8 March 2014 – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) today launched a compilation of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario’s major policy speeches. The book, entitled “A Principled Foreign Policy: A Collection of Speeches,” aims to raise the public’s awareness of the various foreign policy issues affecting the Philippines.

The speeches center on the Three Pillars of Philippine Foreign Policy, namely: the protection of our national security; promotion of economic diplomacy; and the protection of overseas Filipinos. It is also focused on the core values which guide the conduct of the country’s foreign relations.

The speeches give the reader an overview of the multi-faceted mandate of the DFA and the Philippines’ position on major regional and global issues, including the West Philippine Sea dispute, globalization, climate change, peacekeeping operations and labor migration, among others.

It could also serve as a good reference material for students, researchers, diplomats and foreign policy analysts who wish to look at issues from a Philippine perspective.

DFA Spokesperson Raul Hernandez expressed the hope that the book “will help Filipinos form an informed opinion on matters that could affect our country’s future and encourage them to take a more active role in the promotion of our national interest both here and abroad.”  

The book was published by the DFA’s Public Information Services Unit (PISU) with the assistance of the Foreign Service Institute. It will be distributed to all Philippine embassies, consulates general, and permanent missions, major libraries, and other institutions and organizations in the Philippines. END