Philippe Jones Lhuillier
Encyclopedia
Philippe Jones Lhuillier, born on July 23, 1945, is the former Philippine Ambassador to Italy (1999–2010) and is the chairman of the Philippine’s largest pawnshop chain, Cebuana Lhuillier Pawnshop
. He was born to the late Henry Lhuillier, a former French honorary consul to the Philippines, and the late Angelita Escaño Jones.
Philippe Lhuillier is a graduate of BS Management from De La Salle University, Manila and Gemology from the Gemology Institute of America in 1971, and the Gemology Institute of Antwerp in 1970.
Philippe is married to Edna Diago Lhuillier. They have two sons, Jean Henri D. Lhuillier and Philippe Andre D. Lhuillier, and five daughters, Christine Lhuillier-Limjoco, Jacqueline Lhuillier-Hess, Angelique Lhuillier-Miranda, Camille D. Lhuillier, and Madeleine D. Lhuillier.
Among his accomplishments in his 11-year term as Philippine Ambassador to Italy were:
1. Ambassador Lhuillier eliminated the barrier dividing the Filipino Community and the Philippine Embassy through various measures. These include the open door policy and the regular monthly meetings called “Consulta” with the different members and leaders of the Filipino Community (FILCOM). “Consulta” is a forum open to anyone and everyone where there is a free exchange of opinions, comments, criticisms and suggestions to the Ambassador. These fora have been successful in helping the Ambassador “keep his ears to the ground” to provide him and his officers and staff the needed awareness and flexibility to address immediately concerns that affect the FILCOM. His being accessible to the members of the FILCOM has rendered him extremely popular and well-liked.
2. Through the years, Ambassador Lhuillier batted for the reduction of consular fees and promised the FILCOM that he will not relent. On November 1, 2008 the reduced fees as he promised to the Community was approved by the DFA for implementation.
3. The confidence and trust of the members of the Filipino Community towards Ambassador Lhuillier has contributed tremendously to the development of the potentials of the FILCOM in Italy. They have excelled in politics, in entrepreneurship (Business seminars, meetings and consultations were frequently conducted to encourage and guide those who are interested to go into business, in sports (support was given to the regularly held tournaments in basketball, chess, arnis or kali as it is called in Italy. A twinning program is already in place with the Kali group in Italy and that in the Philippines.), in arts and theatre, and upgrading of skills.
4. Ambassador Lhuillier opened up the Philippine Embassy and provided a venue for product displays and business meetings to promote trade and investment. The Philippine Embassy has also served as the favorite venue for training and educational programs, FILCOM meetings and skills training. Ambassador Lhuillier utilized different means and venues to inform OFWs of their rights and privileges and of the mechanisms by which they could avail themselves of such rights and privileges. Regular conferences and meetings were also held along this line. In addition, the consular outreach programs brought the Embassy officers and staff literally to the people in out-lying areas during such consular missions. The latter’s passports were renewed, their notarial needs were attended to, and their various concerns were aired and swiftly acted upon by the Embassy’s representatives.
5. Ambassador Lhuillier also strengthened the Embassy’s capability to respond to so-called assistance-to-nationals or ATN issues (i.e., situations wherein a Filipino national finds himself in trouble either because he has run afoul of the local laws or he has been a victim of a crime or an act of injustice, etc.) by designating a focal person for such issues (called an “ATN Officer”) and instructing this focal person to work closely with the Post’s Labor Attache and Welfare Officer for the protection of such nationals.
6. Ambassador Lhuillier successfully implemented Overseas Absentee Voting Exercise. In May 2004, his post had one of the highest voter turnouts not only in Europe but in the whole world.
7. In 2006, Ambassador Lhuillier contributed to the increase in the labor quota for the Filipinos to 10,500 from the 3,000 in 2005. His continuous networking and corridor negotiations with the Italian authorities provided him with the advantage of securing for the Philippines better conditions. In addition, the Italian authorities have assured him that the current occupational spheres of the Filipinos could be broken for as long as there are employers willing to hire them. This signaled a much-awaited opportunity for Filipinos to find fields of work that are more in line with their educational qualifications and previous professional experience.
8. Relative to the upgrading of skills, Ambassador Lhuillier effectively utilized the bilateral diplomatic front to continue his struggle for the further betterment of OFWs’ living and working conditions in Italy. He fought for the automatic recognition of the academic degrees of Filipinos in the nursing sector. He succeeded to crack the “glass ceiling” that allowed Filipino nurses to work as regular nurses in Italy after overcoming the compensatory examinations of the Italian Ministry of Health and passing the language and deontological code for nursing of IPASVI, the Italian nursing regulatory commission.
