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Rommel Romato

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Rommel Romato
Philippine Chargé d'affaires to Saudi Arabia
In office
July 1, 2022 – Present
PresidentBongbong Marcos
Preceded byAdnan V. Alonto
(as Ambassador)
Personal details
Born1981 (age 42–43)
SpouseDr Nizhreen Mapandi-Romato
EducationUniversity of the Philippines Diliman (BA), Linacre College, Oxford (MSt)

Rommel Romato is a Filipino diplomat. He has served as the Chargé d'affaires ad interim of the Republic of the Philippines to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia since July 2022.[1][2]

Early life and education

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Rommel Romato was born in 1981 in Marawi City, Philippines. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from the University of the Philippines Diliman where he became the first Muslim student to be elected chairperson of the UP Diliman University of Student Council.[3][4][5]

He gained a Master of Studies in Diplomatic Studies from the University of Oxford, specialising in public international law under the tutelage of Professor Stefan Talmon. During his time at Oxford, he won the Ralph Feltham Prize for his research on maritime piracy around the Horn of Africa.[6]

Career

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Romato is a career member of the Foreign Service of the Philippines. He joined the Department of Foreign Affairs in 2009. From 2012 to 2013 he worked at the United Nations' International Maritime Organization on secondment from the Philippine Government.[7] He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in London in 2013. From 2013 to 2019 he was a Third Secretary and Vice Consul and then Second Secretary and Consul at the Philippine Embassy in London.[8][9] In 2021, he was assigned as Consul General at the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh.[10][11]

Before joining the diplomatic service, he served as Legal Researcher of the Office of the Ombudsman of the Philippines from 2004 to 2009.[12]

Chargé d'affaires to Saudi Arabia

In September 2022, Romato received an official visit by Secretary Susan Ople of the Department of Migrant Workers.[13] During the visit, Secretary Ople held successful meetings with Saudi officials leading to the lifting of the Philippine Government's deployment ban of workers to Saudi Arabia and negotiations on improving working conditions of nearly a million overseas Filipino workers in the Kingdom.[14] He met with Secretary-General Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on February 26, 2023, to discuss ways to strengthen GCC-Philippines relations in areas such as security, welfare of migrant workers, trade, and tourism.[15]

On October 19–20, 2023, Chargé d'affaires Romato oversaw the official visit of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to Saudi Arabia to attend the inaugural ASEAN-GCC Summit in Riyadh.[16] During this visit, President Marcos also met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia.[17]

He facilitated a Philippine Department of Trade and Industry-led business mission to Saudi Arabia that met chambers of commerce in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam in February 2024. During the trade mission, Chargé d'affaires Romato announced the establishment of the Philippine Trade and Investment Center and appointment of a Philippine commercial attaché in Riyadh in 2024.[18]

Romato (right) with Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud who hosted a luncheon in honor of Philippine Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla (left), October 14, 2024.

In May 2024, the Supreme Court of the Philippines allowed, for the first time, overseas Filipino workers from Saudi Arabia to participate in the Shari'ah training seminar online and take the Shari'ah Bar exam in the Philippines, granting qualified examinees financial assistance for travel and accommodations.[19][20] This decision was based on a request from the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh.[21]

Romato welcomed Secretary Raphael Lotilla of the Department of Energy to Riyadh in October 2024 for his meetings with his Saudi counterpart Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud and Minister of Investment Khalid al-Falih and for the signing of the first memorandum of understanding (MOU) on energy cooperation between the Philippines and Saudi Arabia.[22][23]

Personal life

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Romato is married to physician Nizhreen Mapandi-Romato. They have four children.

References

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  1. ^ "Riyadh Region Mayor Attends Embassy of Philippines National Day Ceremony". Saudi Press Agency. 18 July 2024. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  2. ^ Rocamora, Joyce Ann (28 July 2024). "17 Filipino hostages in Yemen safe from Israeli strike: PBBM". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  3. ^ "Philippine Embassy Riyadh". Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia. Department of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  4. ^ Abdulwahid, Shahana (27 April 2007). "Beating the Odds" (PDF). The Manila Times. p. D2. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  5. ^ Phoa, Dayangku Hajah Saidah (29 January 2003). "Kebawah DYMM terima Penganugerahan Ijazah Doktor Kehormat Undang-Undang" (PDF). 48. No. 5. Pelita Brunei. p. 9. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  6. ^ "Philippine Embassy Riyadh". Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia. Department of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  7. ^ "Philippines acts on call for support to the International Maritime Organization". Philippine Embassy in the United Kingdom. Philippine Embassy in the United Kingdom. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  8. ^ Alcantara, Melissa (20 February 2018). "University of London opens PH Studies forum after £75k grant from DFA". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  9. ^ "UP connects with Filipino scholars in Europe". University of the Philippines Website. University of the Philippines System. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  10. ^ Alhamawi, Lama (20 April 2023). "Philippine embassy hosts Ramadan iftar for students". Arab News. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  11. ^ Lee-Brago, Pia. "Philippine embassy in Saudi opens talks on solar power". The Philippine Star. The Philippine Star. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  12. ^ "Philippine Embassy Riyadh". Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia. Department of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  13. ^ "Al-Rajhi, Ople discuss ways to deal with Saudi-Philippine common challenges". Saudi Gazette. 10 September 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  14. ^ Ople, Susan. "State of Saudi-Philippine labor cooperation is 'all good'". Arab News. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  15. ^ "GCC Secretary General Discusses Means to Strengthen GCC-Philippines Relations With the Chargé d'Affaires of the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia". Secretariat General of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Gulf Cooperation Council. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  16. ^ Joudah, Ghadi (18 October 2023). "Riyadh meeting aims to boost GCC-ASEAN strategic cooperation before Friday's summit". Arab News. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  17. ^ "President of Philippines Arrives in Riyadh to Participate in GCC-ASEAN Summit". Saudi Press Agency. 19 October 2023. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  18. ^ Aben, Ellie (14 February 2024). "Philippines sends first business mission to Saudi Arabia since pandemic". Arab News. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  19. ^ "2024 Shari'ah Bar Makes History". Supreme Court of the Philippines. Supreme Court of the Philippines. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  20. ^ Bautista, Jane (3 May 2024). "Supreme Court boosts Shariah integration in Philippine law". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  21. ^ Bautista, Jane (3 May 2024). "Supreme Court boosts Shariah integration in Philippine law". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  22. ^ Hassan, Nadin (15 October 2024). "Saudi Arabia, Philippines ink first energy cooperation agreement". Arab News. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  23. ^ "Saudi Arabia and Philippines sign energy cooperation agreement". Saudi Gazette. 14 October 2024. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
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