Before assigning and sending personnel to foreign service posts, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) trains and prepares them first through its attached agency, the Foreign Service Institute (FSI).
The FSI serves as the primary training and research arm of the DFA. Established by Presidential Decree 1060 in December 1976, the institute designs and conducts training programs for personnel of the Department and other agencies, who will be assigned to Philippine foreign service.
Vision, Mission, and Core Values
Since the FSI will be celebrating its 50th founding anniversary in December 2026, its vision is: “By 2026, the FSI will be a leading institution in Asia or diplomatic training and foreign policy research.”
Meanwhile, the FSI’s vision is “to instill global confidence in the Philippine foreign service,” its official website stated. To achieve this, the institute is focused on developing and strengthening the competencies of Philippine foreign services through: (a) responsive learning and development programs; and (b) relevant, insightful, and timely research activities.
Notably, the FSI operates on the following core values: Patriotism, Integrity, Professionalism, Excellence, and Dedication.
Key Programs
The institute carries out training and research through these centers/departments, and online resources:
Carlos P. Romulo School of Diplomacy
The FSI’s Carlos P. Romulo School of Diplomacy (CPRSD) provides training programs for foreign service officers and staff officers. These programs are categorized into five main sections: Core Programs, Language Programs, Transition Programs, Scholarship Programs, Continuing Studies Section, and Evaluation Section.
Center for International Relations and Strategic Studies
Established in 1993, the institute’s Center for International Relations and Strategic Studies (CIRSS) conducts studies related to the formulation, review, and dissemination of Philippine foreign policy. These studies are submitted to the DFA for foreign policy consideration, with some getting published in publications like the FSI Insights and FSI Commentaries.
Furthermore, the center holds lectures, round table discussions, conferences, and forums as a means for gathering and integrating the efforts of experts from the government, academe, and private sectors.
Likewise, the CIRSS maintains institutional linkages by joining networks such as the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP) Philippines, Network of ASEAN-China Think Tanks (NACT), Network of ASEAN-Russia Think Tanks (NARTT), Philippine Academic Consortium for Latin American Studies (PACLAS), Philippine APEC Study Center Network (PASCN), and many more.
Online Resources
To keep the general public informed about important foreign policy issues, the FSI, through the CIRSS, maintains two microsites:
- West Philippine Sea Online Resource. This features essential information about Philippine maritime and territorial issues, analyses on South China Sea disputes, infographics, press releases, and other materials.
- Matters of Migration. This is a central repository of migration data and references, featuring data on Philippine migration and related topics.
Contact Information: Foreign Service Institute
If you have any questions or concerns, you can get in touch with the FSI through the following contact details:
Address: DFA Building, Roxas Blvd, Pasay City, Metro Manila
Telephone: 02 8834 3780
Email: fsiphilippines@fsi.gov.ph
Website: https://fsi.gov.ph/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fsiphilippines
Google Map:
The FSI plays a vital role in training Filipino foreign service officers and staff abroad. Aside from this institute, there are other agencies that work closely with the DFA. One of these is the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), which is dedicated to upholding Filipinos’ rights abroad.