Fond friendship with the Philippines

By Choe Chong-dae

 

I am fascinated by the Philippines in many ways. I have fond memories of the Philippines, as I first encountered a Filipino lady, Cora Swaz, who served as a professor at the University of Maryland Global Campus at the 8th U.S. Army Base in Seoul’s Yongsan District in the mid-1960s.

Swaz visited my old house in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, with her American friend and stayed with my family for a week when I was a middle school student. Her visit left a lasting impression on me.

During that time, the Philippines boasted a robust economy in Southeast Asia, but subsequent decades saw a divergence due to various challenges. This resulted in slower economic growth compared to its neighboring countries, which experienced rapid development and industrialization.

Notably, the Jangchung Gymnasium in Seoul, which opened in February 1963, was repurposed for civilian use when Korean architect Kim Jong-su was commissioned to design a multi-purpose, circular, steel-frame facility. It was built by a Philippine engineering firm because Korea did not yet have the necessary expertise then.

2024 marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and the Philippines. Accordingly, a commemorative reception was held in Seoul on June 11, 2024, hosted by Maria Theresa Dizon-De Vega, the Philippines’ ambassador to Korea.

Remarkably, Carlos Romulo (1899-1985), a former foreign minister of the Philippines, advocated for Korea during U.S.-Soviet tensions over its establishing independent government. His efforts led to a United Nations resolution on Oct. 30, 1947, to send a monitoring committee to South Korea. As president of the U.N. General Assembly in 1949 and 1950, Romulo successfully passed the U.N. military participation bill despite Soviet opposition during the Korean War. Under his influence, the Philippines became the third country to dispatch troops to Korea after the United States and Britain.

I have had the pleasure of establishing a close friendship with Nicanor Jimenez, a Korean War veteran who served as the ambassador of the Philippines to Korea in the early 1980s. Widely acclaimed for his nobility and courage, he ably commanded the renowned 14th BCT of the Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea during the Korean War.

Jimenez was an enthusiastic admirer of Korean culture, art and history. While in Korea, he attended some of my family’s events, including my brother’s ceramic art exhibition and invited me to many receptions at his residence. He further solidified the bond between Korea and the Philippines. Despite decades passing since my encounters with Swaz and Jimenez, the fond memories remain cherished.

In addition, I’ve had the privilege of establishing close connections with Dr. Corazon S. Alvina, who served as director of the National Museum of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010.

I had the pleasure of visiting the National Museum of Ethnology in Leiden, Netherlands, at the invitation of its museum director, Steven Engelsman, alongside the director Alvina.

Furthermore, I had the opportunity to visit Quai Branly Museum in Paris with Engelsman and the Philippines’ museum director Alvina, at the invitation of Stephan Martin, president of Quai Branly Museum, in 2007.

My encounter with Alvina, the director, reminded me of my acquaintance from the Philippines, Dr. Erlinda Burton, a prominent anthropologist who had been teaching in the U.S. Alvina had a close friendship with Erlinda. In 1979, I traveled with Erlinda and her husband, Burton, a Fulbright professor in Korea, to Gyeongju.

In addition, my visit to Concepcion, Iloilo, in 2019, with delegates of the Korea Heritage Society, aimed to strengthen cultural exchanges between our nations. The warm reception, highlighted by a mesmerizing Korean-Filipino musical concert, emphasized the enduring friendship between Korea and the Philippines.

This longstanding friendship with the Philippines has flourished and continues to thrive today through Her Excellency Maria Theresa Dizon-De Vega, the current ambassador of the Philippines to Korea.

Choe Chong-dae (choecd@naver.com) is a guest columnist of The Korea Times. He is president of Dae-kwang International Co., and founding director of the Korean-Swedish Association.