The House committee on foreign affairs chaired by Rep. Anna Cristina Siquian Go (2nd District, Isabela) created a technical working group (TWG) to further study two measures which seek to strengthen the country’s foreign service personnel.
House Bill No. 1276, entitled “An Act Amending Republic Act (RA) No. 7157, otherwise known as The Philippine Foreign Service Act Of 1991,” was sponsored by Rep. Rozzano Rufino Biazon (Lone District, Muntinlupa City).
House Bill 6064 also known as “An Act Seeking To Adjust, Update and Rationalize the Allowances and Benefits of the Philippine Foreign Service Personnel” was authored by Reps. Salvador Belaro, Jr. (Party-list, 1-ANG EDUKASYON), Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado (1st District, Bulacan) and Lorna Silverio (3rd District, Bulacan).
Go said she recognized the efforts of the foreign service corps in advancing the pillars of Philippine foreign policy.
“I believe that addressing their needs is imperative and will inspire them further to serve their fellow Filipinos overseas to the best of their ability,” she said.
In his sponsorship speech, Biazon said international relations have become more intricate and complex in view of the ever-changing and evolving political, social, economic, and security environments.
“A country’s foreign policies should be properly crafted and diplomatically projected in such a manner that its sovereignty and territorial integrity before the community of nations are ensured and protected,” he explained.
Biazon said it is for this reason RA 7157 was written to ensure that the crafting of the country’s foreign policies and its diplomatic projections are handled by a select group of cognizant, professional and technically proficient ambassadors/chiefs of missions who represent the country abroad.
“However, the provision has apparently been diluted in view of the practice by presidents in appointing non-career individuals as ambassadors,” he said.
Biazon said this practice could result in the appointment of individuals with professional limitations because of lack of academic preparation, training and experience attendant to the position to which they have been appointed.
“It could also expose the Philippines to diplomatic embarrassments with its consequent adverse effects to our standing before the community of nations,” he said.
Biazon’s proposal seeks to amend Section 17 of RA 7157 to read as follows:
“Sec. 17. Heads of Diplomatic and Permanent Missions: In order to ensure professionalism and strengthen the Career Foreign Service Corps to enable it to cognizantly and effectively respond to the continuously evolving challenges in the field of international relations, the President shall be guided, as much as possible, by the principle that two-thirds of diplomatic and permanent missions shall be headed by career ambassadors.”
The bill also amends Sec. 21 of the same Act to read as follows:
“Philippine Citizenship and Permanent Presidency. – No person shall be eligible for appointment to a permanent item in the career service to whatever rank or class who is not a natural-born citizen and permanent resident of the Philippines at the time of his appointment and, thereafter, for the entire duration of his tenure in the Department: Provided, That those who have secured permanent residence status in a foreign country cannot be appointed to a permanent item in career service unless they have given up said status for at least one (1) year and established permanent residence in the Philippines for at least the same period.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA, through its spokesperson Robespierre Bolivar, welcomed and thanked members of the House of Representatives for their efforts to strengthen the foreign service.
Belaro for his part said the foreign service personnel in the various consulates and embassies of the Philippines are the face in the different parts in the world.
“It is thus important that the State takes good care of their welfare in order to bring out the best in them as they represent our nation in their respective countries of assignment,” he said.
Belaro proposed that the benefits and allowances of Foreign Service Personnel of the Philippines shall be adjusted, updated and rationalized with due regard to the cost of inflation and variegated living standards of the countries where they are assigned. (Congress)