STAR Rtn. Rodillo “Teng” Catalan: Destined to be a Diplomat

An accidental diplomat or destined to be one? One thing’s for sure – STAR Rtn. Rodillo “Teng” Catalan was meant to be in an international stage. He never thought he would be walking a diplomat’s path and resolving issues such as a diplomat getting arrested or being held at the airport, or a diplomat unable to refund his security deposit for his house rental, or his shipment is held at the port. These extraordinary tasks are on top of his usual routine of signing documents to process requests related to diplomatic immunities and privileges.

Get to know STAR Rtn. Teng and his distinguished career as a Foreign Service Officer. Besides his journey into the government and foreign affairs, he also shares what keeps him busy when not at work, and what inspired him to join the Rotary Club of Manila.

Rhea Vitto Tabora (RVT): Please tell us a little about yourself. (Where are you from? How would you describe your job and how long have you been at it?)

Rodillo R. Catalan (RRC): I was born and raised in Manila, the youngest of six children of Toribio B. Catalan Sr. (deceased; 1997) and Leonila C. Rivera. I am the only one among us siblings who has not married yet. Being the youngest, I have seen early on how complicated marriage can be. Not that I have closed my mind to it, but we’ll see. I grew up knowing my name as Teng. I surmise it was a term of endearment of my mother to me, being her youngest. I originally took up Industrial Engineering in UP Diliman, but that was not what I really wanted. I had always been inclined to take up Fine Arts as I have always been into drawing and painting. My father thought it was a capricious course for people with money to burn. So, I took the engineering course then dropped out of school after a year just to assert my choice. Teenagers, you see. I later finished my Political Science degree at Adamson University, the school to which my father decided to transfer me, simply because it was the closest university to where we lived. I tried law school (Ateneo Law) in 2004, but never got around to finishing it (it is still on my to-do list) and went on to earn my Master’s Degree in Public Administration in UP in 2011. I also did fellowships in Taiwan and Australia.

Presently, I am a Foreign Service Officer Class I (that is my rank) and I am currently the Division Director for Immunities and Privileges (that is my designation) of the Office of Protocol of the Department of Foreign Affairs. I have held this designation since February 2015. As the Director of the said division, it is my job to oversee the grant of immunities and privileges of the diplomatic missions and international organizations maintaining presence in the Philippines.

I have often been asked what are immunities and privileges. Simply put, immunities are exemptions granted by a host country from the application of its laws to accredited diplomats within its jurisdiction. Depending on the diplomat’s rank, immunity could be full or limited. All countries which are signatories to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations grant this immunity to diplomats within their borders. Meanwhile, top officials of international organizations usually enjoy functional immunity, and they derive this immunity from the provisions of the country agreement they signed with the host country.

Privileges, on the other hand, are exactly as the word is generally understood, special grants given to diplomats not for their personal benefit, but to assist them in making their work easier in the host country, and these are generally based on reciprocity (essentially, like saying, “we will give this to your diplomats in our country if you will also give this to our diplomats in your country). These could be anything from exemption from paying taxes and dues, tax-free shipment of personal belongings and motor vehicle(s) to issuance of special license plates and DFA identification cards to these diplomats. For these functions, my office works closely with the Department of Finance (Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs), the Land Transportation Office and such other agencies that may be connected with the granting of these immunities and privileges. There are presently around 68 diplomatic missions and around 30 international organizations maintaining presence in the Philippines, and the number keeps on growing as many countries have been signifying their intention to open a mission in the country and international organizations wanting to be accredited by the Philippine Government.

On a normal day, I would be signing documents for the processing of requests related to the diplomats’ enjoyment of these immunities and privileges, and those routine communications with the aforementioned agencies. On a not-so-normal day, like when a diplomat gets arrested, meets an accident (or causes one), is held at the airport, refused a VAT exemption at a supermarket, or say, a shipment is held at the port (for whatever reason), or a landlord refused to release a security deposit for a diplomat’s house rental, my office is expected to resolve the situation.

Another vital function of the Office of Protocol with which I am often asked to participate is the work done by the Division for Ceremonials. This is the division that handles official visits of minister-level foreign dignitaries to the Philippines, though we may also be asked to work with the Office of Presidential Protocol for inbound visits of heads of state and/government, and for other official functions in Malacañang, such as presentation of credentials and vin d’honneurs.

RVT: Why did you want to become a diplomat? When did you know it is the career that you wanted to pursue?

