023

[hakz2007]

RP heads of posts in Middle East/Africa meet in Manila on policy directions in the region

MANILA, March 24 (PNA) — Filipino ambassadors and consuls-general based in the Middle East and Africa, numbering about 20, begin today a meeting on the region’s policy directions and work programs for the medium and long-term, it was announced by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

At what is formally called the Regional Consultative Meeting/Middle East and Africa Political Consultations of Heads of Posts (RCM/MEAPCHOPS), the 20 diplomats will discuss and share their experiences, issues and concerns on the three pillars of Philippine foreign policy, DFA added. The meeting ends on Friday.

The three such pillars are the preservation and enhancement of national security, the promotion and attainment of economic security, and the protection of the rights and promotion of the welfare and interest of Filipinos overseas, also known as assistance to nationals (ATN).

“For this particular RCM, topics will be specific to the Middle East and Africa, as majority of our Filipinos are located in those areas, and our embassies and consulates-general should be equipped to address their needs. Also, the region is an unexplored area for economic cooperation, which can help us in our own development,” DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban B. Conejos Jr. explained.

There will also be a consultation session with Secretary Marianito Roque of the Department of Labor and Employment, according to Conejos.

The pillar of ATN, being the major bulk of work of the embassies and consulates-general in the region, will be discussed lengthily in such topics as reform packages for household service workers, addressing the deployment ban in some areas of the region, protection of migrant workers, human trafficking and illegal recruitment, Conejos said.

In the political/security aspect, the Filipino diplomats are expected to talk about the security situation and transnational crimes.

Such issues as minerals development, Islamic finance and banking, mainstreaming the halal industry, and official development assistance form part of the discussion on the pillar of economic diplomacy.

DFA said the RCM/MEAPCHOPS is a planning exercise that will determine the policy direction and work program of the Philippine embassies and consulates-general in a given region for the short and medium term. (PNA)

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=0&nid=1&rid=266329

[hakz2007]

Relief of RP envoy to Germany stirs rage

THE SUDDEN REMOVAL OF the Philippine ambassador to Germany may have more to do with bilateral relations between the two countries than being another case of an unconstitutional “midnight” appointment by President Macapagal-Arroyo.

A former diplomat raised this possibility Saturday in the wake of the relief of career Ambassador Delia Domingo-Albert, who has been replaced by 87-year-old businessman Alfonso Yuchengco.

The move sent shock waves within the Department of Foreign Affairs. Ironically, Albert learned about her removal last week when she flew to Manila to receive the “Most Outstanding Filipino Woman in Global Diplomacy” award from no less than the President herself.

“It’s really unusual because we normally give our officers a 60-day recall notice so he or she can do the traditional farewell calls and also officially notify the foreign office of the host country,” a senior DFA official told the Inquirer Saturday. The official asked not to be named because of the sensitive nature of the matter and a lack of authority to discuss it publicly.

Said Assistant Foreign Secretary Vicky Bataclan, the president of the Union of Foreign Service Officers:

“Our beef is that Mr. Alfonso Yuchengco’s appointment is void. There is no Commission on Appointments (CA) to confirm his nomination, which is [needed for] the necessary steps, like requesting his agrement from the German government.

In any case, all political ambassadors are coterminous with [the President]. This is, thus, a useless nomination to a nonexistent CA, almost void ab initio, if not unconstitutional.”

Bataclan added that by operation of law, all political ambassadors should be out of their countries of assignment on or before June 30.

No respect for int’l protocol

Jose Apolinario Lozada—a former envoy to Austria, Palau and the Holy See—said the case was more than just a last-minute appointment made by Ms Arroyo, whose term ends on June 30.

“Is there something wrong with our bilateral relations with Germany that the President had to replace Delia Albert immediately?” he said in a phone interview. “Why the haste?”

Lozada, who is running for senator under Joseph Estrada’s Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, added: “Besides the matter of midnight appointments, there is the more important issue concerning our international reputation, that it seems we have no respect for international protocol and the terms of service of foreign service officers.”

But Malacañang Saturday denied that there was anything irregular about the removal of Albert.

“No, it wasn’t hasty,” Gary Olivar, a deputy spokesperson of Ms Arroyo, said without elaborating.

Either-or

Lozada said the removal could either mean that Albert “did something wrong,” or that Germany might have done something that did not sit well with Manila.

“Domestically, it’s OK for us to change our people,” he said. “But in the international community where we are a small player, it’s not.”

On top of the 60-day recall notice, Lozada said an envoy who was about to be relieved was usually told about it 30 days in advance.

The senior DFA official noted that “it’s not the practice of the DFA to dispatch an ambassador until two things have occurred.”

Like Bataclan, he pointed out that a new envoy first had to be cleared by the CA and accepted by the foreign government.

He said both requirements were missing in the case of Yuchengco’s appointment, which he described as “problematic at this time.”

But when asked if the new president could end up settling the matter of Yuchengco’s appointment, he said: “That’s a possibility.”

Still, the official said Albert was not exactly irreplaceable.

“She is a political appointee because she is way past the retirement age,” the official said.

