For their meritorious services to their kababayans (countrymen), two Filipino diplomats in the UAE were conferred special awards by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila on Monday.

Paul Raymund Cortes, Philippine Consul-General to Dubai and the Northern Emirates, received Gawad Mabini with the rank of Dakilang Kamanong or Grand Cross while Eduardo Paraan, assistance to nationals officer of the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi, was given Gawad Mabini with the rank of Kasugo from President Duterte.

The award was named after Philippine hero Apolinario Mabini, who served as the country's first secretary of Foreign Affairs when the DFA was established on June 23, 1898.

The Philippine Consulate in Dubai also received the Best Organisation Award 2017 from the DFA in recognition of its services to more than 400,000 Filipinos in Dubai.

Speaking to Khaleej Times on Tuesday, Cortes said: "The awards have validated all the efforts that we have made and changes we have instituted since I assumed my post in June 2015. These high-profile awards challenge me more to be even better than I already have been recognised. Now, our goal is to surpass our last year's performance."

At the ceremonies in Manila, Duterte cited Cortes for "addressing a gamut of concerns of more than 400,000 overseas Filipinos under the purview of the Philippine Consulate-General in Dubai".

The DFA said the Philippine Consulate, under Cortes, "has advocated innovations and streamlined its procedures to provide client-centered consular services.

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