Italian Ambassador to the Philippines H.E. Marco Clemente | The Manila Times Roundtable - video Dailymotion

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Transcript

00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]

00:09 Welcome, sir, in the morning.

00:11 My pleasure.

00:11 Thank you for having me.

00:13 This year, as I understand it, is the 75 years

00:15 of bilateral relations between the Philippines and Italy,

00:19 a very long relationship.

00:21 Maybe you can begin with, or maybe we

00:23 can begin our discussion with, so

00:25 how are the relationship between our two countries

00:28 75 years after we started?

00:30 We celebrated the 75th anniversary two years ago.

00:34 But I'm here to present one of the effects

00:39 of our celebration of that momentous anniversary, which

00:44 is this book that we edited, which is--

00:49 I brought a copy.

00:50 And I started to think about this book when I arrived.

00:56 So on the eve of the 75th anniversary.

01:01 But I think that even if the anniversary now is past,

01:06 but a book, which is a concrete object that you can keep

01:11 reading and keep looking at, keep

01:14 keeping in your coffee table, it's

01:20 a nice way to remember.

01:24 75 years is a long time.

01:29 But I think from my humble perspective

01:34 that I cannot think, outside the European Union,

01:40 perhaps, of a bilateral relationship which

01:44 has always been so good for all this time.

01:49 There are many reasons.

01:51 Of course, it's rather banal to remind how many things

01:57 we have in common.

01:58 Sure.

01:59 And so I'm not--

01:59 I think we're very similar.

02:00 Very similar.

02:02 So I'm not surprised at all.

02:04 But still, it's a fact that in these 75 years and more,

02:10 because now we are entering the 77th, 2024,

02:18 we haven't had one reason to--

02:21 I wouldn't say fight, of course, but not even argue,

02:24 not even have--

02:25 the relations have always been very, very good.

02:29 Many reasons.

02:30 We all know that.

02:31 Let me emphasize what I think is one of the most important,

02:36 the presence of almost 200,000 Filipinos in my country.

02:40 Our migrant workers, yes.

02:43 They are really part of our family now.

02:46 They are the community, the foreign community, probably

02:54 one of the best integrated foreign communities

02:57 we have in Italy.

02:59 Thank you.

03:00 For many reasons.

03:03 Of course, the--

03:04 The culture.

03:04 --commonality of our culture helps.

03:08 And also the way you integrate with the generosity,

03:15 but also with the sense of belonging

03:18 that sometimes you don't find in other communities.

03:22 So I think all people I know have had in their life--

03:29 in Italy, my compatriots have had in their life

03:32 a Filipino or a Filipina living in their household,

03:36 taking care of their elder, taking care of their children.

03:39 I was-- I am one of them, because my now 16-year-old,

03:44 when he was younger, had a Filipina nanny from Mindoro.

03:49 Oh, wow.

03:50 At that time, I had no clue about where Mindoro was.

03:53 Of course, now I know very well.

03:56 And she still remembers.

03:59 Unfortunately, we lost track of her.

04:01 But my son still remembers her with fondness and nostalgia,

04:07 even.

04:07 The way she was living with us, actually.

04:10 At that time, we had the need of having someone living with us

04:17 all the time, because my son was too little, very little.

04:22 Anyway, so the main reason for this excellent bilateral

04:25 relationship, I think, lies especially

04:28 to this important human factor.

04:31 But also, as you said, common values.

04:35 You've always been part of the West

04:38 in your political standings.

04:43 Also religion, also.

04:45 Yes, but it's no coincidence that on several important--

04:53 Issues, yeah.

04:53 Issues, international politics issues,

04:56 you've always taken the stance of the European Union.

05:01 And from my point of view, I know, I noticed that.

05:06 And I've always emphasized this to my capital.

05:09 Not that they needed to know from me.

05:12 But I, of course, as ambassador to Manila,

05:15 I wanted to reiterate that you are by our side

05:20 all the time in all major topics.

05:24 And this is something which also depends on this commonality

05:29 I mentioned before.

05:31 So 75, almost 77 now years of this friendship,

05:38 never show one reason for not being so friendly.

05:43 And this is not usual.

05:44 This is not usual.

05:45 There is always something that you

05:49 make reservation about in a bilateral relationship

05:52 with a country.

05:53 In our cases, fortunately, never happened.

05:57 And I'm so happy that I had the opportunity to end my career,

06:02 to end my foreign service career in this country.

06:06 I cannot think of a better way to wrap it up.

06:11 Yes, to wrap it up.

06:12 I needed-- I was interested in serving

06:15 in this part of the world.

06:17 But the Philippines is the best door to Asia for a Westerners,

06:25 for a European.

06:27 Thank you for that.

06:28 The relationship may go much further back.

06:30 I was talking to the executive director of the Italian

06:32 chamber, who was telling me that he was quite surprised

06:38 to notice when he visited a restaurant, a small restaurant

06:41 in Bicol region.

06:43 And the dish was very much in the style of what

06:46 you would see in Palermo.

06:48 And apparently, he did some digging.

