Ambassador Corazon Yap Bahjin

Diplomat 

Another symbol of female empowerment, Former Ambassador Corazon Yap-Bahjin made Philippine Foreign Service history when she became the first Filipina Muslim to pass the career Foreign Service Officers’ examination, and then head a diplomatic mission when she became the Philippine Ambassador to Bahrain in 2009 – the fourth female to have done so in the kingdom.

She joined the Foreign Service in 1979, starting as Acting Director of the Cultural Division of the Office of Islamic Affairs (now the Office on Muslim Affairs). Her first overseas posting was for a Vice Consul’s position in Jeddah in 1986.  Thereafter, she was posted as Second Secretary and Consul at the Philippine Embassy in Amman in 1990, where she assisted in the repatriation of Filipinos from Kuwait during the first Gulf War.  She then moved to Cairo as Second Secretary and Consul at the Philippine Embassy, thereafter to Bangkok as First Secretary in charge of Political Division and Consul and Deputy Representative, ESCAP and then to Xiamen, China as Consul General from 1995-2005, before taking office in Bahrain.

Ambassador Grace Relucio Princesa

Diplomat

“Collective heroism for a common cause is important for us.  It is an essential part of good governance. Love and friendship work.  Love begets love. It works.  And if it works in our community, perhaps it can also work at an even bigger scale.”

Though it has been years since the first Philippine female Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Grace Relucio-Princesa, has moved from the UAE in 2015 to eventually become the Philippine envoy to the Vatican, she still holds a special place in the Filipino community’s heart. Her warm personality, dynamic spirit and unique pro-people leadership style have made a deep imprint in the minds of the people.

Known by many as “Nanay Amba,” Ambassador Princesa, who considers herself as a servant leader, was a shining ray of light within the Filipino community in UAE, not only as a diplomat but also as someone who championed female empowerment, Filipino pride and the spirit of collaboration.   Beyond her diplomatic duties to improve bilateral relations with the UAE, the Ambassador has also supported many community initiatives, endeavored to unite Filipino groups, as well as initiated a financial literacy program called “Pinoy Wise.”

MME Remedios ‘Fe’ Cabactulan

Diplomatic Spouse

Former educator Mme. Remedios ‘Fe’ Cabactulan has been an extraordinary role model who brought empowered Filipina representation, as well as leadership to the diplomatic community, not only in the UAE but also beyond.  During her husband’s tour of duty in the UAE, apart from promoting the Philippines in meaningful social endeavors, she also headed the Department of Foreign Affairs Ladies Foundation (DFA LF) in the emirates, the Asian Ladies Group which included 22 countries, and was President of the UAE Ambassador’s Wives Club in 2005-2006 overseeing 70 members.  In 2013, she was elected as the president of the United Nations Delegations Women’s Club (UNDWC) on its 50th anniversary, making her the first Filipina to head the non-profit social group of women from various UN nations in New York, USA.

Chargé D’affaires Elmer Cato

Diplomat

For Chargé D’Affaires Elmer Cato, staring danger in the eye has been part of his job as a diplomat tasked to look after the safety and welfare of Filipinos in war-ravaged countries in the Middle East.  Serving as Head of Post in Baghdad in 2015, he and his team, with support from the Iraqi government, have succeeded in disrupting the operations of human trafficking syndicates operating in Kurdistan and rescued and repatriated numerous trafficking victims.

Now the Chargé D’Affaires in Libya, he is facilitating the repatriation of Filipinos who are caught in the middle of the political conflict and are assisting nationals in distress, while still trying to keep a certain level of ‘normalcy’ within the community and keeping morale high.  He shares, “I would like to be remembered as the go-to person to get the job done. As someone who helped make a difference in improving the lives of our people, someone our people could run to and count on.”

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Amb. Grace Relucio-Princesa – Photo by Eros Goze for Illustrado Magazine

She would refer to herself as the ‘Nanay’ of the Filipino community in the UAE, most importantly a servant leader – an Ambassador for God and country.  She would coax audiences to sing-a-long with her ‘Ako Ay Pilipino’ and ‘Sino Ako’ every chance she would get at community gatherings.  In her six year tour of duty here in the UAE, she has always tried to hammer the six F’s that Filipinos bring with them anywhere they are in the world, how Filipinos are like the abaca (strong, resilient and exceptional), and how we should always be ‘Taas Noo, Filipino’ and PinoyWise – lessons that have been imprinted on our heads through her many repetitions.

For all her surprisingly unorthodox ways, and over and above whatever she has accomplished in the emirates to advance the welfare of Filipinos, the Ambassador who gives warm hugs and who sheds tears when she shares her own experiences at women’s empowerment meetings may have taught us some valuable lessons that go beyond typical diplomatic duty.

Outgoing Ambassador Grace Relucio-Princesa the first female Philippine Ambassador to the UAE, Head of Post since 2010 shares, “My dream before I came to the emirates is a spiritual one – to glorify God by helping Filipinos to realize their natural human and cultural wealth.”  She continues, “How did we make a difference? Through reaching out and establishing relationships of hope and love. Making connections through relationships and communicating the issues.  ‘Washing the feet of the poor’ – teachin financial literacy through the PinoyWise campaign – for which we are the only model, the biggest champion of this project in the whole world. We are now also proudly one of the Top 5 countries for Overseas Absentee Voting Registration.  These are all part of the bayanihan way.”

