CONSUL GENERAL PAUL RAYMUND CORTES

Dubai, UAE

Consul General Paul Raymund Cortes epitomizes the best of the Pinoy spirit as a leader who is optimistic, hardworking, compassionate, and selfless – and the UAE’s entire Filipino community can attest to this without hesitation. Beyond fulfilling his role in the diplomatic service, he has worked tirelessly to support the community through a diverse range of avenues.

In 2019, under his leadership the consulate was able to help over 6000 Filipinos in Dubai and the Northern Emirates from January to November alone, extending court assistance, facilitating hospital services, and police station and jail visits through assistance to national services. Beyond consular duties, and with the support of community volunteers, he has spearheaded initiatives in the areas of education, sports, arts, and culture, not only to foster a stronger sense of community camaraderie but also to uplift the status of the consulate is a venue for learning and Pinoy pride.

The year also saw some of the most memorable milestones for the local Filipino community.  One initiative that Consul General Cortes helped realize was the illumination of the Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest building, as well as the Dubai Festival City, with the flag of the Philippines during the Phil Independence Day celebrations.  It was an occasion of sheer Pinoy Pride which stood to symbolize the UAE’s recognition of the Filipino people, as well as the strong ties between the two countries.   The same occasion also saw the biggest Filipino gathering in the history of the UAE, at the PID 2019 celebrations attended by some 50,000 kababayans from Dubai and the Northern Emirates.

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Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf is Supported by: Kaya Skin Clinic,  Emirates Airline, and Unilever.

Special Thanks to Michael Cinco, Ezra Couture , Giordano, Darcey Flowers, IKON Solutions, Victors Freight, MPQ Tourism, Asia Gulf Companies –La Carne & Filfood, WOL Water

Check out our recent candid unfiltered interview with Con Gen Paul Raymund Cortes in Illustrado Talks:

Get a copy of Illustrado 300 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf Legacy Edition

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ILLUSTRADO MIFG 2018

Consul General Paul Raymund Cortes

Dubai & Northern Emirates

Juggling his time between improving services and operations at the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai and Northern Emirates, whilst performing his duties as the most hardworking supporter of the local Filipino populace, and inevitably playing the role of de facto problem solver for some of the most challenging expat issues, Consul General Paul Raymund Cortez has closed yet another productive year with a resounding vote of confidence from the people he so diligently serves.  UAE-based The National newspaper referred to him as the “The Filipino who will never leave a fellow kabayan behind” – in their feature entitled UAE Portrait of a Nation, published in November 2018.  And quite rightly so, because the Filipino community in Dubai and the Northern Emirates have been blessed with his kind of involvement and enthusiasm which has not been seen previously in these parts.

Con Gen Paul has always had a heart for supporting Pinoys across the country, and with the support of his leadership team composed of Vice Consul Marianne Bringas and Vice Consul Elizabeth Ramos, his beneficial programs barrel through to 2019.   These include more effective and efficient consular services; more proactive engagement with the community on sports, as well as revitalized programs for the youth via the Philippine schools;  the continuation of vigorous economic and cultural programs, as well as initiatives on business and entrepreneurship in coordination with the Philippine Business Council of Dubai; and a deeper engagement with the UAE government authorities.

Always pushing to serve and to underline Filipino excellence in the Emirates, he affirms, “Things always get better.” With the growing, dynamic Filipino presence in the region and on the international field, he views the current moment as the perfect vantage point from where we could all aim for even more progress.

He urges to “Continue working on improving your skills, talents, and knowledge and strategize the road towards entrepreneurship.”

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Special thanks to our sponsors: Emirates Airline, Stars n Bars La Mer, Liali, Instax – Grandstores UAE, Dusit Thani Dubai, Gver – Your Friendly Marketplace for Sharing, Meeting Dancewear , MPQ, CMG, Filbrit, and our partners Rozen Antonio Photography,  Alex Callueng Photography, Jef Anog Photography, and Ethereal Photography.

Browse the digital issue of Illustrado 100 Most Influential Filipinos of the Gulf 2018

100 Most Influential Filipinos in the Gulf: Consul General Paul Raymund Cortes – Trailblazer

He’s easily the busiest Filipino in the emirates.  With almost all of his waking moments spent in the service of the people, it’s typical to see him whizz through, albeit thoroughly, his duties as a diplomat, as well as pull in double, nay, triple, maybe even quadruple duty during the weekends to fulfill his obligations to the community.  He also finds the time to write a column to inspire Pinoys via Illustrado on a regular basis.  But for Consul Paul Raymund Cortes super public servant and all-around ‘rockstar,’ it’s just how he chooses to serve.

He reflects, “I would like to be a positive role model for my children, showing them in practice what it means to be a leader of the Filipinos here; what it means to be an inspiration for Overseas Filipinos to continually improve themselves and keep competitive in the global arena, and what it means to be a God-fearing soul in this sea of humanity.”

