From FRONTLINES OF DIPLOMACY

Excerpt from the Foreword

by Alberto G. Romulo (Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Aug 2004-Feb 2011)
The basic task of diplomats has been described as objectively analyzing and explaining
other nations goals and viewpoints. These and other information are essential to any
sound process of foreign policy decision-making. The fate of nation-states could hinge
on this exercise, particularly in times of impending conflict.
[Diplomacy] is perhaps the profession that is uniquely committed to the cause of peace.

In September 1946, then Vice President of the Philippines and concurrent Secretary of
Foreign Affairs Elpidio Quirino spoke thus to the newly-organized diplomatic corps of
the Philippine Republic:
Let us face the world... standing on our own feet, the equal of any other free people
ready to bargain, willing to consider any honourable proposition of mutual aid and
advantage for, after all, nowadays there is no such thing as an absolutely independent
people on earth and pledged to preserve and maintain this free Republic so that its
citizens of the future will say that we built well and built it for our own. That is the true
spirit of liberty without which no true independence can exist, nor can any foreign policy
be wisely formulated before the world.

Quote from Gen. Carlos P. Romulo

We may have the best ideas but if we are not able to convey those ideas then they
dont mean anything.

Alfredo L. Almendrala Jr. served as ambassador to Myanmar (1986-1989) when

democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi was first imprisoned, and as consul-general in San
Francisco (1990-1995). From 1972 to 1976, he served as third secretary and vice
consul in Cairo, during which the Yom Kippur War (Six Day War) broke out.
Looking back, there were only two officers in the embassy, the ambassador and myself.
It was 1973. I just served one year at post. With the number of personnel that we had, it
was a small embassy covering a large portion of the Middle East and North Africa.
Technology was not as advanced as it is now. We didnt get the news on TV but only
from the radio. We listened to BBC clandestinely. So where did we get our information?
We got information only through networking with fellow diplomats. This you have to
develop, your relationship among your colleagues in the diplomatic corps.

The night before the war broke out, I was at the Indonesian embassy reception for their
national day. Even if I was third secretary, I was at ease with members of ASEAN. Since
I came from the military, there was this kind of camaraderie that existed between myself
and the four military attachs at the Indonesian embassy. They said, Do you know that
the Russians have been leaving since the day before yesterday? The following
morning, I got a call from the Indonesian military attach. The Egyptians just crossed
the Suez Canal and attacked Sinai and have advanced. I immediately reported to my
ambassador.

Lauro L. Baja, Jr. served as ambassador to Brazil (1986-1993), Italy (1997-1998), as

permanent representative to the United Nations in New York (2003-2007) and as DFA
senior undersecretary for policy (1998-2003). Ambassador Baja used three tools to
great effect during his stint as the permanent representative when the Philippines had a
seat in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), to wit: effective networking,
extensive preparations, and his disarming humor. As a result, the spotlight shone on the
Philippines in the worlds leading stage. Ambassador Baja is also credited for
shepherding the passage of the landmark Resolution 1546 on Iraq. 1
On being a permanent representative in the UNSC
The UNSC is the crown jewel of the UN. It is the UN organ with very limited
membership. If you go by the regular membership process, after a stint, the next one
will be fifteen years hence. It is an achievement to be a member of the Security Council.
I can recall what the permanent representative of Spain, who is also a good friend, said
when we won the UNSC membership. He told me, Lauro, when you won the UNSC
seat you ceased to be a mortal; you became a demigod.
At the negotiating table for UNSC Resolution 1546
Then we had a seminar about the resolution where Kofi Annan and all the permanent
representatives were present. The seminar was kept from media and NGOs. But the
negotiations were difficult; no one wanted to give in. During one of the sessions I said,
We are now at an impasse but in my junior officer days I was made to understand that
diplomacy is about negotiation. Negotiation is a matter of give and take. I also shared
with them the anecdote, A man who gives in when he knows hes wrong is an honest
man. A man who gives in when he is not sure he is wrong is a wise man. But a man who
gives in even though he knows he is right is a married man. That broke the whole
atmosphere of tension. Even Kofi Annan, who was drinking his coffee, almost spilled it.
1 Resolution 1546 established the political transition process in Iraq by endorsing
the new interim government, allowing a multinational force to provide security in
partnership with the new government, and setting out a leading role for the UN and
the international community in the political process.

That eased the tension and we were able to talk. We went back to New York the
following day with a resolution.