06:50 And when the Spaniards came here,

06:53 apparently there were many Italians who came along,

06:55 I think friars and other people.

06:57 Of course, the Filipinos, they all look Spaniards, right?

07:00 But apparently, the Franciscans, I mean,

07:04 there were a lot of Italians even early on

07:08 during the colonial period.

07:11 No, no.

07:12 Of course, I didn't have these details.

07:13 But I'm not surprised.

07:15 I didn't know either.

07:16 I was surprised.

07:17 Well, actually, one of the first who came with the Spaniards

07:21 and who wrote about Magellan--

07:22 Pepe Plata.

07:23 And this unfortunate death, unfortunate for him.

07:30 Unfortunate for him, yeah.

07:32 Was an Italian, Pepe Plata.

07:34 And by the way, one of the interesting features

07:37 of this book, which I want to emphasize

07:42 is also available online, now in our website,

07:47 is the Diary of Pepe Plata.

07:50 We bought the copyright of the English translation

07:54 from a university, I think it was in Canada,

08:02 who owned the rights.

08:04 So we bought the right because we wanted to print it.

08:08 So I understand this is the first time

08:10 that a book edited and published in the Philippines

08:14 contains this important piece of literature.

08:18 Congratulations.

08:19 So it's also our contribution to the cultural life

08:24 of the Philippines.

08:25 Because who wants to read about what Pepe Plata wrote

08:30 on Magellan's travels?

08:35 You can find it.

08:36 It's so interesting that he wrote a lot

08:38 about the Filipino customs and the food.

08:43 The food, yeah.

08:44 Adobo, yeah.

08:45 It's very interesting.

08:46 He was very detailed on that.

08:48 And strangely enough, he writes two lines on Magellan's death.

08:56 He didn't write much.

08:57 Really?

08:57 Maybe it was traumatic.

08:58 Yeah, traumatic.

08:59 Or maybe he didn't want to give too much importance to the fact

09:04 that the Europeans were actually defeated by a local--

09:09 An Indonesia force.

09:11 So I don't know.

09:11 That's very surprising.

09:13 Out of, I don't know, 100 pages, you

09:16 would expect that that momentous episode of--

09:20 Would merit more than two lines.

09:22 Well, two lines.

09:24 Number, two lines.

09:26 Interesting.

09:26 So this you can find also in the third part.

09:28 Thank you.

09:29 It will be very much interesting to look at.

09:31 But you know, Ambassador, as I was telling you

09:32 before we started, the reason why

09:34 I was so interested to talk to you is because, well, one,

09:37 you love books.

09:38 And as I was telling you earlier,

09:41 we're keenly watching-- or at least I am keenly watching

09:43 Italy because Italy will be the guest of honor

09:47 at the Frankfurt Book Fair next year.

09:49 And the Philippines will be following a year after that.

09:53 And in this day and age-- and I heard you speak about this--

09:58 where most people are going to social media for information

10:02 and for content, that you were making a reminder

10:04 that books are very important.

10:06 Could you maybe talk about that?

10:09 Yes.

10:10 You were saying that we are what we read or something like that.

10:12 Yes.

10:13 I am, actually.

10:15 I am what I read.

10:18 One of the reasons why I think that this initiative

10:23 that the embassy took by initiating this volume project

10:32 is also to create something concrete

10:38 to remember our 75-year-old friendship

10:44 with a concrete object called book, which

10:48 is something which some people--

10:52 I hate to say maybe most of the people,

10:55 especially in our young generation--

10:58 don't know much about.

11:00 Unfortunately, the problem in this TikTok era

11:05 is that our kids don't read much anymore.

11:09 And this book is our humble contribution

11:13 to remind the public opinion, through the valuable help

11:18 of your newspaper, to remind them that reading is important.

11:24 Reading is a fundamental aspect of our life.

11:30 Because, of course, watching a YouTube clip or an Instagram

11:35 story is interesting, is even informative.

11:41 But reading a book is much better.

11:44 Also because it teaches us the value of patience and time

11:52 and reflection, something that, unfortunately,

11:57 our very, very quick times of social

12:06 doesn't give us as much as it should.

12:09 In other words, a book, you need some time to read a book.

12:16 You can take it back, read it again,

12:19 something you don't do with a YouTube clip, I don't think.

12:25 Maybe they watch it more than once.

12:28 They don't reflect more than once of what they watch.

12:32 So a book is a way to become a better person, better people.

12:37 I don't want to sound too rhetoric in this,

12:42 but I do believe that reading is an important aspect

12:47 of our life.

12:49 If with this book, we give our humble contribution

12:53 to this, to what could even become

12:57 a debate on the importance of reading, I would be very happy.

13:03 Books-- and I'm so happy about the information you gave to me

13:10 that next year we will be in Frankfurt.

13:13 Our publishing industry is very, very healthy, I'd say.

13:19 So I really hope that also the same happens here,

13:23 that there will be more and more writers, more and more readers.

13:27 By the way, this book is also a beautiful product

13:31 from an aesthetic point of view.