On top of his drive towards continually improving the Consulate General’s service to the community, Con Gen Cortes is most upbeat about other achievements in 2017.  These include the staging of Dubai Dubai Musikahan which opened doors for Filipino artists, the partnership with Filipino Educators in providing pyscho-social training and services to the PCG staff, as well as their enhanced partnership with the community in mounting events that focus on Filipino communal spirit in Dubai.

With his work intended to inspire, the Consul General says, “I hope Filipinos here can harmonize the visions of different organizations into a united one. I also hope we become more aggressive in showing the rest of the other ethnicities in the UAE the richness of our culture and our soul as a nation.”

________________________________________________________________________________Photography by: Alex Callueng

Read more Illustrado 100 on www.illustradolife.com

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It’s our 12th year anniversary and what’s a more fitting way to celebrate than asking the fabulous fashion circle of UAE to come party with us in their own interpretation of our theme for the evening: “Dark Seduction”.

Spoiler alert? They did not disappoint! One thing we love about our parties is our attendees; because they don’t just show up — they come through in the most stylish way. So expect nothing but darkly seductive looks!

Set in the ultra Insta-worthy naughty Barbary Deli + Cocktail, people took advantage of the 1930’s vibe of the place to pose, snap and dance the night away! Headlining our guest list are fashion industry’s iconic “Holy Trinity” Michael Cinco, Ezra Santos, and Furne One Amato and since it’s also our Big Fashion Issue, top designers in the UAE were also present at the party! Statuesque Phio Enaje came in his mysterious version of the dandy look, Yen AB showcased his impressive signature stone studded cap. Casting Director of Fashion Forward Dubai, the svelte Michael Amazona was present along with Dubai’s fashionphiles. Notable fashion photographers Rozen Antonio and Jef Anog also did not miss out while make-up maven Valentino Montuerto and dazzlingly skilled stylists Joe Dark and The Style Curators Dubai served us with some fashion extravaganza!

Philippine Consul General Paul Raymund Cortes also clocked in with his wife Madame Yasmin Balajadia – Cortes who stunned everyone with her elegant beaded black dress. CEO and Managing Director of Giordano Middle East Ishwar Chugani also joined us as well as remarkable personalities from the business industry like Philippine Business Council Dubai Chairman Bobbie Carella.

We can go on with the name dropping but we think we should just show you:

https://www.facebook.com/illustradomagazine/photos/ms.c.eJxlk8ltBUAMQjuKvIy3~;huL8g9R8rgiBozNuHm7xZsZs7LyL~;9FeoiM~_1~_kotbK~_CqAVDwgzw7KZSVe5KzLhJfkBHUqE~_5xVE4jJ83JCXqlM3u~_IeJLJASpJpJMmi~_Yqzhzic4E59kkUiWcJ8pD9~_3jq2Wulkbl59D~;lFc4Jd04es0zmVBucbzgPHYjRzZW7Gobsz~;pxjQ7v9KxXm61gzOvzix77uSeZ5FrzRycWya9pvvVg~;slX7X8pktmv~_KVf5bBvyxeT7JrW~;JznW9T~;e70.bps.a.10161024772900051/10161024777005051/?type=3&theater

Take a peek at our livestream before the event:

So for those of us who have fun in fashion, it’s a Monday night that is worth remembering – not only because of the music, the naughty vibe and everybody’s love for dressing up, but most importantly, it was an occasion when we all came together to celebrate a community overflowing with so much talent, passion and respect for one another.

Special thanks to: Emirates Airline and Barbary Deli + Cocktail

The post WHO WORE WHAT?! ‘Dark Seduction’ at Illustrado’s Intimate 12th Anniversary Fashion Bash appeared first on Illustrado Magazine - Filipino Abroad.

I grew up in the 70s and 80s in the metropolis, a time when being Manileño was hip, cool, and well – trendy. Corollary to that, it was also the time when speaking Ilokano in the midst of my Manila-boy schoolmates meant being teased as one from the barrios or the mountains (well – I was born in Baguio!) or to put it as I remembered some of my schoolmates did – “rural.”

I learned to withhold my knowledge of Ilokano, afraid that it would make me the laughing stock of the chill Tagalog kids (only to find out that most of them secretly knew Ilonggo or Cebuano or any of our other tongues). I never mastered to speak it as fluently as those from the Ilocos, although I understood every word since both sides of my genealogy was as Ilokano as it could be. My parents would speak it, thinking that there were things that needed to be understood only by them, though when they spoke Ilokano to us it was clearly a sign that either they meant business or that it was urgent or that a reprimand was in order.

When we arrived in Hawaii in 2006 for our second tour of duty, I was struck by the dominance of the Ilokano language among all Philippine languages in the Aloha State, so that speaking it was a necessity. Most of the Consulate’s clients spoke Ilokano and obviously, knowledge of it boosted effectivity and efficiency as far as public service and community relations were concerned.

