President Benigno S. Aquino III administered the oath of office to 20 new government officials including former Central Bank Governor Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. as Philippine Ambassador to the United States in ceremonies at Malacanang’s Rizal Hall on Tuesday.

The Chief Executive signed Cuisia’s appointment papers in December 2010 to replace outgoing Ambassador Willy Gaa.

The President also swore in former Philippine Ambassador to Canada Ambassador Jose Brillantes as Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Special and Ocean Concerns.

Brillantes was Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia from 1996 to 2002 and had served in various capacities in Philippine diplomatic missions in Ottawa, Germany and Washington D.C.

Retired Armed Forces Vice Chief Lt. Gen. Nestor Ochoa and Ambassador Evelyn Austria-Garcia also took their oath of office as Philippine Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam and Philippine Ambassador to the Czech Republic, respectively.Garcia has been posted to Kuala Lumpur, The Hague, the Philippine Mission to the United Nations in New York and Paris.

Ambassador Bienvinido V. Tejano, the 7th Philippine Ambassador to New Zealand was sworn in as the new Philippine Ambassador to the Independent State of Papua New Guinea. Other officials who also took their oath of office included Florencia Dorotan and Patrocino Jude Esguerra III as Undersecretaries of the National Anti-Poverty Commission, Nabil Tan as Undersecretary at the Office of the President, Gina Cantano- de la Cruz and Lila Shahani as Assistant Secretaries also at the Office of the President,
Atty. Bienvinido Benitez as Member, Board of Directors of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority representing the National Government, Antonio Gallardo as Presidential Legislative Assistant for the Senate, Karen Singson as Dept. of Finance Chief Privatization Officer at the Privatization and Management Office, and Nathaniel Servando as Acting Administrator of the Philippine Atmospheric , Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration..

The President also swore in the new officials of the Department of National Defense- Philippine Veterans Investment Development Corporation-Industrial Authority, namely, Triunfo Agustin as Chairman of the Board of Directors; Leo Tereso Magno as Administrator and Member of the Board of Directors; and Romeo Alamillo, Vicente Buenaventura, Cesar Pobre and Jose Castellano Lapus as Members of the Board of Directors. (PCOO/PIA9-BST)