ABU DHABI: Ambassador Constancio R. Vingno, Jr. said Filipinos in the UAE will be having a “young, dynamic career diplomat” in the person of Hjayceelyn M. Quintana, a “Middle East expert,” who has been given the green light by the Commission on Appointments to be the next head of the Philippine mission to the country.
“Quintana is a young and dynamic career diplomat who is a Middle East expert. We hope that the Filipino community and the UAE government welcome her as she begins her duty here in the UAE in a few months’ time,” said Vingno.
Before her appointment to the post, Quintana served as the Philippine’s Consul General in Oman, and as Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Middle East and African Affairs (OMEAA).
Quintana took up diplomatic studies at Oxford University in the United Kingdom, as a British Chevening scholar. She pursued a master’s degree in international public policy at John Hopkins University in Washington DC as a Fulbright scholar.
A first placer in the competitive Foreign Service Officers’ Examination, Quintana has been posted in Beijing, Washington DC, and Dublin.
The CA confirmed her on Feb 21this year. No official turnover date has been set. Vingno will reportedly vacate his post for the home office in June.