This time, I warmed up to the Ilokano breed in me, my childhood fears of being branded “rural” evaporating and dissipating. I slowly re-learned it, memories of words long hidden in the deepest recesses of my brain resurfacing and pushing them onto the forefront of consciousness. Though I will most probably never speak in the accent and swagger and rhythm of those from the North, there was no denying that I was reborn into my true roots – an epiphanous insight that heritage is never lost in one’s lifetime. Notwithstanding, I could not repudiate the Manila culture that I had adopted as my own. It had become part and parcel of my person.

I think then about my kids who, because of diplomacy, were inculcated with foreign cultures – from European, the Pacific and North American, and then Arabic – juxtaposed with our own. Luckily, my boys grew up in societies that embraced other ethnicities, in communities that cared not whether one was white or black or brown or permutations thereof. The interactions they found themselves in, whether in school, public places, church, or elsewhere, were welcoming. They were cloistered by a diplomatic world that partially immunized them from the pitfalls of prejudice and discrimination. They were not regarded as pejorative; rather, simply different, spared from judgment on superiority or inferiority of ethnicity or language. For them, that the world accepted diversity unconditionally, was gospel truth.

One of my most vivid recollections is that of my oldest son, then around 3 or 4 years young arriving in the Philippines for a short visit. Immediately upon deplaning, he remarked how many Filipinos (presumably those of similar physical features) there were back home. It was an adorable observation, untouched by bias. For him, there appeared no difference between the world where most had fair skin and blond hair, and where one had brown skin and jet black hair.

I suppose most children transported to different cultural set-ups grow up unscathed by the jagged edge of diversity and discrimination. Only when they grow older and become more exposed to the seeming intolerance and stubbornness of the world in accepting diversity do they understand that there was something that made them different from others, prompting them to be more introspective about their personas as Filipinos.

Awareness of one’s heritage emerges either when the comfort of one’s adopted culture is shaken and confronted by ignorance of some closed-minded folks who argue for purity in culture, or when the equilibrium between the flux of two or more heritages is disturbed by the need to respond to a forthcoming challenge.

It is in moments when we are pushed against the wall of racial bias that triggers us to assert ourselves and prove the mettle of our ethnicity. It is also in the moments of latency that we realize that there is much more than meets the eye. Here, I realize that as far as my third-culture kids go, their Filipino soul, although inherent and physically recognizable and happily co-existing with new cultures, needed to be awakened from its dormancy.

It is my obligation as a parent to present our heritage to our children to make them understand the milieu that raised their ancestry as only in fully comprehending where their cultural and philosophical make up had come from can they move ahead in an ever changing and increasingly global community.

It would be a great disservice to the history of mankind if we didn’t live up to this responsibility.

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Consul General Paul Raymund Cortes

When not performing his duties as the head of the Filipino community in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, or the obligations of a dutiful dad, passionate patriot Paul Raymund Cortes mulls over how to further enrich the local Filipino community by promoting a more progressive mindset.

More keeping up with Congen articles on Illustrado Life.

The post Keeping Up With Congen: The Latent Filipino appeared first on Illustrado Magazine - Filipino Abroad.

 

We found a totally unexpected new funky hangout spot just in the middle of Bur Dubai and it was amazing!

When you think about the Mankhool area, the first thing that probably goes to your head is “Old Dubai” where residents sit down until the wee hours to sip a milk heavy cup of karak chai and smoke shisha. But the place has a lot more to offer! Majestic Hotel Towers recently launched the new hottest secret spot for adventurers who are on the hunt for something different, something mysterious, with a definitive funky vibe. And we’re digging a new term for it: MANK-COOL!

It’s only mid-week but work the next day didn’t stop the fashionphiles to dress up and show up at Illustrado x Miss Wáng Come Out & Play #AsianMafia party. Pumped with good music, flowing drinks and food to share, the night was packed with dancing, fun and good vibes. Miss Wáng is very hip, industrial and urban with contemporary touches and pops of color, bringing an Asian downtown hipster vibe to life. A perfect venue for #TeamIllustrado to throw a party for the city’s coolest, most stylish and the most influential Filipino residents.

The Asian connection goes deeper in the menu that was served during the party, drawing from diverse cuisines offering a mix of authentic favorites and also modern variations of signature dishes including crunchy volcano shrimps, teriyaki beef sliders and apple pie wontons. The dishes were complicated with non-traditional handcrafted cocktails from all over Asia – Thailand, Japan, Philippines and Vietnam.  

Meet the unique, unafraid, creative people who got #scenezoned at the party in a photo series by Filipino fashion photographer Rozen Antonio: 

Full Album

Watch the video here:

https://www.facebook.com/illustradomagazine/videos/10159070347085051/

Having a major FOMO already? Visit Miss Wáng at Majestic Hotel in Bur Dubai. For timing and schedule, follow them on Facebook and Instagram @misswangdubai.

