PNS — THE new United States ambassador to Manila Harry Thomas arrived in the country last Saturday.
Thomas said he is looking forward to working with the Filipinos and the U.S. citizens in the Philippines.
“I am delighted to be here to take up my responsibilities as the ambassador of the United States to the Republic of the Philippines . America and the Philippines are long-standing treaty partners, we are great friends, and we have much to do together. I look forward to working with the people of the Philippines and the people of America and to learn a lot about each other,” he said in his arrival speech.
Thomas revealed his father was in the Philippines after World War II and was told he had a great time with Filipinos.
“I hope that I can live up to the work that he and his colleagues did here on behalf of the Philippines,” Thomas added.
On March 19, the US Senate voted to confirm Thomas as the new ambassador to the Philippines .
Thomas, of New York, is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service and served most recently as director general of the Foreign Service and director, Human Resources. He previously served as a Special Assistant to the Secretary and Executive Secretary of the Department.
Thomas, who joined the Foreign Service in 1984, served as U.S. ambassador to Bangladesh from 2003 to 2005. He also served in the White House as the director for South Asia at the National Security Council from 2001 to 2002. His other postings include: New Delhi, India; Harare, Zimbabwe; Kaduna, Nigeria; and Lima , Peru.
Ambassador Thomas speaks Spanish, Hindi, and Bangla and is learning Tagalog. He is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and pursued further study at Columbia University .