CA confirms PH envoys to the Holy See, Egypt, 14 DFA officers

LACSON LEADS CA FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE HEARING: Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Commission on Appointments, presides over a hybrid meeting Wednesday, June 2, 2021, to deliberate on the nominations and ad interim appointments of officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs. (Joseph Vidal/Senate PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Appointments (CA) on Wednesday confirmed the nomination of two Philippine ambassadors and the ad interim appointment of 14 Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) officers.

Before the CA plenary, the body’s Committee on Foreign Affairs deliberated on and recommended the approval of the nomination of Philippine Ambassador to Egypt Ezzedin Hamdi Tago and Philippine Ambassador to the Holy See Myla Grace Ragenia Catalbas Macahilig.

Tago, whose mother is from Egypt and father hailing from Lanao del Sur, first entered the DFA as a casual employee in 1995. He passed his foreign service exam in 1996.

His first posting abroad was as a junior officer in the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh and eventually in Jakarta.

According to Tago, his first ambassadorial post was in Saudi Arabia from 2011 to 2016. He is currently the country’s consul general in Sydney, Australia.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., who was present online, vouched for Tago, adding that he pushed for the diplomat’s designation as the Philippines’ envoy to Egypt.

“I pushed for it. I wanted it because I knew his talents, while essential in Sydney for example, I knew his talents required him to have no less than an ambassador post in Egypt,” Locsin told the CA committee.

“The Arab states, especially Egypt which is the most influential politically, would require someone with a special insight into the mindset of that country,” he added.

As ambassador to Egypt, Tago also has concurrent jurisdiction over the Republic of Djibouti, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the State of Eritrea, and the Republic of the Sudan.

Meanwhile, Macahilig has been with the DFA for 23 years. She is currently serving as assistant secretary of the DFA’s financial management services.

Macahilig previously served in the Philippine embassies in New Zealand from 2002 to 2008 and in the United Kingdom from 2012 to 2018.

“If my nomination merits your favorable consideration today, this will be my first posting as ambassador,” she said. Macahilig will also have concurrent jurisdiction over the Sovereign Order of Malta.

Aside from the two ambassadors, the following DFA officers also secured the confirmation of the CA:

Maria Teresita Cruz Daza – Chief of Mission, Class I
Charmaine Rowena Caoile Aviquivil – Chief of Mission, Class II
Adrian Bernie Cabardo Candolada – Chief of Mission, Class II
Lilibeth Velasco Pono – Chief of Mission II
Josephine Magpantay Reynante – Chief of Mission, Class II
Elizabeth Tan Te – Chief of Mission, Class II
Roderico Caparas Atienza – Career Minister
Donna Celeste D. Feliciano-Gatmaytan – Career Minister
Emmanuel Donato Koch Guzman – Career Minister
Gonaranao Bantuas Musor – Career Minister
Ericka Anna Tan Abad – Foreign Service Officer, Class I
Lily Ann Chen Cheng – Foreign Service Officer, Class I
Shiena R. Escoto-Tesorero – Foreign Service Officer, Class I
Anna Marie Santos – Foreign Service Officer, Class I

/MUF