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My past weekend was typical of my Dubai weekends – packed, extremely hectic. Fridays, for most, even for most of my staff, are reserved for families, outings and gallivanting around the malls, or just plain lounging at home. I harbor no complaints though. I get it.  Weekends are when the Filipino community schedules their organizations’ events and activities, and what better way for them to celebrate it than by inviting their Congen to either deliver an inspirational speech or do a ceremonial toss, or grace the opening of a branch, or even present awards that serve as their ‘pat on the back.’

This particular weekend was a tad more sundry. My audience ranged from Philippine government authorities, to Filipino sports enthusiasts, to graduating students and their proud parents, to an ecumenical forum and celebration, and to a quasi-socio-economic aggrupation along with Filipinos needing government assistance the most.

It started off with airport duty a little after midnight. Part of my responsibility as Consul General is to provide diplomatic port courtesies to officials visiting or transiting through the city. Dubai International Airport, with its famed service orientation and extensive aviation network, has become a preferred route for most and thus, I get to meet many of our officials when they transit DXB (Dubai’s airport code). Most often, it is a 4-5 hour layover during which, I get to be up close and personal with them, sharing views on current events, providing briefs on our Consulate’s activities and requirements (aka wish lists), and even reviewing films they watched on board the plane. These captive moments allow me, well us, to get to know each other, almost at a personal level (snippets of opportunities which are not available to us both while in Manila). Flights are often in the wee hours of the morning, so my body clock gets a jolt ever so often, with mealtimes shared with my principals at 3 or 4 am – a routine which my digestive system has grown quite accustomed to!

Just a little after lunch was my community affair with Filipino golfers – a golf tournament in celebration of Philippine Independence Day. Before making a fool of myself at the ceremonial opening that I was to lead, I made it clear to the organizers that golf was not my cup of ‘tee.’ Yes, you read that right! I was en route to becoming a golf aficionado as a junior officer in one of our Central European posts some 20 years back, but the long hours took me away from my first-born, so I opted to forego the sport. I told that golfers that, on top of their dedication, holding their tournament under Dubai’s 45-degree sun definitely earns my respect! But what could be a better way, I added, than to commemorate Philippine Independence Day under as much heat as that of the Filipinos’ felicitous display of affection to the communities they find themselves immersed in – be it in America, Hong Kong, the Middle East, or Europe. (If you insist on me telling you, I hit the ball on my second swing. Not bad I’d like to think!)

And then there was a graduation ceremony. One of the most difficult tasks asked of me is to address our youth. Phrasing one’s remarks within the confines of youthful experience is most certainly a toughie. For many grownups, youth is a fuzzy memory, a blur and hazy pigment of the past so that recalibrating our present verbal templates into the patterns geared for the young is a challenge. This becomes more pronounced for me because I had been primed to speak to young folks, those of the same age-bracket as that of my teenage boys, in a father like tone, authoritative and yes, to an extent stern but solicitous. Graduation ceremonies dictate that I shift my tenor to a bit more nurturing, tenderly, more like a gentle reminder given by a doting uncle to our children to prepare themselves for their hard lessons of life. I spoke to the students about their role as the future of the Philippines, juxtaposed with the reality of having been raised within the context of migration, my words most carefully crafted to catch their youthful vibe and swag.

I approached early evening rushing off to an ecumenical forum and celebration. This time, the audience was inter-faith and inter-cultural, with the purpose of highlighting the diversity of faith and ethnicity in Dubai and how Ramadan contributes towards a deeper understanding between cultures. Addressing the 200-strong audience, I shared how Philippine history has seen the stark and painful divide between the Filipinos of the north and south. Having spent all of my career in Christian Europe and North America, my Dubai posting is my first foray into an Islamic community and thus far, has shaped a new perspective on the similarities of Christian and Islamic faiths.  Stripped off details and minutiae, I felt that all faiths preach the same virtues of kindness and compassion, the essence of what humanity should be all about and Ramadan provides that experience for both our Muslim brothers and Christian expats in this gem of a city. The tranquil and sedating mood of the event laid a more meditative Ramadan experience for me, something that seemed to soothe and calm a week that has seen incoherent ramblings and deeds borne out of religious intolerance and ignorance around the world.

My last two events were back in the fold of the Filipino community — one, leading the oath taking ceremony of an organization whose mission is to play a more constructive and active role in the economic development of Southern Philippines; and another, addressing a group meant to bring cheer to Filipinos awaiting their longed-for repatriation. The bayanihan spirit is very evident among any Filipino community elsewhere in the world. Somehow, Filipinos have no qualms about lending their hands to anyone in need of a lifeline. Be it fund-raising events for typhoon victims back home or spreading goodwill and smiles to those desperate for one, all Filipino communities seem to be masters of altruism. Our inherent social structure is like that of fire ants, locking in their arms together when threatened by an external force, ensuring their survival by rafting in the flood of despair.

