Manila, July 1 -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday administered the oath of office of Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro as the new secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), in a ceremony held at Malacanang Palace.

Lazaro, who most recently served as DFA undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs, formally assumed her post as the country's top diplomat, replacing Enrique Manalo, who is set to return as the Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.

Alongside the oath-taking, Marcos also conferred on Lazaro the Order of Sikatuna with the Rank of Datu (Grand Cross), Gold Distinction - one of the highest honors bestowed on diplomats - in recognition of her four decades of "distinguished ...