On June 12, 2016 | THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2016 Freedom should always be exercised responsibly: Envoy ET us not merely fo- important holiday even if they are country’s development. cus on the festivities, far from their home country. Just but also remem- like every other Filipino, our over- On Philippine politics: Do you honestly believe that ber and internal- seas kababayans are entitled to the new administration can ise the spirit of this be a part of the festivities and look “Change should not affect changes to the coun- Limportant historical milestone,” back at their history. solely come from the try? Philippine Ambasssador to It is also important that we President and his The will of the people has Qatar HE Wilfredo C Santos showcase this important mile- team. It should come spoken and we should all unite, reminded Filipino expatriates on stone for our host country, Qatar, regardless of political affiliation, the occasion of the celebration of and members of the diplomatic from within us first to work for the common good. I the 118th Anniversary of the decla- corps, in line with our cultural di- as Filipinos.” am always optimistic and I am ration of Philippine independence. plomacy thrust. confident that the incoming ad- In an interview with Qatar ministration, with a fresh man- Tribune’s Ailyn Agonia, the In your personal opinion, How do you assess the re- date, will move forward with Filipino envoy talked about the es- what does it mean to be sults of the recently con- its goals for the country. And sence of the annual event that gath- ‘free’? cluded Philippine national change should not solely come ers thousands of Pinoy residents To be ‘free’ should not be sim- elections? from the President and his team. from across Qatar under one roof. ply taken from a political context I am very proud that the Phil- It should come from within us He discussed the current issues only, in this case, freedom from ippines was able to hold a relative- first as Filipinos. that matter to the Filipino nation our colonial masters. Right now, ly credible and peaceful election including how citizens made the to be ‘free’ requires a much more and this was even acknowledged If you could suggest one re- most of their freedom during the comprehensive view. There is that by foreign election observers. form of the legislature, what recently concluded Philippine na- need for every Filipino to be free Here in Qatar, I am thankful that would it be and why? tional elections. from economic hardships, free to no major disturbance was ever Instead of reforms, my only Marking his first year as head choose our leaders (like what hap- reported during the month-long wish is for all three branches of the Philippine mission in Qatar pened during the recent election), overseas voting. of the government – executive, recently, the Filipino envoy also and thereby, being also free to legislative and the judiciary – to highlighted the milestones of the shape our own destiny as a nation What are your personal work closely together to institute Embassy under his leadership and as a people. PHILIPPINE AMBASSADOR TO QATAR HE WILFREDO C SANTOS expectations from the new real change for the betterment of including furthering the vibrant leadership of the Philip- our country. bilateral ties between Qatar and What is your take on the Do you think the Filipino marunong lumingon sa kan- pines? the Philippines and spearheading concept of ‘freedom without youth are well-informed yang pinanggalingan ay hindi The fact that incoming Presi- You recently marked your new programmes aimed at ac- responsibility’? about the history of the Phil- makakarating sa kanyang paro- dent Rodrigo R Duterte got an first year as Ambassador tively promoting the rich Filipino Freedom is not just a right ippines? What are the most roonan.” (A person who does not overwhelming mandate from of the Philippines to Qatar. culture, heritage and identity but also a privilege, as not all appropriate means of edu- recognise his or her roots will voters should encourage him How has your first year in through performing arts and the people get to enjoy this and not cating the new generation on not be able to reach his goals or and the rest of the incoming office been? diverse Filipino cuisine. Excerpts: all countries allow its people Philippine history? destination”.) One of the means administration to work hard to Time surely flies fast, espe- to fully exercise their freedom. I believe that there should be to do this is through education. continue, if not exceed, whatever cially when you’re busy. And we Q. What is the significance of Hence, freedom should always be continuous efforts to inform our We should ensure that the cur- gains were made by the outgoing have been keeping ourselves busy