The Consul General’s weekend experience was not in any way unique nor could it be the proverbial falling tree in the forest. That it was one shared by 550,000 other Filipinos in Dubai and the Northern Emirates makes it just as real as the rest of the Overseas Filipino community sharing their experiences with me.  We, the Pinoys of the Middle East, are in an enviable position of having the best of worlds at our fingertips – a vibrant Islamic economy that generously shares opportunities, a multi-cultural community that has respect for others’ faiths, a crossroads for migrants and policy-makers that make it an avenue for the pollination of ideas and opinions, a breeding ground for the migrant youth ready and raring to join the global community as active players, and an oasis that germinates what is essential to humanity. I could not have asked for more that weekend.

And that’s only on one Friday. Saturday is longer tale altogether.
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CONSUL GENERAL PAUL RAYMUND CORTES

When not performing his duties as the head of the Filipino community in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, or the obligations of a dutiful dad, passionate patriot Paul Raymund Cortes mulls over how to further enrich the local Filipino community by promoting a more progressive mindset.

Related articles: 
Keeping up with Congen, Talking Tourism
Keeping up with Congen, the Pinoy TV

The post My Life in Dubai: The ConGen’s Weekend appeared first on Illustrado Magazine - Filipino Abroad.

By Consul General Paul Raymund Cortes

“It’s been Asia’s best kept secret,” he tells me. And I silently wonder back:” Yes, a secret we’ve long been whispering to the whole world for so long.” I looked away, pondering on the loud musings of a “concerned” Philippines fan, the ails of our tourism industry reasserting itself on my consciousness at the heels of Dubai’s famed Annual Investment Meeting and the Arabian Travel Market. It’s always more fun and it does seem that we’re having fun watching our ASEAN neighbors’ tourism statistics skyrocket way past ours. In our huddles with officials from the TIEZA or the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, an agency whose mission is to lure global investors to our local tourism infrastructure, we decried the dearth in world-class facilities in the Philippines that could accommodate the waves of humanity who believe in the country as a top-notch tourism destination. Southeast Asia lures millions of tourists with their famed tourism strategy and arsenal of glossy attractions. Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia fly in some 20 – 25 million visitors per year while we welcome some 5 million tourists annually. No wonder we’re called a secret.

Some 20 years ago, as a young foreign service officer in Central Europe, I was amazed by how local Hungarians knew of Thailand or Thaifldi, like everyone was looking forward to its beaches – its perpetual sun. Then newly-constructed West End Mall adjacent to Budapest’s NyugatiPalyaudvar or West Train Station and other malls across the cityhad food stalls that featured Thai cuisine. Extremely popular were noodles they called Thai piritotteszta, which my Thai colleagues said did not remotely resemble Pad Thai, but for some reason, these food establishments baptized it Thai for marketing’s sake. In contrast, every time I met a local, they most often did not know where the Philippines was, what our products were, or what the Filipino could contribute to the world much less even thought of ever visiting the Philippines. I argued that maybe it was because it was barely a decade since the Iron Curtain was lifted and their reintroduction to the rest of the world was still in its infant stages. But that would not explain why Thailand and Indonesia were immensely popular. This may have incited me to be fiercely competitive about marketing the Philippines and anything Filipino, knowing deep inside that the rest of the world simply has to see what we can offer and they’ll then realize what it is they’ve missed out thus far.

Obviously, they’ve done something right. There is so much we have to learn from our Thai brothers about marketing and branding the country. Our neighbors get it. Malaysia’s Truly Asia tag hogged precious CNN airtime and I recall exchanging notes with Tourism folks back in Europe about how it all boils down to budget and finances. Clearly, they have outspent us in all aspects – tourism flyers, liaisons with local travel agencies, promotional capability, you name it. Their campaigns lord over TV, radio, print, and even on the web and social media and we all know that those cost a ton of money but when most businessmen would say “money begets money,” you see first-hand what could have been as far as marketing ourselves was concerned.

Marketing The Philippines as a Travel Destination

But for us in the diplomatic service, what exactly does marketing the country entail? Often, this boils down to participation in tourism fairs; local exhibits; or cultural presentations which feature native music, art, and dance.  These endeavors naturally feed on appropriate funding but we’ve always been expected to come up with the grandest and most alluring pavilion or booth using the least amount of finances, you know the proverbial making do with what little one has. And when the others have outspent and outmaneuvered you, you reboot and re-strategize to find ways. The Philippine Embassies and Consulates General in Europe and in America are intensely pro-active as far as tourism promotion is concerned. I have never been posted to the Asia-Pacific but I would imagine the presence of Tourism Attachés there would make marketing campaigns as vigorous and intense as our posts in Europe and America. Thus as a result, the top sources of our tourist arrivals are from Northeast Asia, the US, Australia, Canada, the UK, and Singapore. Tourism arrivals from this side of the earth, contrastingly, are scant and measly. Notwithstanding Dubai’s role as the international aviation hub of the world, including quite a number of flights from Dubai to the Philippines, not too many fly to our famed beaches and stunning sunsets from or through Dubai. That, folks, is a travesty that must be corrected.

