President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. administered the oath of office to Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro as the new Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) during a ceremony at Malacañang Palace on Tuesday.
Lazaro, who previously served as the DFA Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs, officially takes over the role of the country’s top diplomat, succeeding Enrique Manalo, who will return as the Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.
During the oath-taking ceremony, President Marcos also conferred upon Lazaro the Order of Sikatuna with the Rank of Datu (Grand Cross), Gold Distinction—one of the highest honors awarded to diplomats—in recognition of her four decades of “distinguished and dedicated service” to Philippine foreign relations.
“In recognition of her distinguished and dedicated service to the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine government, in a career spanning four decades and marked by exemplary leadership in both bilateral and multilateral diplomacy,” the official citation stated.
Lazaro has held various significant positions, including serving as the Philippine Ambassador to France and Switzerland, and has undertaken key foreign assignments across Europe, the Americas, and the Asia-Pacific region. She also acted as the country’s permanent delegate to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
In a social media post, President Marcos highlighted Lazaro’s extensive experience as a career diplomat. “A career diplomat who has spent decades serving our country, she now steps up to lead the Department of Foreign Affairs, bringing the experience and steady hand we need to advance our interests, protect our territorial integrity, and care for our people around the world,” he remarked.
Lazaro assumes leadership of the DFA at a time marked by increasing regional and global diplomatic challenges, particularly concerning the West Philippine Sea and multilateral engagements across Asia and beyond.