celebrating Philippine Inde- exercised responsibly. ‘Freedom youth about our history, their his- riculum in all Philippine schools, administration. As career offic- laying the groundwork for the pendence Day in a foreign without responsibility’ is tanta- tory, because as time progresses, including overseas schools, offer ers and staff of the government, changes that we want to achieve country? mount to wasting this right and there is a tendency to forget the a comprehensive view of teach- we are always ready to provide for the embassy, as well as fur- A. The celebration of the Phil- privilege as this does not give us past, as we focus on the present ing Philippine history. Of course, any assistance to our new lead- thering bilateral relations with ippine Independence Day in a for- the license to use our freedom the and prepare for the future. the role a family plays in keeping ers in providing efficient and Qatar. So far so good. eign country provides an oppor- wrong way (i.e., to sow chaos and However, like our national hero their children informed about effective services to our kaba- tunity for OFWs to celebrate this disorder, etc.). Dr. Jose Rizal said, “ang hindi their history, is important. bayans and contributing to our CONTINUED ON PAGE 07 Philippine Embassy in Doha officials and staff. Message from the Department of Foreign Affairs ‘Seize the challenge as one people’ NE hundred eighteen years ago, bound by the desire With the conviction that transparent, open and stream- the Department of Foreign Affairs remains resolute and for liberty, equality and justice, our forefathers valiant- lined processes allow for greater growth, programmes determined to serve, defend and advance our fundamental Oly took a collective stand to break free and fight for were directed to broaden civic engagement and participa- interest on the diplomatic frontlines: the peace and security self-rule, and triumphed with the birth of the Filipino nation tion in governance, and to fortify the highest standards of of the nation, the growth of the economy, and the rights and and our people’s independence. integrity, accountability, and trustworthiness in the coun- welfare of our people overseas and even those at home. To this day, we continue to walk the path of our heroes. try’s public leadership. It has been often said that for us to build the future, we Against every difficulty, we always have come together as a As a result, the Philippines is now widely acknowledged must honour the past. In keeping with this year’s theme of people, united by our selfless love for the country and the for its steady rise as a dynamic economic hub with sustain- “Kalayaan 2016: Pagkakaisa, Pag-aambagan at Pagsulong,” strong sense of duty to our fellow Filipinos. able inclusive development, a vital and responsible member our celebration of our freedom is a powerful reminder of In the past six years, the administration of President of the global community committed to uphold and abide the true measure of our strength as a country; that is how Benigno S Aquino III has worked tirelessly to deepen the by the rules of law, and a stronghold of democracy with its we can bravely seize the challenge, and together – as one meaning of our freedom for each Filipino. Bold structural constituent values that places primacy on the dignity and people, passionately driven by a shared vision of greatness JOSE RENE D. ALMENDRAS, reforms were taken to successfully deliver our renewed worth of the human being. –can we prevail. SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS hopes for better lives. In celebrating 118 years of Philippine Independence, Mabuhay ang Kalayan at ang Sambayanang Pilipino! 02 Thursday, June 2, 2016 | PAGE 03 | THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2016 The 16th President of the Philippines HE Philippine Congress of- Rodrigo Roa Duterte won with a landslide ficially declared lawyer-pol- itician Rodrigo Roa Duterte victory, garnering more than 16,600,000 as the 16th President of the Republic of the Philippines votes in the recently concluded 2016 Phil- Ton May 30. The tough-talking leader becomes the ippine national elections. He is due to take first president of the Philippines who hails from Mindanao. He was born in Maasin in office on June 30 for a term of six years. Southern Leyte and grew up in the prov- ince of Davao. Duterte won with a landslide victory, garnering more than 16,600,000 votes in the recently concluded 2016 national elec- tions, deemed as one of the most contro- versial and emotion-packed elections in the history of the Southeast Asian country. He is due to take office on June 30 for a term of six years. Rodrigo Roa Duterte at a campaign rally. Known by the nickname Digong, he had been a mayor of Davao City, a highly-urban- high costs (e.g.