[11] On February 24, 2011, President Benigno Aquino III swore in del Rosario as his secretary of foreign affairs replacing Alberto Romulo.

[12] In May 2012, del Rosario called on the United States to supply the Philippines with "naval patrol vessels, aircraft, advanced radar systems and coastal surveillance facilities" in order to maintain his nation's sovereignty against Chinese claims in the South China Sea.

[13] On March 30, 2014, the Philippines submitted its country's memorial to the Arbitral Tribunal in the Hague hearing the case it brought against the People's Republic of China under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

[17] On February 8, 2016, del Rosario announced that he would resign as secretary of foreign affairs, citing health reasons, which was later to be revealed he had a spinal condition.

[20] On September 24, 2015, he was conferred an honorary Doctor of Laws degree (Honoris Causa) from New York's College of Mount Saint Vincent for his commitment to democracy, advocacy to the poor, opposing corruption and promoting peaceful change in the Philippines.

[18] Del Rosario died on April 18, 2023, from a heart attack while on board a commercial flight en route to San Francisco for a private pilgrimage.