“She serves at the pleasure of the President and she is recallable at any time. As a general proposition, political appointees, like Cabinet members, are coterminous with the appointing authority. So she can only stay there, at most, up to June 30.”

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquire...any-stirs-rage

[hakz2007]

DFA's stance on naming of new RP envoy to Germany bared

MANILA, March 28 (PNA) -- Press Secretary Crispulo Icban Jr. today releases the official statements from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on the issue of new appointment to the Philippine ambassadorial post in Germany:

Ambassador to Germany Delia Domingo Albert retired in 2005 and has since been annually extended as a political appointee recallable at any time, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said today in the wake of reports asking why she has now been recalled and a new ambassador, Al Yuchenco, named in her place.

Assistant Secretary Eduardo Malaya, spokesman of the DFA, said Albert ceased to be a career ambassador when she retired in 2005. Her term was immediately extended at that time and this has been done annually, but as a political appointee, she serves at the pleasure of the President.

"Political ambassadors are recallable any time and we in the career service know that," Malaya said.

The DFA issued the clarification in the wake of reports quoting an unnamed DFA official as saying that the recall of a "career ambassador" had sent shock waves within the DFA.

Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza said President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has never removed career officials unless they were promoted. She has never violated the Civil Service Law, he said.

He said that he had duly informed Albert of the appointment of Yuchengco but she was to remain at her post pending the completion of the two requirements of such ambassadorial appointments - the concurrence of the host government, in this case, Germany, and confirmation by the Commission on Appointments.

With respect to the ratio between career and political appointees in the DFA, Malaya said that the DFA last October issued a statement that the Arroyo administration had appointed more career ambassadors and consuls general (72.83 percent) than political ones. This compares with 70 percent for the Estrada administration and 67 percent for the Ramos administration.

Former Civil Service Commission Chairman Patricia Sto. Tomas said that in President Arroyo's more recent appointments in the government service, the percentage of career vs political appointments had been 93.7 percent.

DFA also said that four of the most recent vacancies in the foreign service, namely, Brussels, Pretoria, Islamabad, and Hanoi, were filled with career diplomats, whose appointments were approved by the Commission on Appointments on Oct. 14, 2009.' (PNA)

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=0&nid=1&rid=266850

[hakz2007]

PGMA names Cabactulan as new envoy to UN

MANILA, March 29 (PNA) — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has appointed Ambassador Libran Cabactulan as the new permanent representative to the United Nations (UN), replacing resigned Ambassador Hilario Davide Sr.

Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza said in a media briefing at Malacanang on Monday that Davide resigned in the first week of March to help his son who is running for the gubernatorial post in Cebu province.

Cabactulan is assigned at the Office of the Secretary of Foreign Affairs as senior assistant for Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation with a rank of Assistant Secretary. (PNA)

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=0&nid=1&rid=267058

[hakz2007]

Ambassadors to Belgium, Pakistan present credentials

MANILA, March 29 (PNA)—The newly-accredited Philippine ambassador to Brussels has relayed to the Belgian King Manila’s support of Brussels when the latter assumes the Presidency of the European Union in the second half of the year, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said today.

The new ambassador, former DFA Undersecretary for Policy Enrique A. Manalo, also conveyed the best wishes of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo with King Albert II at the Royal Laeken Castle in Brussels after presenting his credentials on March 17.

They also talked about the plans of the Philippines for the forthcoming Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Brussels in October 2010, as well as recalled memories of the Belgian monarch’s visit to Manila in the 1980’s when he was still Crown Prince.

Manalo’s presentation of his credentials to Belgium and that of former Assistant Secretary of the Office of Legal Affairs Jesus I. Yabes to Pakistan were announced belatedly today by the DFA.

Yabes presented his accreditation to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on Feb. 22 at the Aiwan-e-Sadr (Presidency) in Islamabad.

Both Manalo and Yabes are career diplomats.

DFA said that the Belgian king expressed his support for strengthening the bilateral relations between the Philippines and Belgium.

They discussed the embassy’s plans to enhance Philippines-Belgium ties especially in trade, investment, cultural promotion and people-to-people contacts.

The King also recalled his visit to Manila in the 1980s when he was still the Crown Prince, and his contribution towards the realization of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) system. Manalo told the King that the LRT has become an integral part of Manila’s transport system.

Ambassador Yabes had a brief conversation with President Zardari during which the latter acknowledged the excellent state of relations between the Philippines and Pakistan.

DFA said Yabes pledged to work for the enhancement of the bilateral relations.

At the end of the meeting, Zardari presented Yabes with the late Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's book, “Reconciliation.” Zardari is Bhutto’s widower.

Manalo served as Undersecretary for Policy (2007-2010) before his posting to Belgium. He also served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Philippine Mission to the United Nations in Geneva (2003-2007). He was Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York (2000-2003) and Assistant Secretary, Office of European Affairs (1998-2000), among others.

Yabes served as Assistant Secretary of the Office of Legal Affairs prior to his posting. He was also Assistant Secretary of the Office of Middle East and African Affairs (2008), Philippine Consul General to Shanghai (2002-2007), Philippine Ambassador to Singapore (1992-2002); Deputy Chief of Mission, Minister and Consul General to Tokyo (1996-1999), among others. (PNA)

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