For her stellar career in public service, President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr. conferred the Order of Sikatuna on his new Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Ma. Theresa ‘Tess’ Lazaro as he administered her oath of office on Tuesday.
“As a career diplomat who has served our country for decades, she (Lazaro) will now head the Department of Foreign Affairs with the experience and resilience needed to advance our interests, protect our territory and care for our countrymen everywhere in the world,” Marcos said.
Lazaro succeeds former DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo, who was reappointed as the Philippines’ Permanent Representative to the United Nations after President Marcos initiated a Cabinet revamp late last May.
The Order of Sikatuna is the Philippines’ national order of diplomatic merit established in 1953. It is awarded to individuals who have rendered exceptional services to the country by developing and strengthening diplomatic relations.
Lazaro is a revered diplomat who has been working for the DFA since 1984. She has served in various administrative and diplomatic roles under several administrations. She worked as the Philippines’ ambassador in Switzerland, France, and Monaco.
She is recognized as the Philippines’ top negotiator in its ongoing maritime disputes in the South China Sea—a role she is expected to continue to play now that she’s at the helm of the DFA in line with President Marcos’ policy of de-escalation of conflicts in the Indo-Pacific region.
