FLOR G. TARRIELA l April 15, 2024 l Manila Bulletin
Romanian Ambassador Radula Dana Matache asked, “What does Pope Francis, the former UN secretary General Ban Ki Moon and the former German Chancellor Angela Merkel have in common?” They all knew and worked with or had policy discussions with the former Foreign Affairs Secretary Delia Albert.
Who is Delia Domingo Albert? She is the Filipina career diplomat who served as the first female Secretary of Foreign Affairs in the Philippines and the first in Asia. Her career spans over 50 years; represented the Philippines in Switzerland, Hungary, Germany and Australia. Geneva was her first posting after joining the foreign service. Then she went to Bucharest as a critical part of the team setting up the Philippine Embassy in Romania, the first ever Filipino mission in a country of the then communist bloc.
Once upon a time, before 1972, Ambassador Delia said the Philippines had no diplomatic relations with any of the Eastern European countries behind the “Iron Curtain” nor with China nor Russia. Then in 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos decided to establish relations with Romania, known to be the maverick among the socialist states. Consequently, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Carlos P. Romulo announced to the world that the “Philippines is a friend to all and an enemy to none”. The Philippine Mission in Geneva, together with its Romanian counterpart became the initial conduit to implement the historic policy decision.
Ambassador Delia’s career is exemplary not only for Philippine diplomacy but for any diplomat anywhere in the world. She said that during negotiations, she had “to think “vertically” about her own national position and “horizontally”, by considering the views of others and cultivate the support of like-minded persons whose country shared the interests. She can communicate a diplomatic “NO” in several languages. She speaks English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese and Romanian, and Tagalog, of course.
Her commendable work in Romania and her commitment to the development of the Philippines-Romania relations to this day led the President of the Romania, Klaus Iohannis to confer the Romanian National Order of Merit in the Rank of Commander, one of the highest honors bestowed on a foreign diplomat. It was a wonderful event to witness Ambassador Delia bestowed this great honor. It was heartwarming to hear both Ambassadors Delia and Radula speak eloquently from the heart. Ambassador Delia was elegant wearing a beautiful terno, hand me down from her mom. Truly a fitting tribute for Women’s Month in March.
Did you know that Ambassador Delia met the love of her life, Hans Albert, a German journalist and Chief Editor for a German Television through a typewriter? At that time, the hotel she was staying in Bucharest, Romania had a business center but there was no typewriter, which was considered contraband and feared to be used for anti-government propaganda. Who would think Hans lending his typewriter would lead to the lifting of a highly discriminatory practice against women in the Department of Foreign Affairs. When she fell in love, she paved the way for women diplomats to marry and keep their posts. Only men were allowed to do so as female diplomats then had to resign if they married a foreigner. What a trail blazing and liberating love story!
Incidentally, she is my kababayan, her dad hails from Malabon, Rizal, my hometown. And her sister Evelyn Domingo Barker, was the classmate of my sister “bamboo queen” Kay Jimenez in UP.
Ambassador Delia does everything with passion. For her exceptional services to the Philippines, she was conferred the Presidential Order of Sikatuna rank of Datu. Recognized as UP’s Most Distinguished Alumna in 2012 and authored the book “Women in Diplomacy: The Remarkable Ambassadors in the Philippine Foreign Service”. She continues to be active and relevant. She encourages young women to follow and accomplish their dreams. Adviser to Filipina CEO Circle and friend of Women Biz Philippines, organizations that committed to support women in their careers and businesses, respectively. As Advisory Board to the Global Summit of Women, she is leading women leaders to the Summit in Madrid on May 9-11. She fights for responsible and sustainable mining through DIWATA, Women in Resource Development; she contributes to ASEAN people to people contacts, nurtures relationships with various countries and organizations around the world.
She is petite, but extraordinary, remarkable, and as Ambassador Radula commented “unstoppable”.Go! Go! Go! Ambassador Delia Albert, our role model and inspiration!
*** Ms. Tarriela was former PNB Chairman and now serves as Board Advisor. A former Undersecretary of Finance, she is lead independent director of Nickel Asia Corp., director of LTG Inc. and FINEX. A gardener and an environmentalist, she founded Flor’s Garden in Antipolo, now an events destination. Photo from https://indopacificbusinessforum.com/