PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed Philippine permanent representative to the United Nations (UN) in New York Enrique Manalo as the secretary of Foreign Affairs.

Manalo took his oath before Marcos Jr. in Malacañang on Friday, July 1, 2022, the first official working day of the 17th President of the Philippines.

Manalo held various positions in the agency over the past years.

From 2003 to 2007, he was the ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Philippine Mission to the UN and other International Organizations in Geneva before he took a post as DFA undersecretary for policy until 2010.

From 2010 to 2011, he served as a non-resident envoy to Ireland, and ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and head of the Philippine Mission to the European Union.

He was then appointed as the country’s diplomat to the United Kingdom until 2016.

Manalo was recalled to his former post as Undersecretary for Policy in April 2016.

He served as the DFA acting secretary from March 9 to May 17, 2017 after Perfecto Yasay, who was appointed by former President Rodrigo Duterte in the post but failed to get the approval of the Commission on Appointments.

He retired from the agency in 2018.

In 2020, he was appointed as Philippine Permanent Representative to the UN in New York.

Among the issues Manalo would deal with is the country’s dispute in the West Philippine Sea. (SunStar Philippines)