The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) held the closing ceremony of the Foreign Service Officers’ Cadetship Course (FSOCC) Batch XXIV on 20 December 2017 at the Carlos P. Romulo Library, DFA Main Building, Pasay City.
Human Resource Management Office (HRMO) Assistant Secretary Ezzedin H. Tago, who was the guest of honor, congratulated the 22 participants and shared with them the importance of the qualitative values that would define their work as full-pledged foreign service officers of the Department of Foreign Affairs—Patriotism, Integrity, Passion, Excellence, and Service.
The cadetship course is an intensive six-month training program that is designed to help the participants develop their capabilities in promoting Philippine foreign policy pillars and advancing economic security, assistance-to-nationals, cultural diplomacy, and national security interests. Likewise, it orients them on basic consular and diplomatic duties and responsibilities. The course is a mix of classroom lectures, seminars, web conferences, workshops, study tours, and exposure trips. Participants to the program are also required to present and defend their policy papers on various foreign policy issues.
Mr. Adrian Audrey L. Baccay topped the foreign policy paper presentation. His paper was titled “Crafting a National Maritime Policy: What the Philippines can learn from Indonesia’s ‘Global Maritime Fulcrum’ Doctrine.”
One of the highlights of FSOCC Batch XXIV was the Basic Apprenticeship Program on Diplomatic and Consular Practice in the Foreign Service, in partnership with the HRMO. The cadets were divided into four groups and assigned to Philippine embassies in Hanoi, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore. The apprenticeship program was a comprehensive learning experience and an invaluable glimpse at what junior officers are to expect when they are assigned abroad.
Ms. Diane Shayne D. Lipana represented this year’s batch and delivered the response that highlighted the cadets’ appreciation of the learnings and insights initiated through their varied experiences and interactions during the cadetship course.
