Order of Lakandula bestowed posthumously on former envoy Rodolfo Severino

Former ASEAN secretary general and longtime Filipino diplomat Ambassador Rod Severino has been posthumously bestowed the Order of Lakandula Grand Collar with rank of Supremo.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., on behalf of President Rodrigo Duterte, gave the recognition during the celebration of the 52nd anniversary of the ASEAN, an event attended by diplomats from ASEAN member-states, former diplomats to the ASEAN, DFA officials and persons with disabilities.

The late ambassador's wife Rowena Severino and his son, GMA Network Vice President for Professional Development Howie Severino, received the award at the DFA.

Severino was the country's ambassador to Malaysia from 1989 to 1992 and undersecretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs during the term of President Fidel V. Ramos from 1992 to 1997.

He was ASEAN's 10th secretary-general from 1998 to 2002, and served as ASEAN Senior Official for the Philippines twice.

The diplomat, also a former journalist, was also the founding head of the ASEAN Studies Center and associate senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.

While he was with ISEAS, he also wrote several books, among them: Southeast Asia in Search of an ASEAN Community, ASEAN, The ASEAN Regional Forum, and Where in the World is the Philippines. He also co-edited Whither the Philippines in the 21st Century?

Severino passed away on Good Friday, April 19. He would have turned 83 on April 27.

The Order of Lakandula is the Order of Political and Civic Merit of the Republic, conferred in commemoration of Datu Lakandula’s dedication to the responsibilities of leadership, prudence, fortitude, courage, and resolve in the service of one’s people. It is one of the Senior Honors of the Republic together with the Philippine Legion of Honor (conferred for Military and Defense Merit) and the Order of Sikatuna (conferred for Diplomatic Merit). The Order of Lakandula is conferred by the President of the Philippines.—NB/LDF/KBK, GMA News