A belated announcement. This wasn't posted on the ADMU website but rather over at ADZU. Hans was from class 1996.

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Ateneo Alumnus Tops FSO Exams

An Ateneo de Zamboanga University Alumnus topped the Foreign Service Officer (FSO) written and oral examination conducted by the Department of Foreign Affairs Office last August 2003 and January 2004, respectively.

Our FSO topnotcher, Hans Mohaiman L. Siriban, who is presently the Chief of Staff for the Office of the Vice Mayor in Zamboanga City, graduated Class Valedictorian of his High School Class in 1992 and Grade School Class in 1988. Hans finished Bachelor in Management Economics at the Ateneo de Manila University, graduating Cum Laude in 1996. He also was awarded the Departmental Award for Management Economics. He also took earned his Masters of Social Science in Economics at the National University in Singapore from 2001 to 2002.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Delia Albert considers the FSO exams as one of the toughest examinations in the Philippine civil service, which qualifies them for the appointment as FSO IV.

Woohoo! Galing! *standing ovation*

I have to say that the NEDA technical exam is pretty d@mn hard, too.

I took the FSO exam too, back in 1998. I passed the written part with ease.

Then the orals came on.

I wasn't accepted.

Just because I said I'd help the AFP work out a deal to buy an Aegis destroyer with six tomahawk cruise missiles and aim them all at China the FSI Chair, then Ambassador Sammy Ramel, said I'd start an international incident! I wonder what the sonovagun thought illegal fishing, giant clam poaching and territorial staking by other nations are? Picnics?

Oh well. Hopefully Ateneans in the DFA will finally give us a foreign policy. Because I sure as shit have no idea if we even have one now.

Your answer seems to be too long and complicated for them to understand. Your answer should have been - "I plan to have affairs with pretty foreigners." That should hit it right on the mark!