De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde 2544 Taft Avenue, Manila Department of Consular and Diplomatic Affairs AY 2013-2014

Steps in Becoming a Career Ambassador

By: Kevin John E. Katayama 11154489 Camille Antoinette Ramos 11158077

Consular and Diplomatic Practices 2 LJL3 Submitted to: Ambassador Rosario G. Manalo

Introduction
Becoming a career ambassador is very different from being a political ambassador. The huge difference between the two is that a career ambassador goes through a long process of climbing up the ranks in the Department of Foreign Affairs. This process includes the tedious process of taking examinations, countless amounts of training, and gaining a lot of experience, all of which in the name of achieving the status of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. This paper will serve as a guide to Filipinos who are interested in pursuing a career in the Foreign Service.

Qualifications
Anyone who is interested in becoming a Foreign Service Officer (FSO) must be able to take the Foreign Service Examinations. In order to qualify to take the exams, one must be: A natural-born Filipino citizen and concurrently a permanent resident of the Philippines; Not be more than 35 years of age on the day of the Qualifying Test A college graduate; Have undergone employment or undertaken further studies after graduating from college or university (preferably two years) Applicants for the examination must be knowledgeable on the economic, political and social conditions of the Philippines, and must possess not only facility in oral and written communications, but also the personality traits essential to the performance of the duties of Foreign Service Officers. They must also be willing and able to accept assignments to any post where their services may be required.

The Foreign Service Examinations

The Foreign Service Exams is an exam provided by the Board of Foreign Service Examinations (BFSE) of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to those who are interested in becoming a Foreign Service Officer, Class IV. The FSO exam is notorious for its difficulty; with only about 1 to 5 percent of its applicants pass the exams. Some even claim that it is more difficult than the bar exam because of its huge coverage, from international relations to almost anything under the sun. The duties of a Foreign Service Officer include: gathering information, analyzing and reporting political, economic, technological, cultural and other events and developments; drafting diplomatic notes and other forms of diplomatic correspondence; preparing briefing papers and other foreign policy papers for the Department and other offices of government as may be required; assisting in the

preparation and conduct of international conferences; managing and supervising staff; disseminating information; working with other government agencies and private groups and individuals in promoting Philippine interests abroad; undertaking negotiations; assisting Filipinos abroad and protecting their rights; promoting Philippine culture and trade; bringing in foreign investments and promoting tourism to the Philippines; performing consular functions; and representing the Philippines in various international fora. The Foreign Service Officer Exam is composed of five parts: 1. Qualifying Test Covers English grammar and correct usage, reading comprehension, logical reasoning, quantitative reasoning/data interpretation, and leadership/ knowledge of management concepts One must obtain at least 80% in order to get to the next round of exams 2. Preliminary Interview A panel of Foreign Service Officers shall interview candidates in order to evaluate their overall potential for becoming an FSO and a future ambassador. Candidates must be able to obtain an overall rating of PASS in order to qualify for the Written Test 3. Written Test The written test will cover the following subjects with its corresponding percentage: o English 20% o Filipino 5% o Philippine Political, Economic, Social and Cultural Conditions Philippine history, culture, foreign policy, geography, government, development issues and goals 30% o International Affairs - Theory and practice of international economics and trade, international politics, international law and treaties 30% o World History 10% o Foreign Language (Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, or Spanish) 5% The test takes about 3 days, and those who obtain a grade of at least 75% can move on to take the oral exams. 4. Oral Test The oral exam is divided into three parts, which comprises of: o Individual Panel Interview In this part, the examinee sits in front of panel members from the BFSE, where he or she is asked about their personal lives and also about some international and domestic issues The curriculum vitae is submitted a week before the actual interview in order to allow the examiners to scrutinize the

applicants personal record and tailor their questions accordingly. o Group Discussion In this part of the exam, the applicants are divided into two groups or more. The exam depends every year and varies from simulation of events and issues to debates about important issues in the domestic and international level. Examiners would be around them in order to observe and grade their performance o Formal Dinner In this part of the exam, an examinee will be examined on how well he or she does in etiquette during dinners and formal events. Examinees will also be able to deliver an extemporaneous speech where they are given a random topic and they should be able to deliver a three minute speech within one minute preparation 5. Psychological Test A psychological test is done in order to assess whether an aspiring officer is psychologically fit to handle the life of an FSO. Test includes identifying patters, sentence completion and other psychological tests

