MISSION
TO ADVANCE THE INTERESTS OF THE PHILIPPINES AND THE FILIPINO PEOPLE IN THE WORLD COMMUNITY
VISION
THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS is the prime agency of government responsible for the pursuit of the State's foreign policy and the nerve center for a Foreign Service worthy of the trust and pride of every Filipino.
We are an organization of competent, dedicated and highly motivated personnel,
who devote their energies to the benefit of the Filipino people.
We implement foreign policy with the highest standards of professionalism and commitment.
We pursue bilateral, regional and multilateral relations to advance the interest of the Philippines and the Filipinos.
We build partnerships with national security and development agencies, think-tanks
and the academe, the private sector, the media and civil society in the interest of the nation and the people.
We endeavor to promote regional and global cooperation in order to achieve peace, prosperity and stability.
In the global arena, we work for social justice especially for the poor, human rights and fundamental freedoms,
and a democratic way of life. We are committed to secure a world free from serious environmental degradation,
transnational crime and proliferation of nuclear weapons. Our missions abroad are the partners of Filipinos overseas
in the pursuit of the national interest and in the promotion and protection of their rights and well-being.
We have highly responsive system, which ensures effective delivery of services.
Our personnel are our greatest asset. We are committed to the personal, professional and career development of each employee.
In pursuit of our goals, we strive for and live by the principles of excellence, integrity and patriotism.
OBJECTIVES
• To contribute to the enhancement of national security and the protection of the territorial integrity and national sovereignty;
• To participate in the national endeavor to sustain development and to enhance the Philippines' competitive edge in a global milieu;
• To protect the rights and promote the welfare of Filipinos overseas and to mobilize them as partners in national development;
• To project a positive image of the Philippines;
• To increase international understanding of Philippine culture for mutually-beneficial relations with other countries; and,
• To increase and maximize human, financial, technological and other resources to optimize the performance of the Department.
FOREIGN POLICY
The most important provisions of the 1987 Philippine Constitution which pertain to the framing of Philippine foreign policy are as follows:
Article II, Section 2: "The Philippines renounces war as an instrument of national policy, adopts the generally accepted principles of international law as part of the law of the land and adheres to the policy of peace, equality, justice."
Article II, Section 7: "The State shall pursue an independent foreign policy. In its relations with other states the paramount consideration shall be national sovereignty, territorial integrity, national interest, and the right to self-determination."
Republic Act No. 7157, otherwise known as "Philippine Foreign Service Act of 1991", gives mandate to the Department of Foreign Affairs to implement the three
(3) pillars of the Philippine Foreign Policy, as follows:
1. Preservation and enhancement of national security
2. Promotion and attainment of economic security
3. Protection of the rights and promotion of the welfare and interest of Filipinos overseas.
These pillars overlap and cannot be considered apart from each other. Together with the eight (8) foreign policy realities outlined by the President, they reinforce each other and must be addressed as one whole.
These eight foreign policy realities are:
• China, Japan and the United States and their relationship will be a determining influence in the security situation and economic evolution of East Asia;
• Philippine foreign policy decisions have to be made in the context of ASEAN;
• The international Islamic community will continue to be important for the Philippines;
• The coming years will see the growing importance of multilateral and inter-regional organizations to promote common interests;
• As an archipelagic state, the defense of the nation's sovereignty and the protection of its environment and natural resources can be carried out only to the extent that it asserts its rights over the maritime territory and gets others to respect those rights;
• The country's economic policy will continue to be friendly to both domestic and foreign direct investments;
• The Philippines can benefit most quickly from international tourism
• Overseas Filipinos will continue to be recognized for their critical role in the country's economic and social stability.
