السفير سعادة راؤول هيرنانديز

Ambassador Raul S. Hernandez joined the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in 1993. He was appointed as Assistant Secretary in charge of DFA Legislative Liaison Unit under the Office of the Secretary for Foreign Affairs on 17 June 2021 and served in that position until 7 December 2022.

On 12 May 2023, he was nominated by H.E. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Sultanate of Oman and confirmed by the Commission on Appointments on 31 May 2023.

Prior to this recent assignment, he was the Philippine Ambassador to the Republic of Korea (May 2014 – April 2019) and the Philippine Ambassador to Turkey with concurrent jurisdiction over the Republic of Georgia and Republic of Azerbaijan (April 2019-December 2020).

At the Department of Foreign Affairs, he served at various times as Assistant Secretary and Spokesperson, Executive Director at the Office of American Affairs, Director at the Office of Middle Eastern and African Affairs, Acting Director at the Office of European Affairs, and Principal Assistant, then Assistant Director at the Office of Asian and Pacific Affairs.

His foreign assignments include Hong Kong, The Hague in the Netherlands, Vancouver in Canada and Xiamen in China where he served as Vice Consul, First Secretary, Deputy Consul General and Consul General, respectively.

Ambassador Hernandez earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at the Ateneo de Manila University (1977). He took an MBA program at the Asia International Open University in Macau Special Administrative Region, China (1992). He earned his Masters in National Security Administration (MNSA) degree from the National Defense College of the Philippines – NDCP (2003) and was commissioned in the Reserve Force of the Philippine Marines of the Armed forces of the Philippines with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He is also a graduate of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Command and General Staff Course – CGSC (2004). On 2 November 2015, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel.

In July 2014, Mr. Hernandez was conferred the Presidential award, Gawad Mabini with a rank of Grand Cross (Dakilang Kamanong) by the President of the Philippines for his outstanding work in the field of diplomacy throughout his years in government service, for his exemplary performance of duties as Spokesperson of the DFA and head of Public Information Services Unit and for instituting significant reforms in Public Diplomacy.

0n 2 June 2020, Korean President Moon Jae-in conferred on Ambassador Hernandez the Presidential award of the Order of Diplomatic Service Merit “Gwanghwa Medal” for his outstanding and meritorious service as Philippine Ambassador to South Korea.

Ambassador Hernandez has been a public servant and a diplomat serving the country and the Filipino people for 29 years now.

Ambassador Hernandez was born in Catarman, Northern Samar in 1957 and is married to Maria Ana and they have two children: Rafael and Catherine.