Presidential Honors Conferred Upon DFA Personnel

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte poses for a photo opportunity with the awardees and representatives during the conferment ceremony on several officials and personnel from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) at the Reception Hall in Malacañan Palace on November 29, 2021. TOTO LOZANO/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

PASAY CITY, 29 November 2021 –  President Rodrigo Roa Duterte conferred Presidential Honors, namely the Order of Sikatuna and Gawad Mabini, on seven (7) personnel from the Department of Foreign Affairs at Malacañan Palace.

The Order of Sikatuna and Gawad Mabini are among the highest distinctions reserved for the Philippine Foreign Service, granted to the most exemplary public servants of the Department of Foreign Affairs, for their outstanding service to the Republic.

The Order of Sikatuna is an order of diplomatic merit conferred upon individuals who have rendered exceptional and meritorious service to the Republic of the Philippines; while the Gawad Mabini is conferred upon Filipinos who have rendered distinguished foreign service, or helped promote the interests and prestige of the Philippines abroad. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte recognized the following:

• JOSE MANUEL G. ROMUALDEZ, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Philippines to the United States of America, the Order of Sikatuna, with the Rank of Datu, Gold Distinction. His continuous engagement with the United States has enhanced defense and security cooperation between the two countries. His initiatives to promote trade and investment in the Philippines resulted in increased networks and opportunities; and his active pursuit to procure COVID-19 vaccines was an essential element in the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• ENRICO T. FOS, former Assistant Secretary of the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs, and current Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Philippines to Norway, Gawad Mabini with the rank of Dakilang Kamanong or Grand Cross. He led the COVID-19 response operations of the Department of Foreign Affairs, particularly the mass repatriation of overseas Filipinos affected by the pandemic. He is instrumental in the operations of the One-Stop Shop on procedures and policies relative to inbound passengers; and in the provision and implementation of mandatory health protocols upon arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

• ROBERT ERIC A. BORJE, detailed at the Office of the President as Chief of Presidential Protocol and Presidential Assistant on Foreign Affairs, Gawad Mabini with the rank of Dakilang Kamanong or Grand Cross. He was instrumental in facilitating with the Kingdom of Bahrain the repatriation of two (2) undocumented Filipino infants in December 2019. Serving as the President’s Special Envoy on numerous occasions, he was able to highlight the President’s commitment to fostering bilateral relations to countries in the Middle East; and the protection of all overseas Filipinos therein.

• NOEL M. NOVICIO, Executive Director and Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Office of ASEAN Affairs, Gawad Mabini with the rank of Dakilang Kasugo or Commander, for his years of dedication, outstanding achievements, and leadership in international multilateral negotiations in ASEAN. During his tenure as Deputy Permanent Representative to ASEAN at the Permanent Mission of the Philippines to ASEAN in Jakarta (2013-2020), he was Lead Philippine negotiator with ASEAN Dialogue partners regarding Leaders’ or Ministerial-level outcome documents, statements, declarations, and plans of action. His knowledge and expertise of ASEAN issues make him one of the most respected negotiators in the ASEAN context.

• KATRINA ISABELLE H. BORJA-MARTIN, former First Secretary and Consul at the Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C., United States of America, and current Director at the Office of American Affairs, Gawad Mabini with the rank of Dakilang Kasugo or Commander, for her successful negotiation efforts to supply the Philippines between fifteen (15) and twenty (20) million doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine. Moreover, through Consul Borja-Martin’s effective presentation of the Philippines as a potential investment destination, she was also able to facilitate investments in the Country, including that for clean energy and technology.

• BERNARDO G. BAGALAY, former Assistant at the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs, and current Cultural Officer and Consular Assistant at the Philippine Consulate General in Barcelona, Spain, Gawad Mabini with the rank of Kasugo or Member, for his purposeful membership in Libya’s Rapid Response Team (RRT) in 2019, helping assuage the fear and apprehension of overseas Filipinos in said jurisdiction. Further, in 2020, his presence during the arrival of the first batch of 40 overseas Filipinos from Wuhan in Clark Philippine Airforce Base was the beginning of what will be an organized and systematic assistance provided to returning overseas Filipinos.

• ANTONIO B. VILLAR, former ATN Officer at the Philippine Embassy in Rome, Italy, and current Administrative Officer at the Office of the Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and International Economic Relations, Gawad Mabini with the rank of Kasugo or Member, for his indispensable assistance in the repatriation of eleven (11) Filipino seafarers who were stranded at Duress port in Albania after being abandoned therein for five (5) months. He was also instrumental in the successful repatriation of five (5) OFWs working in Patos, Albania, who suffered the fate of unjust employers.

The Department lauds the honorees for their exceptional commitment to public service. END.