9. Ambassador Lhuillier signed a landmark transport agreement with the Italian government – the first of its kind ever to be signed by the Philippines with a member of the European Union. This exempts Filipino license-holders from the rigorous training and examinations normally required by Italy prior to the granting of a license.
10. Through the Ambassador’s support for export promotion activities, not only has the bilateral trade balance been in favor of the Philippines but certain goals have been achieved. Italy is the only importer of Philippine bangus and “tinawon” rice from the world-famous UNESCO heritage site, and one of the two European countries importing Philippine fresh mangoes. Italy is also the leading importer in the EU of Philippine fine jewelry.
11. Ambassador Lhuillier’s stint as Permanent Representative to FAO and to other UN organizations such as IFAD, World Food Program were equally marked with successful negotiations of loans and grants to reduce poverty, create jobs and increase income of the poor. RuMEPP, the Rural Micro Enterprise Promotion Program funded through an IFAD loan was one of the most recent loans that was negotiated. The other two IFAD loans were the Western Mindanao Community Initiatives and Resource Management Project (WMCIP) and the Northern Mindanao Community Initiatives and Resource Management Project (NMCIREMP) that ran up to December 2009.
12. Ambassador Lhuillier was instrumental in Ms. Corazon Alvina’s, Executive Director of the National Museum, election into the ICCROM Council.
Awards
Some of the awards received by Ambassador Lhuillier through his years in business as well as through his government and public service days were:
1. Ordine Della Stella Della Solidarieta Italiana Award with the highest order (January 2010) Selected as one of the 2008 TWENTY OUTSTANDING FILIPINOS ABROAD (TOFA)
2. Rome City Award (2010)
3. Distinguished Lasallian Award (August 2008)
4. Doctor of Humanities, Honoris Causa (April 2010) awarded by St. Louis University, Baguio
5. Order of Rajah Humabon (February 2010)
Cebuana Lhuillier Pawnshop
Cebuana Lhuillier PawnshopCebuana Lhuillier Pawnshop is the Philippines’ largest pawnshop chain, with over 1,400 branches nationwide. It was established by French Consul to the Philippines Henry Leon Lhuillier, the father of Philippine Ambassador to Italy Philippe Lhuillier...
. He was born to the late Henry Lhuillier, a former French honorary consul to the Philippines, and the late Angelita Escaño Jones.
Philippe Lhuillier is a graduate of BS Management from De La Salle University, Manila and Gemology from the Gemology Institute of America in 1971, and the Gemology Institute of Antwerp in 1970.
Philippe is married to Edna Diago Lhuillier. They have two sons, Jean Henri D. Lhuillier and Philippe Andre D. Lhuillier, and five daughters, Christine Lhuillier-Limjoco, Jacqueline Lhuillier-Hess, Angelique Lhuillier-Miranda, Camille D. Lhuillier, and Madeleine D. Lhuillier.
Ambassador
Philippe Lhuillier was appointed by former Philippine President Joseph Estrada to become the Philippine Ambassador to Italy in 1999. He was also the Philippine Ambassador to Albania (2000) and first Philippine Ambassador to the Republic of San Marino (2003).Among his accomplishments in his 11-year term as Philippine Ambassador to Italy were:
1. Ambassador Lhuillier eliminated the barrier dividing the Filipino Community and the Philippine Embassy through various measures. These include the open door policy and the regular monthly meetings called “Consulta” with the different members and leaders of the Filipino Community (FILCOM). “Consulta” is a forum open to anyone and everyone where there is a free exchange of opinions, comments, criticisms and suggestions to the Ambassador. These fora have been successful in helping the Ambassador “keep his ears to the ground” to provide him and his officers and staff the needed awareness and flexibility to address immediately concerns that affect the FILCOM. His being accessible to the members of the FILCOM has rendered him extremely popular and well-liked.
2. Through the years, Ambassador Lhuillier batted for the reduction of consular fees and promised the FILCOM that he will not relent. On November 1, 2008 the reduced fees as he promised to the Community was approved by the DFA for implementation.
