Shared heritage

On Sunday Filipinos will once again observe the centuries-old tradition of waving palm fronds to be blessed in churches, in a re-enactment of the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem.

This year the moveable feast coincidentally falls on April Fool’s Day, but that little detail will be lost on the millions of Filipino Catholic devotees for whom Palm Sunday marks the start of Christ’s passion and Holy Week.

The Roman Catholic faith is the most enduring legacy of nearly four centuries of Spanish colonial rule in this country. Two decades ago, Filipinos stopped making Spanish a mandatory language subject in school, and the largest foreign presence in the Philippines is no longer the Spanish mission but the United States embassy. But Catholic traditions endure, competing with Hollywood movies and Western pop culture in influence in Philippine society.

Filipinos have outdone Spaniards in piety; Spain approved divorce ages ago and Spanish women enjoy reproductive health rights.

While Catholic traditions endure in this country, the faith is linked by the average Filipino not only to Spain but mainly to the Vatican and the Pope.

Mention Spain and the typical Pinoy thinks of stately old houses, delectable food, Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas. But Spain also conjures up images of the old rich in the Philippines, who are often associated with arrogance and abuse of inherited privilege.

While visiting Madrid and Barcelona late last year, I learned that the Philippines is also a weak blip on the Spanish radar screen, despite our colonial ties. Apart from the distance, Spain was preoccupied in the previous century with a civil war, a dictatorship, the shift to democracy, and then integration with the European Union. The days of empire are but pages in Spanish history books.

Spain in the 21st century wants to take ties with its former Asian colony to another level - one where there is greater cooperation in many aspects of bilateral relations.

It’s part of Spain’s strategy of looking east, as many other European nations are doing. The effort has gained urgency as Spain’s traditional markets and trading partners suffer from financial woes even as Asian economies continue to rise.

“All businesses are now looking at Asia,” said Spain’s top diplomat in Manila, Jorge Domecq.

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The first public-private partnership (PPP) infrastructure construction project offered by the Aquino administration was awarded in mid-December last year to Ayala Corp., whose partner is a Spanish engineering company.

Ambassador Domecq mentioned this with pride, as a reminder to those who attended a briefing last Monday on the sixth Tribuna España, which will be held in October in Manila.

The Tribuna, held every 18 months or so, is a gathering of Filipino and Spanish representatives from government, business, culture and the arts, the academe and non-government organizations.

Ayala submitted a bid of P902 million, besting rival San Miguel Corp.’s P608-million offer, to build the four-kilometer toll road linking the Daang Hari arterial road to the South Luzon Expressway. Ayala has residential villages around Daang Hari, which connects Cavite to Metro Manila. In this project, Ayala’s partner is the Madrid-based firm Getinsa.

The briefing was given during the visit in Manila of Juan Jose Herrera de la Muela, director general of Casa Asia. This is a public diplomacy institution set up in 2001 by Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. It aims to promote better understanding between Asia-Pacific and Spanish societies.

Casa Asia, for example, facilitated the establishment in Spain of a Confucius Institute, which promotes Chinese language and culture. Casa Asia has featured Asian cinema, Iranian graphics and Japanese manga, and has sponsored a series of “Asia Geek” conferences on technology and cyberculture.

The briefing was co-sponsored by Fundacion Santiago, a private non-profit organization headed by businessman Pedro Roxas. The foundation, which notably supports and promotes heritage tourism, co-hosted the briefing at Nielson Tower on Makati Avenue – itself a historical site, having been the first Manila airport control tower. Today it is the Filipinas Heritage Library, a piece of history right smack in the middle of Makati’s modern skyscrapers.

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Domecq admitted that Spanish investments in the Philippines “haven’t been too high.” After the Daang Hari project, he said, “I hope there will be many more.”

The Spaniards are interested in investing in energy, water and high-speed trains. Spain, Domecq pointed out, has the world’s second most extensive network of high-speed trains after China. I took the train from Madrid to Barcelona and it was an efficient and comfortable ride.

At this point, however, no other projects have been firmed up in any sector.

“The only thing we know for sure,” Domecq said, “is that the Philippines will continue to be the main recipient of Spain’s development aid in Asia.”

Spanish official development assistance in the Philippines focuses on three priority areas: the Bicol Region, Caraga and Mindanao. Spanish ODA promotes good governance, human rights, women’s empowerment, basic education, health, and reinforcing the capabilities and manpower of local government units.

The two governments are currently negotiating the framework for development aid for the remainder of the Aquino administration.

Spain will pass its national budget this Saturday, so we’ll know within the week if its global ODA allocation – its aid to the Philippines included - will be slashed in the fiscal year because of Europe’s financial problems.

In Madrid I was told by Spanish aid officials that they didn’t expect a reduction in assistance to the Philippines. But Domecq told me that the allocation for Spanish ODA could not go beyond the ceiling fixed by the European Union.

Regardless of the level of aid, there are many aspects of bilateral ties that should move forward. Spain is a vibrant, functioning democracy, and our two countries have many common values. It would be a shame to waste such a rich shared heritage.