Tess Lazaro
Tess Lazaro | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Lazaro in 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Secretary of Foreign Affairs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Designate | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assuming office July 31, 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President | Bongbong Marcos | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeding | Enrique Manalo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office July 28, 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Maria Theresa Parreño Lazaro | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Miriam College (BA) University of the Philippines Diliman (LLB) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Profession |
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Maria Theresa "Tess" Parreño Lazaro is a Filipino diplomat and lawyer who was appointed secretary of foreign affairs. She is set to assume the role on July 31, 2025. Before her appointment, she had served as the undersecretary for bilateral relations and ASEAN affairs since 2022 and has held various diplomatic posts under multiple Philippine administrations.
A graduate of Maryknoll College (now Miriam College), Lazaro pursued legal studies at the University of the Philippines Diliman. She joined the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1984 and has since served in several administrative and diplomatic roles. She served as the Philippine ambassador to Switzerland from 2008 to 2011 and as ambassador to France and Monaco from 2014 to 2020.
In 2022, Lazaro was appointed as undersecretary for bilateral relations and ASEAN affairs. During her tenure, she was involved with discussions concerning the possible acceptance of Afghan refugees into the country and served as a top negotiator in maritime disputes in the West Philippine Sea. In 2025, she was appointed foreign affairs secretary as part of a cabinet reshuffle.