In 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. approved the report by the then foreign minister Carlos P. Romulo recommending an independent foreign policy and the opening of relations with countries behind the Iron Curtain. Romania at the time had already begun to pursue an independent foreign policy of its own, having been the only country in the former communist bloc that refused to acquiesce in the 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia. It was therefore natural for Romania to be the first country in Eastern Europe with which the Philippines established relations.
We can hardly grasp today how bold this decision actually was, as it went against the established and the unwritten rules of that time in global politics. It also opened the way both for other bilateral relationships to be established between the Philippines and Central and Eastern European countries, and for multilateral organizations to be set up, where the East and the West could sit together and discuss, no longer avoiding to shake hands or talk to each other.
In Europe, such a body was established in 1975, namely the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). In a twist of history, it was the OSCE, with its “human rights basket,” that led to the crumbling of the so-called “communist” or “socialist” dictatorial regimes in Eastern Europe in 1989. There is still much to be done by historians interested to decipher the Cold War and its implications, but such an effort is necessary and particularly relevant if the world nowadays is to avoid sleepwalking into another Cold War-type scenario.
To celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations, a milestone in our joint journey of friendship and cooperation, a timely and insightful conference was organized by the University of the Philippines and the Embassy of Romania on the 7th of June in Manila. One of its aims was to record testimonies of officials who were called upon to apply the momentous decisions of 1972. Fortunately, there are remarkable individuals, such as Ambassador Delia Domingo-Albert, former foreign affairs secretary, willing to share with us her memories of the time – and doing it so graciously.
In a message to the conference, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania Bogdan Aurescu stressed that: “This is the time when like-minded partners should come together. Our two countries share similar views and values: Romania, as a Black Sea coastal EU Member-State, and the Philippines, as an Indo-Pacific nation and ASEAN founding member, promote and uphold a rules-based international order, with international law at its core. Romania continues to be actively involved in the implementation of the EU Indo-Pacific Strategy and we advocate that a stable and developed Southeast Asia is central to a safe and prosperous world. All these, as well as our common interest in ensuring and preserving peace, security and respect for human rights worldwide, bring our two countries even closer.”
In his turn, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. added: “The Philippines, as the current coordinator for ASEAN-EU relations, is pleased to work with Romania and the European Union to deepen cooperative partnerships on a number of issues of shared concern. The Philippines is especially interested in working with ASEAN and EU in the areas of maritime security cooperation, digital technology and cyber security, COVID-19 response and recovery, strengthening public health systems and climate action […]. As we mark 50 years of bilateral ties, I am certain our countries will go on exploring more opportunities for cooperation. […] Our relations will flourish again as they did, when the Marcos administration gave Romania special attention and affection. Time to go back to being the friends we were.”
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This article briefly looks into history and politics, but also touches on the way in which they tied us together on this important occasion and allowed us to get closely acquainted with the Filipino professionalism, especially in the creative industries.
In the process of organizing this Conference (which can be watched on UPTV’s YouTube channel, at https://youtu.be/gnafXy-eJjo), we have teamed up with the University of the Philippines and the UP TV Studio. Two days before the conference, we had the line-up of most distinguished speakers and two famous musical organizations, UP Singing Ambassadors and the Romanian Musical Society, ready to enlighten and enchant us with their statements and music. We just did not know whether it would be possible to connect speakers and musicians from Romania and the Philippines together in a live transmission. Fortunately, the UPTV Film Studio team was with us.
I cannot stress enough the talent and genius of the group of hard-working Filipino UP professors, producers, directors, video-editors, IT engineers, students and designers who worked with us on this project, under the leadership of UP president Danilo Concepción. Watching the production process closely, understanding how much work, technical skills and creativity it requires was a monumental experience.
The laurels which coronate Filipino films lately, including at the 2022 Cannes Festival, are the deserved rewards of a widespread culture of producing videos, documentaries and short films. The future is bright for the Filipino creative industries.
We thank everybody in the Philippines and Romania who helped us honor the milestone of 50 years of diplomatic relations. A huge bunch of roses and all our gratitude go to the usually unsung heroes, the amazing Filipino digital wizards and technicians. The Philippines should be very proud of its creative industries and the people behind it.
As all Filipinos celebrate Kalayaan 2022, marking the 124th anniversary of Philippine independence, a heartfelt “Happy National Day” from Romania to the Philippines, as well as to all Filipinas and Filipinos, wherever they are.
Maligayang anibersaryo ng kasarinlan ng Pilipinas!
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R?du?a Dana Matache is Ambassador of Romania to the Philippines.