13:32 So it's kudos to your publishing industry also,

13:36 because this book was made by a Filipino designer

13:40 at the Filipino publishing house.

13:43 So it's also an evidence of the ingenuity

13:47 and the artistry of your people.

13:49 And so I'm very proud to have given them the opportunity

13:53 to show this ingenuity through this book.

13:57 I'm sorry for looking so distracted, but I am very--

13:59 No, no, no, don't worry.

14:00 Don't worry.

14:01 It took two years to make it, so it cannot take two minutes

14:04 to read it, obviously.

14:06 But another thing that is interesting about this book

14:09 is the iconography.

14:12 We managed to find a lot of beautiful pictures,

14:15 also of the past, thanks to the archive

14:18 of the Department of Foreign Affairs,

14:21 also our archive in Rome.

14:22 We found interesting pictures of all the meetings

14:26 of our political leaders at the beginning

14:29 of our diplomatic relationship.

14:31 So also it's visually very, I hope, interesting

14:36 and pleasurable to read, I hope.

14:40 And we are very proud of it.

14:42 I look forward to going over.

14:43 Thank you.

14:44 Ambassador, if I may ask you, another aspect

14:48 of our bilateral relations is, of course,

14:51 trade and investments.

14:52 I was wondering if you can talk about that,

14:54 because my impression is that there

14:55 seems to be a lot more Italian companies looking this way.

14:58 I mean, what are they looking for?

15:01 What sectors do you think would be

15:04 good for Philippine-Italian cooperation, maybe investments?

15:10 Maybe not just Italians coming here, but also Filipinos

15:12 going to Italy.

15:14 I agree with you.

15:15 I always sense this increased interest.

15:21 Of course, we have to take into consideration

15:25 that when I arrived, as you rightly mentioned before,

15:30 it was the beginning of the end of the pandemic.

15:34 So of course, after that, it was to be expected

15:41 a rebound of interest.

15:42 But I see something more structural and more stable

15:50 than just a rebouncing from the COVID time.

15:55 And this definitely depends on the stability

16:01 of the social, economic, and political situation

16:05 in this country.

16:08 You have elections last year, which gave the country

16:13 a stable government, enjoying the overwhelming support

16:19 of the electorate.

16:23 And this is a message that for investors is very important.

16:29 Stability is something that businessmen always look for.

16:34 Of course, there is the usual mantra

16:38 of the commonality of our values,

16:40 because in a country where it's the only Catholic country

16:44 in the region, we share our values.

16:49 Also in business, I'm not a businessman,

16:52 but of course, I know that in business,

16:54 you also have to have values, the respect.

16:59 So I think that dealing and doing business

17:02 in this country, in the context I referred to before,

17:08 it's easier because of that common values.

17:13 Also, another thing that maybe you give it for granted

17:17 because you live in this ambience,

17:20 but this is something that sometimes you

17:24 tend not to forget, but not to give much importance to,

17:27 the fact that English is your second language.

17:32 So it's the official language of this country.

17:35 So you can imagine for a businessman

17:38 to penetrate this market without any linguistic difficulties.

17:42 On the contrary, the problem is that Italians

17:44 don't speak as much English as they should.

17:47 Maybe--

17:48 Are all Ws.

17:50 I'm joking, of course.

17:51 But of course, to come and not having any problem at all,

17:55 it's a boost for the interest of a business.

18:04 And also because you are creating

18:09 an environment which is more and more business

18:12 friendly for this country.

18:14 You are opening the possibility for investment more and more.

18:19 And so definitely, I'm very optimistic.

18:23 I won't be here to see probably the results,

18:27 but since I will be reading about this country,

18:31 about the Philippines, for the rest of my life,

18:33 I'll definitely--

18:35 and I hope to come back in different capacity

18:40 as soon as possible.

18:42 I'm sure that very soon we will see a really quantum leap

18:47 in our bilateral economic relationship.

18:50 So it would be an excellent way to--

18:54 how can I put it--

18:56 to paint the full picture.

19:01 We have excellent political relationship,

19:03 excellent cultural relationship.

19:05 We have to do a little more to complete the picture

19:09 with an important facet of our relationship, which

19:14 is the economic and trade relationship.

19:17 So definitely, the perspectives are very, very good.

19:21 I'm very happy that when you speak

19:23 to representative of the Italian business,

19:26 you get the same impression.

19:30 Of course, the embassy is working hard

19:32 to make this easier and easier, negotiating also

19:40 the text that can become sort of the juridical framework

19:46 for that.

19:46 So I think that the future is bright, visually bright.

19:54 What would you say Italy is very good at?

19:56 Because when people think about Italy,

19:58 they think about Lamborghini.

19:59 Yes, yes.

19:59 They think about Vespa.

20:01 But there are many things that I'm hearing.

20:03 I mean, green energy, I think, is something.

20:07 Infrastructure, manufacturing.

20:08 And of course, the creative industries.

20:10 I mean, you mentioned culture and the arts.

