Embassy of the Philippines, Brunei Darussalam
October 15, 2016

Topics:

1. The Filipino community’s reaction when the visit of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte did not push through last September 2016

2. The Philippine Embassy and the Filipino community’s preparation for the upcoming visit of the President

3. The Filipino community’s support to President Duterte in the Presidential election last May

4. Expectations on the bilateral relations between the Philippines and Brunei with the new administration

5. On President Duterte’s first 100 days as Chief Executive

Profile of the Ambassador:

H. E. Meynardo LB. Montealegre is the 9th Philippine Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam who began his tour of duty in the country in April 2015. Prior to his assignment as Head of Mission in Brunei, he was Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of the Philippines to the Hellenic Republic with concurrent jurisdiction over the Republic of Cyprus from September 2011 to March 2015.

Ambassador Montealegre began his career in the Foreign Service when he entered the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) as Principal Assistant in the Northeast Asia Division (Japan/Korea), then became Assistant Director of the Southeast Asia Division of DFA’s Office of Asia and Pacific Affairs (ASPAC) from April 1990 to July 1992. He also became Acting Director of the South Asian Division of DFA-ASPAC during the said period. In July 1992, he was transferred to DFA’s Office of ASEAN Affairs as Acting Director.

His first foreign assignment was in Japan as Third Secretary and Vice Consul to Second Secretary and Consul, then First Secretary and Consul at the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo from August 1993 to February 2000. Following his stint in Tokyo, he became Director of the Northeast Asia Division of DFA-ASPAC from February 2000 to June 2002.

In June 2002, Ambassador Montealegre was posted at the Philippine Mission to the United Nations in New York as First Secretary, and became Minister until August 2006. From New York, he was reassigned to the Philippine Embassy/Mission to the United Nations in Vienna, Austria where he was Minister/Deputy Permanent Representative until October 2008.

Following his foreign assignment in Vienna, he assumed the position of Executive Director of DFA-ASPAC until September 2011.

Ambassador Montealegre took up an Executive Program on Managing Political and Economic Reforms at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, in June 2003. He obtained his B.S. in Psychology and M.A. in Asian Studies from the University of the Philippines in 1982 and 1988, respectively.

Ambassador Montealegre is born in Marinduque, Philippines. His sports and hobbies include swimming, playing golf, reading, and photography.

Source: Philippine Embassy in Brunei
http://pebrunei.org/the-ambassador/

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