Henrietta T. de Villa was appointed by then President Fidel V. Ramos to be the

ambassador to the Holy See in 1996. She served from 1996 to 2001. Ambassador de
Villa readily admits that she did not aspire nor train to be a diplomat, but she
nevertheless proved herself equal to this task. Prior to her appointment, she was a lay
leader of the Church and was actively involved in organizing the 10 th World Youth Day
in Manila, which Pope John Paul II attended.
Before I went to Rome, the Papal Nuncio then, the late Archbishop Moreni, tried to
teach me how to act ambassadorial. He said, First of all, you should not drive. Imagine
if youre driving yourself to a diplomatic function, you know, the parking spaces there are
very small and narrow. And you will alight from your car in your elegant attire and walk
all the way to the entrance because the only parking you could find is almost half a
kilometre away. No, no, no, give up your driving.
Then the archbishop also said to me, When they call you Eccelenza, dont be surprised
and jump like a frog. You have to remember to accept those things with dignity because
you are now not only representing yourself but your country, and you have to adapt to
the protocol of the country that receives you and in this case, the protocol in the
Vatican. There were so many paradigm shifts for me.
I consider as precious gems in my life my encounters with the great Pope John Paul II.
When I presented to him my credentials as ambassador, Pope John Paul II did not
remain seated. He stood up and took me from the door and with his arms open, he said,
Welcome, Henrietta! The Pope told me that the usual program is that I would deliver
my prepared speech and then I shall give a written copy of it to the Secretary of the
Pope, and the Pope would say his response, and then give a copy to my accompanying
embassy staff. But with us, the Pope said that we would dispense with the oral delivery
of our speeches so that we could have more time to tell stories. We were only sharing
stories with each other and all the time he held both my hands.

Benjamin B. Domingo served as ambassador to Brunei (1984-1986) and as

undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (1999). In an interview, he said, When I
joined the DFA, I was afraid I knew nothing about foreign policy. So I wrote a book to
educate myself. To date, he has written 32 books.
On being the first Philippine ambassador to Brunei

I was the first Philippine ambassador to Brunei. The whole world was looking at Brunei
at that time because it was coming out as the latest state of the world, and 72 kings,
queens, presidents, prime ministers were all there. I enjoyed my stay because one day
you see Prince Charles, the next day you see Thatcher. The following days, you saw
Marcos, Suharto. To my mind, Brunei was a highlight in my career.
On being the undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs
There was also the Melody Das case, which happened in Singapore years later [after
the Flor Contemplacion case]. A Filipina, married to an Indian national, killed her own
two children. She confessed and was convicted (just like Flor Contemplacion.) That was
my first week as undersecretary, so my baptism of fire took place there.
Many times you would prefer to help a matron of society than somebody whos knocking
at your doors, abused, unemployed, hungry. And I think one of the symbolisms of this
statement was after we saved Melody Das from execution. I went to the jail and visited
her and she was still distraught. She killed two of her children. She was getting ready for
the hospital for her treatment and said, Ambassador, you know, now I am reading the
Bible. Ah, good, I said. Did you come to that part of Matthew when he says, When I
was hungry, you gave me food. When you were thirsty, you gave me drink. And it said,
when you were in jail, you visited me. She broke down and we all followed suit. To me,
that was the highest point of my career as undersecretary for migrant workers.

Rosario G. Manalo served as ambassador to Sweden (1994-1997), France (19901994) and Belgium (1985-1987) and undersecretary for International Economic
Relations (1997-2002). It was partly through her work as ASEAN chairperson that a
draft ASEAN Charter was negotiated and submitted. Throughout her long and brilliant
career, she broke barriers of gender, generation, and ways of thinking to advance
progressive ideas in the fields of regionalism, trade policy, gender and development,
culture, and human rights. Currently retired, albeit still serving as a consultant for the
DFA from time to time, Ambassador Manalo now devotes most of her energy to her
work in the academe.
The Foreign Service Competitive Examinations of 1959 produced the first two women to
have ever passed them. I was one of them. The difference between me and the other
lady was that she had already been working in the service for no less than ten years by
the time she took the exams; I came straight from the university and had no work
experience whatsoever.
It didnt matter to me that the foreign office and its service was male-dominated. I had
confidence in myself to prove to the men and the bureaucracy that I could do my job as
efficiently as them, in fact even better.

But I had to learn fast, and in situ, many lessons in human relations.
In the early sixties, I had hardly been two or three years in the service when I was
intrigued by the events taking place in Southeast Asia. In that period, the Cold War was
intensifying; the region was getting divided once more, after the completion of the
decolonization era. Indochina had fallen into the hands of the communists and the rest
of the states of this sub-region remained embracing the ideology of the west. State
politics and security issues came to the fore and turned so significant and crucial in
Southeast Asia that if we were truly to be considered serious diplomats diplomats of
substance, I should say coming from any of the states therein, one could not but focus
on the region and the events affecting us in our geographical location. Thats when and
why I started to be very interested in Southeast Asia: first ASA, then MAPHILINDO and
subsequently ASEAN.

###