His Excellency Antonio Morales, Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to Australia, formally presented his credentials to Her Excellency the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, on 4 December 2024, in a ceremonial event held at Government House, Canberra.
The presentation of credentials marked the official start of Ambassador Morales’ tenure as the Philippine Ambassador to Australia. The ceremony underscores the enduring Strategic Partnership between the Philippines and Australia, which is rooted in shared democratic values, dynamic trade and investment ties, and a commitment to regional peace and stability.
The Governor General expressed appreciation and acknowledged the contributions of the more than 400,000 Filipinos and Australians of Filipino descent, the fifth largest migrant community in Australia, to the vibrant multicultural society of Australia and its economy.
Ambassador Morales expressed his commitment to advancing Strategic Partnership across the defence and security, trade, tourism and investment, people-to-people, technical and development cooperation sectors especially as the Philippines and Australia will celebrate the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2026.
Following the ceremony, Her Excellency the Governor-General hosted a luncheon in honour of the newly appointed Heads of Missions at Government House.
Ambassador Morales, a seasoned Philippine Foreign Service Officer with over three decades of experience, brings a wealth of expertise to his new post. Prior to his appointment as Ambassador to Australia, he served as Undersecretary for Administration at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) of the Philippines from 2021. His extensive diplomatic career includes serving as Ambassador to Singapore from 2014 to 2017, Deputy Chief of Mission in Beijing, and head of the Philippine Consulates General in Milan, Italy and Hong Kong. He has also represented the Philippines in San Francisco, California, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Rome, Italy and Ankara, Turkey.
In the DFA’s Home Office, Ambassador Morales has held key positions in bilateral and multilateral affairs, consular services and human resources management. His academic credentials include degrees in Economics and Law from the University of the Philippines. He also pursued advanced studies in International Relations at the Escuela Diplomatica in Madrid, Spain, Multilateral Diplomacy at the Graduate School of International Studies in Geneva, Switzerland and International Law at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).
In addition to his diplomatic career, Ambassador Morales has contributed to public service in the Philippines as a member of the local legislative council (Sangguniang Bayan) of Mulanay, Quezon and a Congressional Fellow at the House of Representatives. He is married to Shirlene Mananquil, who currently serves as the Philippine Consul General in Istanbul, Türkiye.
The Philippines and Australia elevated the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership in 2023. Both countries share a robust defence and security cooperation program that covers a range of activities in counter-terrorism, maritime security and humanitarian assistance and disaster response. Australia is one of only two Visiting Forces Agreement partners of the Philippines.
