Ambassador Benito B. Valeriano presented his Letter of Credence to President Pranab Mukherjee on 08 November 2012, becoming the 16th Ambassador Extraordinary and Pleni- potentiary of the Republic of the Philippines to the Republic of India since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1949.
The ceremony was held inside the ornate Ashoka Hall at the President’s Estate, Rashtra- pati Bhavan, in New Delhi for six new foreign envoys to India. The Ambassadors of Sudan, Japan, Belarus, Congo and Bolivia (newly- established Embassy) also presented their cre- dentials. Senior officials of the Ministry of Ex- ternal Affairs (MEA), including the Chief of Pro- tocol, Ms. Ruchira Kamboj and Joint Secretary Sanjay Bhattacharrya of MEA-South were also present at the ceremony.
First Secretary and Consul Robert O. Ferrer, Jr. and Defense and Armed Forces Attaché Col. Rolando S. Acop joined the Ambassador as he handed over his credentials to the Presi- dent, while his wife, Mrs. Jaclyn Valeriano, and son, Mr. Patrick S. Valeriano, Trade and Com- mercial Attaché Vichaelangelo D. Roaring and Ms. Loreta Jose, Secretary of the Ambassador, attended as observers.
At left, Amb. Valeriano with Chief of Protocol Ms. Ruchira Kamboj. After presenting his credentials, the Ambassa- dor met with Joint Secretary for Southern Division, Mr. Sanjay Bhattacharrya, followed by his meeting with Joint Secretary for ASEAN Multilateral Affairs, Ms. Ruchira Kamboj.
After the ceremony, the new Ambassadors had a group audience with the President, touch- ing on a range of important issues of common concern to the countries represented, such as the global economic recession, climate change and the challenges of global and regional secu- rity
