Lazaro takes over as DFA Chief tells diplomats, staff 'be guided by patriotism, integrity'

Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro assumed her new post Tuesday in an austere ceremony but with a firm order for hundreds of Filipino diplomats and staff: "be guided by patriotism and integrity."

Lazaro was sworn in by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as the 25th Philippine Foreign Secretary at the Malacañang Palace in the morning. She later received the symbolic flag of the Department of Foreign Affairs from outgoing Secretary Enrique Manalo in the temporary DFA headquarters in Pasay City with about 200 senior diplomats and employees in attendance.

"We safeguard our statehood as well as the dignity of every Filipino. Throughout all this, we must remain guided by the DFA's core values of patriotism, integrity, professionalism, excellence, and service," Lazaro told an audience of career officers and employees in the department's main function hall.

The 66-year-old Lazaro is coming into the job with decades of experience as a career diplomat and deft handling of sensitive foreign policy issues, specifically on Manila's complex relations with China, whose sprawling territorial claims in the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea have been challenged by the Philippines.

Lazaro will also craft guidelines and issue directives on how to navigate the volatile security situation in the Middle East, where more than two million Filipinos live and work.

In her speech, Lazaro said she values the DFA's work and commitment as they face "much work ahead."

"But with unity of purpose, our core values in mind, and the whole DFA family standing side by side, I am confident that we can face the road ahead with determination, resilience, and the collective spirit that has always defined the department," she said.

A seasoned career diplomat, Lazaro negotiated a landmark agreement with China on a provisional arrangement for the Philippine delivery of supplies to Filipino forces at Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal) to prevent a repeat of past confrontations.

Signed in July 2024, the agreement that covers Ayungin seeks to avoid altercations and ease tensions after a violent clash between Philippine Navy special forces and Chinese coast guard personnel on June 17, 2024 at the Philippine-occupied area.

Since the forging of the agreement, succeeding resupply missions to the shoal have been peaceful with Chinese ships keeping watch at a distance.

As DFA's Undersecretary for policy, she also led negotiations for a crucial Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, which aims to prevent a major conflict in the disputed waters, called West Philippine Sea by Manila.

"For the past 127 years, the Department of Foreign Affairs has stood as one of the most enduring pillars of the Republic, implementing and charting the course of Philippine foreign policy, fostering friendly relations with our international partners, and assisting our Filipinos overseas, and most importantly, asserting the Philippines as an independent, sovereign nation" she said.

"May we carry forward the lessons of the past, embrace the responsibilities of the present, and share a future worthy of this institution and the country we serve." — BAP, GMA Integrated News