Marcos appoints career diplomat Enrique Manalo as new DFA chief

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday appointed seasoned career diplomat Enrique Manalo as Foreign Affairs secretary replacing Teodoro Locsin Jr.

Manalo took his oath before Marcos in Malacañang on Friday.

Manalo is the first career diplomat to be appointed as DFA chief in nearly two decades after Delia Domingo Albert, the first female leader of the department.

Manalo, 69, became acting Foreign Affairs secretary from March 9 to May 17, 2017, after Perfecto Yasay failed to get the confirmation of the bicameral Commission on Appointments as DFA secretary.

Manalo, who retired from Foreign Service in 2018, served as Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York under former President Rodrigo Duterte from 2020 to June 30, 2022.

Before his posting in New York, Manalo was Undersecretary for Policy of the DFA.

Manalo is a low-key but experienced diplomat who has dealt with diplomatic crises, including the South China Sea disputes, with impressive calmness.

The top job landed on his lap at a challenging time - a new administration and having to deal with the ongoing territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea.

Born on July 21, 1952, Manalo was the country’s top diplomat to the United Kingdom from Oct. 2011 to March 2016 before he was recalled to the Home Office in Manila to resume his former post as Undersecretary for Policy in April 2016. He held the same position from Aug. 2007 to Feb. 2010.

He also served as non-resident envoy to Ireland, and ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and head of the Philippine Mission to the European Union in Feb. 2010 to Oct. 2011. Manalo was also ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Philippine Mission to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva from Oct. 2003 to July 2007.

His other postings include Philippine Permanent Mission to New York, where he became Deputy Permanent Representative twice, and Philippine Embassy in Washington DC as First Secretary and Consul.

Before joining the Foreign Service, Manalo was a research assistant and later on officer at the National Economic and Development Authority.

An expert on multilateral relations, Manalo, represented the country to various international meetings and conferences, which include the World Intellectual Property Organization, the Nuclear Security Summit, Asia Europe Meeting, ASEAN, the United Nations, and Non-Aligned Movement.

He also helped negotiate the trade deal between Manila and Europe, called Philippines-European Union Partnership Cooperation Agreement, from Jan. 2009  to June 2010.

Manalo obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Economics at the University of the Philippines.

He is married to Pamela Louise Hunt and has two sons. —KBK, GMA News