DFA STRATEGIC PLAN 2001 - 2004

VISION

MISSION

OBJECTIVES

KEY STRATEGIES

KEY POLITICAL STRATEGIES

KEY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES

KEY CULTURAL STRATEGIES

KEY CONSULAR, LABOR AND MIGRATION STRATEGIES

KEY PUBLIC INFORMATION STRATEGIES

KEY ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGIES

VISION

THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
 is the prime agency of  government responsible for the pursuit of the State's foreign policy and the nerve center for a Foreign Service worthy of the trust and pride of every Filipino.

We are an organization of competent, dedicated and highly motivated personnel, who devote their energies to the benefit of the Filipino people.

We implement foreign policy with the highest standards of professionalism and commitment.

We pursue bilateral, regional and multilateral relations to advance the interest of the Philippines and the Filipinos.

We build partnerships with national security and development agencies, think-tanks and the academe, the private sector, the media and civil society in the interest of the nation and the people.

We endeavor to promote regional and global cooperation in order to achieve peace, prosperity and stability.

In the global arena, we work for social justice especially for the poor, human rights and fundamental freedoms, and a democratic way of life.

We are committed to secure a world free from serious environmental degradation, transnational crime and proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Our missions abroad are the partners of Filipinos overseas in the pursuit of the national interest and in the promotion and protection of their rights and well-being.

We have highly responsive system, which ensures effective delivery of services.

Our personnel are our greatest asset. We are committed to the personal, professional and career development of each employee.

In pursuit of our goals, we strive for and live by the principles of excellence, integrity and patriotism.

MISSION

The mission of the Department of Foreign Affairs is

TO ADVANCE
THE INTERESTS  
OF THE PHILIPPINES  
AND THE FILIPINO PEOPLE
   IN THE WORLD COMMUNITY.

OBJECTIVES

To contribute to the enhancement of national security and the protection of the territorial integrity and national sovereignty;

To participate in the national endeavor to sustain development and to enhance the Philippines' competitive edge in a global milieu;

To protect the rights and promote the welfare of Filipinos overseas and to mobilize them as partners in national development;

To project a positive image of the Philippines;

To increase international understanding of Philippine culture for mutually-beneficial relations with other countries; and,

To increase and maximize human, financial, technological and other resources to optimize the performance of the Department.

KEY STRATEGIES

To transform our vision into reality,

we rely on the competence,

professionalism and commitment

of our personnel, adequate resources,

and the cooperation

of other government agencies

and civil society.

KEY POLITICAL STRATEGIES

TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE ENHANCEMENT OF NATIONAL SECURITY AND PROTECTION OF TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY AND NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY;

TO PROMOTE PHILIPPINE INTERESTS BY WORKING CLOSELY WITH OTHER COUNTRIES IN ADDRESSING THREATS TO NATIONAL SECURITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS; and,

TO ASSIST NATIONAL GOVERNMENT IN ENHANCING ITS DEFENSE CAPABILITIES,

WE WILL :

Broaden and deepen bilateral relations with other countries to promote and enhance regional peace, stability, development and progress by :

Maintaining and promoting strong defense and security  relations with the US and ASEAN countries;

Deepening relations with China, Japan and the Republic of  Korea and working for the realization of a One East Asia  Community;

Intensifying friendly relations with the OIC countries in  order to bring about peace and development in Southern  Philippines;

Enhancing political and economic relations with the  European Union, Russia, the countries of South Asia and  Latin America;

Upgrading bilateral relations with members of the  Organization of African Unity (OAU) and Pacific Island  Forum (PIF) and the countries of Central Asia to support RP initiatives and positions in the multilateral fora.

Utilize regional and international fora, particularly the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), to promote and enhance RP political and security interests;

Actively participate in the promotion of international conventions on human right

Cooperate with other countries to combat transnational crime;

Participate in regional and international conferences on disarmament and arms control;

Assist in the upgrading of the country's defense capability; and

Assist in the search for alternative sources of energy supply to reduce dependence on traditional sources.

KEY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES

TO HARNESS FOREIGN RELATIONS IN THE ACTIVE PURSUIT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH WITH SOCIAL EQUITY AS EMBODIED IN THE PRINCIPLES OF PHILIPPINE AGENDA 21 THROUGH :

TRADE, INVESTMENT AND TOURISM PROMOTION

EXTERNAL TECHNOLOGICAL, SCIENTIFIC AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO HELP IMPLEMENT THE MEDIUM TERM PHILIPPINE DEVELOPMENT PLAN, PARTICULARLY THE PRO-POOR PROGRAMS OF GOVERNMENT

EDUCATION AND HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT; and,

TO ADVANCE THE HUMAN AND ECONOMIC SECURITY OF THE FILIPINO PEOPLE THROUGH BILATERAL, REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC MECHANISMS,

WE WILL :

Lead, in cooperation with relevant government agencies, in :

Overcoming market barriers facing RP exports and services  through negotiations with other governments, active  representation in the WTO, ASEAN, APEC and ASEM and  networks in growth areas

Concluding or reviewing trade/investment agreements and monitoring trends in economic activities in other countries

