Volume 4, Issue No. 62
OPINION/COMMENTARY
/ News That Fears None, Views That Favor Nobody /
Our latest as of Monday, June 5, 2023
~ The warm welcome accorded the new Philippine consul general in Toronto instantly turned from joyful to an airing of grievances and demands for more attention to unresolved issues affecting Filipinos in the Greater Toronto Area. Many problems continue to fester, which were quickly recognized by the top diplomat who promised to look and act as soon as possible.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CONSUL GENERAL ANGELICA C. ESCALONA
Warm Welcome Greets New Congen
'Meet and Greet' A Good Time to Air Grievances
By ROMEO P. MARQUEZ
Editor, The Filipino Web Channel
"The world is blessed to welcome you". - A. D. Posey
TORONTO - All it was was "meet and greet", and meet and greet they did in a show of warm welcome to the new Philippine Consul General, Angelica C. Escalona.
"They" are the officials, representatives of different groups, and friends of friends who filled up the consulate office in some sort of pilgrimage last week to see the diplomat and to introduce themselves as community influencers in their own right.
As is typical in most Filipino organizations, a "meet and greet" is an opportunity for some to steal the limelight, to try to shine, to put their best foot forward, and to talk more about their persons than their associations' advocacies or whatever they represent.
So, when Consul Rodney Jonas L. Sumague announced that "in the interest of time, we will ask you to introduce yourselves, state your name, and then your organization", it was like opening the locked gates of silence, loosening an unseen grip on a community wanting to be heard, to be counted as partners rather than statistics in the growing Filipino diaspora.
From the rows of seats from front to back in the packed hall, each person held the microphone, shared who they are and what they do, and passed it on to the next person.
At some point, overeager individuals - presidents, chairmen/women, founders, associates, whatever pass for meaningful roles they held - interrupted the smooth proceeding talking beyond the limit set by Consul Sumague.
It was understandable. Public concerns, unresolved issues, difficulty in making official appointments, lingering consular problems, etc. have been stymied in the recent past by what seemed to be a lack of community engagement in seeking solutions.
In a nutshell, that was the bittersweet moment Consul General Escalona (or colloquially Congen Escalona) had on her first official day in office. (Video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2DSK3A-seI)
Though smiling and enthusiastic, she found herself the recipient of a host of problems, dumped on her lap by a constituency ignored and taken for granted, and who now felt energized by her accommodating, friendly, and sympathetic demeanor than her predecessor was.
If the adjectives to describe her were not enough, a few enraptured souls went impulsively further, vocalizing their admiration for her looks enhanced by a yellow (she made clear the color was not a political statement) Filipina dress, which stunned them, as she stood and sat like the prim and proper lady that she is.
Flattery or not, the compliments were spontaneous. Perhaps it had been so long since the consulate had someone regal-looking like Congen Escalona. And I mean no offense to the ladies who had occupied positions of leadership before her.
Whether it was a show of deference and delight, everyone was caught in the moment - a significant departure from the previous dispensation where staying silent was the norm, to allow one person to dominate and talk endlessly.
That is one irritating experience I could share when one did not know, or refused to know, when casual conversations inched toward empty speechifying.
There's always a time to listen, reflect, and absorb what was being said, but the tendency to over-talk dilutes the message being conveyed into a meaningless utterance.
Time and time again it happened in almost all the events I covered as a journalist. A few times, power in batteries in my video camera would run out, not because they were not fully charged, but because of the unexpected lengthy talk that drifted between a soliloquy and a sermon.
At the launch of Filipino Restaurant Month in March, for example, one official choreographed every movement, even monopolized the off- and on- television remarks with a speech so long it burned me out and the captive audience lending their ears but not listening.
But just the same, I stayed out of the hall and waited for participants wanting to talk on camera about their respective businesses. I mean there's a point when not paying attention is a wise choice. Who was it who said "silence is golden"?
The "meet and greet" with Congen Escalona drew an enthusiastic participation from a respectful audience. The courtesy showered on her is an inborn trait that defines Filipinos anywhere.
The humble and the meek - they were all there to congratulate her and bid her a hearty welcome. (Copyright 2023. All Rights Reserved).
No comments:
Post a Comment