REFLECTIONS ON BECOMING A DIPLOMAT

The Class: Incidentally, the subject was on “International Relations and Diplomatic Practices,” which was both course related and career oriented at the same time. Since International Relations focused more on theories and concepts, the course provided an opportunity to discuss the application of these abstract ideas through diplomacy in actual situations. 

The Book:  FSO IV: Starting a Career in the Philippine Foreign Service written by Marciano de Borja published in 1999 is a good introductory book (and a required reading for the course) on what to expect in this profession.  FSO IV is short for Foreign Service Officer Class IV, the initial position of Filipino diplomats upon passing the Foreign Service Officers’ exam and entering the Department of Foreign Affairs. It is equivalent to the rank of third secretary if one is assigned to an embassy abroad or vice consul in the case of a consulate.

The Job: The book provides an insightful peek at the world of Philippine foreign service. It gave a balanced perspective on what diplomats actually do. Most people are fascinated with the glamour and perks of being a diplomat like travelling around the world, attending cocktail parties, and meeting high-profile people. But these are just a small part of a grueling and challenging profession. Diplomats do a lot of negotiations, write various diplomatic correspondences, participate in endless meetings, and protect the welfare of citizens overseas.

The Reality: The book ultimately presents this other side of the foreign service that most people are unaware of.  At its worst, this career can sometimes take a toll on one’s health (contracting stress-related illnesses), safety (facing dangerous situations abroad), and family (being separated from one’s spouse and children). The bottom line, according to the book, is that the foreign service is a lifelong vocation requiring serious contemplation, commitment, and dedication.

The Diplomat: Sig Masangkay, a bona fide FSO IV, validated some of the details in the book by sharing in class his work in the DFA. He particularly talked more about his journey in preparing and taking the infamous and much-dreaded foreign service officers’ (FSO) exam. Though he considers himself as just an ordinary student in college, he passed the FSO exam in just one take.  His personal account while undergoing the exam process is both enlightening and encouraging.

The Exam: His talk essentially proclaims that, contrary to popular notions, the FSO exam is not awfully difficult if one has really prepared for it, just like in any other exams. The various components of the test, which involves history, law, economics, culture, foreign language, and current affairs, make it a uniquely challenging intellectual exercise. There is therefore some semblance of truth to the notion that the DFA may be looking for a “walking encyclopedia” given the nature of the exam. That is why the speaker’s ultimate advice is to prepare, which involves hard work, determination, and a lot of reading.

The Students:  Reading the book and listening to the talk generated a lot of insights from the class about the realities behind a diplomat’s job and the challenges in the FSO exams. As part of their course requirements, these students’ wrote exceptional essays that revealed their personal reflections: 

Students at Miriam College taking up International Studies

On conquering doubts in deciding to become a diplomat by Donna Macaraeg:

“Although honestly the talk made me doubt if I should take the FSO exam since it was very hard on different levels, the speaker nonetheless convinced me that ‘nothing is hard just as long as you prepared for it.’ He taught me that sometimes you just got to swallow all those insecurities and be a man (or in my case a woman) about it.”

On improving one’s self to become a diplomat by Alleona Tagle:

“Choosing to become a diplomat involves developing one’s self. Being a diplomat means I have to improve myself and become more flexible and ready to face various challenges; become a good communicator since diplomacy is all about thoughtful speeches and well-crafted writings; and become more punctual because according to Secretary Roberto Romulo: ‘Diplomats should arrive at any meeting on time, regardless of traffic jams or any other alibis.”

On what it takes to become a diplomat by Sophia Garcia:

“I have learned the importance of having passion and taking risks. If one does not have the passion to become a diplomat despite the challenges, then he or she will not have the motivation to actually become one. Being a diplomat also entails taking risks and stepping out of one’s comfort zone since ‘taking a risk is your way to develop yourself.’ Sometimes we get used to doing the same things without realizing that we are suppressing ourselves from achieving our potentials as individuals.”

On the purpose of being a diplomat by Jill Fernandez:

“The purpose of being a diplomat is not about pride and status in society. It is about genuine service without the comforts of the home and the willingness to serve the Filipino people beyond national borders. To put it simply, the point and purpose of being a diplomat is service to the people and to the nation. It might be a very difficult endeavor, but surely, it will be worth the sacrifice.”

 On the process of becoming a diplomat by Mia Estipona:

“I realized something about the foreign service after reading the book and listening to the speaker. It is ultimately about the process. These diplomats are not who they are today because of their skills from the very beginning. But they are who they are today because they went through the process and they are still continuously being processed. One needs to learn, live, fail, learn again, and live again. It’s a process--- a process that can truly change a life for the better if one sees beyond its surface and understand the value and the true meaning of it.”

The Takeaway: This is indeed a good reality check and an encouraging push for those wanting to be part of the foreign service.  It is both an exciting and challenging profession. Deciding to become a diplomat involves a lot of thoughtful consideration, and finally becoming one requires a lifelong commitment to represent and serve the nation.  In the final analysis, the foreign service may be a prestigious career but it is ultimately not for the faint hearted.

THE PHILIPPINES AND THE US: HOW WE VIEW THEM, HOW WE SEE US

The Philippines’ relations with the US can be generally deemed as the most important and the most complicated bilateral ties. It highlights active interaction between the two countries’ governments, economies, and societies.  Since American colonization of the Philippines, this bilateral relation has seen many bright and dark moments that give color to Filipinos’ perception of the US. 

taken from: http://www.crossed-flag-pins.com/Friendship-Pins/Philippines/Flag-Pins-Philippines-USA.html

          My class on Philippine foreign relations got everyone thinking about how Filipinos view the US. Based on our discussion, Filipinos generally have a clear distinction between the US government and society. Basically, what the Filipinos may think about the current US administration does not necessarily affect how Filipinos view the Americans.

