Build bridges, new Philippine diplomats told

MANILA, Philippines — Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. asked the new diplomats of the country to “build bridges” and decide whether to obey blindly or defend the country when the two are in contradiction.

Locsin, called out by lawmakers for his insults and impertinence, emphasized the role of the 29 new Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) in the conduct of diplomacy, building bridges and the value of honesty in the foreign service.

“Build bridges – I hate that cliché, but it is a true one; I have seen it at work. Establish your contacts and nurture networks. The work is international; not solitary. Be the best diplomats you can be,” Locsin said in his keynote address at the closing ceremony for the FSO Cadetship Course (FSOCC) Batch XXVI earlier this month.

For many years to come, the new diplomats will find that the Foreign Service will be a series of thresholds, according to the foreign affairs chief.

“I urge you equally to pay the most careful attention to whatever task you are given; the devil of diplomacy is in the details; and the satisfaction will come from doing the best you can with the task – small or big, important or not – at hand. Call it mindfulness, living fully in the moment of a particular task: the Zen of diplomacy,” he said.

Locsin added that the FSOs would assume greater responsibilities when they assume their respective positions at Foreign Service posts.

“You are not expected to express, let alone act on your own opinion of a diplomatic issue; but try to form an intelligent one and then keep it to yourself,” Locsin said. “The day will come when you must make a decision: to obey blindly or to defend your country when the two are in contradiction.”

The secretary stressed that being honest is important when dealing with representatives of other nations even if it means saying things they would dislike. As fellow diplomats, they will understand that while diplomats may disagree, honesty is deemed necessary for the nation that one represents.

“And never lie for your country. The man who described diplomacy as the art of lying abroad was a lousy diplomat. What your foreign counterparts will respect is candor. They will understand why you had to take a position they dislike,” he said.

The diplomats were also reminded that they are expected to perform their best at all times, and in all possible scenarios.

Locsin witnessed the closing ceremony of the Foreign Service Institute’s intensive training program for the latest batch of the newly commissioned FSOs.

Twenty-nine new FSOs completed the FSOCC Batch XXVI, which was held from Jan. 7 to June 27.

The group has taken Hinabi as its batch name, as it is composed of 29 individuals from diverse backgrounds, including lawyers, journalists, educators, government workers, economists and a registered nurse. “Hinabi,” the Filipino word for weave or woven material, boasts of colorful and beautiful designs symbolizing unity and hard work. Each member of the batch is likened to a thread, each with his or her own color, working together, just as how threads complete an intricate design when woven together, as interpreted by batch member Paola Belle Ebora.

In her opening remarks, FSI officer-in-charge Celeste Vinzon-Balatbat congratulated the FSOs for completing the cadetship course and reminded them to take to heart all the lessons they learned during the six-month intensive training.