Imelda Panolong

Imelda Macapundag Panolong (born January 9, 1968) is a Filipina career diplomat who is the current Ambassador of the Philippines to Oman. She is the first Muslim woman in the Philippine diplomatic corps to be promoted to the rank of Career Minister and later, Chief of Mission, Class II and also the first female Muslim ambassador of the Philippines. Before becoming ambassador, she served as the consul general of the Philippine Consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and has completed tours of duty in Pakistan, Bahrain, Canada, Indonesia and the United States.

Early life and education Panolong was born on January 9, 1968, in Malaysia. She received her exequatur from the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 7, 2015. During her time as consul general, Panolong facilitated the repatriation of at least 683 overseas Filipino workers from Saudi Oger, which closed down in 2017, and Saudi Binladin Group. As her consulate's jurisdiction includes Mecca, Panolong was also responsible for the wellbeing of Muslim Filipinos joining the annual Hajj.

On March 25, 2017, she was designated as the chargé d'affaires of the Philippine embassy in Riyadh. Her term as chargé d'affaires saw the first state visit of a Philippine president to Saudi Arabia in eight years. She was among those that greeted President Rodrigo Duterte upon his arrival at the King Khalid International Airport and accompanied him, along with senior government officials, during his courtesy call to King Salman of Saudi Arabia.

In 2018, she became an assistant secretary of foreign affairs and also the chairperson of the agency's Bids and Awards Committee.

Ambassador to Oman In February 2020, Duterte nominated Panolong to be the Philippine Ambassador to Oman, succeeding outgoing Ambassador Narciso Castañeda. She was confirmed by the Commission on Appointments on March 4, 2020. She is the seventh and first female Philippine Ambassador to Oman.

Personal life Imelda Panolong is married to Jamel Panolong and they have three sons being Mohammad, Mohsen, and Mohaisen Panolong.