TAIWAN HAS conferred one of its highest civilian decorations on House of Representatives Secretary General and Artlets alumna Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil for her efforts to enhance its ties with the Philippines.
The Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon is awarded to domestic or foreign nationals who have worked to advance relations with Taiwan.
According to a statement from Garafil’s office released on Thursday, Jan. 22, she was set to receive the award from Foreign Minister Lin Cia-lung on Friday, Jan. 23, in Taipei.
Before being elected to the House of Representatives, Garafil served as the chairperson of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO), which serves as the Philippines’ de facto embassy in Taiwan.
The Philippines has no embassy in Taiwan because it adheres to the one-China policy. MECO only fulfills non-political and consular duties by coordinating Philippine activities and protecting Filipinos in Taiwan.
Garafil honored her former colleagues, saying the recognition reflected their work to strengthen ties between Manila and Taipei.
“With humility, I share this honor with our colleagues and partners who worked tirelessly during my service,” she said in the statement.
Garafil graduated from the UST Faculty of Arts and Letters with a degree in Communication Arts in 1992 and the UST Faculty of Civil Law in 2002.
She served as chief of the Presidential Communications Office, the government’s main communication arm, from January 2023 to September 2024.
The Artlets alumna also had a four-month stint as chair of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in 2022. She had held various posts at the House, including director for media affairs and director of its rules committee.
Garafil also worked as a journalist for various media outlets, such as Malaya, Associated Press and the now-defunct Philippine Daily Globe, before entering the government. F
