Secretary of Foreign Affairs (Philippines)

Secretary of Foreign Affairs
Kalihim ng Ugnayang Panlabas
Seal of the Department of Foreign Affairs
Incumbent Tess Lazaro since July 1, 2025
Department of Foreign Affairs
Style	Madam Secretary (informal) The Honorable (formal) Her Excellency [1] (diplomatic)
Member of	Cabinet National Security Council
Reports to	President of the Philippines
Seat	Pasay
Appointer	President of the Philippines with Commission on Appointments advice and consent
Term length	At the president's pleasure
Inaugural holder	Apolinario Mabini
Formation	January 21, 1899
Website	www.dfa.gov.ph

The secretary of foreign affairs (Filipino: Kalihim ng Ugnayang Panlabas) is the Cabinet of the Philippines member in charge of implementing foreign policy for the government of the Philippines as the head of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The incumbent secretary is Tess Lazaro, who has served since July 1, 2025.

Duties and powers

Under the basis of Commonwealth Act No. 732, ^[2] Republic Act No. 708, ^[3] and Republic Act No. 7157, ^[4] the duties and powers of the Secretary is: "advises and assists the President in planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, integrating, and evaluating the total national effort in the field of foreign affairs relations in pursuit of its Constitutional mandate". ^[5]

List of secretaries of foreign affairs

Secretary of Foreign Relations (1899)

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	President
1		Apolinario Mabini (1864–1903)	January 21, 1899	May 7, 1899	Emilio Aguinaldo
2		Felipe Buencamino (1848–1929)	May 7, 1899	November 13, 1899

Minister of Foreign Affairs (1943–1945)

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	President
3		Claro M. Recto (1890–1960) [6]	October 19, 1943	March 12, 1945	Jose P. Laurel

Secretary of Foreign Affairs (1946–1978)

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	President
4		Elpidio Quirino [a] (1890–1956)	July 5, 1946	January 6, 1950	Manuel Roxas
					Elpidio Quirino
5		Felino Neri	January 6, 1950	May 11, 1950
6		Carlos P. Romulo (1899–1985)	May 11, 1950	January 1952
7		Joaquín Miguel Elizalde (1896–1965)	April 18, 1952	December 30, 1953
8		Carlos P. Garcia [b] (1896–1971)	December 30, 1953	August 22, 1957	Ramon Magsaysay
					Carlos P. Garcia
9		Felixberto Serrano (1906–1990)	August 22, 1957	December 30, 1961
10		Emmanuel Pelaez [c] (1915–2003)	December 30, 1961	July 1963	Diosdado Macapagal
11		Salvador P. Lopez (1911–1993)	July 1963	May 9, 1964
12		Mauro Mendez [7]	May 9, 1964	December 30, 1965
13		Narciso Ramos (1900–1986)	December 30, 1965	November 30, 1968	Ferdinand Marcos
(6)		Carlos P. Romulo (1899–1985) [8]	November 30, 1968	June 2, 1978

Minister of Foreign Affairs (1978–1987)

President Ferdinand Marcos issued Presidential Decree No. 1397 on June 2, 1978, converting all departments into ministries headed by ministers. ^[9]

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	President
(6)		Carlos P. Romulo (1899–1985)	June 2, 1978	January 14, 1984	Ferdinand Marcos
–		Manuel Collantes (1917–2009) Acting	January 14, 1984	June 30, 1984
14		Arturo Tolentino (1910–2004)	June 30, 1984	March 4, 1985
–		Pacifico Castro (1932–2001) Acting	March 4, 1985	February 25, 1986
15		Salvador Laurel [c] (1928–2004)	February 25, 1986	February 2, 1987	Corazon Aquino
16		Manuel Yan (1920–2008)	February 2, 1987	February 11, 1987

Secretary of Foreign Affairs (from 1987)

President Corazon Aquino issued Administrative Order No. 15 on February 11, 1987, converting all ministries into departments headed by secretaries. ^[10]

