Mabel: "Jumping into unfamiliar territory helped me to grow..."
OPINION: It is said that Filipinos are Malay in family, Spanish in love, Chinese in business and American in ambition.
The Philippines is an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands in Southeast Asia, nestled between Taiwan in the north and Indonesia in the south. It is a country known for its large diaspora community of Overseas Filipino Workers and world-class diving.
I was introduced to the Philippines through a Leadership Network hui to Manila in 2018, and in 2022 I was brought back to the archipelago for a different purpose.
I worked at the New Zealand Embassy in Manila for a short-term assignment during a time when Covid-19 restrictions were at their lowest. The previous omicron wave struck in December 2021, and like much of the world, the Philippines was ready to get back to business.
English is widely spoken in Manila, which means diplomats are not generally required to learn Filipino/Tagalog. The New Zealand Embassy team chose to undertake weekly Filipino/Tagalog classes to support our engagement with the Philippines government and local stakeholder communities.
What was clear to me was that people appreciated efforts to speak Filipino/Tagalog. Surprise and delight came from making small talk with taxi and tricycle drivers, as well as when paying a courtesy call on President-elect Marcos Jr (see the comments from New Zealand Ambassador Peter Kell’s press conference after the courtesy call for further examples). Our locally engaged staff were patient and kind to help us learn.
Like in a number of cultures, food bring families and communities together in the Philippines. Filipino cuisine is a mix of Spanish, Chinese and Malay influences. Flavours are strong on the sweet, sour and salty flavours, and meals focus on meat and rice.
Someone told me that rice was “Filipino power” – it wasn’t a meal if there wasn’t rice. Regions have their local specialities, and there is local pasalubong (souvenirs) you can bring back to share. Personal favourites include Jollibee’s chicken joy and sisig (sizzling pork cheek), and on the sweet side buko (young coconut coconut) pie and turon (fried banana with jackfruit).
The first in-person full team gathering for New Zealand Embassy (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise) after months of working remotely and in split teams during the pandemic
Turning to my work experience, the five months involved watching, learning and doing to understand diplomatic tradecraft.
I had a supportive team at the New Zealand Embassy who had years of experience across foreign policy and development work.
Highlights included observing and reporting on a historic Philippine national election, and marching alongside fellow embassy colleagues and giving a solidarity speech at the Pride PH March.
I am grateful for the working relationships and friendships with locals and diplomats alike as they helped me to understand the Philippines and diplomacy better.
Reflecting on my experience as a young, female and Asian diplomat, there were times I found it challenging to ‘take up’ space.
Jumping into unfamiliar territory helped me to grow, including when I held the responsibility of Chargé d’Affaires for one week. One day it was participating in a working-level coordination meeting, another it was giving remarks at a business event.
Something that helped me was an openness to give anything a go, learning from mistakes and remembering to back myself. At the same time, I was happy to be able to connect with locals and young people who were interested in diplomacy and share my journey based on my personal experience.
This experience was another opportunity to learn about the Philippines and immerse myself into Filipino life and culture.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author
In 2019, Mabel undertook a Foundation internship at the New Zealand Consulate-General Office in Chengdu and was named one of the Foundation's 25 To Watch
This article was first published on the Asia Media Centre