RRC: I never really wanted to be a diplomat. I just happened to be in-between-jobs when I was told there were job openings in the DFA. I was a walk-in applicant who just wanted to get a job. When I got accepted as a contractual employee, I planned to stay for at most a year just to spruce up my seriously anemic resumé, then to try my luck elsewhere. But I fell in love with the people I have worked with (both colleagues and superiors) plus the office culture that puts a premium on professionalism and meritocracy (at least for the most part) and I began entertaining the idea that, perhaps, this could be a lifelong career instead of just another block I would step on to get to a new goal. In 2002, I tried and took the Foreign Service Officers (FSO) Exams. Results were released the following year. I passed, and my career as a foreign service officer finally took off. My batch (26 out of the around 3,000 hopefuls who took the exams that year) was sworn in before then-Secretary of Foreign Affairs Blas F. Ople in September of that year. By December, he was gone, suffering from a fatal heart attack mid-air on his way to an official mission. I thought dying in the line of duty was a great way to go.

RVT: What was the path you took to get to where you are today?

RRC: I faced the challenge of taking the FSO exams. I had initial second thoughts (the usual fear of failure weighing down on me) but I figured I wouldn’t pass it if I wouldn’t take it, so I just decided to give it a decent shot and wait for the results. I would not be where I am now if I allowed my fear of failure to stop me. Plus, the DFA offers continuous personnel upskilling opportunities.

RVT: How would you describe your experience working in the Department of Foreign Affairs?

RRC: Admittedly, there have been ups and downs, but mostly ups. I have decided early on that life is what you make of it, so I just try to focus on the positive. It is an ultra-competitive environment, but there are great friendships to be made if you keep an open mind. It has also changed my perception of people in the government. You know, the usual perception of them being lazy, corrupt and inept. I do not deny that there are problematic personnel in the Department, but they are weeded out through a fair process. In my years of service, I have met employees who have shown utmost professionalism and dedication to their duty, never hesitating to go the extra mile just to deliver.

RVT: What’s the best way to prepare yourself to join the Foreign Service?

RRC: There is no single best path to be a foreign service officer. There are diplomats who were lawyers, nurses, agriculturist, architects, disc jockeys, even priests, in their previous lives. I myself used to be a document analyst in a multinational software company. So, for me, there is really no best way. An open and curious mind, endless patience and humility would be great assets, though.

RVT: What are the unique challenges of being a diplomat?

RRC: The serial assignments to foreign lands present a real challenge, especially, to a diplomat with growing kids. Apart from the need to adjust to a new culture, we all know that kids need stable roots in their growing years, and these roots need to be developed over time. So, transferring residence every, at least, three years, then going back to the Philippines, then leaving again after, at least, two years, may present challenges to a growing child. Even without a family, the prospect of living in a foreign land by yourself may pose a challenge, depending chiefly on your disposition.

RVT: If you will be assigned to an embassy or consulate, which country would you most like to work in and why?

RRC: I have been informed informally that I would be assigned to Beijing, China late this year. It was my choice to go there. I have specifically chosen Beijing because it is the capital of the largest economy this side of the world, plus a regional military power eager to assert itself. Regardless of your politics, it provides a good study on how to uplift millions out of poverty in just a few decades.

RVT: What do you think would you be doing if you weren't at your current profession?

RRC: Most likely, I would be an entrepreneur. I have always wanted to strike out on my own and own my time. Most likely in any technology-related field.

RVT: What are your interests and hobbies? What do you do when you are not at work?

RRC: When not at work, I am inclined towards the visual arts, and also music, but I have always considered myself a dabbler in both fields, never a serious enthusiast. I consider myself fortunate growing up in a multi-generational environment which heavily influenced my taste in music (from full orchestras playing Mozart to Cole, Crosby and Sinatra, and on to the Beatles, Queen, Oasis, Maroon 5, etc. I try listening to the latest acts when I am in a good mood, though I can’t help but feel that they just do not make music today the way they used to). I am currently trying my hand in sculpture (clay), and I am also into fitness (always have since my teens, not so much for aesthetics, but to preserve whatever I have). I try volunteering from time to time and I also do advocacy work whenever a credible organization presents itself (specifically, environment-related causes and income generation for informal settlers).

RVT: What inspired you to join the Rotary Club of Manila? How would you describe your experience with the Club so far?

RRC: I have never entertained the idea that one day, I would be a member of the Rotary Club of Manila. It was just an organization I would read about in the papers from time to time. Then one day, Johnny Chotrani raised the idea of me joining it. I have not even known Johnny that long when he asked me to join, but I already knew then that he was a good man. I liked that he was trying to build business connections between the Philippines and India as this would economically benefit both peoples, which is not that different from one of our tasks as foreign service officers (economic diplomacy). So, I agreed. So far, I have been amazed at the diversity of people in the RCM, coming from various fields of expertise, giants in their respective spheres, plus the club’s sincere desire to help the less fortunate and the dedication to push for change for the society at large. I am genuinely humbled to be in the company of these people.