Ambassador Laurel Administers Oath of Office to Consul General Promoted to Chief of Mission
H.E. Ambassador Jose C. Laurel administers the Oath of Office as Chief of Mission, Class II, to Minister and Consul General Robespierre Bolivar.
Ambassador Jose C. Laurel V (right), Minister and Consul General Robespierre Bolivar (center) and Mrs. Maria Aurora Bolivar (left) with the Gawad Mabini Award.
TOKYO – H.E. Philippine Ambassador to Japan Jose C. Laurel V, administered the oath of office to Minister and Consul General Robespierre Bolivar, who was recently promoted to the rank of Chief of Mission, Class II, in the Department of Foreign Affairs.
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte signed the Consul General’s appointment papers on June 7.
It may be recalled that on June 18, President Duterte also conferred on Consul General Bolivar the Gawad Mabini with the rank of Dakilang Kasugo (Commander) during the celebration of the 120th anniversary of the Department of Foreign Affairs at the DFA Home Office in Pasay City.
The Gawad Mabini is one of the Philippines’ highest honors, conferred on Filipino diplomats who have rendered dedicated and exceptional service to the Department and to the Filipino people.
President Duterte awarded Consul General Bolivar the Gawad Mabini for his work as then- Special Assistant of the Undersecretary for Policy and concurrent Acting DFA Spokesperson, in particular during the Philippines’ successful chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during its 50th anniversary in 2017.
The Award’s citation reads: “As Special Assistant to the Undersecretary for Policy, Mr. Bolivar exhibited diligence and dedication in the performance of his functions. He drafted the Department’s National Security Strategic Plan 2017 – 2022, which serves as a guidepost in the implementation of an independent foreign policy. He co-chaired the ASEAN Regional Forum Inter-Sessional Meeting on Maritime Security held in Tokyo in February 2017. Likewise, he headed the Philippine delegation to the ARF Inter-Sessional Meeting on Maritime Security held in Manila in April 2016. He significantly contributed in the drafting of various ASEAN documents during the Philippine’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2017.
He also served as the Acting Head of the Office of the Undersecretary for Policy while effectively assisting then Acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo. His exceptional accomplishments include his concurrent role as the DFA Spokesperson. He also re-convened the Imminent Issues Core Group and drafted the Department’s Freedom of Information Manual.”
Mr. Bolivar is a veteran career diplomat for over 20 years. He served as the Deputy Chief of Mission and Consul General at the Philippine Embassy and Philippine Mission to the European Union in Brussels, Belgium. He also served at various times as Second Secretary at the Philippine Embassy in Moscow, Russia and as Consul at the Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver, Canada. END
