A former US Governor-General of the Philippines Leonard Wood is famous – perhaps infamous – for saying that “the Filipino woman is the best ‘man’ in the Philippines”. The 1921 statement, in which he described women as “the great creative force” could have been a rallying cry for women. If last week’s elections are anything to go by, it is being taken up. Female candidates took three of the top … Read more »The great creative force
Modern day alchemy
For centuries the dream of many has been to create wealth out of nothing. In the Philippines, stories of Yamashita’s gold (or even Lim Ah Hong’s) still encourage people to go off to the countryside with their metal detectors. I suspect this may prove to be a modern equivalent of alchemy: the hope of turning base metals in to gold. But there are other more viable ways to turn nothing … Read more »Modern day alchemy
If you build it, they will come
It’s almost a year since President Aquino’s visit to London in 2012. Arriving on the Queen’s Silver Jubilee weekend, the President felt some of the heritage and tradition that makes the UK a top draw for overseas tourists. And for his part, the President helped get the message out about all the fantastic things the Philippines has to offer British visitors. He posed on board one of London’s famous red … Read more »If you build it, they will come
The Philippines – safe to speak
Tomorrow, the 3rd May, is World Press Freedom Day. I confidently predict that this will be marked by the Star (and a number of other publications) appearing on my breakfast table as usual, featuring a wide range of stories. Some of them will interest me, some will amuse and some will annoy me. That’s part and parcel of living in a free society, with a free press. That’s the Philippines. … Read more »The Philippines – safe to speak
Patriotism or nationalism?
23 April was the feast-day of England’s patron saint, St George. Not surprisingly, St George’s Day is not a big deal in the Philippines. The greater significance of this date here may be 23 April 1946, when Manuel Roxas was elected to be the first President following independence. But even in England, the largest of the United Kingdom’s four nations, St George’s Day receives less attention than those of Scotland’s … Read more »Patriotism or nationalism?
What drives economic prosperity
Commentators are currently lining up to bestow catchy names on the Philippines economy such as “star performer” and “tiger”. Not so long ago, it was more common to hear negative descriptions such as “the sick man of Asia”. Sentiment and “brand” matter enormously. With the death of Lady Thatcher, the global media has been looking back on a period in the 1970’s when commentators liked to portray the United Kingdom … Read more »What drives economic prosperity
A great Briton
Life in Britain this week is dominated by the death of Lady Thatcher, Britain’s longest serving Prime Minister of the 20th century. The mood was summed up when our present Prime Minister, David Cameron, said that we had lost a great Prime Minister, a great leader and a great Briton. Like the Prime Minister and the leaders of our other two main political parties, I was born in the 1960s. … Read more »A great Briton
Human rights are universal
The latest session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) began in Geneva at the end of February. The Philippines and the UK were founder members of the HRC. The Philippines is currently one of 47 of Council members who are elected on a rotating basis by the UN General Assembly. Term limits mean the UK is not currently a member of the Council but we are hoping to … Read more »Human rights are universal
Forecasting the future
I’ve written before about the Chevening Scholarship scheme and its aim of identifying future leaders in the Philippines. My Embassy team has recently been interviewing potential scholars. A number of important and interesting trends have been revealed. The first trend is in the quality of applications received. The task of deciding the “winners” was incredibly hard. There were more excellent candidates than available scholarships. The second was the diversity of … Read more »Forecasting the future
Arms Trade Treaty or what?
In the next week or so, the members of the United Nations have an opportunity to agree an historic Treaty that would make a lasting difference to people across the world. It’s not front-page news most of the time, but the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) is within our grasp – and, with it, comes a chance to make a major contribution to the security of humankind. It will help to ensure that … Read more »Arms Trade Treaty or what?