On 30 January 2022, I was designated as my Office’s (DFA – Office of Public and Cultural Diplomacy), representative to the celebration of the World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day, following an official invitation from Executive Director Thoko Elphick-Pooley, Uniting to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs). The idea was to communities light up “landmarks, stadiums and…
Category: Diplomacy Miscellany
2025, quo vadis?
It’s the 15th of January 2025. We’re only two weeks into the new year and yet, it feels like it has been a long time. Since January 2, there has been only 10 work days and two (2) weekends! But we’re back to the same routine, and the newness of 2025, it seems, is getting…
Behind the Scenes of the Baguio Conference
I attended a conference in Baguio recently, where I was the keynote speaker on 24 October 2024. My topic was on the Internationalization of Higher Education. I appreciate this invitation from the Philippine International Friendship and Understanding Association (PIFUA) to the 5th International Conference-Training for International Students, Student Leaders, and Advisers (ICTISSLA), which gave me…
Marie Veronica Expert – a multigenre Filipina visual artist
The beauty of the female visage and form, a lively splash of colors, and arresting visuals — these are just a few ways to describe Marie Veronica Expert’s works. Marie is one of the visual artists that I met in Paris during my foreign assignment there from 2018-2021, whose artistic genre is so varied. During…
Dee Apilado – An Epitome of an Empowered Filipina
I first met Dee in 2018 when I was posted in Paris as a Third Secretary and Vice Consul. Dee is a ray of sunshine; she always has a ready smile, a charming face, and a vivacious personality. Dee is currently working in UNESCO as a Project Assistant in the Education Sector. She is also…
Pansit/Pancit
Maraming klase ng pansit sa Pilipinas. Halos sa bawat lugar, may kinasanayan na pamamaraan sa pagluto ng pansit, sa klase ng noodles at sa mga sahog. Sa aming bahay, maging dito sa Manila o noong nasa probinsya pa kami, karaniwan na nagluluto ng pansit si Mama kapag may kaarawan, piyesta, Pasko o anupamang selebrasyon. Pansit…
Music, OPM and me
Yesterday, as I was having a long bath while listening to music, thoroughly enjoying my freetime on a Saturday, I thought of writing a piece about Original Pilipino Music (OPM). I have written one entry about music sometime ago, Diplomacy and Music, and while it lists several of the famous, respected and talented singers in…
Weaving Words
A fellow participant in a recent training for ASEAN diplomats asked me how long it took me to draft the “Thank You” message of the batch, which I delivered that afternoon during the closing ceremonies of our diplomatic training. I said, “15-20 minutes, around that time.” She was amazed and asked how I did it….
And the Years Passed By
Today, 22 January 2022 marks the six years since I took my oath as a Foreign Service Officer (FSO). I still distinctly remember that day when I attended the oath-taking at the Department of Foreign Affairs wearing a royal blue Filipiniana gown and a rather conspicious silver necklace which I never wore again after that…
Glimpse of a Diplomat’s Life
What do diplomats do? In the virtual age, is the work of a diplomat still relevant? At a time when even the highest leader of the land or the head of the Foreign Affairs Department can post his/her decisions and sentiments online, available to the public within mere seconds and when news travels more than…
Beyond Routes 