Sponsorship Speech on the ad interim appointments of 49 officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)

   Speech    December 12, 2023  |  0

SPONSORSHIP SPEECH

SENATOR JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA

Chairperson, Committee on Foreign Affairs

Commission on Appointments

12 December 2023

Mr. Chairman, honorable members of the Commission on Appointments, ladies and gentlemen, this representation as Chairperson of the Committee on Foreign Affairs has the distinct privilege to sponsor the ad interim appointments of forty-nine (49) officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs. 

Following a public hearing this morning, your Committee found them to be fit and qualified, and ruled to endorse them to the plenary for the approval of this august body.

Our appointees come from different backgrounds – some started their stint in public service here in the Senate, in the executive offices, the judiciary, even the military and coast guard service, while others began their careers in the academe and the corporate world. They have all answered the call of duty in the foreign service, and such diversity of competencies and advocacies of our appointees contribute to the strengthened capacity of the DFA in addressing the complex problems and issues that they are confronted with. 

Let me take this opportunity to express sincerest gratitude to the DFA family for providing invaluable technical and operational assistance which contributed to the successful hosting of the 31st Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) held here in Manila from 23 to 26 of November.

Distinguished colleagues, I am honored to recommend that this body confirm the ad interim appointments of:

  1. MARIA TERESA TORRES ALMOJUELA – Chief of Mission, Class I 

She is currently the Chief of Staff in the Office of the Secretary, and concurrent Assistant Secretary, United Nations and International Organizations (UNIO) of the DFA. Previously, she served as our Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of the Philippine Mission to the UN and International Organizations in Geneva, Switzerland. Interestingly, she started her career in government as Information Officer in the Senate in 1993. 

  • BERNADETTE THERESE CHIU FERNANDEZ – Chief of Mission, Class I 

Since October 2022, she is the Chief Coordinator of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Secretary. She has been in the foreign service for 28 years, who has been deployed overseas as Consul General in the Philippine Consulate General in Milan, Italy; and Deputy Consul General in the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto, Canada. 

  • ROBERT OCSAN FERRER JR. – Chief of Mission, Class II

He is presently the Acting Senior Special Assistant in the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (OUMWA). He served as Deputy Chief of Mission and Consul General in Philippine Embassy in Moscow, Russia from April 2019 to July 2023, and Acting Assistant Secretary in DFA Mindanao. He dedicated 25 years in foreign service. 

  • KRISTINE LEILANI RODRIGUEZA SALLE* – Chief of Mission, Class II

She joins us virtually from Geneva, Switzerland, where she is now posted as our Deputy Permanent Representative and Minister in the Permanent Mission of the Philippines to the United Nations and Other International Organizations. She joined the DFA as a contractual clerk in 1997, worked her way up the organizational hierarchy. She has been with the DFA for 26 years. 

Likewise, Mr. President, I endorse the promotions of the following officials: 

  • LORENA JOY PADERNA BANAGODOS – to the rank of Career Minister 
  • JOSELITO CHAD NALUS JACINTO JR. – to the rank of Career Minister 
  • JOHN GUMAPOS REYES – to the rank of Career Minister

Foreign Service Officer, Class I 

  1. DARREL ANN ROQUE ARTATES – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class I
  2. THEODORE ANDREI PROGALIDAD BAUZON – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class I
  3. JANINA LOURDES S. BUSTOS-BORROMEO – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class I
  4. CANDY S. CYPRES-BAUZON – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class I
  5. NICOLE THERESE ANTONIO DE CASTRO – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class I
  6. ALEXANDER JOSEPH AYSON ESTOMO – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class I
  7. ALAN ROI QUILINO GABRIOLA* – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class I
  8. MA. CHARMAINE DORIA GUEVARA – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class I
  9. ALVIN CASTAÑEDA MALASIG* – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class I
  10. SHIRLEY ONG NUEVO* – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class I
  11. ANNE KRISTINE DEL MUNDO SALVADOR – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class I

Foreign Service Officer, Class II 

  1. THOMAS PHILIP CRUZ AQUINO* – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II
  2. JAYBEE BANDIGAN ARGUILLAS – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II
  3. MANUEL CUETO AYAP* – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II
  4. JHULLIE ANNE AMBOJNON BENIAHAN* – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II
  5. SHEILA MAE ALINGASAN BRIONES – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II
  6. IRIS VANESSA BATUNGBACAL CARANZO – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II
  7. VENINCE ALLEN VALENZUELA CARILLO* – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II
  8. CHARLES LAWRENCE LUA CHING – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II
  9. JOAN MACRISE CAMUS CORRADO – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II
  10. EMMYLOU BAÑEZ FELIMER – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II
  11. APRILFLEUR S. GALIMA-MEJIA* – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II
  12. MINA ANGELES LIM GANZON* – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II
  13. ALFRED KRISTOFFER AMISTAD GUIANG* – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II
  14. MARK HANZEL HALILI LAO* – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II
  15. MARK DOMINIC ESPARAZ LIM* – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II
  16. MARCO ANGELO FELIX LIM LOPEZ* – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II
  17. AL-BARI BELWA MACALAWAN* – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II
  18. BEATRIZ ALEXANDRA GARCIA MARTINEZ – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II
  19. PATRICIA CORPUZ MILLA* – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II
  20. MA. CLARIBEL MAULION OCHOA* – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II
  21. JOSE SANTIAGO FONACIER OLAGUERA* – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II
  22. ANGELI ABSIN PAYUMO* – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II
  23. TANYA FAYE ONGOGAN RAMIRO – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II
  24. BARBIE JANE LABRADOR ROSALES* – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II
  25. JANICE C. SANCHEZ-RIVERA – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II
  26. JOHN BOITTE CONCEPCION SANTOS* – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II
  27. PAT LESTER FERNANDEZ SOLOSA* – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II
  28. FEAMOR VYN SALANGA TIOSEN* – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II
  29. MARIVIL VILLA VALLES* – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II
  30. JOHAIRA C. WAHAB-MANANTAN – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II
  31. PAOLO REPOSO ZURITA* – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II

I so move, Mr. Chairman. 

 

© 2024 Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada. Ingeniously Conceived by Studio Sixteen.