3. The confidence and trust of the members of the Filipino Community towards Ambassador Lhuillier has contributed tremendously to the development of the potentials of the FILCOM in Italy. They have excelled in politics, in entrepreneurship (Business seminars, meetings and consultations were frequently conducted to encourage and guide those who are interested to go into business, in sports (support was given to the regularly held tournaments in basketball, chess, arnis or kali as it is called in Italy. A twinning program is already in place with the Kali group in Italy and that in the Philippines.), in arts and theatre, and upgrading of skills.
4. Ambassador Lhuillier opened up the Philippine Embassy and provided a venue for product displays and business meetings to promote trade and investment. The Philippine Embassy has also served as the favorite venue for training and educational programs, FILCOM meetings and skills training. Ambassador Lhuillier utilized different means and venues to inform OFWs of their rights and privileges and of the mechanisms by which they could avail themselves of such rights and privileges. Regular conferences and meetings were also held along this line. In addition, the consular outreach programs brought the Embassy officers and staff literally to the people in out-lying areas during such consular missions. The latter’s passports were renewed, their notarial needs were attended to, and their various concerns were aired and swiftly acted upon by the Embassy’s representatives.
5. Ambassador Lhuillier also strengthened the Embassy’s capability to respond to so-called assistance-to-nationals or ATN issues (i.e., situations wherein a Filipino national finds himself in trouble either because he has run afoul of the local laws or he has been a victim of a crime or an act of injustice, etc.) by designating a focal person for such issues (called an “ATN Officer”) and instructing this focal person to work closely with the Post’s Labor Attache and Welfare Officer for the protection of such nationals.
6. Ambassador Lhuillier successfully implemented Overseas Absentee Voting Exercise. In May 2004, his post had one of the highest voter turnouts not only in Europe but in the whole world.
7. In 2006, Ambassador Lhuillier contributed to the increase in the labor quota for the Filipinos to 10,500 from the 3,000 in 2005. His continuous networking and corridor negotiations with the Italian authorities provided him with the advantage of securing for the Philippines better conditions. In addition, the Italian authorities have assured him that the current occupational spheres of the Filipinos could be broken for as long as there are employers willing to hire them. This signaled a much-awaited opportunity for Filipinos to find fields of work that are more in line with their educational qualifications and previous professional experience.
8. Relative to the upgrading of skills, Ambassador Lhuillier effectively utilized the bilateral diplomatic front to continue his struggle for the further betterment of OFWs’ living and working conditions in Italy. He fought for the automatic recognition of the academic degrees of Filipinos in the nursing sector. He succeeded to crack the “glass ceiling” that allowed Filipino nurses to work as regular nurses in Italy after overcoming the compensatory examinations of the Italian Ministry of Health and passing the language and deontological code for nursing of IPASVI, the Italian nursing regulatory commission.
9. Ambassador Lhuillier signed a landmark transport agreement with the Italian government – the first of its kind ever to be signed by the Philippines with a member of the European Union. This exempts Filipino license-holders from the rigorous training and examinations normally required by Italy prior to the granting of a license.
10. Through the Ambassador’s support for export promotion activities, not only has the bilateral trade balance been in favor of the Philippines but certain goals have been achieved. Italy is the only importer of Philippine bangus and “tinawon” rice from the world-famous UNESCO heritage site, and one of the two European countries importing Philippine fresh mangoes. Italy is also the leading importer in the EU of Philippine fine jewelry.
11. Ambassador Lhuillier’s stint as Permanent Representative to FAO and to other UN organizations such as IFAD, World Food Program were equally marked with successful negotiations of loans and grants to reduce poverty, create jobs and increase income of the poor. RuMEPP, the Rural Micro Enterprise Promotion Program funded through an IFAD loan was one of the most recent loans that was negotiated. The other two IFAD loans were the Western Mindanao Community Initiatives and Resource Management Project (WMCIP) and the Northern Mindanao Community Initiatives and Resource Management Project (NMCIREMP) that ran up to December 2009.
12. Ambassador Lhuillier was instrumental in Ms. Corazon Alvina’s, Executive Director of the National Museum, election into the ICCROM Council.
Awards
Some of the awards received by Ambassador Lhuillier through his years in business as well as through his government and public service days were:
1. Ordine Della Stella Della Solidarieta Italiana Award with the highest order (January 2010) Selected as one of the 2008 TWENTY OUTSTANDING FILIPINOS ABROAD (TOFA)
2. Rome City Award (2010)
3. Distinguished Lasallian Award (August 2008)
4. Doctor of Humanities, Honoris Causa (April 2010) awarded by St. Louis University, Baguio
5. Order of Rajah Humabon (February 2010)