FSI Completes 12th BFSSEC

BFSSEC participants engaged in activities during various sessions.

MANILA 31 March 2025 — The Foreign Service Institute (FSI), through its Carlos P. Romulo School of Diplomacy – Core Programs Section (CPRSD-CPS), successfully conducted the 12th Basic Foreign Service Staff Employees Course (BFSSEC) from 17 to 25 March 2025. Nineteen FSSEs completed the 38-hour training course.

BFSSEC is a specialized training program for Foreign Service Staff Employees (FSSEs) of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) who are responsible for performing administrative and technical tasks. As the effectiveness of the Department is directly linked to the competency of its personnel, it is essential that FSSEs are equipped with the core skills needed to carry out their duties efficiently and effectively. The program covered a broad spectrum of essential topics, including Information and Security Management, Work Ethics, Records Procedures, Protocol, and Social Graces. In addition to the lectures, participants actively engaged in simulation exercises that brought these theoretical concepts to life, allowing them to apply their learning in practical scenarios, both in the Home Office and at Foreign Service Posts.

To supplement the core training, participants received briefings from various government agencies. Mr. Michael Jerome Mabanag of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration shared insights into the agency’s priorities and mandates. Participants also had the opportunity to visit the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), an agency under the Department of Tourism. During the visit, Ms. Belle Laransas provided an overview of TIEZA’s operations and its role in the tourism sector.

FSI is the training and research agency attached to DFA. It was created under Presidential Decree No. 1060 and its remit was expanded by Republic Act No. 7157. The Secretary of Foreign Affairs chairs the FSI Board with the Chairperson of the Civil Service Commission (CSC), Director General of FSI, President of the University of the Philippines (UP), and President of the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) as members. END

BFSSEC participants engaged in the OWWA briefing (Top Photo) and toured the TIEZA Office (Bottom Photo).