Colombian Ambassador to the Philippines, Marcela Ordoñez Fernández, paid a farewell call on President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at Malacañang on Wednesday.

The ambassador expressed her gratitude to the President for her wonderful experience in the Philippines.

“Just basically I wanted to thank you for hosting me for the past three and a half years. It’s been wonderful. It’s been very interesting, very good experience. It was my first experience as ambassador. So it’s been wonderful,” Fernández told the President during her farewell call in Malacañang.

The Colombian official also expressed her appreciation for Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity, Secretary Carlito “Charlie” Galvez Jr.

“I’m very happy to have here Secretary Charlie Galvez… We are exchanging best practices,” Fernández said.

During Ambassador Fernández’s tenure, the Philippines and Colombia exchanged visits of officials involved in the peace process to learn and share best practices.

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) has expressed its support for the continuation and expansion of bilateral cooperation on the peace process.

The outgoing ambassador facilitated two bilateral consultation meetings—virtually in 2021 and in person in 2024.

Fernández conveyed Colombia’s support for the Philippines’ bid for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for 2027–2028.

The Colombian envoy, who presented her credentials in February 2021, is scheduled to depart for a new assignment on September 4.

Fernández currently serves as the dean of the Latin American Ambassadors in the Philippines. *|PND*