Administrative Code of 1987

Section 29

To enable the Foreign Service to effectively serve abroad the interests of the Republic of the Philippines, it shall be the policy of the Department that only persons who are competent, of good moral character, and fully informed of the Philippine History and current trends in Filipino life shall be appointed to the service.

Section 30

The Service shall consist of the following categories of officers and employees: (1) Chiefs of Missions (2) Counsellors (3) Foreign Service Officers (4) Foreign Service Staff Officers (5) Foreign Service Staff Employees (6) Honorary Consuls (7) Alien Employees

Section 31

There shall be a career service composed of foreign service officers. The Service shall consist of six classes of Foreign Service Officers including Chiefs of Missions and Counsellors. (1) A Chief of Mission may be assigned as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Head of an Office in the Department, or Deputy Chief of Mission. (2) A Counsellor may be assigned as Executive Officer of an Office in the Department, Counsellor in an Embassy, or Head of a Consular Post. (3) The assignments of the other classes of Foreign Service Officers shall be as follows: (4) In the home office, assignment to a position requiring a rank higher than the actual rank of the Foreign Service Officer shall be in an acting capacity. (5) A Foreign Service Officer in any class may be designated as a special assistant to the Secretary or to an Undersecretary. A Foreign Service Officer below the rank of Class I may be designated as Principal Assistant to a Head of Office.

Section 32

There shall be three classes of Foreign Service Staff Officers to provide the administrative and technical services.

Section 33

There shall be three classes of Foreign Service Staff Employees to provide the clerical, custodial, messengerial and similar services.

Section 34

Honorary consuls shall be appointed from among qualified private persons to perform certain consular functions on a non-career basis.