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 nominations and ad interim appointments of eight (8) officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Your Committee found our nominees and appointees to be fit and qualified, and ruled to endorse them to the plenary for the approval of this august body, following this morning’s public hearing and deliberations on their qualifications and credentials as career officers from the DFA.
Distinguished colleagues, I respectfully recommend that this body give its consent to the nominations of two (2) ambassadors, namely:
FLERIDA ANN CAMILLE PUZON MAYO – Chief of Mission, Class II, as
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Cambodia
- Miss Tata, as she is fondly called by her staff, is presently the Consul General of the Philippine Consulate General in Chongqing, People’s Republic of China since May 2021. She assumed important posts in the home office and overseas posts, as Minister and Consul in Philippine Embassy in Ottawa, Canada; Second Secretary and Consul in Philippine Embassy in Oslo, Norway; Second Secretary and Consul in Philippine Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden; and Vice Consul in Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong.
She is also knowledgeable in basic French, Mandarin, Bahasa Indonesia, Nihonggo and Swedish languages; and was conferred with Gawad Mabini with the rank of Commander (Dakilang Kasugo) in 2010.
Next month, she will be celebrating her forty-second (42) year in the DFA, having joined the Department in April 1982.
EDGAR TOMAS QUILINO AUXILIAN – Chief of Mission, Class II as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, with concurrent jurisdiction over the Republic of Kiribati and Solomon Islands
- Born in Anini-y, Antique, our nominee is currently the Consul General in Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In his 27 years in the foreign service, he has been proven to be a reliable officer in the DFA head office and overseas posts as Minister and Consul General and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme and the UN Habitat in Nairobi, Kenya from 2019 to 2021; as Consul in the Philippine Consulate General in Agana, Guam, USA from 2011 to 2017; and as Second Secretary/Consul and Officer-in-Charge in Philippine Embassy Extension Office in Bonn, Germany.
- The Commission on Appointments confirmed his ad interim appointment to the rank of Chief of Mission, Class II last February 2023. He is hoping to secure the nod of the esteemed body, once again, this time as Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, probably as a birthday gift as he just turned 60 last Thursday, March 7.
Likewise, dear colleagues, I recommend that this body confirm the ad interim appointment and promotion of the following young and promising diplomats:
- STACY DANIKA ALCANTARA-GARCIA – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II;
- BOJER BADA CAPATI – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II;
- EDWARD DAGUPLO CHAN – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II;
- MARIA CHRISTINA CECELIA CABALLERO HERNANDEZ – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II;
- JAKE ROBIN SUCGANG RAMINTAS – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II
- JOMAR TUMARONG SADIE – to the rank of Foreign Service Officer, Class II;
I so move, Mr. Chairman.