Prud is referring, of course, to the Philippine Consulate General buildings at No. 445 and 447 Sutter street (near Powell, just off Union Square) which I wrote about – for the third time – a few days ago.
Known as the "Philippine Center" in San Francisco, Europa points out, those buildings "receive no subsidy from the Manila government. The rentals the Center collects from tenants defray in part the outreach and other programs of the Consulate General and its trade and tourism offices".
In short: There’s absolutely no reason for the fastbreak "fire sale" schemers in the GMA government (Attention: Ambassador Albert del Rosario and Finance Secretary Lito Camacho) to sell it. Period.
The PCMB (Philippine Center Management Board) which owns and runs the property, derives an annual income of $1 million from commercial rentals, says Prud, who resides nearby in Dublin, Alameda County (his son’s place), when he’s not in New York helping Bert Pelayo edit the US-based weekly for Pinoys, the Filipino Reporter.
Europa recalls that the Sutter street edifices were bought in 1974, during the Marcos administration, for $1.8 million – a great buy. Why lose it and look for (as the stupid "confidential and very urgent" memo sent by Ambassador del Rosario, our envoy to Washington, DC, last March 25 said) a "replacement property"?
How can that historic landmark, in the very heart of San Francisco, ever be replaced? By transferring our Consulate to some scruffy apartment building far out in the boonies? Even a lot in pricey Sausalito would never match the value and geographic location of those Sutter street edifices around the corner from Union Square – where millions can still see our flag, at least, still proudly flying.
To dispose of the six-floor edifice at 445 Sutter and the adjoining eight-floor builing at 447 would be the height of treason!
Up to now, the fifth floor at No. 445 houses a spacious social hall, he notes, where Filipinos congregate, hold dinners and dances, exhibit artworks and where visiting officials from Manila hold receptions and press conferences, and meet with community leaders. And we want to put these buildings on the auction block so some people can pocket "fast money"? (To cover the P212-billion government budget deficit, my eye!)
The adjoining buildings were originally constructed in 1911 and 1916, respectively, Europa recalls, to house the offices of the Pacific Gas & Electric Company, after the great 1908 earthquake of San Francisco. Recently, the State of California declared the Philippine Center a "historic landmark" building, owing to its age, provenance, and distinctive architectural design. In this light, no changes can be made in the buildings’ exterior to preserve its "landmark" quality. No wonder greedy developers and real estate brokers are eagerly waiting to snap up such a gem! It must not fall into their grubby hands just because some of our officials might want to make a killing.
Another place they want to peddle for a piddling "bargain basement" sum has also been declared an historic American "landmark". This is our former Philippine Embassy Chancery on Massachussetts Avenue in Washington, DC.
The Chancery fell into disuse when a new Embassy building on nearby Bataan street was erected, but that’s the fault of the neglect of our Ambassadors there and of our unfeeling Department of Foreign Affairs and National Government. Moreover, such as address within the Beltway, not far from US Congress, State, and the White House, is beyond price!
That Chancery along diplomatic row, Prud reminds us, "is the birthplace of the Philippine Independence Movement in America."
We had that building since the days of the American colonialism, when American governors-general and high commissioners were in place in our country and in our Commonwealth. It was the home of the Philippine resident commissioners in Washington and the base for Independence Missions in the 1930s led by our greats, like Manuel L. Quezon, Manuel A. Roxas, and Elpidio Quirino. My late father was one of the most fervent congressional supporters of the Os-Rox (Osmeña-Roxas) mission. Here the ideas of the Commonwealth government and the Tydings-McDuffie Law were hatched. And we want to sell it? Great God in heaven – what an avaricious, petty, and shameful idea. We must preserve and use that precious landmark of our Filipino people’s struggle – we must never, never lose it?
When President Macapagal-Arroyo thoughtlessly gave the Asset Privatization Council last February 21 the "okay" to sell off our Consulates and other US properties to bridge the budget deficit and other government financial shortages, she had the wool pulled over her eyes by her trusted finance men who had a more than moist eye on the easy dollar.
Imagine, selling our heritage for a mess of pottage. If the President does not rescind her "approval" and order those so-called salesmen to stop, she risks being condemned by posterity – and by history.
The loss of our Union Square buildings in S.F. during the Cory regime should have warning enough that salesmen and real estate brokers should never be entrusted with our national patrimony.
Sometimes I wonder: What flag do they revere? The nation’s flag, or the flag of convenience of all investment bankers, multinationals, and brokers: The Jolly Roger?
You decide, please, Dear Reader.
Romulo, a former foreign affairs secretary, alas, may still believe he’s still foreign affairs secretary owing to his clout in Malacañang (by coincidence, he’s the employer of Ms. Luli M. Arroyo, who’s so well qualified she ought to get a better job). Romulo meddled so much in the Department of Foreign Affairs when Vice President Teofisto Guingona was concurrently Foreign Secretary that Tito used to refer to him indignantly as "Kokoy Romulo". Now that Secretary Blas Ople is SECFORAF, Romulo doesn’t dare openly cross swords with him (Blas can be blunt, and his sabre is sharp) but he goes behind his back. This is why DFA officials derisively call him "Triple R" and they don’t mean Rock and Roll.
Once again, GMA’s confidence is misplaced. She’s under the impression that RRR has such good connections with the Americans (one he actively fosters, mind you – preening himself as a Super-Amboy, Greenberg-variety) that he’ll get business for the Philippines in the reconstruction of Iraq, and employment for thousands of Filipinos there. Yet, Triple R’s only connection used to be IBM and currently AIG (although he’s also the chief drumbeater for Open Skies and the US airlines). Going down the list of the 14 top American corporations, which got a piece of the initial $1.7 billion reconstruction pie in Iraq, led by Bechtel and Halliburton – the first linked with former US State Secretary George Schulz, the other with Vice President Dick Cheney – I can’t spot any Romulo-friendly firm except Cargill, since he’s tied up with that group’s foundation. That’s all? Salamabit.
In Kuwait, RRR knows no one at all except, probably, our ambassador there. The guy with truly strong Kuwaiti connections is former Airport Manager and longtime Middle East business entrepreneur Ed Carrascoso. Bechtel’s friend and agent in the Philippines is Ricky Razon of ICTSI, who’s going into Iraq already utilizing his Polish partnerships. Razon has a big port terminal project in Poland and the Poles, who sent more than 400 troops to Kuwait and Iraq to fight alongside the Americans and Brits, will get first choice, next to Spain, among the coalition partners in any Iraqi ventures.
Our next best bet is the Spanish "connection". Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar dispatched a seaborne contingent to Iraq but didn’t play it up in the media. The Spaniards will get a big share of power and electricity development as well as a sizeable chunk of the petroleum and oil business.
As for Romulo, alias Triple R, can he even ride a camel?