Lillibeth V Pono, the first female Philippine ambassador to Qatar, arrived in Doha on Sunday and was received by Ibrahim Yousif Abdullah Fakhro, director of the Protocol Department at Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the officers and staff of the Philippine embassy in Doha.
This was announced by the embassy on its website and social media.
Prior to her arrival in Qatar, Pono served as charge d’affaires ad interim at the Philippines embassy in Germany, from February 2018 to April 2019, and from July 2021 until January this year.
She was previously assigned to the Philippine embassies in Switzerland (2010-2014), Italy (2009-2010), the Vatican (2008-2009), and Japan (2000-2007).
A foreign service officer since 1997, Pono also held various executive positions in the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs.
She previously served as executive director at the Office of Asset Management and Support Services, the Office of Consular Affairs, and at the Office of Fiscal Management Services.
In her earlier years in the department, Pono also held the position of director at the Office of Asian and Pacific Affairs (South Asia Division) and at the Financial Planning Division of the Office of Fiscal Management Services.
Also a certified public accountant, Pono speaks Filipino, Cebuano, English, Italian, and Spanish.