In 1947, the Philippine Government established the Consulate General in Sydney, which covers New South Wales, Wallis and Futuna, and New Caledonia. The Consulate General serves a large Filipino-Australian community, estimated at over 150,000 Filipinos.
Ms Charmaine Rowena C. Aviquivil assumed her post as the Consul General of the Republic of the Philippines in Sydney, Australia, on 25 October 2022.
Consul General Aviquivil has worked for over 20 years in public service, initially joining the government as a Media Production Specialist and eventually as Information Officer at the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA), an attached agency of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), from 1989 to 1997.
She joined the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in 1997 as a Foreign Service Officer (FSO) after passing the highly competitive FSO examinations that year. She was promoted to Chief of Mission II in 2021.
Before her posting in Sydney, her previous foreign assignments were at the Philippine Embassy in Oslo, Norway from 2015 to 2017, Philippine Embassy in Athens, Greece from 2011-2015, Philippine Embassy in Cairo, Egypt from 2005 to 2008, and before that, her first foreign service posting was at the Philippine Consulate General in Agana, Guam from 2002 to 2005.
At the DFA Home Office, after completing a six-month cadetship course under the Foreign Service Institute from 1997 to 1998, Ms Aviquivil initially served as Principal Assistant at the Office of United Nations and other Organizations in 1998, and then at the Public Information Services Unit from 1998 to 2002. She became Director of the Africa Division of the Office of Middle East and African Affairs (OMEAA) at the DFA from 2008 to 2011. Her most recent assignment at the Home Office was as Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Office of Policy Planning and Coordination (OPPC).
She graduated Cum Laude from the University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She also earned a Master in Philippine Studies degree from the same university in 2001.
Consul General Aviquivil shares with The Philippine Times her background, life in the foreign service, and plans during her term in the Philippine Consulate General in Sydney.
Q: Can you share more information about yourself – like your family life interests, your roots in the Philippines, and other personal details?
A: I was born in Manila, and probably because my parents both served in government practically all their lives, this has instilled in me a sense of duty, of giving back to the country by being in public service myself. My dad is from San Pablo, Laguna, and my mom is from Lingayen, Pangasinan. I am the eldest of two, both girls, and my sister is now based in the US. I am a proud auntie to my beautiful six-year-old niece.
I am an avid reader and moviegoer and enjoy the comforts of home bingeing on both classic and cult favourite TV series from a multitude of streaming platforms (my guilty pleasure!).
I am a foodie and I am happy to find a diverse selection of food choices, both international and Filipino, here in Sydney. I look forward to exploring Sydney’s every nook and cranny to experience its vibrant food culture and discover synergies between the Philippines and Australia’s food scene.
Q: Have you always wanted to work in the Foreign Service? How did you join the Department of Foreign Affairs?
A: Being a diplomat was not really a childhood ambition. From my lola, I learned that It was actually my father who dreamt of becoming an ambassador. It was my friend who had contacts in the Philippine diplomatic circle who encouraged me to take the FSO exams in 1996. I must admit that I, who have never been really interested in nor kept abreast of geo-political and security matters before, and who only had a passing interest in world events, was surprised that I passed the FSO exams.
Q: In your previous assignments in Manila and Foreign Service Posts/Philippine Embassies/Consulates General, can you share an unforgettable experience that made you proud as a Foreign Service Officer and why?
A: All my postings have been equally challenging and memorable, and it is difficult to single out just one major life-changing experience. I look fondly at my memories, places I have seen and people I have met, all through the years. Guam, is so much like the Philippines, so near, yet with a distinctly American lifestyle. There are over 40,000 Filipinos there (roughly ¼ of the total population) and 84 Filipino Community (FilCom) organizations while I was there as a junior officer so in a sense, FilCom engagement very much similar to what it is in Sydney.
Cairo and Athens were culturally enriching, with thousands of years of history experienced by those fortunate enough to have the chance to be posted there. Especially challenging was the nature of our assistance to nationals work in Egypt, where many Filipino Household Service Workers (HSWs) face difficulties with their employers. They do not have the level of protection that Overseas Filipinos have in other countries, so we really have to be there for them.
Norway I admire for the emphasis on work-life balance, and how it grew and developed from a simple fishing nation to one of the richest in the world (oil and gas) with a well-managed sovereign wealth fund.
I would say that my posting in Greece was the most enjoyable, with its diverse culture and history within the islands, wonderful cuisine, amazing people with beliefs and temperament very much like Filipinos. It was also in Greece where we at the Embassy were heavily involved, at the height of the Arab Spring in 2011, in the repatriation of thousands of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from Libya via the island of Crete. Knowing that one had a contribution in ensuring the safe return home of Filipinos from a war-torn country was a shining moment for us in the Philippine foreign service.
Q: Are there valuable lessons or takeaways from your career in the Foreign Service or life in general that you can share with us?
A: Although I did not think I was destined to join the Foreign Service, I must say that I have no regrets whatsoever. Joining the foreign service, despite its many challenges, has proven to be very fulfilling for me. Life in the Foreign Service is not the “glamorous cocktail receptions here and there,” “rubbing elbows with the elite” life that many think it entails. We are on call 24/7, have to be multi-taskers and jack of all trades, but really, it’s the fact that you know that what you do, what you work for in your day-to-day meetings, consultations, negotiations, all of these, make a big difference in the lives of people.
Q: As the Philippine Consul General in Sydney, what do you hope to accomplish during your term? And are there activities you wish to focus on or undertake?
A: First, I would like to further enhance our engagement with the Filipino Community in NSW. Our relationship with Filipinos in NSW is already quite vibrant and strong but we hope to reach out to even more of our kababayan, whether or not they are members of associations or unaffiliated with any organization. We want to highlight that the Consulate and the FilCom are partners in working for the greater good of all Filipinos in NSW.
In line with this, we will strongly support the holding of a unified FilCom-led Independence Day celebration and we are counting on the support of all FilCom organizations to achieve this.
Second, we assure Filipinos in NSW of the Consulate’s continuous and consistent efforts to enhance our consular services to them. We will be more responsive to their needs and will make sure that we are accessible and open to address their needs. With the easing of COVID restrictions, we hope to undertake more consular outreach missions, so we can provide passport and other consular services to our kababayan even in the far flung reaches of NSW.
Third, we will pursue programs in line with the President’s eight-point socio-economic agenda and implement projects and activities that support the strategic partnership of the Philippines and Australia.
Q: Do you have any message for the Filipino community in New South Wales?
A: Maraming salamat po sa inyong mainit na pagtanggap. I truly appreciate the warm welcome of the Filipino community in NSW. Kami po sa Konsulado ay nagpapasalamat sa patuloy na suporta ng mga Pilipino sa Sydney at NSW sa aming mga proyekto.Kayo po ang aming katuwang sa pagsulong sa mga program na makabubuti sa mga Pilipino dito sa NSW. Please remember that you are our partner in our undertakings and you play a great role in reaching our goals. We will strive to be even more open and accessible to address the needs of the FilCom in NSW. Makakaasa po kayo na ating sisikapin na lalo pang paigtingin ang ating katungkulan na magdsulot ng mahusay na serbisyo sa mga Pilipino sa NSW.
