The Philippine Embassy welcomes the newest member of its team, Atty. Jalilo “Jolly” O. Dela Torre, who assumed as Labor Attaché. He replaces Ms. Melinda Macalintal-Rada who ended her tour of duty last December.

Atty. Dela Torre started his career at the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in 1979 occupying various technical and executive positions.

Prior to coming to Canberra, he was DOLE Regional Director in Davao City.

His foreign postings include assignments as Labor Attaché in Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia and Israel from 1999 to 2005.

Together with Hong Kong lawyers Anthony Upham, Francis Burkett and Eric Curlewis, he co-authored “Survive Hong Kong,” a handbook for foreign and domestic helpers in Hong Kong.

He is credited with initiating many creative and pioneering job and livelihood programs of the Department of Labor and Employment such as the GMA Kiosks, TechReady, Gro Micro, Project EntrepreNurse, JobsFit, among others.

For his contributions to DOLE, he was awarded the Department’s Lingkod Manggagawa for 2010, Best Innovation, individual category.

Atty. Dela Torre earned a degree in Foreign Service from the University of the Philippines – Diliman in 1978 and studied law at the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos and the University of San Jose-Recoletos, Cebu. He successfully passed the 1989 bar exams, landing in the Top Ten.