MANILA - It may be tough to follow a predecessor who charmed Filipinos with his fluent Tagalog.

But newly designated British Ambassador to the Philippines Daniel Pruce looks well on his way, showing his skills in speaking the local language just as outgoing envoy Asif Ahmad so proudly displayed throughout his tour in the Philippines.

In a Twitter video, Daniel Pruce spoke in straight Filipino to say he was honored to be the new British envoy to the Philippines.

"Malaking karangalan para sa akin na maging susunod na British ambassador sa Pilipinas," Pruce said.

"Kinagagalak ko na may pagkakataon ako na mapalakas pa ang ating magandang relasyon."

Pruce said he has been learning the Tagalog language as part of his preparation for deployment in Manila.

British diplomats are known to train in the national language of their countries of assignment as part of a long-running tradition at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

"Masaya akong nagaaral ng napakagandang wikang Tagalog at ginagawa ko ang lahat ng abot kaya ko para matutunan ito," he said.

Malaking karangalan para sa akin ang maging susunod na British Ambassador sa Pilipinas pic.twitter.com/Wa7detk5gC — Daniel Pruce 🇬🇧 (@DanielPruce) May 31, 2017

Pruce will succeed Ahmad in August, serving as envoy to the Philippines and a non-resident ambassador to Palau.

He previously served as the British deputy head of mission in Madrid from 2012 to 2016.

Ahmad, meanwhile, would step down four years since his appointment in 2013. He speaks seven languages and learned Tagalog for seven months before he became the British envoy to the Philippines.