Colombian Ambassador to the Philippines Marcela Ordoñez Fernández praised the exchange of best practices between Colombia and the Philippines in the field of peace process and peace building.
(From left) Colombian Ambassador to the Philippines Marcela Ordoñez Fernández during her farewell call to President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos (Photo from the Presidential Communications Office via Facebook)
During a farewell call on President Marcos at Malacañan Palace on Sept. 4, the envoy expressed her gratitude to both the Chief Executive and Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity Secretary Carlito Galvez for sharing the best practices in peace process.
“Just basically I wanted to thank you for hosting me for the past three and a half years. It’s been wonderful. It’s been very interesting, very good experience. It was my first experience as ambassador. So, it’s been wonderful,” she said.
“I’m very happy to have here Secretary Charlie Galvez… We are exchanging best practices,” she added.
In a Facebook post, Marcos wished the foreign envoy "all the best" in her next tour of duty.
"We value the strong ties between the Philippines and Colombia, especially in exchanging best practices on peace efforts," he wrote.
During the envoy’s tenure in Manila, the two countries hosted officials involved in the peace process to learn and share their best practices.
In particular, Fernández facilitated two bilateral consultation meetings—an online meeting in 2021 and an in-person meeting just this year.
Galvez’s office, on the other hand, expressed its support for the continuation and expansion of bilateral cooperation on the peace process.
The ambassador also conveyed Colombia’s support for the Philippines’ bid for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the period of 2027 to 2028.
Fernández, who served as the dean of the Latin American Ambassadors in the Philippines, began her tour of duty in February 2021 upon presenting her credentials to the President.
She left for a new assignment on Sept. 4.