CA confirms appointment of 8 ambassadors, 87 DFA officials

PHOTO from comappt.gov.ph

MANILA, Philippines – The appointments of 95 officials, including eight ambassadors, of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), were confirmed  by  the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA) on Wednesday.

The confirmation of the eight ambassadors, 25 chiefs of missions, 26 career ministers, and 36 foreign service officers was “one of the biggest numbers of DFA officials to get the CA’s nod,” said Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, head of the CA committee on foreign affairs.

It was Santiago who presided over the confirmation hearing of the officials at the committee level.

The eight ambassadors confirmed were:

1.      Bayani V. Mangibin, ambassador to Kenya, Burundi, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwnda, Seychelles Somali, Tanzania, Uganda, and is also the permanent representative to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), and HABITAT;

2.      Petronila P. Garcia, ambassador to Canada;

3.      Lamberto V. Monsanto, ambassador to Kuwait;

4.      Ma. Amelita C. Aquino, ambassador to Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay;

5.      Antonio A. Morales, ambassador to Singapore;

6.      Joseph Gerard B. Angeles, ambassador to South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe;

7.      Raul S. Hernandez, ambassador to Korea; and

8.      Virgilio A. Reyes, ambassador to Italy, San Marino, Albania, and Malta.

Chiefs of Mission, Class I

9.      Jerril Santos

10.  Gilberto C.B Asuque

11.  Wilfredo R. Cuyugan

12.  Jose Eduardo Malaya III

13.  Ma. Hellen Dela Vega

14.  Carlos Sorreta

15.  Jaime Victor B. Ledda

16.  Joselito Jimeno

17.  Ma. Lumen Isleta

18.  Domingo  Lucenario Jr.

Chiefs of Mission, Class II

19.  Wilfredo Santos

20.  Gina Jamoralin

21.  Ma. Teresita C. Daza

22.  Bernardita Catalla

23.  Alfonso Ver

24.  Nathaniel Imperial

25.  Millicent Paredes

26.  Julio Dery

27.  Ma. Theresa De Vega

28.  Rosalita  Prospero

29.  Marciano De Borja

30.  Belinda Ante

31.  Medardo Macaraig

32.  Noralyn Baja

Career Ministers

33.  Edgar Badajos

34.  Robespierre Bolivar

35.  Avangeline Ong Jimenez-Ducrocq

36.  Josephine Reynante

37.  Grace T. Cruz- Fabella

38.  Enrico Fos

39.  Roberto Manalo

40.  Donna Rodriguez

41.  Charmaine Rowena Aviquivil

42.  Lilibeth Pono

43.  Deena Joy Amatong

44.  Jose Victor Chan-Gonzaga

45.  Senen Mangalile

46.  Jaime Ramon Ascalon

47.  Josel Ignacio

48.  Margarita Ibayan

49.  Patrick John Hilado

50.  Eric Gerardo Tamayo

51.  Racquel Solano

52.  Igor Bailen

53.  Patrick Chuasoto

54.  Aileen Mediola-Rau

55.  Leo Tito Ausan jr.

56.  Nina Cainglet

57.  Arlene Macaisa

58.  Ma. Lourdes M. Salceda

Foreign Service Officers, Class I

59.  Maria Alnee Gamble

60.  Roberto Bernardo

61.  Edna May Lazaro

62.  Voltaire Mauricio

63.  Mersole Mellejor

64.  Guther Emil Sales

65.  Jim Tito San Agustin

66.  Raphael Hermoso

67.  Christopher Patrick Aro

68.  Ariz Severino Convalecer

69.  Maria Anna Lilia De Vera

70.  Mark Francis Hamoy

71.  Marford Angeles

72.  Jesus Enrique Garcia II

Foreign Service Officers, Class II

73.  Leah Victoria Rodiguez

74.  Maria Paz Cortez

75.  Jeffrey Salik

76.  Rea Oreta

77.  Aian Caringal

78.  Susana Mendiola

79.  Shiela Marie Tario

80.  Grace Anne Bulos

81.  Melanie Rita Diano

82.  Lorena Joy Banagodos

83.  Ma. Carmela Teresa Cabreira

84.  Conrado Demdem Jr.

85.  Greg Marie Marino

86.  Bertrand Theodor Santos

87.  Arvic Arevalo

88.  John  Reyess

89.  Reichel Quinones

90.  Edward Yulo

91.  Lorenzo Rhys Jungco IV

92.  Jason Jovencio Anasarias

93.  Emmanuel Donato Guzman

94.  Edwin Mendoza

95. Eduardo Aro as Chief Mission, Class II for the period of March 3 to October 19, 2013, the same date he retired.

Santiago noted that all of the 95 diplomats are career diplomats.

A career diplomat is a person who has passed the foreign service officers’ (FSO) examination, which is a year-long examination considered as one of the toughest in the country.

“A career diplomat rises from the ranks. This is different from a political appointee, who is appointed to the position of ambassador, public minister, or consul, by the president at his pleasure,” she pointed out.