Highlights
- Marlene Tucker was a foreign service officer in the Philippines and now a public servant in Australia.
- She is the current executive director of the International Air Services Commissions, an Australian government independent statutory agency.
- Marlene is a remarkable Filipino-Australia woman who proves that migrant women can excel in their chosen field.
In celebration of National Women's Month 2022, SBS Filipino presents a series focused on remarkable Filipino women who #BreakTheBias.
Marlene Agmata Tucker, a proud Filipino-Australian, is the executive director of the International Air Services Commission, an independent statutory Australian government agency that allocates capacity entitlements to Australian airlines to enable them to operate international flights.
An accomplished lawyer and public servant, Marlene served in the Philippine foreign service before permanently moving to Canberra to start a family and continue her passion for public service in her adopted home.
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A public servant through and through
Marlene finished her law degree at the University of the Philippines in 1988. While preparing for the Philippine Bar exams, she took the foreign service exam, which was administered worldwide, so she could serve as a foreign service officer and become a Philippine diplomat.
Out of over 8000 examiners, only 19 passed and Marlene was one of them.
Marlene was then employed by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs. Her first international posting was in Hong Kong where she assisted Filipino contract workers in distress, addressing issues that included employer disputes and breaches of contracts.
Marlene’s UP Law graduation in 1988 with her proud parents. Source: Marlene Tucker
“I was assisting Filipino contract workers, mostly those providing domestic service. They all had heartbreaking stories to share so the Philippine consulate in Hong Kong did the best we could to assist our kababayans,” Marlene shared.
It was there that Marlene experienced firsthand the struggles of overseas Filipino workers, sacrificing their own happiness to provide for their families back in the Philippines.
After three years in Hong Kong, she indicated a desire to be transferred to another post. The then Ambassador to Australia, Mrs Delia Domingo-Albert requested her transfer to the Philippine Embassy in Canberra, Australia to lead the Economic team of the Embassy. This was where she served the longest as a Filipino diplomat and met and married her husband Michael, an Australian dentist.
With the late Ambassador Nitoy Valeriano, Philippine actress Nora and Atty Virgie Son, During Marlene’s first foreign assignment Source: Marlene Tucker
However, in 1997, she was called to come back to the Philippines to help in the planning of the ASEAN summit in Manila. She was torn between starting a family in Australia and fulfilling her work duties. But she succumbed to her duty.
Marlene came to a point in her life where she had to choose between her foreign service work, which meant being away from her husband or staying in Canberra. She chose family over her glorified career in the Philippine diplomatic service.
“I wanted to start a new life with my husband in Australia. Although I was in an advanced position in my career back in the Philippines, sometimes in life you have to prioritise what truly matters – and so I followed my heart,” Marlene recalled.
Being a legal practitioner in Australia
When Marlene permanently moved to Australia, one of her plans was to get her law degree in the Philippines recognised in Australia so she could work in the legal area here. The conversion program required her to study a few Australian law units, which she did at the University of Sydney.
She then completed a graduate diploma in legal practice at the Australian National University (ANU).
It didn’t take a long time until she satisfied the requirements and was admitted as an Australian legal practitioner by the ACT Supreme Court.
But Marlene knew the next challenge was imminent - to find employment.
“It was very difficult for me to find a job. I remember receiving more than two dozen rejections. At times, I would reflect and ask myself if I made the right decision of giving up a good career, but I battled on despite the many rejections.”
Because of Marlene’s expertise in international politics and diplomatic relations, a well-respected professor invited her to tutor at the University of Canberra (UC). While she was looking for a full-time job, she accepted the offer and lectured politics in developing nations and management in Asia at UC.
Marlene with her two UP Law classmates, Supreme Court Justice Jhosep Lopez and Philippine Ambassador to Vietnam Noel Servigon, during their UP Law Homecoming in 2013 Source: Marlene Tucker
Her persistence and ‘never-give-up’, ‘never-surrender’ attitude didn’t fail her. Marlene finally landed her first job in Australia as a Legal Officer in the Department of Justice and Community Services (JaCS) of the ACT Government.
“I was quite fed up with getting my applications rejected. All of them were telling me that I did not have Australian work experience. But how could I get one if nobody was giving me a chance? And so, I rang up the chair of the selection committee at JaCS and pleaded my case. I was offered the job after that call.”
This was when her journey in the Australian public service began.
Marlene transferred on promotion to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission after a year in the ACT Government. Her stint at the ACCC enabled her to work on huge and complex issues and deepened her knowledge of competition and consumer laws. During this time, their daughter Marian was born.
After four years in the ACCC, she moved to then the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations as a senior government lawyer. Like most working mothers, Marlene had to balance the pressures of work as a senior lawyer and making a home.
After a few years, she moved to the old Department of Transport, now Department of Infrastructure, thinking that it would lessen her workload. But after two months, she found herself leading the Economic Regulation and Legal Policy team of the Airports branch as its director.
She worked her way up in the Department of Transport where she was tasked to handle difficult projects, which included reviewing and amending laws and regulations. While working in the public service, Marlene managed to complete her Master of Laws at the ANU.
“I’m always up for a challenge. My time in the public service wouldn’t be as exciting if I didn’t go after challenging tasks,” Marlene shared.
“If you work hard, people will notice.”
Marlene was no stranger to legislative procedures in Australia. In fact, she enjoyed it. She had worked on various legislative reforms. She attended Parliamentary debates and provided advice to Ministers in support of proposed legislation – something that not many first-generation migrants have achieved.
Her exceptional work ethic and dedication to her job got her promoted several times and she was eventually headhunted to lead the International Air Services Commission.
Marlene Tucker as executive director of the International Air Services Commission (IASC) Source: IASC Annual Report 2020-2021
Her legacy and two cents for Filipino migrants
Although Marlene is very successful in life, when asked what her greatest accomplishment was, she quickly responded with one word: family.
Marlene and Michael’s daughter Marian is about to finish university.
Marlene’s 60th birthday celebration with husband Michael and daughter Marian. Source: Marlene Tucker
Marlene’s sisters are also working overseas. Her sisters Janet, Rosemarie and Evangeline are registered nurses in Brampton, Canada, Tennessee, USA, and Portsmouth, England respectively. While her brothers Alfredo and Ruben are chief executive officers in the Philippines.
“I am very proud of my family. We came from humble beginnings, but we managed to overcome poverty through good education.”
Marlene’s home is adorned with exceptional Australian contemporary artworks, which she and her husband acquired over the years.
Reunion with Marlene’s siblings in the Philippines to celebrate her oldest brother’s 60th birthday. Source: Marlene Tucker
Marlene and her husband have been keen travellers until COVID interrupted their lifestyle. Travel photos and mementoes collected over many years of visiting exciting places around the world occupy a sizeable area of their formal dining room.
But given her successful run as a public servant, both in the Philippines and Australia, her greatest joy and achievement is her time spent with family.
Marlene’s family on a holiday in St Peterburg, Russia. Source: Marlene Tucker
The loving wife and mother is about to retire from public service later this year and she hopes that she was able to serve the public well.
“I hope that I have contributed positively for the betterment of the communities I had the great pleasure of serving in my 38 years in public service, 22 years in Australia and 16 back in the Philippines.”
“To new Filipino migrants in Australia, don’t give up on your dreams.
“And once you are given the chance, work hard and give more than what is expected of you. Show that you are committed and engaged. Success comes to those who persevere.”
Marlene Tucker is a person of high integrity and good moral values. That’s why it was not surprising that success, happiness and contentment followed her in Australia.