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	President
(16)		Manuel Yan (1920–2008)	February 11, 1987	October 15, 1987	Corazon Aquino
17		Raul Manglapus (1918–1999)	October 15, 1987	June 30, 1992
18		Roberto Romulo (1938–2022)	June 30, 1992	April 30, 1995	Fidel V. Ramos
19		Domingo Siazon Jr. (1939–2016)	April 30, 1995	January 20, 2001
					Joseph Estrada
20		Teofisto Guingona Jr. [c] (born 1928)	February 9, 2001	July 15, 2002	Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
–		Gloria Macapagal Arroyo [d] (born 1947) Acting	July 15, 2002	July 16, 2002
21		Blas Ople (1927–2003)	July 16, 2002	December 14, 2003
–		Franklin Ebdalin Acting	December 14, 2003	December 22, 2003
22		Delia Albert (born 1942)	December 22, 2003	August 18, 2004
23		Alberto Romulo (born 1933) [11]	August 18, 2004	February 23, 2011
					Benigno Aquino III
24		Albert del Rosario (1939–2023) [11] [12]	February 23, 2011	March 7, 2016
–		Rene Almendras (born 1960) Acting	March 8, 2016	June 30, 2016
–		Perfecto Yasay Jr. (1947–2020) Interim [13] [14]	June 30, 2016	March 9, 2017	Rodrigo Duterte
–		Enrique Manalo (born 1952) Acting [15]	March 9, 2017	May 17, 2017
25		Alan Peter Cayetano (born 1970) [16] [17] [18]	May 18, 2017	October 17, 2018
26		Teodoro Locsin Jr. (born 1948) [19]	October 17, 2018	June 30, 2022
27		Enrique Manalo (born 1952) [20]	July 1, 2022	July 1, 2025	Bongbong Marcos
28		Tess Lazaro	July 1, 2025	Incumbent

Notes

1. In concurrent capacity as the Vice President until April 17, 1948, and as the President from April 17, 1948.
2. In concurrent capacity as the Vice President until March 18, 1957, and as the President from March 18, 1957.
3. In concurrent capacity as the Vice President.
4. In concurrent capacity as the President.

References

1. "UNITED NATIONS HEADS OF STATE, Protocol and Liaison Service" (PDF). United Nations. January 29, 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 14, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
2. "Commonwealth Act No. 732 - Establishment of Foreign Affairs Department". Jur. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
3. "Republic Act No. 708" (PDF).
4. "Republic Act No. 7157 - Foreign Service Act of 1991". Jur. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
5. Department of Foreign Affairs
6. Official Gazette Vol. 1, No. 1. Manila: Bureau of Printing. 1943. p. 29.
7. External Affairs Review, Volume XIV, Number 1, January 1964. Wellington: Department of External Affairs. 1964. p. 45.
8. Official Gazette, Vol. 64, No. 50. Manila: Bureau of Printing. 1968. pp. ccxv.
9. "Presidential Decree No. 1397, s. 1978". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines .
10. "Administrative Order No. 15, s. 1987". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines .
11. "Benigno S. Aquino III". Presidential Museum and Library. Archived from the original on July 6, 2016. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
12. Hegina, Aries Joseph (February 8, 2016). "Aquino accepts DFA chief Del Rosario's resignation". Inquirer.net. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
13. Viray, Patricia Lourdes (June 30, 2016). "Duterte's Cabinet takes oath, holds first meeting". The Philippine Star. Archived from the original on July 1, 2016.
14. Ager, Maila (March 8, 2017). "CA rejects appointment of Yasay". Inquirer.net. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
15. "Duterte appoints Enrique Manalo as DFA Acting Secretary". CNN Philippines. March 9, 2017. Archived from the original on March 9, 2017.
16. Santos, Eimor P. (May 10, 2017). "Duterte appoints Cayetano as DFA chief". CNN Philippines. Archived from the original on May 13, 2017.
17. Aurelio, Julie M. (October 17, 2018). "Evasco follows other Cabinet members who quit to run in 2019 polls". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on November 3, 2018.
18. Viray, Patricia Lourdes (October 17, 2018). "Alan, Lani Cayetano both gunning for House seats". The Philippine Star. Archived from the original on November 3, 2018.
19. Musico, Jelly (October 17, 2018). "Duterte signs appointment papers of new DFA, DSWD chiefs". Philippine News Agency. Archived from the original on October 28, 2018.
20. "Marcos appoints career diplomat as foreign affairs chief". CNN Philippines . July 1, 2022. Archived from the original on July 1, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2022.

External links

• DFA website