Outreach Efforts
Fulbright Senior Specialist in the Philippines
On a winter day in February 2002, I received an e-mail from an organization I was unfamiliar with, referred to as CIES. The person told me that someone suggested my name for a possible teaching stint in Manila. Rarely do I pursue messages of this sort. This one caught my attention. I had been looking for an opportunity to visit the Philippines since the early 1980s. I am a rare author who has written a book and articles (with Justin Green) about a country that I never visited. Well, here was a visiting opportunity presented out of the blue. I expressed interest only to realize that the preferred dates would not work.
Disappointed, I moved on with my other activities. A month later, a call from CIES informed me that they could consider other, more suitable, dates. I could teach my classes until the end of the semester, only missing the graduation. My wife and I moved swiftly to explore travel arrangements, fill out the necessary application materials, and contact the local hosts in Manila. Our Northwest flight left Washington Dulles International Airport on May 11, arriving in Manila on May 13, 22 hours and a 12-hour time change later.
The experience surpassed my expectations. After a free day during which I met with my American Embassy hosts, I began teaching a two-week course at Miriam College in Quezon City. Eighteen students—teachers from colleges located in all parts of the country—were waiting for my arrival. It took me a few days to adjust to the new experience, both with regard to the country/culture and the students. It also took a few days for the students to adjust to my teaching approach and the course material. The adjustment period was capped by a weekend trip to a resort in Cebu, known around the world for its seashells. The second week went smoothly; the students were now familiar with the theoretical material and enjoyed the exercises intended to bring the concepts to life. I was impressed with their eagerness to learn, their appreciation for the advanced training, and their honest, down-to-earth attitude toward people and events. I was especially moved by the collective expression of gratitude and their desire for more; some asked if I would return to the country to offer another course, some gave us gifts (my wife sat through and helped with the course). I think that we generated a mutual admiration society!
Following the class, I participated in a conference on American Studies held in Manila at De La Salle University. I presented a paper that offered challenges to the research community in conflict resolution. A rewarding day trip with our embassy hosts to Corrigador invoked memories of the famous WWII battle of Bataan and remembrances of the many struggles for independence, including the 1986 Peoples’ Revolution. We were treated wonderfully throughout our stay, including receptions (one in our honor), special events at the Fulbright office, concerts, sightseeing trips, and special efforts to arrange interviews with people who played prominent roles during the period that we wrote about. The trip provided me firsthand experience with the society, its institutions and values—all of which I analyzed from a great distance in the 1980s.Above all, it was a special interview that occurred, again out of the blue, that provided deeper insights into the country and its people.
A call from Imelda Marcos’ secretary came into our hotel room on Monday morning, at the end of our two-week assignment. She responded to a letter I sent to her through the embassy some days earlier. I was surprised to hear from her and, then, to be invited to her home for breakfast and an interview. She sent her driver for us. Little did we know at the time what was in store for us—a five-hour discussion about her life, our earlier research, and world politics. It was a fascinating experience. We had breakfast and lunch and were treated to a series of videotaped state visits, including a portion of her negotiation of the 1974 Tripoli agreement with Gadafi in Libya. I took notes and plan to write an essay on this experience for posterity. At the end of the day she presented us with lavish gifts. I, in turn, gave her a copy of our 1986 monograph and articles, including one in which Ferdinand Marcos is shown in the form of a caricature, hanging in effigy. The day came to a close when her driver took us to a memorial service at the American cemetery that honored both American and Filipino heroes from WWII on Memorial Day.
We then moved on to Taiwan, where I gave a public lecture in Taichung’s civic auditorium. This was another great experience. But we will never forget our trip to the Philippines.