Facilitating foreign investments in order to provide job opportunities to our people

Assisting local companies in identifying investment  opportunities in traditional and non-traditional areas for  wider market base for RP products and services

Promoting investments in tourism and increasing inflow of  tourists;

Mobilize appropriate Official Development Assistance (ODA) and private sector resources for the country's development programs;

Identify and obtain relevant and applicable technologies for local use through :

Securing appropriate investments and technical assistance,   particularly in the new technologies

Monitoring the progress of bilateral and multilateral S&T  and technical cooperation activities

Negotiating agreements on S&T Cooperation

Tapping overseas Filipinos for development purposes, e.g.,   Balik-Scientist program

Support bilateral, regional and multilateral agreements on the protection of the environment;

Assist in the alternative sourcing of vital economic resources, like food, water and energy;

Initiate bilateral, regional and multilateral arrangements geared towards ensuring food security, and the delivery of health and nutrition, housing, education and other social development services; and,

Work for the realization of a One East Asian community

KEY CULTURAL STRATEGIES

TO PROMOTE PHILIPPINE CULTURE FOR INCREASED UNDERSTANDING AND IMPROVED RELATIONS WITH OTHER COUNTRIES;

TO ENCOURAGE GENUINE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CIVIL SOCIETIES OF THE PHILIPPINES AND OTHER COUNTRIES TO IMPROVE SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC SECURITY; AND,

TO PROMOTE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONCERNS AMONG FILIPINOS OVERSEAS BY INSTILLING IN THEM A DEEP APPRECIATION OF THEIR ROOTS AND CULTURAL TIES,

WE WILL:

Project Philippine culture in the region and in the international community as multidimensional, unique and distinct through active and sustained cooperation and collaboration with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and other Cultural entities;

Project the Philippines as a country with a rich historical and cultural tradition, and an advocate of democracy with a serious commitment to the development of a more humane ASEAN community;

Encourage Filipinos Overseas to promote Philippine culture and assist in building economic links; and,

Strengthen socio-cultural orientation among DFA personnel, in collaboration with the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) and other related institutions, through training in arts, culture, history, government and politics.

KEY CONSULAR, LABOR AND MIGRATION STRATEGIES

TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS AND PROMOTE THE WELFARE OF OVERSEAS FILIPINOS;

TO ENSURE EFFICIENT AND TIMELY DELIVERY OF CONSULAR SERVICES; AND,

TO MOBILIZE FILIPINO COMMUNITIES ABROAD AS PARTNERS OF GOVERNMENT IN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

WE WILL:

Strengthen bilateral relations with countries, especially those hosting large number of Filipinos;

Pursue initiatives to promote the rights of overseas Filipinos, particularly migrant workers in their host countries an before international and regional for a;

Support initiatives to continuously upgrade the skills of Filipino workers to enable them to sustain their competitive advantage in the global arena; and,

Monitor implementation and review policies related to assistance top nationals (ATNs) with a view to rationalizing delivery of assistance under existing laws.

KEY PUBLIC INFORMATION STRATEGIES

To effectively utilize traditional and non-traditional media to project a positive image of the department and the Philippines;

To inform the philippine public of the policies, functions and programs of the department; and,

TO PROJECT TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY THE PHILIPPINES' UNIQUE CULTURE, DYNAMIC DEMOCRACY AND GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE ECONOMY,

WE WILL:

Promote the Department's key role in pursuing RP's interests using the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan 1999-2004 or Angat Pinoy 2004;

Build public support for the DFA by providing comprehensive, up-to-date and relevant information on foreign policy;

Strengthen public relations effort in both the domestic and foreign sectors;

Increase our capacity to utilize media to generate public support for our foreign policy objectives; and,

Orient part of public diplomacy toward specific issues vital to RP's security and other interest.

KEY ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGIES

TO EFFECTIVELY OBTAIN, EFFICIENTLY MANAGE AND CONTINUALLY DEVELOP HUMAN, FINANCIAL AND OTHER RESOURCES TO BUILD A HIGH PERFORMANCE ORGANIZATION,

WE WILL:

Manage and develop our Human Resources by:

Formulating and implementing an Integrated Human Resources Development Plan;

Recruiting, training and maintaining a professional and competent service corps dedicated to public service, and adaptable to the changing demands of the foreign service;

Building capacity among personnel to attune them to the demands of promoting and enhancing the multi-dimensional aspect of Philippine culture;

Maintaining a fair, equitable and efficient approach to all personnel action based on merit; and,

Promoting the well-being, safety and health of employees, and considering the impact of management policies on their families.

In relation to our needs and in accordance with Government budget policy, secure and mange the required financial resources;

Continually review, and if necessary, develop our internal budget process to adapt to changing priority areas.

Provide the best working conditions by:

Supplementing and managing our physical and material resources; and,

Ensuring the prompt provision of adequate administrative services through the utilization of best practice systems and procedures.

Manage our information and data by:

Improving security of government documents and communication;

Establishing MIS that would store and process data; and,

Establishing a central recording system.

Maintain a strategic and effective planning approach which will link policies and resources, in priority setting and decision-making.