20:14 I mean, in terms of monetizing or developing

20:18 the creative industries through culture and arts,

20:21 you're certainly the first in mind when it comes to that.

20:24 Oh, thank you for saying that.

20:26 Of course, Italy has an added value,

20:29 being the country so famous for design and fashion,

20:37 which is the modern, contemporary incarnation

20:43 of our secular tradition of being creative.

20:49 Rinascimento is an invention of Italians several centuries.

21:00 And then the Pope, also.

21:03 At that time, Italy was not united,

21:06 so they were different states.

21:08 But each of them--

21:10 and if you read Italian history in those times,

21:13 it's really a characteristic which you find everywhere

21:20 and every time.

21:21 They wanted to illustrate their power through art,

21:27 as if they felt they were not militarily powerful that much.

21:35 Because don't forget that in the 16th century,

21:40 France was already a united country.

21:43 I'm not very familiar with the Spanish history,

21:46 but definitely they were also a superpower of the time.

21:50 And Portuguese, and even the Dutch.

21:53 Italy was a peninsula divided into different states

21:58 and not very powerful.

22:01 Financially, some of them very powerful.

22:04 Florence, especially Florence.

22:07 Florence was the Dubai of the times,

22:11 the center of financial power.

22:14 And all the main bankers were based in Florence.

22:20 That's why, for instance, all the words

22:24 which deal with the banking system activity,

22:31 they are all Italian.

22:32 Banca, rotta, banca.

22:35 Bank is an Italian word.

22:38 This is a banco.

22:39 This is where they put the money.

22:41 They counted the money.

22:43 Lettera di cambio, cambiali.

22:46 It's an Italian word.

22:48 So these countries, these little republics or kingdoms,

22:54 they were very powerful financially, but not

22:57 militarily, not politically.

22:59 So they found a sort of a counterbalance

23:02 of that lack of power also in art.

23:06 So they said, and thankfully they did,

23:10 they said, well, I'm not a superpower,

23:12 but I can become--

23:15 I can have influence.

23:16 I can become important.

23:17 I can get all the attention and all the prestige

23:21 that I need through helping the artists.

23:26 And this is how the Renaissance started.

23:29 So why I said that?

23:30 I said that because Italy has this incredible history

23:34 of being a series of states.

23:40 But geographically, Italy has always been there.

23:43 And also, we were a linguistic entity,

23:47 because more or less, those little states in those years,

23:53 they all spoke the same language with different dialects.

23:57 But they could understand each other.

23:59 So culturally, the unity of Italy

24:02 had already been established since the times

24:06 of your homonymous Dante 700 years ago.

24:10 Dante Alighieri was the creator of the Italian language,

24:14 basically.

24:15 So I think it's very obvious, it's

24:21 expectable that this tradition of being a country

24:27 and a culture, or a nation, better said,

24:30 being a nation which base also its own raison d'etre on art,

24:40 has influenced also the more contemporary, let's say,

24:46 expression of our industriousness.

24:53 And so you ask what Italy is.

24:57 Well, design, fashion, they are contemporary expression

25:02 of what was the patronage of art in 500 years ago.

25:08 But Italy is much more than that, of course.

25:13 Since we are too well known for being

25:18 the home of the best sports car, or the best designer,

25:23 my French colleague might resent that.

25:27 But as far as fashion, we compete with France.

25:33 But we have our role.

25:37 Sometimes, it overshadows the fact

25:39 that Italy is one of the seven most industrialized countries

25:43 in the world.

25:44 There has been a time when we were approaching the fourth

25:49 place some years ago.

25:51 But definitely, we are stably in the family,

25:55 in the group of the seven most industrialized countries.

25:59 And so we have the infrastructure sector,

26:07 railway, the railway engineering, shipping industry.

26:16 We are one of the most important producers

26:20 of ships in the world, touristic, but also military.

26:24 We have companies like Leonardo, which is a superpower in that.

26:35 So I don't think there is the need to remind your readers,

26:42 because they probably all know that.

26:45 But Italy is a country which has a lot to offer.

26:52 So the fields of cooperation I see definitely

26:56 infrastructure, defense industry cooperation, machineries,

27:04 tourism also is an important--

27:08 well, it's immaterial.

27:10 No, it's not immaterial, because of course,

27:13 industry means also touristic infrastructure.

27:17 Sorry, tourism means touristic infrastructure.

27:20 So they are also concrete.

27:21 But it's an overall concept of cooperation.

27:25 And I hope that if we finally reinstate the direct flight--

27:32 Yes, I do remember there were still Philippine Airlines

27:36 going to--

27:37 I was not there.

27:39 I didn't have reason to know.

27:42 But I am told by many people that we are missing that.

27:47 And I spoke with members of your government,

27:51 and they are optimistic that sooner or later--

27:56 and definitely, we will witness an incredible boost

28:01 in our also economic and trade relationship.

28:04 Because of course, one of the reasons why I suppose--

28:08 I don't have the evidence, but one of the reasons

28:11 why the Italian business in the past

28:14 has not been as interested as it should have been in this market

28:20 is because the distance is there.

