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Last Updated: 19 October 2023

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Ambassador Raul S. Hernandez joined the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in 1993. He was appointed as Assistant Secretary in charge of DFA Legislative Liaison Unit under the Office of the Secretary for Foreign Affairs on 17 June 2021 and served in that position until 7 December 2022.

On 12 May 2023, he was nominated by H.E. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Sultanate of Oman and confirmed by the Commission on Appointments on 31 May 2023.

Prior to this recent assignment, he was the Philippine Ambassador to the Republic of Korea (May 2014 – April 2019) and the Philippine Ambassador to Turkey with concurrent jurisdiction over the Republic of Georgia and Republic of Azerbaijan (April 2019-December 2020).

At the Department of Foreign Affairs, he served at various times as Assistant Secretary and Spokesperson, Executive Director at the Office of American Affairs, Director at the Office of Middle Eastern and African Affairs, Acting Director at the Office of European Affairs, and Principal Assistant, then Assistant Director at the Office of Asian and Pacific Affairs.

His foreign assignments include Hong Kong, The Hague in the Netherlands, Vancouver in Canada and Xiamen in China where he served as Vice Consul, First Secretary, Deputy Consul General and Consul General, respectively.

Ambassador Hernandez earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at the Ateneo de Manila University (1977). He took an MBA program at the Asia International Open University in Macau Special Administrative Region, China (1992). He earned his Masters in National Security Administration (MNSA) degree from the National Defense College of the Philippines - NDCP (2003) and was commissioned in the Reserve Force of the Philippine Marines of the Armed forces of the Philippines with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He is also a graduate of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Command and General Staff Course – CGSC (2004). On 2 November 2015, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel.

In July 2014, Mr. Hernandez was conferred the Presidential award, Gawad Mabini with a rank of Grand Cross (Dakilang Kamanong) by the President of the Philippines for his outstanding work in the field of diplomacy throughout his years in government service, for his exemplary performance of duties as Spokesperson of the DFA and head of Public Information Services Unit and for instituting significant reforms in Public Diplomacy.

0n 2 June 2020, Korean President Moon Jae-in conferred on Ambassador Hernandez the Presidential award of the Order of Diplomatic Service Merit “Gwanghwa Medal” for his outstanding and meritorious service as Philippine Ambassador to South Korea.

Ambassador Hernandez has been a public servant and a diplomat serving the country and the Filipino people for 29 years now.

Ambassador Hernandez was born in Catarman, Northern Samar in 1957 and is married to Maria Ana and they have two children: Rafael and Catherine.

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Last Updated: 26 September 2024

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Last Updated: 16 September 2024

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Diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the Sultanate of Oman were officially established on 06 October 1980, with the Philippine Ambassador to Riyadh being accredited as the country’s non-resident Ambassador to Muscat.

The Filipino population in Oman during this time was about 1,000 to 2,000. Towards the end of the 1980s, the increasing number OFWs in Oman had made it expedient to have Philippine government representation in the Sultanate to attend to the welfare and needs of Filipino workers. Thus, in November 1988, Mr. Essah bin Mohammed Alessa Al Zedjali, a prominent Omani businessman and Editor-in-Chief of the Times of Oman, was appointed the Philippine Honorary Consul General in Muscat.

He served until October 1992. In March 1992, in view of the significant increase in the number of overseas Filipinos in the Sultanate, the Philippine government opened a resident Embassy in Muscat, with Consul Bahnarim Guinomla as Charge d’Affaires, a.i. The following year (1993), Ambassador Sanchez A. Ali became the first resident Philippine Ambassador.

Despite the geographic distance and differences in language, climate and culture, Philippine-Oman relations remain strong and continue to grow.

As of June 2024, there are 48,892 Filipino expatriate workers in Oman. This people-to-people exchange symbolizes the robust bond and deep-rooted friendship shared between Oman and the Philippines. Renowned for their expertise, education, diligence, and industriousness, as well as their honesty, resourcefulness, proficiency in English, and amiable demeanor, Filipino expatriates play a pivotal role in fostering strong interpersonal connections between the two nations. Similarly, numerous Filipinos bear witness to the warmth and kindness extended by the Omani community, further cementing the enduring friendship between the two countries.

Under the leadership of His Excellency Ambassador Raul S. Hernandez, the Philippine Embassy in Oman continues to foster the good relationship between Oman and the Philippines through continuous coordination and cooperation with the Omani counterparts, in line with the three pillars of the Philippine foreign policy, namely, the preservation and enhancement of national security, the promotion and attainment of economic security, and the protection of the welfare and interests of Filipinos overseas.

H.E. Nasser Said Abdullah Al Manwari is the current Omani Ambassador to the Philippines.

AMBASSADORS TO THE SULTANATE OF OMAN