Philippine cultural diplomacy

THE good news is that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has created a separate office to handle cultural diplomacy. And former ambassador to Portugal Celia Anna “Cookie” Feria, a career ambassador with a career spanning over 33 years at the DFA, has been designated as the assistant secretary heading this office at the DFA.

Actually, the Philippines has much to show and share on the cultural front. Our history is unique in this part of the world and so is its imprint on our traditions, crafts, artifacts and art. We have unique, varied and colorful textiles. We have natural fibers that are turned into useful items that are also attractive and artistic. In the visual and performing arts, we have much to exhibit and share. We have musical instruments, toys, cuisine, customs and celebrations that are a reflection of our historical and social experience.

All of the above are facts, objects and customs to be proud of and to be aware of. And in the order of things to be known so as to understand ourselves and for others to understand us.

In truth, many entities and countries that played a role in our history have in the process collected a lot of our material cultural items. Germany has Philippine objects that Rizal contributed to its museums. It also has anthropological items that pioneer German anthropologists in the Cordillera collected in the 19th century. The United States has a lot of Philippine material in various cultural institutions like the Smithsonian Institute, the University of Michigan, the Field Museum of Chicago, among others. Spain, after its 400-plus years here, has perhaps the lion’s share of Philippine cultural material scattered in museums and religious institutions around the country. Then there are the odd pieces here and there that can be found in unlikely places. I recall a cannon from Manila taken during the 1762 British invasion displayed in front of a museum in Chennai, India.

Then, of course, we have what are contained in our own museums and other institutions like the University of Santo Tomas, San Agustin Church and outlying places like museums or institutions in Zamboanga, Cebu and many parts of Mindanao.

These are all material items that have a major connection to us. It is not a matter of demanding them back now, it is more like knowing where they are and what they mean. Here is an aspect of cultural diplomacy to pursue.

In pursuit of this, at the London University School of Oriental and African Studies, a Filipino academic,

Cristina Juan, has begun the Herculean work of digitizing Philippine material in all parts of the world where it is known to exist. In this way, we can know and study more of our materials that are somewhere else.

All of the above can fall under the interest and work of the duty officer of the Cultural Diplomacy desk. There is, too, the projection of our Filipino identity expressed in more than material items which altogether means soft power — interest and influence beyond wealth and force.

Cookie Feria is an excellent choice. After six years as our ambassador to Portugal, she has many triumphs in cultural diplomacy.

It all began when as the protocol officer in Malacañang in the Aquino administration, she mistakenly received a call for someone else after Typhoon “Yolanda” had devastated Leyte and Samar.

It was a cry for help for the matmakers of Basey, Samar, who lost their material to weave mats in the typhoon’s aftermath, imperiling their livelihood. Cookie impulsively bought 100 mats on offer as emergency assistance, sold off half to fellow employees at the DFA who used them for projecting the Philippines at their posts and brought the rest to her Portugal assignment. Using them first as office and home decor, they attracted much admiring attention for their workmanship, design, material and color.

They were unique expressions of the culture of a tropical country using its environmental resources and the people’s ingenious use of them. Soon, she was mounting an exhibit where the president of Portugal among other leading Portuguese citizens came to admire. Next was an invitation for Philippine basket makers and/or weavers to partner with their equivalent Portuguese crafts people with a weaving tradition in a town known for its unique baskets. The idea was to compare and exchange techniques.

This was done in partnership with the late gallerist, Albert Avellana, and Elmer Nocheseda, who wrote the definitive book on Philippine mats with the participation of HABI: The Philippine Textile Council. Many comings and goings for fruitful exchanges of information and joint events took place and were much publicized. Indeed, this was diplomacy featuring cultural aspects that showed the similarities and the differences as well as where they were coming from to arrive at a general understanding and respect for each party.

This is cultural diplomacy, and the Philippines has been doing it for some time on an ad hoc basis, but it can do it better now with the official policy and resources to do so. We certainly have the people, the history, the culture and the goodwill to do it.