28:23 You are the farthest.

28:25 Yeah, quite a shot.

28:27 Or one of the farthest.

28:28 If you had a direct flight, the distance

28:30 wouldn't count anymore.

28:32 Because when you get on board of a plane,

28:35 if it's 10 hours or 15 hours, what difference does it make?

28:39 When you have to stop over in Dubai, in Abu Dhabi,

28:43 in Singapore, and then stay there,

28:47 some business might say, look, you know what?

28:50 I'm already here.

28:52 I'll do my business here.

28:54 Why continue my trip?

28:57 Of course, there are many other reasons.

29:00 But let's say connectivity is--

29:04 Very important.

29:05 Connectivity is crucial.

29:07 It's crucial also to reduce costs

29:09 and also helping the logistics.

29:14 But I've collected, let's say, promising messages

29:21 from who has the power to decide.

29:24 So let's hope that we will have good news.

29:28 You mentioned the 200,000 Filipinos working in Italy.

29:32 I hear that number actually doubles

29:34 if you count the undocumented Filipinos who were there.

29:39 I wonder if you can talk about your visa policy.

29:42 Has that been a concern for Italy?

29:43 Has that made it harder for Filipinos going to Italy?

29:47 And then I think I remember--

29:48 I've been to Italy many times.

29:49 And the Italians who are undocumented there,

29:52 they always--

29:54 I think they're almost relying on Italy's benevolence

29:58 and giving an amnesty or something like that.

30:00 But I'm not sure what the mood, the political mood

30:03 for something like that is.

30:05 But maybe you can begin with the visa.

30:08 Yeah, they're two different topics.

30:10 Visa, I mean, it's very easy to answer.

30:14 I mean, we are part of the--

30:16 The Schengen agreement.

30:17 Yeah, of an agreement called Schengen.

30:19 So we follow the rule.

30:21 It's very easy to implement the Schengen agreement

30:25 because there you have a set of rules which

30:29 are known by the applicants.

30:31 And we always say to our Filipino friends,

30:34 just read the requirements, which are not particularly--

30:41 Difficult.

30:41 --difficult or tight.

30:44 And it will be easy.

30:46 I always remind my Filipino friends

30:50 that we are so happy to have you in our country

30:54 because you bring money.

30:56 That's very easy.

30:57 I mean, there is no reason for refusing a legitimate request.

31:03 I mean, it would be stupid.

31:05 I wouldn't say it would be stupid

31:07 because a businessman, a tourist, even a person who

31:11 wants to visit a friend, this opens another aspect.

31:16 Because of course, sometimes family reunion

31:19 are very difficult to allow because you

31:22 have to demonstrate your interest to return.

31:25 That's right.

31:26 This is the basic.

31:27 The basic of the visa policy, not only for Schengen,

31:32 for all countries, is if you want

31:35 to go and stay in Italy for a while

31:38 without risking to be considered a potential illegal,

31:44 you have to demonstrate your interest to return here.

31:48 If you don't have money here, if you don't have a property,

31:52 if you don't have a stable job--

31:54 Of course, that's what we do.

31:55 --how can you prove?

31:56 How can you prove?

31:58 But my aunt is very ill.

32:01 Yeah, we feel sorry.

32:03 But of course, even them, they understand.

32:07 They understand.

32:08 If you don't have a job, if you don't have anything which

32:12 calls you back here at the end of your vacation

32:15 or your business trip, then it's more difficult for Italy.

32:20 Because-- and I go back to the second part of your question--

32:25 definitely, definitely we live in a moment in our life,

32:29 in our, let's say, the history of our nation,

32:34 where the problem of immigration becomes more and more delicate.

32:39 Sure.

32:39 You know, of course, you are a very informed person.

32:42 You know what's happening in Europe.

32:45 Yes.

32:46 The pressure of immigration, most of them

32:52 rightly requested by people who are fleeing from war zones.

32:57 Right, right, right.

32:58 But some of them, they're fleeing

32:59 from economic difficulties, which

33:04 is more difficult to cope with.

33:06 Because one thing is that you apply because you

33:09 want to become a political--

33:12 you look for political asylum.

33:14 The other thing that you want to a better life

33:16 in other countries.

33:18 Filipinos and Italians are very close.

33:19 And I was wondering because of this general mood

33:22 about immigrants, right, that doesn't disturb that.

33:25 No, because you've been here already for a long time.

33:28 The Filipinos have been there for a long time.

33:30 They proved themselves to be part of the family.

33:36 Let me use this expression.

33:39 We don't consider you a foreign guest.

33:45 You're already part of the family.

33:46 But in a literal sense--

33:48 No, I see that, actually.

33:49 Because you are in our--

33:51 In your home.

33:52 Your Filipino compatriots are in our homes taking care of us.

33:59 Even on an equal footing.

34:01 I mean, they're part of it.

34:02 When you have someone who takes care of your ailing mother,

34:07 you don't consider her or him as a worker.

34:11 No, but I've seen myself, Ambassador.

