A fortuitous coincidence

PARIS – Maybe it’s fortuitous but the French officials we met here (Paris) did not seem as bothered about the situation in the Philippines as we thought they would. They had their own problems to worry about because of the results of a referendum in which the French public voted down the European Constitution. It had seemed for a long time that France together with Germany, was the bedrock on which the EU was built. Just why should the French vote against the new Constitution? The French officials we talked to did not seem to have the answers, either. They, too, were groping to understand what they have candidly described as a ‘surprise’ development.

Perhaps there is something to what a political analyst said that it was not so much a vote against Europe or the European Union but against the country’s leadership for failing to deliver the goods. The voters could not distinguish between the two. "What people want today is a Europe that delivers useful benefits, jobs, a clean environment, a foreign policy success on Iran, among other things," said Charles Grant, director of the Center for European Reform in London. In a recent article in the International Herald Tribune he said "It’s a utilitarian Europe in search of a new rationale".

But being true to the French bent for philosophical issues, they are not so much looking to "what is breaking apart," than they are watching on "what may emerge" from this development. What is clear is the difference between what political leaders perceive and what their constituencies want. That is not necessarily a hopeless situation but one that needs to be worked at. It only points out what we in the Philippines have failed to appreciate – life evolves – and it is the capacity to address the challenges of the time that is important.

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While there is renewed interest on the Philippines, there seems to be no lack of bad news being fomented by opposition groups and the determination to bring it down. We have to fight back the bad news and assure investors that the country remains a potential powerhouse. This is especially true with the Supreme Court decision on mining. This can be source of thousands of jobs for our countrymen but it needs to be helped by investments in order to thrive. Speaker JDV assured the group of bankers and funders at a lunch forum organized by Fred Ramos and Philip Romualdez that the government is determined to support the industry as a key sector of the economy.

The Philippines is endowed with some of the largest mineral resources that remain untapped. We have significant deposits not only of gold, copper, nickel and chrome but we also have deposits of iron, lead, zinc, platinum, manganese, cobalt, aluminum and mercury. We are the fourth richest in the world in gold and sixth in copper.

"If we are to begin to reduce mass-poverty, we need to grow by a minimum 7 percent over the next 10-12 years. Foreign investment is crucial to our economy. That is the reason why our government is sparing no effort to rejuvenate our mining industry, one of the few comparative advantages we have in today’s competitive world," JDV told the high powered audience.

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That brings me to the question of the Church in the Philippines. No matter how well meaning Archbishop Cruz might be about ‘juetengate’ he is party to returning us back to a political stone age when the Church used its ‘religious power’ to block democratic governance. But this new political aggression from the Catholic Church is happening in in other countries, as well. Indeed one would think that it would be expected in Italy where the Vatican is, but there too, it is meeting resistance. Its objections to stem cell research are said to be part of the conservatism of the new pope.

I would have every sympathy with the Catholic Church when it expresses its own rule and doctrines for its followers but it becomes inappropriate if it messes up with issues of state and governance. Filipino priests sometimes act as if they have not read the history of our country. It acts undemocratically when it tries to sway its followers to take sides in political issues. The case of Terri Schiavo in the US is a recent example. Here was the Church using its power to overcome a state decision of the courts. Well, it has now been found that the courts were right. An autopsy on Terri Schiavo showed just how severely brain damaged she was and that any treatment could not have reversed the damage.

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As tourists arrive to see for themselves the sights of the bestseller Da Vinci Code, here in Paris, there are more serious goings-on about the controversial novel and the Vatican. Suddenly there are more than a dozen books on decoding Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code. It is said the new Pope is said to have banned Catholics from buying the book but at the same time has remained silent on the background books explaining the themes of the book. It is set to become a popular movie as well. For those who have been following up the Da Vinci phenomenon, it would be advisable to pick up and read the "backgrounder books." These may provide answers to the questions raised in Dan Brown’s book.

It reminds me that here in Paris more than anywhere else, the ambience encourages this search for truth. I am not surprised that it should have been a favorite haunt of the founders of the Philippine Republic. Jose Rizal, whose birthday we celebrate today came here for a short visit and there is a marker on the door of the boarding house where he lived in Rue de Rennes. If I remember right it was Mrs. Mauro Mendez who worked hard to get it done. Paris is full of the memories of revolutionaries who came here to imbibe the French Enlightenment. In his speeches, Speaker JDV never forgets to mention that the French and the Filipinos have that affinity.

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