At a recent Filipino community event in Sharjah, I spoke of how we as a people should synergize our efforts at promoting our dear country. It was Philippine cultural day and obviously the crowd of around a thousand was mostly Filipino, a few local Emirati government officials, some technical crew were South Asians. How superb it would have been if we were able to entice many more of the UAE’s 200 ethnicities to our cultural events, never mind if the language would make it a little inconvenient. Their warm embrace of our songs, dances, music, paintings, food, fashion, and our innate creativity would do much more than any pavilion or booths at those international tourism exhibits. In my 22 months in the gem of the Middle East and in the years I spent in Europe and America, I’ve figured that when others are interested in us as a people, they become convinced that the place where it all began couldn’t be so bad. In fact, it should make them feel compelled to visit the birthplace of the Filipino spirit. When they believe in the uniqueness of what we are as a people, seeing the place where our soul mushroomed should be worth the long-haul flight to the edge of Asia.

Great marketing – bad product and weak marketing – amazing product, I’ve read many business articles providing samples of both and it’s sad where many categorized our tourism promotion campaigns. We will most probably never outdo the efforts of our neighbors but in our perennial lament of the lack of finances to come up with a spirited tourism strategy, there can be no way the rest of the world could beat a marketing campaign that is focused solely on the Filipino. We need the whole world to fall in love with us and mark my word,they will come.

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More Pinoy Progressive articles on Illustrado Life here.

The post Keeping Up With ConGen: Talking Tourism appeared first on Illustrado Magazine - Filipino Abroad.

NEW ROUTES AHEAD

by Philippine Consul General Paul Raymund Cortes

2016 was an exciting year for the country — the campaign, the elections, President Duterte’s first few months in office, the newfound confidence of our people in government and in our leadership, and the euphoria of a people who finally have a leader they truly liked and were mesmerized with – one whom they were willing to follow to wherever he deemed it worthy. The year also witnessed a Filipino nation so embroiled in the political arena, voters both young and old took it upon themselves to promote the qualifications of those they supported, sharing FB posts that boost the image of those they rooted for whilst making fun of the others, commenting in support of or deliberately antagonizing friends, work mates, and family for their opposing views. The national leadership, on the other hand, showed the Filipino people what alternatives meant — new directions for the country, new forks to choose, 180-degree policy and paradigm shifts, and what real political will entailed. The year flew by so fast, the new year seems to have just snuck right in: a new one that made it so obvious how important it was to define for ourselves where exactly we hoped to go.

Like it or not, the rise of Facebook and other social media networks as avenues for the speedy interchange of views and opinions of both important and trivial issues augurs a more engaged citizenry, never mind if some, if not most, feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts in the anonymity of cyberspace, a stark departure from the face-to-face argumentation we were used to. And with an emboldened cacophony of perceptions of what society must be and who ought to be on the forefront of it all comes a more engaged stakeholder network, all eager to be part of the process, though veiled.  

I was raised at a time where the environment for political discourse favored the more intellectual types and those of sterling academic credentials, while those who were not very blessed with the expertise in combing through the fine details of these subjects opted play the rules of the game of Philippine politics in the sidelines, content with the foregone conclusions that its victors were chosen from a list of a very select few. Thus in the midst of a 21st-century national chorus of opinion, right or wrong, logical or ridiculous, brilliant or moronic, it is liberating to think of a society that has finally chosen to be silent no more and instead eager to be individually heard, counted, and listened to.  

Keeping Up With ConGen: New Routes Ahead

As far as the Consulate’s year was concerned, 2016 was a milestone — a year of the firsts in this Post’s 12-year history. We held monthly town hall meetings, which gathered leaders and members of the Filipino community to learn and dissect issues and concerns that were of interest to the Pinoys in Dubai. We organized cultural events at the Consulate, opening its doors to rabid supporters of Filipino art — from painting to photography to the performing arts — as testament to the Filipino’s global repute as excellent and sought-after artists. We engaged our Filipino youth —with interschool debates and photography and filmmaking, manifesting the new found confidence of the Filipino in fields hitherto dominated by other ethnicities. We produced a show that featured the song writing skills of our people. We reached out to other sectors of the Filipino diaspora in the emirates — the academe, musicians, performers, journalists, and entrepreneurs, welcoming them with open arms as we stand ready to expand to horizons we never thought of conquering. Clearly, our programs for 2016 serve only as precursors of how much more the Consulate and the Filipino community could achieve by holding hands and embarking on a journey that would define the Filipino soul in this part of the world.

