Yasay names Teehankee, Abadilla as new DFA undersecretaries

Foreign Affairs secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. has appointed trade diplomat Manuel A.J. Teehankee and retired ambassador Ariel Abadilla as new undersecretaries for international economic relations and civilian security and consular concerns respectively.

Yasay likewise retained senior diplomats Jesus Yabes and Linglingay Lacanlale as undersecretaries for migrant workers affairs and administration respectively. Yabes was recently awarded Order of Sikatuna by President Aquino for negotiating safe repatriation of Filipinos trapped in the strings of uprising during the Arab spring.

Foreign undersecretary for policy Enrique Manalo was also retained as he was only appointed early this year from his diplomatic posting as ambassador to United Kingdom.

Abadilla served as ambassador to Ireland under former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo but the chancery in Dublin closed in 2012 and he was posted as ambassador to United Kingdom with jurisdiction in the Philippine Consulate in Dublin.

His diplomatic postings include New York, Houston, Seattle, Beijing, Sydney, Washington D.C. and Hawaii.

At the same time, undersecretary Teehankee served as Philippine Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva from 2004 to 2011. Teehankee also served as undersecretary of the Department of Justice.

In his first flag ceremony last week, secretary Yasay said DFA officials and personnel to serve the people with integrity and sincerity most especially the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).

“Philippines’ foreign policy must proceed from our needs and aspirations as a people, while facing the realities in our region, and keeping in step with contemporary global events and developments,” said Yasay, in his speech.

READ: Yasay accepts DFA post in Duterte administration

The department’s service for OFWs should start from “the moment of the recruitment process all the way to their countries of destination in safeguarding their well-being.”

“We must be vigilant in protecting their lawful rights and in providing immediate and adequate assistance as they face difficult, dangerous and vulnerable situations abroad,”said Yasay.

Yasay also created the DFA’s Offices of Public Diplomacy that replaces the Public Information and Services Unit (PISU).

At the same time, a diplomatic source said the Cultural Diplomacy Unit was also created to promote Philippine culture, history and identity in the global platforms with particular focus on Filipinos who have been living and working abroad for more than ten years. CDG