FILIPINOS MUST reject outdated “Cold War mentalities” that set smaller nations aside as global stability demands interconnected efforts, a Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) undersecretary and Artlets alumna said.
In a seminar titled “Agents of Diplomacy II,” DFA undersecretary for administration Ma. Hellen De La Vega urged aspiring diplomats to recognize the power of small nations in attaining a stable and just multilateral system.
“We are not powerless in this evolving world order, and we must reject outdated Cold War mentalities that relegate smaller nations to the sidelines with only the major powers dictating the course of international discourse,” De La Vega said on Feb. 21 at the Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P. (BGPOP) building.
“The world today is far more interconnected, and meaningful diplomacy requires the active participation of all nations, regardless of size, in shaping a more stable and just global system,” she added.
De La Vega described the Philippines as a “defining juncture” that could influence the broader international community through its diplomatic efforts. She added that the country’s current challenges in peace and security are not isolated and require both short-term and long-term solutions, such as regional stability and rules-based international order, respectively.
“The landscape of global peace and security today is shaped by shifting power dynamics and marked by both present and emerging threats. We are witnessing the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine and the ongoing strategic competition between the United States and China. Now, more than ever, small nations like ours will find the opportunity to play a vital role in shaping the regional and global agenda.”
De La Vega, who finished her Asian Studies degree in UST in 1982, urged Thomasians to commit to the University’s three core values to strengthen the spirit of diplomacy “grounded in international law and mutual respect.”
“Together, we can build a future where peace and sustainable development are not just aspirations, but a lived reality for all… As Thomasians, we have a moral responsibility to ensure that all these aspirations are lived through. The three core values that we believe in—compassion, commitment, and competence—[have] guided me through the last 48 years of being at the Philippine Embassy,” she said.
De La Vega has assumed key posts in the DFA, including executive director of the Office of Asia and Pacific, senior special assistant to the undersecretary for policy, assistant secretary in the Office of ASEAN Affairs and director general of the ASEAN-Philippines National Secretariat.
She also served as Philippine consul general in Los Angeles, Philippine ambassador to Myanmar and deputy chief of mission at the Philippine Embassy in Beijing, among other overseas postings.
The seminar, organized by the UST Asian Studies Society, was held at the Dr. Robert Sy Grand Ballroom of the BGPOP building. F
