Albert del Rosario
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Albert Ferreros del Rosario (born November 14, 1939) is a Filipino diplomat. He was the
Secretary of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...
of the
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
from 2011 to 2016.


Background

Albert del Rosario was born in
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
on November 14, 1939, to Luis del Rosario and Amparo Ferreros. His great grandmother Teresa Sempio was a sister of Felipa Sempio, the mother of
Gregorio del Pilar Gregorio Hilario del Pilar y Sempio (; ; November 14, 1875 – December 2, 1899) was a Filipino general of the Philippine Revolutionary Army during the Philippine–American War. As one of the youngest generals in the Revolutionary Army, he ...
. His grandfather, Judge Simplicio Sempio del Rosario, was a delegate to the
Malolos Congress The Malolos Congress (also known as the Revolutionary Congress), formally known as the National Assembly, was the legislative body of the Revolutionary Government of the Philippines. Members were chosen in the elections held from June 23 to Septe ...
. Del Rosario graduated from
Xavier High School A multitude of schools and universities have been named after St. Francis Xavier, a Spanish Roman Catholic saint and co-founder of the Society of Jesus. This page lists notable educational institutions named after St. Xavier, arranged by country a ...
in New York and subsequently attended college at
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...
, graduating with a degree in Economics. In 2006, he was inducted into the Xavier High School Hall of Fame. Before being appointed by
Benigno Aquino III Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III (; February 8, 1960 – June 24, 2021), also known as Noynoy Aquino and colloquially as PNoy, was a Filipino politician who served as the 15th president of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016. The son of ...
to the
Secretary of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...
post, del Rosario was the Philippine Ambassador to the United States under then-President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal Arroyo (, born April 5, 1947), often referred to by her initials GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician serving as one of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, House Deputy Spe ...
from 2001 to 2006. He stepped down after disagreements with the Arroyo government. He reportedly opposed the hiring of more lobby groups for the Philippine government and had cautioned the Arroyo government on its move to declare emergency rule in 2006, following reported threats to national security. In 2008, he wrote that he could not defend the emergency rule to Washington since it was "unjustifiable". On September 15, 2014, del Rosario was awarded the Tanging Dangal Award (Gawad Dangal na Lipi), the highest recognition given to a Bulakenyo who demonstrated outstanding contributions to society. del Rosario's family hails from
Bulakan Bulakan, officially the Municipality of Bulakan ( tgl, Bayan ng Bulakan), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 81,232 people. It is north of Manila. Bula ...
,
Bulacan Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan ( tl, Lalawigan ng Bulacan), is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on August 15, 1578, and part of the Metr ...
. On September 24, 2015, he was conferred an honorary Doctor of Laws degree (Honoris Causa) from New York's
College of Mount Saint Vincent A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...
for his commitment to democracy, advocacy to the poor, opposing corruption and promoting peaceful change in the Philippines. In his acceptance speech, del Rosario said, “''As an official of the Philippine government, I am truly humbled to be honored after President
Corazon Aquino Maria Corazon "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (; ; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipina politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992. She was the most prominent figure of the 1986 People P ...
, a Mount alumna. Thus, the honorary Doctor of Laws that the Mount has conferred upon me will always be my treasure as well as my inspiration. The
Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA; fil, Kagawaran ng Ugnayang Panlabas) is the executive department of the Philippine government tasked to contribute to the enhancement of national security, protection of the territorial integrity and ...
that I lead closely shares Mount Saint Vincent’s commitment to institutional integrity and excellence. I, therefore, consider the honor bestowed on me as recognition also for the hardworking men and women of the Philippine Foreign Service.”''


Ties with the Aquinos

His ties with the Aquino family go back to President Aquino's parents. When the late
Corazon Aquino Maria Corazon "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (; ; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipina politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992. She was the most prominent figure of the 1986 People P ...
was president for 6 years starting in 1986, he accompanied her on her state visits to the United States. In 1991, Aquino conferred the Philippine Army Award to del Rosario for his initiatives as Chair of the Makati Foundation for Education.


Secretary of Foreign Affairs

On February 24, 2011, President
Benigno Aquino III Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III (; February 8, 1960 – June 24, 2021), also known as Noynoy Aquino and colloquially as PNoy, was a Filipino politician who served as the 15th president of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016. The son of ...
swore in del Rosario as his Secretary of Foreign Affairs replacing
Alberto Romulo Alberto Gatmaitan Romulo (born August 7, 1933) is a Filipino politician and diplomat. He served in the Philippine in various capacities as Executive Secretary, Finance Secretary, Foreign Affairs Secretary, and Budget Secretary. His most recent o ...
. In May 2012, del Rosario called on the United States to supply the Philippines with "naval patrol vessels, aircraft, advanced radar systems and coastal surveillance facilities" in order to maintain his nation's sovereignty against Chinese claims in the
South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by the shores of South China (hence the name), in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan and northwestern Phil ...
. On March 30, 2014, the Philippines submitted its country's Memorial to the Arbitral Tribunal in the Hague that is hearing the case it brought against the People's Republic of China under the
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), also called the Law of the Sea Convention or the Law of the Sea Treaty, is an international agreement that establishes a legal framework for all marine and maritime activities. , 167 c ...
. The Memorial seeks to have China's claim of 90% of the South China Sea, including several features within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone, declared invalid. The case would be the first time international legal experts formally considered the validity of China's territorial claims in the South China Sea. Del Rosario stated ''" With firm conviction, the ultimate purpose of the Memorial is our national interest. It is about defending what is legitimately ours. It is about securing our children’s future. It is about guaranteeing freedom of navigation for all nations. It is about helping to preserve regional peace, security and stability. And finally, it is about seeking not just any kind of resolution but a just and durable solution grounded in International Law."'' On July 7, 2015, del Rosario appeared before the Arbitral Tribunal in the Hague to present "Why the Philippines brought this case to Arbitration and its importance to the region and the world". On February 8, 2016, del Rosario announced that he would resign as Secretary of Foreign Affairs, citing health reasons. He stepped down on March 7, 2016, nearly four months before the end of President Aquino's term.


References


External links

* Albert del Rosario o
Yahoo! News
* Albert del Rosario o
South China Morning Post
* Albert del Rosario o
Reuters
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rosario, Albert del Living people People from Manila Secretaries of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines Ambassadors of the Philippines to the United States 1939 births Xavier High School (New York City) alumni Benigno Aquino III administration cabinet members