Rising Through The Ranks

Cadetship
After passing the Foreign Service Officer Exam, the new FSO takes his or her oath of office and then he or she immediately attends training at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) of the DFA for one year before he or she is formally put to work. During this period, the FSO is simply called a cadet. The cadet will attend a series of lectures and classes in different aspects of diplomatic and consular work by the FSI. These series of lectures and classes will reinforce the cadet in what he or she has studied in the FSO exam. During the first part of the module, the cadet will be oriented about the DFA: its role and mission, history, organization and so on. After, the heads of the different geographic and functional offices provides briefing for the cadets on the functions and tasks of their respective offices. Moreover, the cadets take classes on Philippine history and culture, communications, international politics, international economics, international law, protocol, diplomatic and consular practice, and negotiations and management. The second part of cadetship involves an on-the-job training at the different offices of the DFA. Each is rotated every one month in order to be familiar with the nitty-

gritty works of the department as well as for the senior officers to gauge their performance. After the completion of cadetship, the FSO will attend the graduation ceremony in order to receive their certificates. After this, they will be turned over to the Office of Personnel and Administrative Services (OPAS), which decides on their assignment to the different offices of the department. However, training does not stop there. The DFA requires junior officers to go on a scholarship in another country before they are posted to an embassy or consulate abroad. This provides the FSO a more broad experience and a more broad theoretical knowledge. In addition, the FSO will be able to have an opportunity to build diplomatic contacts. The assignment of the new FSO to the different offices of the DFA is dictated by the necessity in each office. Even if one specializes in a particular field of work, one must be able to do all of the tasks in the DFA because a diplomat must be a generalist.

Promotions
A Foreign Service Officer gets promoted every three years, unless he gets stuck in a particular rank due to his or her poor performance. One must not lose hope in pursuing to be an ambassador after the tedious process of taking exams and rigorous training. That is just a start, and the FSO has a long way to go. Below is the career path of Filipino diplomats to serve as a reference. Career Path of Filipino Diplomats* Position Home Office Embassy Undersecretary Ambassador Assistant Secretary Executive Director Division Director Assistant Director Principal Assistant Minister Counselor First Secretary Second Secretary Third Secretary Vice-Consul Consul

Rank Chief of Mission Career Minister FSO I FSO II FSO III FSO IV

Consulate Consul General

*The ranks and positions are not necessarily equivalent. This chart simply shows the hierarchy of positions

After rendering three years of service at the home office, an FSO IV normally is assigned abroad. Most of the people also get promoted to FSO III first before leaving the country. On special occasions such as the urgent need of FSOs, officers are dispatched abroad only after a few months. Getting a foreign assignment for junior officers involves three factors, which includes the visit of an ambassador to the personnel division in the home office to

inquire on suitable candidates. He or she then chooses candidates and then informs the candidates of the ambassadors intentions and then the assistant secretary of OPAS proposes the FSOs name to the secretary for his approval. However, this is not the case all the time. Sometimes, the OPAS makes a decision to send an FSO to a certain post without the Ambassadors consent. Generally, an FSOs tour of duty lasts for six years. The diplomat is assigned in one country for three years, and another one for three years. After that, he or she is recalled to the home office. After completing three years in the home office, he or she becomes eligible for another assignment. However, this is not the case especially to those diplomats who have a family. They can stay in one country for six years in order to adjust to the environment and so that their children could have a proper education. By the time a diplomat reaches FSO I, he has already worked with the DFA for more than ten years, and should have gained the necessary experience in preparation for bigger jobs. In order to reach the position of a career minister, the FSO I must take the Career Minister Exam. The exam is designed in order to see whether one has the true potential of becoming a future ambassador. To qualify, one must be an FSO I two years before the exam. Officers who failed the exam may take it until they pass the exam. After passing the exam, one can wait for a few years in order to be promoted as chief of mission. After being a career minister, the FSO, depending on his or her performance, can now be promoted as chief of mission or ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary. The would-be ambassador is now subject to thorough scrutiny by the Commission on Appointments. He or she is expected to answer questions not only about previous postings, but also about his or her family, relationships with his or her colleagues in the Foreign Service, and the Filipino community in the country where he once served.

Agration and Agrment

Before the public announcement of the appointment of an Ambassador, an informal inquiry as to whether or not he is persona non grata, which means that a person is not acceptable or unwelcome, is ordinarily made with the government of the country of his prospective assignment. The process of inquiry is called agration. The reply to the inquiry expressing acceptability of the Ambassador is called agrment.

Documents
After taking his or her oath of office, the ambassador-designate shall be furnished with the following papers:

a. b. c. d. e. f. g.

