Contemporary PHL diplomacy book launched at DFA

A book giving readers a glimpse into contemporary Philippine diplomacy and foreign policy was launched at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Pasay City last June 30. The book “Frontlines of Diplomacy: Conversations with Philippine Ambassadors" featured interviews with 37 former and active Philippine ambassadors and three diplomatic spouses, the DFA said in a statement Saturday. The DFA said the book chronicles the triumphs, and occasional frustrations of Philippine diplomats through the years. It also covers the depth and breadth of the Philippine diplomatic experience, including crucial moments in contemporary Philippine history. Some of these experiences are discussed in public for the first time, the DFA said. “Diplomacy is about being sincere, presenting yourself sincerely in a dedicated and professional fashion. That was my definition of diplomacy, and [it] is the manifestation on some of the stories I read in the book," Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said in the statement. Apart from Del Rosario, present at the launch were Foreign Service Institute director Laura del Rosario, Anvil Publications general manager Karina Bolasco, Philippine Ambassador’s Foundation Inc. president Ambassador Jose Macario Laurel IV, and DFA spokesman Jose Eduardo Malaya. Bolasco said the book is probably the only one of its kind in the market today that an average person will want to read. “It is not immersed in foreign policy and international relations jargon… [It contains] first-person accounts of those involved, whether as actors or eyewitnesses, in the making of a nation’s political and diplomatic history," she said. Some of the ambassadors interviewed in the book included former Sen. Leticia Ramos-Shahani, former Foreign Affairs Secretary Domingo Siazon Jr., Lauro Baja Jr., Rodolfo Severino Jr., Rafael Seguis, Alfonso Yuchengco, Henrietta de Villa, Reynaldo Arcilla, and Jose Zaide. — JE, GMA News