DURING the pandemic, a personal passion-project bore fruit in the form of A Guide to Protocol, Social Graces and Etiquette, a book which serves as a manual of sorts for behavior, courtesy and related matters in and out of the diplomatic world.
The book is authored by Ambassador Monina Estrella Callangan Rueca, who began her career at the Department of Foreign Affairs Headquarters in Manila, and served in foreign posts such as Paris, Tokyo, Geneva and Madrid.
Rueca was then appointed as Philippine ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the Republic of Hungary, with concurrent jurisdiction over Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro. Prior to her retirement, she became assistant secretary and chief of protocol.
The former envoy has shared her experience and wisdom through the years in the 280-page soft-cover compendium, which delves into the modern-day decorum insights she has amassed through her career as a diplomat and a lecturer.
In the book’s foreword, former president Fidel V. Ramos said: “Today, protocol, social graces and etiquette are as relevant as ever in our increasingly interdependent world. Nations and people continue to strive for peace, harmony and friendship.”
Ramos further stated: “The observance of time-tested rules of behavior creates a conducive environment for achieving these common goals. The rules evolve, recognizing facets of modernity and technology, while keeping…core values present since the beginning of humanity.”
“I was inspired by Ambassador Luis Moreno Salcedo, who wrote Guide to Protocol in the late 1940s. It was the very first one written by a Filipino which saw wide use,” Rueca shared. “The rules of protocol and etiquette may have evolved over time, but what remains constant are the core values of humankind.”
Published and printed by Media Touchstone Ventures Inc., the book was edited by Melandrew Velasco. The cover design and layout were done by Michelle Manuel, while graphics and illustrations were rendered by Kim Buenconsejo and Jenesis Ann Canua.
Today Rueca imparts her knowledge at the School of Diplomacy and Governance of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. For queries and orders of the book, contact Susan Ubina at 0917-638-6285 or susanubina@yahoo.co.uk.
