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Philippines' new envoy to the Holy See begins official role

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Philippine Ambassador to the Holy See Myla Grace Ragenia Macahilig at the Commission on Appointments" hearing="" of="" her="" nomination="" as="" the="" new="" envoy="" to="" Holy="" in="" June="" Screengrab="" from="" YouTube="" src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/tvpatrol/11/15/myla-grace-ragenia-macahilig.jpg"/><figcaption>Philippine Ambassador to the Holy See Myla Grace Ragenia Macahilig at the Commission on Appointments&#x27; (CA) hearing of her nomination as the country&#x27;s new envoy to the Holy See, in June 2021. <em>Screengrab from CA&#x27;s YouTube video.</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — The Philippines&#x27; new ambassador to the Holy See has formally assumed her post, Vatican News announced Sunday.</p><p>On its social media accounts, Vatican News posted photos of Pope Francis receiving the credentials of Amb. Myla Grace Ragenia Macahilig as she &quot;officially&quot; began her new role of being the country&#x27;s representative to the Holy See.</p><p>The Commission on Appointments confirmed last June the nomination of Macahilig, who was then an Assistant Secretary at the Department of Foreign Affairs.</p><p>She said then that her assignment to the Holy See was her &quot;first posting as ambassador.&quot;</p><p>&quot;This year is actually a very auspicious year for Philippines and the Holy See diplomatic relations. As everyone may remember, this is actually the 70th year of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the Holy See,&quot; she told the commission at that time.</p><p>&quot;In addition, the Catholic Church in the Philippines is actually commemorating the 500th year of the introduction of Christianity to the country (this year),&quot; she said.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Pope Francis receives the credential letters of Ms. Myla Grace Ragenia Catalbas Macahilig, as she officially begins her role as the Ambassador of the Philippines to the Holy See. <a href="https://t.co/ZCuxydLnA8">pic.twitter.com/ZCuxydLnA8</a></p>— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/VaticanNews/status/1462192794496385032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2021</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div><p>Macahilig, who has been with the DFA for 23 years and last served as assistant secretary of its financial management services office, also has jurisdiction over Malta.</p><p>She worked at the Philippine embassies in New Zealand from 2002 until 2008, and United Kingdom from 2012 until 2018.</p><p>Macahilig replaced Grace Relucio-Princesa, who served the Manila&#x27;s ambassador to the Holy See from September 2018 until early this year.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1633606" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

The Philippines' new ambassador to the Holy See has formally assumed her post, Vatican News announced Sunday.