34:13 The Italians who work with Filipinos

34:16 or have Filipino workers, they are truly, as you said,

34:19 like family.

34:20 Not like-- I've seen Filipino workers also

34:23 in other parts of the world.

34:24 But it's truly different in Italy.

34:27 It's remarkable.

34:28 And can I promote my country also?

34:30 Sure.

34:31 Because it's the way we treat people.

34:33 It's our common value.

34:35 We don't treat our helpers the way maybe other cultures do.

34:42 Because we don't do it.

34:43 I mean, we are very, very empathic people.

34:47 So when we have someone who helps us,

34:51 we want them to be part of our family.

34:54 So this is the secret of a splendid relationship

34:58 between our communities.

35:01 I will-- I can tell you.

35:02 I can promise you that when I'm back next year,

35:10 I will have, hopefully, a lot of free time

35:15 to devote to my interest.

35:20 And I will definitely try to get to know better

35:26 the Filipino community.

35:28 Thanks also to your Ambassador in Rome.

35:31 I will try to stay in touch with the Filipino people.

35:36 So would you say the Filipinos also

35:38 are somewhat good ambassadors of the Philippines in Italy?

35:42 Is that-- not to put words in your mouth.

35:46 No, no, no, no.

35:47 You can't put words in my mouth.

35:49 And I would be even more emphatic

35:53 if I didn't fear to get not respectful enough

36:00 to your Ambassador in Rome.

36:01 They would say, yes, they are the best, apart from him.

36:05 Of course, apart from the official.

36:08 Definitely, because, of course, when some, let's say,

36:13 foreign guest of our society doesn't behave well,

36:19 it's inevitable that this behavior, let's say,

36:23 put a negative light on the nation.

36:26 On their home country.

36:27 It's not fair.

36:28 I know, it's stupid.

36:30 But it's inevitable.

36:31 When you have a community like the Filipino, who

36:34 never create any problem, they're very loyal,

36:36 hard workers, and they integrate so well,

36:41 you don't even realize that you have a--

36:45 you know, every time something happens involving an immigrant,

36:50 of course, the media always underline the fact, OK,

36:55 he's got from--

36:56 because, of course, they want to titillate some negative also

37:02 feeling from the public opinion.

37:04 This is bad.

37:05 I don't like it at all.

37:06 But it's inevitable.

37:08 It's obvious that when something happens involving

37:12 a foreign community, bad, the public opinion

37:16 started to say, oh, you know, we should have more control on--

37:20 you never, never, never read one bad thing

37:24 about a single Filipino.

37:27 So that means that-- and you are a lot.

37:29 You are a lot.

37:30 Statistically, with all--

37:32 Officially and unofficially.

37:33 With all these people, I mean, you would be surprised.

37:37 But we are surprised, positively surprised.

37:40 Nothing happened.

37:41 You don't go on the newspapers about the Filipino.

37:46 This is very good.

37:48 Because usually you go on newspaper only for bad reasons.

37:51 Well, what's funny is that I've seen Filipinos pick up

37:53 the language where they work abroad.

37:55 But what's interesting in the Filipinos

37:57 I see, at least in Rome, where I've been to,

38:00 they pick up the Italian mannerisms.

38:03 That's interesting.

38:04 As I said before, now that I get back,

38:07 I will really try to study that aspect, to get to know them.

38:13 I'm sure that there is also an association of--

38:17 Oh, many.

38:18 Yeah, many, many.

38:19 --different levels.

38:20 So I--

38:20 Normally, I organize around people from the same hometown.

38:24 Yes, exactly.

38:25 So thanks to your embassy in Rome, I will try to--

38:30 starting with a visit to the Jollibee restaurant in Ronde,

38:34 which is the first Filipino experience I want to make.

38:39 So again, Ambassador, not to put words in your mouth,

38:41 just to maybe put a point.

38:43 So Filipinos are still welcome, very much welcome in Italy?

38:47 Very much, absolutely.

38:50 Like-- allow me to say, like all the legal work,

38:55 the people want to legally come and work

38:59 for the well-being of our nation, of our country.

39:04 After all, we need also workers in every single, let's say,

39:11 sector of our economic and social life.

39:14 And allow me also to say something that, of course,

39:17 we know how good you are in many aspects of, for instance,

39:22 nursing or engineering.

39:24 So what I hope that we will see more and more Filipinos also

39:30 in other sectors of our economic--

39:33 Maybe some Filipino opera singers.

39:35 Ah, well, you have good ones.

39:38 But on this, let me say that I rather hope that they stay

39:43 here and to, let's say, enhance the cultural life of this

39:50 country, because if you have all your best artists to leave

39:53 the country and perform overseas, what can you do here?

39:58 You won't have the--

39:59 No, but they go to Italy to study.

40:01 To study, but then on the proviso that they get back

40:05 and start.

40:06 I hope that also, since you open a subject,

40:12 I'm very sensitive about future of classical culture

40:16 in this country.

40:18 I hope also that we can support you in that.

40:24 Very humbly, very humbly, I personally,

40:28 being an opera passionate, I try to do that.