Appointment as Ambassador A sealed letter of credence An open or office copy of the letter of credence Letter of recall of his predecessor, if any Instructions in writing Diplomatic passports for himself, his family and his suite A copy of the regulations of the Department of Foreign Affairs

Preparations Before Departure

Prior to departure, the ambassador-designate will meet with the president for a briefing and for the ambassador-designate to receive instructions that he or she needs to carry out in the foreign post. Moreover, the ambassador-designate is expected to familiarize himself with the operation of his post of assignment by going through relevant documents such as treaties, agreements with the host country, and if necessary, agreements with other countries that are part of the ambassadordesignates jurisdiction. The ambassador-designate should meet with concerned officials, offices and divisions that would help him or her in obtaining substantial inputs regarding his or her post and country of assignment. Lastly, the ambassadordesignate should consult with appropriate department officials regarding general matters of administration and official procedures.

Arrival in the Foreign Posting

When the ambassador-designate arrives in the foreign posting, the protocol officer welcomes the ambassador-designate and provides a vehicle for transfer from the airport to the residence or the hotel. Upon arrival, the ambassador-designate shall request for a meeting with the Minister or Secretary of Foreign Affairs to arrange for the formal presentation of his or her letter of credence and the letter of recall of his or her predecessor, if any, to the head of state. Moreover, the ambassador-designate addresses a formal note to the Secretary or Minister of Foreign Affairs regarding his or her appointment and the request for the designation of a time and place for the official reception. During the meeting with the Minister or Secretary of Foreign Affairs, the ambassador-designate presents his or her open copy of the letter of credence as well as the copy of the speech that the ambassador-designate will deliver during the presentation of credentials. Aside from the meeting with the Minister or Secretary of Foreign Affairs, the ambassador-designate discusses protocol matters, such as the proper attire for the presentation of credentials, with the protocol officer.

Presentation of Credentials
During the presentation of credentials, a protocol officer (usually the head or deputy head of protocol) arrives at the residence, official premises of the diplomatic mission or hotel at the appointed time. After a brief meeting, the ambassadordesignate and the protocol officer leave the residence, the official premises of the diplomatic mission, or hotel, and are taken to the venue of the presentation of credentials (eg. the presidential palace) in an official government vehicle, or in some states, a horse-drawn carriage. The ambassador-designate may be accompanied by his or her spouse and may also be accompanied by a maximum of three members of his suite. In the ceremony, the ambassador-designate enters the venue, and is saluted by the guard of honor. The ambassador then bows to the guards as gratitude for the ceremony. Inside the venue, where the head of state awaits, the ambassador approaches the Head of State and presents the letter of credence as well as the letter of recall of his or her predecessor. The head of state then formally accepts the letters and introduces the members of his or her suite. Following that, the ambassador introduces the members of his or her suite. The head of state and the ambassador then proceeds to a room where they could talk privately for a few minutes. After the talks, photographs are taken and then the ambassador take leave of the head of state, and exit the venue. The ambassador then inspects the guard of honor, who gives a formal salute. The ambassador takes leave of the guard of honor in the same way as he or she did upon arrival with a slight bow. Following that, the ambassador enters the official vehicle where the ambassador is conveyed to his or her residence or hotel.

Assumption of functions as ambassador

An ambassador is considered to have taken up his or her functions in the state to which he or she is accredited when he or she has presented his or her credentials to the head of state. In some states, the ambassador is considered to have taken up his or her functions when he or she has notified the appropriate ministry of his or her arrival and has presented them with a working copy of his or her credentials. Finally, after all the hard work, from taking up the FSO exam to the presentation of credentials, the Foreign Service Officer can now be called an Ambassador of the Philippines.

Bibliography
de Borja, M. R. (1999). FSO IV: Starting a Career in the Philippine Foreign Service. Quezon City, Philippines: New Day Publishers. Do You Want to be a Foreign Service Officer (FSO)? (2006, April 15). Retrieved June 5, 2013, from KUROKUROATBP: http://kurokuroatbp.com/?p=747 Feltham, R. G. (1998). Diplomatic Handbook. New York, New York: Addison Wesley Longman Limited. Ignacio, R. (2012, November 24). How to take the Foreign Service Officer exam. Retrieved June 5, 2013, from Rappler: http://www.rappler.com/moveph/ispeak/16694-how-to-take-the-foreign-service-officer-exam Department of Foreign Affairs. (2012, December 12). 2013 FSO Examination Announcement . Retrieved June 5, 2013, from Department of Foreign Affairs: http://www.dfa.gov.ph/index.php/newsroom/announcements Foreign Service Institute. Handbook on Protocol, Social Graces and Etiquette. Pasay: Foreign Service Institute.