09/06/2026
𝐏𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐏𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐘 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐘 𝐒𝐄𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐌𝐎𝐌
𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐒 𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐀𝐌𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐑
The Philippine Embassy to the Holy See and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM) welcomed its new Ambassador, His Excellency Raphael Perpetuo M. Lotilla, Chief of Mission I, who arrived in Rome on 06 June 2026 to formally assume his post as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of the Philippines to the Holy See and SMOM. The Ambassador was also cordially received by Reverend Father Andrew Kwiatowski of the Secretariat of State of the Holy See.
Ambassador - designate Lotilla has served in the Philippine Government for more than 23 years in various capacities. Most recently, he was appointed Secretary (Minister) of Environment and Natural Resources from June 2025 to February 2026 by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., after two stints as Secretary (Minister) of Energy – first under President Gloria Macapagal – Arroyo from 2005 to 2007, and again under President Marcos, Jr. from 2022 to 2025.
His leadership has been instrumental in aligning national development goals with global standards in sustainable development and environment stewardship. He played a key role in shaping national energy policy, championing the adoption of renewable energy, accelerating the energy transition and implementation of electric power industry reforms while ensuring social equity and environmental protection.
While on secondment from the University of the Philippines where he was a Professor of Law, he became President and CEO of the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM) from 2004 to 2005, and Undersecretary of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) from 1996 to 2004. In the latter capacity, he concurrently served as Coordinator of the Philippine Council for Sustainable Development and Supervisor of the Legislative – Executive Development Advisory Council Secretariat.
He actively taught constitutional law and international law at the University of the Philippines (UP) from 1985 to 1996, and served as Director of the UP Institute of International Legal Studies (1989-1996) and Vice President for Public Affairs (1991-1992). During his time at the University, he had the privilege of serving as legal consultant to four Senate Presidents of the Philippines: Jovito R. Salonga, Edgardo J. Angara, Marcelo B. Fernan and Blas F. Ople. He was also legal consultant to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations chaired by then Senator Leticia Ramos-Shahani and later by Senator Ople. He also worked closely with the Department of Foreign Affairs and served as a resource person of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs.
After leaving the Cabinet in 2007, he served as Regional Programme Director for the East Asian Seas project of Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Aia (PEMSEA) funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). He also concurrently served as Executive Director of PEMSEA from 2008 to 2012, and worked on obtaining recognition of its international legal personality as a regional organization based in the Philippines working with 11 country partners on sustainable coastal and marine development. Afterwards, he served as an independent director in several publicly listed conglomerates with diverse interests, including energy and financial services.
Ambassador Lotilla holds degrees in Psychology and History as well as a Bachelor of Laws from UP Diliman, and earned his Master of Laws from the University of Michigan Law School in 1988.
Born in Sibalom, Antique on 16 June 1958 to Perpetuo A. Lotilla and Lo**ta S. Mercado, He has two brothers: Jose Perpetuo M. Lotilla and Perpetuo M. Lotilla, Jr. He is a devout Roman Catholic.