40:32 I hope to leave a legacy also on this,

40:35 because if we manage to create the public, more public

40:40 for that, the future of classical culture,

40:43 it's in good hands.

40:46 If we don't have opera performances--

40:50 I'm talking about opera, because of course,

40:53 classical music, foreign music, you

40:54 have a fantastic presence here.

40:58 Your PPO, the CCP, they're doing a wonderful job,

41:02 and all the other companies who are doing.

41:05 But opera really needs a little care,

41:08 like our elderly in Rome, in the hands of your Filipino people.

41:13 We would like to be your caretaker in nurturing opera,

41:18 which is such a delicate flower.

41:21 If you don't water them with care every day,

41:24 and once it dies away, it's very difficult to revive it,

41:31 because then you don't have the public.

41:35 And if you don't have a public, you

41:36 cannot do it, because you can produce

41:38 the most excellent production of the best opera.

41:42 But if you don't have people who buy tickets for that,

41:45 it's useless.

41:46 So I hope also in the future, also next year,

41:52 since my days, my months are numbered here,

41:55 I have big plans, because I want to end my term here

42:02 with some major event.

42:06 Next year is Puccini's centennial.

42:10 Oh, wow.

42:10 It's the 100th anniversary of his death.

42:13 And we must find a way.

42:15 And I hope also--

42:17 not I hope, I'm sure I can count on the support of the Manila

42:21 Times for giving, let's say, publicity and coverage on this.

42:29 I would like to do a beautiful event to celebrate also

42:33 Puccini.

42:35 It would be good for us, because it's our--

42:37 I think it would be good for us as well.

42:38 And good for you also, because if you create more and more

42:42 expectation for opera, again, my successes and your successes

42:52 and the cultural milieu of this country

42:56 will be more and more interested in opera.

42:59 So that would be a great thing.

43:03 So again, to get back to your very important question,

43:08 the situation is such that, of course, the public opinion

43:14 is not particularly empathic towards--

43:19 but fortunately, the Filipino community

43:22 is definitely not part of this picture.

43:25 But not because we are good, because you are good.

43:29 Because you deserve this excellent reputation.

43:35 It is the legacy of decades of hard work and good behavior

43:41 and wish to integrate, because this is the key.

43:45 If you have other community who don't integrate,

43:48 the relation will always be difficult.

43:51 Because it's obvious that people tend to say, you are here.

43:56 You are here in my home.

43:58 So you behave.

43:59 Of course, if the cultural differences are huge--

44:03 It's difficult, yeah.

44:04 Of course.

44:04 It's more difficult. And you cannot blame those communities

44:10 to have problems in integrating.

44:12 Fortunately, our differences are so small, even non-existent.

44:17 Because if you meet a Filipino and an Italian, I don't know.

44:24 Maybe the way we talk, maybe the way we--

44:26 No, it's like I say, even the mannerism.

44:28 Italians do something like this.

44:30 And I see Filipinos also do it.

44:31 Yeah, I know.

44:32 But here, for instance, I found myself sometimes--

44:36 I have to restrain myself.

44:38 Because of course, you have to adjust.

44:40 The tone of voice.

44:43 The tone of voice, which this tone, this very--

44:47 Moderate, yeah.

44:49 I mean, it could be interpreted as a sort of too imposing,

44:54 too even rude sometimes.

44:57 I said, but are you sure I was--

44:59 Sometimes someone said, but you were too grumpy.

45:02 I said, what do you mean by--

45:04 And then I realized, because I talk like that.

45:07 I'm very-- especially when I talk about things I believe in,

45:12 I'm very--

45:13 You're passionate about--

45:14 Passionate.

45:14 Exactly.

45:15 Passionate.

45:15 So sometimes this passion goes beyond the threshold

45:22 of the Asian habits.

45:26 So sometimes I now--

45:29 I realize that I try to be--

45:31 not today, but for instance, on official events.

45:37 Can I make a concrete example?

45:40 Also because Mr. was there.

45:43 The one who sent to see the rehearsal of Cavalleria

45:47 Pagliaccio.

45:48 Cavalleria Pagliaccio, the opera thing.

45:50 Remember?

45:50 Manfred?

45:52 Isn't he a guy?

45:54 I think he's a guy.

45:56 Anyway, there was someone from Manila Time to cover that.

46:00 And--

46:01 Arlo.

46:02 Arlo.

46:02 Custodio, yeah.

46:03 Custodio, Mr. Custodio.

46:05 And then we had this--

46:08 it was a rehearsal open to the students, something

46:12 I'm very passionate about.

46:14 And I was actually the one who gave this idea

46:18 to the producer of this opera.

46:20 I was just a sponsor.

46:22 We did not organize this opera production.

46:26 It was done by this company, private company,

46:29 called Lyric Opera.

46:31 Interesting people.

46:33 The main tenor is a businessman.

46:36 Of course.

46:37 I couldn't believe-- I mean, he sang the most difficult role

46:41 in the Italian repertoire.

46:43 And he is not a professional singer.

46:46 And he did it rather well.

