01 August 2022 – The Department of Foreign Affairs joins the Filipino nation in mourning the passing of former President Fidel Valdez Ramos.
President Ramos was widely considered as a “foreign policy” president who shaped the evolution of the DFA by instituting economic diplomacy and the protection of overseas Filipinos as pillars of Philippine foreign policy.
His visits to foreign countries during his six-year term focused on the post-Cold War opportunities offered in multilateral and economic diplomacy, and raised the profile of the Philippines in the region and globally.
Another key legacy of the Ramos Administration is The Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act, which decreed higher standards of protection and the promotion of the welfare of migrant Filipino workers, their families and distressed Filipinos abroad.
The son of former Foreign Secretary Narciso R. Ramos, brother of two diplomats, and a member of the Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea, President Ramos demonstrated a keen understanding of government service and a strong work ethic that inspired generations of public servants.
The DFA will always be grateful for his visionary leadership and contributions to Philippine foreign policy.