Among the work she has done in the UAE, one achievement the Ambassador is fiercely proud of is being able to ‘rekindle the bayanihan spirit’ within the community, “Collective heroism for a common cause is important for us.  It is an essential part of good governance.”

Looking back at her UAE-stint she reflects, “A model of servant leadership touches the hearts and souls of the Filipinos. Love and friendship works.  Love begets love. It works.  And if it works in our community, perhaps it can also work in an even bigger scale.”

Indeed, the Ambassador who has felt more like a mother and teacher to our community of kababayans has always been onto something special.  The ‘Nanay’ of the Filipinos in the UAE will certainly be missed.

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Ambassador Grace Relucio-Princesa: Filipina Warrior

Published in Illustrado Magazine 2010

By Lalaine Chu-Benitez

She is without a doubt nationalistic: her Filipino designed clothes made of Philippine fabric, tell only of a small part of her enormous national pride.  She is spiritual and fun loving and has an unexpectedly casual air about her that’s uncommon for a person in her position. She hugs, is easily moved and amazingly breaks into song and dance in expression of her spiritual and patriotic fervor.  But make no mistake; the seemingly relaxed and informal lady is as resolute as a bull and tough as nails.  After all, her previous achievements involving the high-profile Sarah Balabagan case and the evacuation of Filipinos from Iraq, not to mention bagging a Lingkod Bayan (Public Servant) Award, is no small feat.  Meet Grace Relucio-Princesa, the new Philippine Ambassador to the UAE – career diplomat, doting mother of five, servant leader, Filipina warrior.

Of fire and ice

I sat with the Ambassador at a quiet corner of the Emirates Tower’s 50^th floor overlooking cosmopolitan Sheikh Zayed Road; listening to her story as she sipped cream of artichoke soup deftly using her left hand.  “I have a natural curiosity about what life is all about, she says, explaining how she makes an effort to manage left-handed activities.  There, in the rarefied executive atmosphere of Vu’s, clad in her proudly-Filipino made shirt embellished with ethnic faces, she exuded ease and genuine warmth, not to mention a distinct sense of humor; the same persona I had seen in the several times we have met.  Save for that instance when, at a community gathering, she tactfully but very firmly refused to start her speech until everybody in the room (caught by surprise and embarrassment), simmered down and gave her their full attention – offering a glimpse of her strict side that valued discipline, the same side which advocated, “Filipino time is on time.  Tardiness is a form of violence.”

Ambassador Grace Relucio-Princesa is the first female Philippine Ambassador to the UAE.  Having spent over two decades in the Philippine Foreign Service, she had previous postings in Chicago, Cairo, Geneva and Baghdad.  She comes back to Abu Dhabi after 13 years.  Then, she worked as Consul under the leadership of former Ambassador Roy Seneres, at which time she attended to the high profile Sarah Balabagan case.  In Baghdad, as Chargé D’Affaires and Consul General in 2003, she had the unnerving responsibility of evacuating some 150 Filipinos from the country just two days before US Allied Forces started bombing the city.

As an exceptionally approachable government official, I asked the Ambassador if there was another harder-edged side to her – between the fun-loving lady who loves to sing, dance and hug, versus the resilient diplomat who has gone through quite a number of tough situations in her career in the service.  She smiled at me and said, “There should be no dichotomy to who you are. If you know yourself, there should be no need to project something else.” She then proceeds to explain, “I am an ambassador for Christ and country; a servant-leader and handmaid of God.  But I am also strict.  I say what I mean and mean what I say.  I walk my talk,” she said as a matter-of-fact.

And the lady does mean business.  Since she has formally assumed office in October 2009, the Ambassador has been engaged in a flurry of activities from her diplomatic duties to speaking to community leaders, and doing the rounds meeting Filipino groups and organizations.  She has also recently visited Al Watba prison, where she sang and hugged kababayan inmates.

Getting on with business

Her main responsibility in the emirates is to uphold the three pillars of the Philippines’ foreign policy – national security, economic diplomacy, and the protection of the rights and promotion of the welfare and interests of Filipinos overseas.  During her stint here, the Ambassador plans on further strengthening diplomatic relations between the UAE and the Philippines and promoting Philippine trade and investment.

Furthermore, the Ambassador will also be launching her own initiatives which are not only slated to promote the Philippines and the interest of Filipinos, but also to contribute towards the long term improvement of our country’s migration issues.

Among her many plans is to transform the Ambassador’s residence into the “Maharlika House” – a showcase for world-class proudly Philippine made furniture and products, promoting the best from our country and encouraging kababayans to “Buy Filipino.” She is also putting together a financial literacy campaign aimed at educating the community through a series of workshops on how to manage and improve finances for the future.

But perhaps the most ambitious of her initiatives is one that is close to her heart as a mother of five, and a diplomat who has been privy to the issues of OFs in the area over the years.  She will be espousing “Filipinos Para sa Asenso ng Baryo atbp” – an endeavor encouraging locally-based Pinoys to help set-up livelihood projects in their respective hometowns to provide work and earning opportunities for our kababayans, particularly underprivileged women.

“There is a care gap because a lot of our women have to work abroad out of necessity. There is a psycho-social cost to this migration which affects families and children in particular. If our families are weakened it’s not good for the country,” says the Ambassador.  “Filipinos Para sa Asenso ng Baryo atbp,” she hopes, will ease the pressure on women to migrate out of need by spurring economic opportunity and eventually, development in the Philippine countryside.