Much more is up for grabs and more is to be embraced. Juxtaposing all of 2016’s memories, events, happenings, activities, and projects, one thing can be easily gleaned — that inevitably we can reach the fullest, even surpass our perceived potential, if all members of our society were to involve themselves in everything that goes on in our community. We cannot afford to be blasé about society, domestic and foreign policy, health issues, culture and the arts, and all other public concerns. There can be no room for those detached and indifferent to the path our society takes. Everyone must trust that speaking up will allow them to be a part of the solution. Nothing less than full action must be demanded of each one. In parallel, government must continually devise ways to engage its stakeholders, providing them new bridges to reach out to the people. When this synergy is played to the maximum, surely, the new routes available to us will lead us to brighter and rosier tomorrows.

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PHL Consulate General in Dubai Holds Photo “Chiaroscuro Art & Style” Photo Exhibit of Filipino Fashion Photographer, Eros Goze

The Philippine Consulate General in Dubai, in collaboration with the Filipino Ladies of Dubai, successfully held a Photography Exhibit titled “Chiaroscuro Art & Style” featuring Eros Goze at the Rizal Hall, Philippine Consulate on September 01. Over 150 members of the Filipino Community, media, academe, and Dubai’s art enthusiasts attended the Opening Event and Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony, led by Philippine Consul General Paul Raymund P. Cortes and Dr. Yasmin Balajadia-Cortes, Chairperson of the Filipino Ladies of Dubai.

Chiaroscuro, an Italian word which means light and dark, is the theme of the photography of Mr. Eros Goze. The 17 black and white photographs, filled with dramatic beauty and life, featured prominent personalities, such as Consul General and Mme. Cortes. For the exhibit, the Consulate chose a talent from Baguio City in view as well of the 107^thFoundation Day of the City of Baguio.

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By Consul General Paul Raymund Cortes

In general, when around other ethnicities, Filipinos tend to be extremely coy about what they can achieve or what they can contribute in the international community. They are meek and modest about their credentials and would rather take on a supporting role in their work environments, wary about being perceived as one of those loathed grandstanding know-it-all colleagues. Their self-esteem, to an extent, is scant and measly.

It is a different story when other Filipinos are heralded as global achievers. Their spirits are suddenly aroused, trumpeting in boastful revelry. Thus, when Manny Pacquiao is victorious at the ring, the whole nation goes ballistic. When Lea Salonga plays lead in any of Broadway’s musicals, Filipinos proudly celebrate her as one of them. Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach’s crowning moment was the entire country’s shining glory. Along comes a Filipino or any other half-Filipino/half-other nationality getting past Simon Cowell in any of those reality talent shows and Pinoy Facebookers erupt in maniacal cheer. Time and again, Pinoy Pride rockets to the highest heavens when our kababayans are recognized by the rest of the world. Sadly, it seems we project our sense of worth by vicariously living up the successes of other Pinoys abroad.

I don’t think there should be any issue in extolling what other Filipinos have achieved in the diaspora. A fellow Pinoy rising to the top of the global heap most certainly deserves applause and commendation. After all, their triumphs become fodder to our dogged will to survive and carry on in a competitively global environment. Their successes mirror the possibility that others too could reach for their stars in the manner that Manny or Lea, or just recently Michael Cinco, had reached theirs.

In the course of my year-old tenure as Consul General in Dubai, I have often been on the receiving end of praise and, quite a number of times, superfluous commendations from other ethnicities on the Filipino work ethic and ethos. It is almost as if no employer would trust anyone more than they would a Filipino. This rosy repute serves as a bright reminder of how much glory is within reach of the “ordinary” Filipino. On our own, we are trophies of sedulousness and indefatigable resolve to challenge and hurdle past the adversity that had forced our diaspora in the first place.

Is it really Pinoy Pride?

The motivation to succeed, however, should not only spring forth from tales of high-flying overseas Filipinos. Anecdotes of triumphant Filipinos back home should also be a source of inspiration for us. After all, the success of our people back home must never take second fiddle to the stories of those overseas. More often than not, though, Pinoy Pride is almost always a by-product of celebrated stories of global Filipinos. Our ethnicity does not begin when we leave the motherland. It commences upon our births and by being so, any heartening story of the Filipino, at home or abroad, must equally be predicated with Filipino Pride.

Frankly though, I am more at ease with enjoying the successes of others regardless of their ethnic background. While I smile when I hear of how far this small-rural-town Filipino has gone up the world, I likewise get a kick when I read about people, of whatever race, who beat their own odds. This is probably why those Facebook videos on humble, unknown talents amidst standing ovations and thundering applause; and the ubiquitous, emotion-tugging Thai commercials featuring success stories of average Joes eat up about 20-30 minutes of my morning time. These little-known glories rejuvenate and rekindle my spirit for the rest of the day, a necessary weapon as I battle the daily narratives of the unthinkable ordeals of my fellow Filipinos or the heart-wrenching stories of kababayan migrant mothers oceans away from their children. Their sagas of triumphs reflect the tenacity of the human spirit, one that transcends political barriers, economic walls, cultural divides, and geographic bounds.