46:48 Anyway, we had the previous night, the rehearsal,

46:52 to as many as 400 kids.

46:55 Beautiful.

46:56 Beautiful.

46:57 I love it to see young people to watch an Italian opera

47:01 or an opera, for that matter.

47:03 And so at the introduction, I was very passionate about it.

47:08 Very passionate.

47:10 I said to the kids, you have to.

47:13 This is great.

47:13 This is a method.

47:15 It's a method.

47:16 Because you have to sit down for three hours, still,

47:21 concentrated, focused.

47:23 This is something you don't have many opportunities

47:27 to do anymore.

47:29 So with this tone, sometimes even provocative,

47:33 even provocative, saying something.

47:35 Look, if you don't take care of these little flowers,

47:37 go over.

47:39 In two generation time, the CCP will become a parking lot

47:43 or a shopping mall.

47:44 Because there won't be anything to perform.

47:47 So these expressions now, in retrospective,

47:53 might sound a little bit too much for an Asian audience.

47:57 I don't know if you agree with me.

47:59 This is normal in our culture.

48:02 It's normal.

48:03 Even in America, you tend to be provocative to get

48:07 the attention of the audience.

48:09 And I even said to the media, media people,

48:14 you have a big responsibility.

48:15 Help us to promote the opera.

48:17 Blah, blah, blah.

48:20 As I said, in retrospect, I start

48:22 to think that this approach might be a little too much

48:26 for the Filipino audience.

48:29 Because some people said, not on that occasion,

48:33 but in general, they said, Ambassador,

48:35 sometimes you sound a little bit too grumpy.

48:39 Grumpy?

48:40 Why?

48:40 You're a little bit too bossy, too rude.

48:44 And they said, no, I'm not like that.

48:47 I swear to God, I'm not.

48:49 I'm really-- I'm not like that.

48:52 I don't recognize--

48:53 In fairness, Ambassador, I think a lot of Filipinos

48:55 know that you come from a different culture.

48:59 But I think we've been exposed enough, maybe because

49:03 of our OFWs as well, the difference between passion

49:07 and something different.

49:10 But we appreciate the passion.

49:12 But definitely, I will try to reclaim it.

49:14 Because one lesson that I learned here

49:17 is that you have to accept the culture.

49:20 And because it's different.

49:23 It's the same you're doing when you come to Italy.

49:26 The difference is that I live here,

49:28 and I want to really become part of the family, of your family,

49:32 also in my behavior.

49:34 Well, thank you very much, Ambassador, for your time.

49:36 But before-- is there anything else that maybe I

49:38 haven't asked that you want to talk about?

49:39 No, just I came here with this beautiful book.

49:42 One is for you, Blanca, of course.

49:44 Thank you for this.

49:46 No, really, it's--

49:48 I look forward to reading the big affetto.

49:50 I know that for every father, his kids is the best.

49:57 So I know that.

49:59 It's obvious that-- but really, if you could help us

50:04 to send a message, this has been a unique effort, which

50:08 cost us a lot of work.

50:13 And I did it with much pleasure and privilege.

50:17 It's important that the public opinion knows,

50:22 because it's something which is not so usual.

50:25 And if you can also promote the effort of the embassy,

50:30 I would be--

50:32 not because-- I mean, I think we deserve that.

50:37 Again, to get back to what we said

50:40 about the importance of reading.

50:42 It's a book.

50:43 It's about our bilateral relationship.

50:46 I think it's a beautiful product, also

50:49 from an aesthetic point of view.

50:50 And the last thing is the following.

50:53 These 80 people that you--

50:56 whose stories you will read in the second part,

51:00 they are 80 people, real people.

51:02 They have a beautiful story to tell.

51:07 By reading this book, you will know a moment of their life.

51:13 And my also ambition is that sooner or later,

51:21 someone might like even to meet one of them

51:24 and get into depth about that story.

51:30 You find one page there.

51:32 But behind that page, there are years of life of real people

51:38 about our friendship, our bilateral relationship.

51:41 I think this book gives the public the possibility

51:44 to know partially part of their stories.

51:50 And if the media, sooner or later, not now necessarily,

51:55 but in the future, might like to tell some of these stories,

52:00 I think it would be very, very interesting.

52:02 Well, thank you very much.

52:04 Thank you.

52:04 Thank you very much, Your Excellency.

52:05 Thank you so much.

52:06 [MUSIC PLAYING]

52:09 it's a little bit of a challenge.

52:11 But I think it's a good book.

52:13 I think it's a good book.

52:15 I think it's a good book.

52:16 I think it's a good book.

52:17 I think it's a good book.

52:18 I think it's a good book.

52:19 I think it's a good book.

52:20 I think it's a good book.

52:21 I think it's a good book.

52:22 I think it's a good book.

52:23 I think it's a good book.

52:24 I think it's a good book.

52:25 I think it's a good book.

52:26 I think it's a good book.

52:27 I think it's a good book.

Italian Ambassador to the Philippines H.E. Marco Clemente | The Manila Times Roundtable

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