(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Preparations are underway for the arrival of new Philippine ambassador to Qatar Wilfredo C Santos (pictured) on April 28. The United Filipino Organisations in Qatar (UFOQ) has set a programme to welcome the envoy on April 29 at an event at Grand Qatar Palace Hotel.
Culture attaché John Danilo Jiao Jr, who also arrived recently from the US, will introduce Santos at the event, which will be attended by other embassy officials.
UFOQ chairman Frank Jamandre said they are excited about the arrival of the new ambassador and hope to have a fruitful and harmonious working relationship for "the betterment of the work and life of all overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Qatar."
This was echoed by UFOQ promotions and publicity chairman Rannie Tanchico, who hoped the new ambassador will follow in the footsteps of the former envoy Crescente Relacion, who regularly attended to the needs of OFWs in the country.
Indonesian ambassador Deddy Saiful Hadi has also expressed his eagerness to meet the incoming Philippine ambassador saying this will be their "third time to be counterparts."
"We were both assigned in Kuwait, followed by our stints in San Francisco, and now here in Qatar," said the envoy, who was speaking at the Asean (Association of South East Asian Nations) Family Day recently, held at the Barzan Olympic Park.
The ACD is comprised of the embassies of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam in Doha.
Online Filipino community news portal BalitangQ.net reported that Santos worked as a journalist before joining the Foreign Service. A career diplomat, he is now the Assistant Secretary at the Office of Consular Affairs.
He led the Philippine delegation to various international meetings and conferences including the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation Business Mobility Group meetings and related meetings in China, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Santos also served as leader of the Philippine delegation to the second Philippines-Korea Joint Consular consultations meeting in Seoul and the first Philippines-Republic of Indonesia Joint Consular consultations meeting in Bali in 2014.
He is a recipient of the "Order of Lakandula," Rank of Officer for services rendered as Philippine Liaison Officer to Japan during the Philippines' hosting of the Asean Summit and related meetings in Cebu City from 2007 to 2008. He has served the DFA for the past 22 years.
He is the sixth Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Philippines to Qatar.
BalitangQ.net also said that Culture attaché Jiao held a position in the DFA as liaison officer from December 2011 to March 2015 and a political officer at the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco from November 2005 to December 2011.
Jiao finished his Masters of Public Administration at the University of Southern California and completed college with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration at the University of the Philippines.
He has attended a number of activities of the Filipino community and vowed to support these organisations.
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