It takes a great deal to believe in oneself and understand that national pride should stem from being ourselves alone, and not on how much people of our same background have achieved. The tendency of many in the ethnic pride arena is to rest on the laurels of a select few of their people and content themselves with the notion that their success somehow rubs off on them too, even if only by ethnic accident. George Carlin makes this point so crystal clear.  Now, allow me to echo this, as well. No particular ethnicity is predisposed to greatness. Everyone is and Filipino Pride is just as authentic as Japanese Pride or Aussie Pride or British Pride or any other type of national pride. It is one thing to shout out Pinoy Pride and it is another to use that as a jump-off point for one’s expedition for his own pinnacles. That anyone could be the Michael Cinco of their own towns or the Lea Salonga of their communities is a belief one should cling on to. We must keep in mind though that, to begin that journey, we must go beyond the hollow side of ethnic pride and veer towards the exultation of the human spirit and when we do, we will ultimately celebrate de-ethnicized pride.

………………….

CONSUL GENERAL PAUL RAYMUND CORTES

When not performing his duties as the head of the Filipino community in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, or the obligations of a dutiful dad, passionate patriot Paul Raymund Cortes, mulls over how to further enrich the local Filipino community by promoting a more progressive mindset.

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#MoveOnPilipinas

By Consul General Paul Raymond Cortes

My country just ended a month-long campaign to entice registered Filipino voters in Dubai and the Northern Emirates to participate in 2016’s Presidential elections. Every six years, Filipinos across the globe choose their leaders through what is possibly one of Asia’s, even the world’s, most frenzied democratic processes. The particular election year seemed quite more fervid. As far as I could recall, at no other time in our recent history, except thirty years ago during the 1986 Presidential Snap Elections between then President Ferdinand Marcos and Corazon Aquino, was everyone deeply zealous of their choice for the country’s top leadership. Support for the candidates was intense, bordering on the fanatical. Everyone joined the online fracas – each mouthing off an argument or two in favor of his or her candidate. Exacerbated by social media, the attempts at discrediting other Presidential contenders and, even more, their supporters were filled with vitriol. Quite frankly, the cyber bloodbath was brutal and harsh.

The end of the campaign season now puts us back in square one. Where do we go from here? In the six Presidential elections I have participated in, getting back on track as one nation has always been a challenge for Filipinos. Those who voted for losing candidates become adamant in supporting the elected President with the stubborn hope that they be vindicated at the earliest possible time. They openly mistrust the new leader, branding him/her as incompetent and unworthy of the national leadership. Each mistake is magnified and derided. Sadly, this attitude has delayed our capability to move on and get on with the task of nation-building ahead.

We must not degenerate into being categorized by the candidate we favored. Months before we opened the voting process to our Overseas Filipinos, surveys had already divided the Filipino soul into a pie chart of Presidentiables. Much effort was undertaken to lure others into their fray either by sweet coercion or by brazen bullying. As oppressive as the Philippines’ summer heat, vituperative words were exchanged between supporters, between commenters, and between tweets — so much so that the race had seemingly become an personal battle between Filipinos.

On the one hand, it was refreshing to see Filipinos deeply involved in the discussions on issues our society faced even if they had been residing abroad for so long or if they had been so long detached from anything Filipino (especially the dizzying world of Philippine politics). Showbiz inanities were the normative starting point in conversations regarding our homeland not governance issues. Facebook somehow reinvigorated their propensity to dissect and intelligently discuss the country’s societal concerns. It strengthened their resolve to see Inang Bayan rise to the glory each Filipino believes the Philippines deserves. Social media awoke the burning desire of every overseas Filipino to cure the ills of his motherland so that embrace her welcoming arms without fear of having to leave her once again for economic or political reasons.

The downside was that comment after comment, the barbs between camps were acrimonious, as if any distasteful remark merited infuriated responses from each other. Faceless interactions emboldened people all the more to viciously malign each other, consequences of a renewed arrogance hiding under invisibility the internet so conveniently cloaks them with.

By this time, a new President would have been chosen. A new one who did not statistically gain the majority of the electorate. Majority or minority notwithstanding, the incoming President will be leader of a 102-million-strong nation – a country and people desperately craving for a captain who could steer their ship to greater heights and loftier dreams. They will be pleading for a government that would build on the gains we have already achieved and at the same time, further catapult our economy to global preeminence; a dream so sought after by a famished national soul that longs for the day when we can finally bequeath a better Philippines to our children and our children’s children.

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