When it comes to state-to-state relations, the Philippines has a very convoluted relationship with the US. This is mainly because of the enduring security alliance and the corresponding issues that go with it.  Though the US government provides security guarantee, it can also compel the Philippines to be directly or indirectly involved in its security issues (e.g. war on Iraq) and its strategic interests in the region (e.g. hosting American military presence in line with its rebalance in Asia). The Philippines may have a love-hate relationship with the US but there is no doubt that despite this, it is the country’s most important bilateral partner.

        When it comes to people-to-people relations, Filipinos have a very entrenched affinity with the Americans. This is mainly because we share a lot of commonalities with them--- our regard for democracy and freedom, our friendliness to other people, and our openness to other cultures. There may be some negative impressions based on personal experiences by some Filipinos but overall, we have a very positive view of them. In fact, most of us think highly of the Americans. We admire them for their independence, individualism, coolness, and creativity.    

         Essentially, we may sometimes object to the decisions of the US government, but we still love American culture and society. We consume their brands, study in their schools, patronize their popular culture, and admire their state-of-the- art technology. Despite the awkwardness, we attempt to have that fluent American English with the twang. And despite the difficulties, we pray to the heavens to be able to migrate to the US in an attempt to live the “American dream.”

 

Philippine President Benigno Aquino III and US President Barack Obama, photo from the Associated Press

           Generally, our deep-seated enchantment of everything good about America has led some of us to think so highly of them at the expense of appreciating the good in us. This is especially evident in our entertainment industry when we tend to ape American artists in how we sing, act, and dance---and less attention is given to Filipino artistry and ingenuity. It is no wonder that we have several Filipino versions of American acts--- “Michael Jackson of the Philippines” or the “Elvis Presley of the Philippines”--- to certify an artist’s talent as being “good enough” to be compared to them. It is as if we need to reach an “American standard” to be affirmed of our own talent and artistry.

  It is also no small wonder that we have the penchant to claim and share in the glory of several Filipino Americans’ achievements in the US, even though they consider themselves more as Americans than anything else. This is clearly apparent in how we “idolize” Jessica Sanchez and Jasmine Trias in the American Idol and readily adopting them as our own. And year after year, we anticipate for any Fil-Ams who can break into the Top 20 so that we can fiercely root for them as if they are in an Olympic competition carrying the Philippine flag.  It is as if we need “validation” from American singing competitions to feel good about our talents and to be proud of being Filipino, never mind if they are Americans in the first place. We tend to forget how they usually identify themselves as American citizens who happen to have Filipino blood.

This is not to discount the talents and achievements of a growing number of Fil-Ams in the US, for they deserve the accolades and honor bestowed on them. It is sometimes the swift manner in which our nation claim these Fil-Ams’ successes as achievements for the Philippines that personally bothers me the most. We tend to instantly declare them as one of us even though they sometimes do not recognize us first. Oftentimes, only until they become famous in the Philippines that they publicly declare their affinity and pride to this country, which some of them have not yet personally experienced nor visited.  

Some of the successful Filipino Americans featured in a book by Gail Snyder

I personally have nothing against the Fil-Ams nor am I judging their “Filipino-ness,” in fact I welcome their quest to explore and appreciate their Filipino roots and heritage. But what I find vexing is the apparent adulation most Filipinos give to Fil-Ams that somehow reinforces our colonial mentality.  

           As I discuss this issue in my class, I asked my students one question that got them thinking: “If we think this way about the Americans, then what does it say about us as Filipinos?” 

And my class came to this realization: It speaks about our belief in our smallness to their greatness. It reveals our insecurity. It shows our lack of confidence as a nation.     

These are just some of the personal reflections and observations about our relations with the US and our perceptions about America. On the government level, we reveal this inequality in how we greatly rely on our security alliance and development aid from the US government, and how sometimes our government allows these factors to influence our foreign policy. On the socio-cultural realm, we display our insecurities with our tendency to seek validation from the Americans as if we need their “pat on the back” for us to believe that we are good or at least “good enough” for them.    

In order to slowly transcend from these perceptions, it is important for Filipinos to be confident about ourselves as a nation. Though the Philippines will never be equal to the US in so many ways, our government need not equate our smallness to mean constant deference to the Americans. We only need to think of our country’s strategic value to the US in terms of its regional interests to raise our leverage. Though Filipinos may learn a lot from the Americans’ ingenuity and expertise in various fields, our nation need not feel constantly inferior to them. We only need to constantly learn and improve ourselves and be reminded of the many unique accomplishments of Filipinos acknowledged all over the world to feel proud of ourselves.

Though these observations are still evident, they are slowly changing.  According to World Focus video report presented by Mark Litke and produced by Ara Ayer, the Philippines is home to talented, industrious, resilient, and yes, independent people. Towards its conclusion, the video highlighted Manny Pacquiao, a pure-blooded Filipino from a poor background, who rose to the top and captured the attention and respect of the Americans and the international community. He is certainly an epitome of who we are and what we can become as a nation. He is definitely a symbol of the Filipinos’ humble roots, proud achievements, and growing self confidence.  

And I could not agree more. There is indeed a “Manny Pacquiao” in us that we should unleash. In the future, I hope to see more Filipinos who are self assured and proud of our nation. I also look forward to shaping the minds of more young Filipinos to be more confident and positive about the country--- one class at a time.