Serendipity with His Serene Highness

As the first Philippine Ambassador to Monaco, I was well briefed and safely sherpa-ed by our doyen of honorary Consuls General.

1. I presented the letters of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to His Serene Highness Prince Albert II — the 10th envoy to be received in the Monagesque Principality.

Punctilious of Old World courtesies, Consul General Dr. Stephen Zuellig was waiting at Nice airport when I arrived the day earlier. He took three days off from his onerous calendar for these duties. The drive to Monaco was enough to brief me about the Prince, his concern for the ecology (which took him to Artic expedition to observe effects of global warming), antecedents of Princess Grace’s foundation for children and recent visits to Manila of Princess Stefanie and Prince Andrea Casiraghi, lawyer Malonto, the sweeping change of dramatis personae at the Palace and the government when he assumed after the death of his father Prince Rainer, and a crash course in Monagesque history.

We arrived at the Hotel Hermitage, which was above my budget but the bottom limit of his hospitality. At the Consulate General around the block, we went through the protocol drill for the next day’s presentation of credentials. Dinner at the Casino Royale Hotel, champagne, Bordeaux red wine, and a Paul Ducasse menu that I dare not tease the South Beach diet of my Secretary of Foreign Affairs Dr. Alberto Romulo.

We were collected 9:30 next morning by the Chief of Protocol M. Panizzi, who was recovering from a knee surgery and ambled with a cane. Dr Zuellig was also helped with a more elegant walking stick. Were it a week earlier when I was under treatment at American hospital in Paris for a minor spinal problem, we would have made a three-some walking on three’s.

It was a splendid morning as most days are in Monte Carlo. M Panizzi accompanied me in a black Maybach — the first and probably last time I would ride in one. The Consul General followed in his Mercedes. With three carabineri motorcycle escorts, Philippine flag already fluttering on right fender of the Maybach, we arrived to Royal Palace Guards presenting arms, helmets of cock plumes in tricolor bunting. After trooping the colors, I was escorted by the Chamberlain Col. Luc Fringant up the baroque marble steps, and ushered to His Serene Highness where I delivered the rehearsed lines,

J’ai l’honneur de remettre a Votre Altesse mes lettres de cråçance.

The Prince introduced me to his suite, before we repaired for téte-a-téte, (four eyes, plus Chef de Cabinet M Georges Lisimachio as notetaker). Not wishing to do violence to French, I opted for English. In reply to his query, I said that President Arroyo will brief Davos next week on her successful hosting of the 12th ASEAN Summit in Cebu, where the eminent persons group pointed to alternative to mushawarah and after our regional grouping of over 500 million population signed a wide-ranging agreement of unprecedented economic complementation with China’s 1.6 billion.

I extended the President’s invitation to re-visit the Philippines; and he recalled fondly the state banquet in Malacañang (where a lissome Bayanihan dancer capped the evening with a proffered rose) and Amanpulo. I said we have several Amanpulo’s among our 7,107 islands. I must have repeated it at least thrice, saying that the President’s invitation is also in enlightened self-interest — a visit by the Prince would be the best endorsement of Philippine tourism. (This did not ring of mercantilist opportunism: the Nike store in Monte Carlo displays the autographed red Nike pair used by the Prince at the 2000 Winter Olympics in Montreal. He remembered; but said that he does not have the time now to tobbagon with Monaco’s bobsled team.)

He welcomed the information that his Minister of State for Public Works M Robert Calgano is recommending a cooperation program with Rina Lopez Bautista of Philippine Holdings Foundation Knowledge Channel. The program has both ETV and ecological impact for Verde Island off Batangas. He confirmed ecology and global warming are his principal concerns.

We rejoined the rest, and I presented the Prince with a Shantung Red-and-Black-encased edition of UP Dean of Arts Tina Colayco’s Museum Treasures of the Southeast Asia to reiterate our invitation. This envoy even had the temerity to request for a photograph by the larger-than-life oil portrait of Princess Grace, a.k.a. Grace Kelly. Chamberlain searched for photographer. Philippine Embassy old timers recall seeing her take walks along Avenue Foch. He said that his mother loved Paris so the family kept an apartment at number 18 and at 70 Avenue Foch. (Not far from our nr 26 Embassy Residence). We overstayed the hospitality, waiting in vain for the palace photographer. Finally, to remedy this, he suggested that we return when Monaco commemorates in May the 25th anniversary of her death. (How time flies).

Secretary of State Rene Nobella hosted lunch for me and Belgian Ambassador Pierre Dominique Schmidt, also based in Paris. In giving a vote of thanks, I assured our host that despite my duties as envoy to France and responsibilities for UNESCO and Portugal, I shall not be remiss of Monaco. I also suggested that my accreditation only supplements the abiding presence of Consul General Zuellig, who spans the generations of Prince Rainer, Prince Albert II and, we hope, our continuing presence.

2. The Prince will be doing a swing of Japan, China and Singapore in April. It might be a little presumptuous to squeeze in the Philippines now. Dr Zuellig also nudged me to other important personages of the chamber of commerce and the interior.

3. In the afternoon we called on the International Hydrographic Organization. Vice Admiral Alexandros Maratos (Greek) and Rear Admiral Kenneth Barbor (American) briefed us on the structure and operations of the IHO, which has complementary functions with the International Maritime Organization. The third member of the triumvirate Captain Hugo Gorziglia (Chilean) was not there. As an archipelago with strong maritime employment, we are fish in IHO and IOM waters. Indonesia has informed IHO of its archipelagic highway for international traffic. Admiral Maratos said that Venezuela used some IHO maps and struck oil. DFAâ€(tm)s MOAC may be a principal beneficiary of the programs. The Philippines is represented in IHO by NAMRIA. About 60% of the member countries are represented by the navy; others by the coast guard or other ministries. As I was forewarned, the Admiral reminded me of Philippine arrears since 2005; and I promised to remind Manila. He said the next plenary meeting is in May and we explored, with Dr Zuelligâ€(tm)s sponsorship, the possibility of a performance by Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa and the Alun-Alun Dance Company as one of the highlights of the meeting.