LAWYER by training, AMBASSADOR by fate Text: Martina Hošková and M. Zisso; Photo: Archive
The Philippines consists of more than 7,000 islands, the average yearly temperature is 26.6 °C, and its list of spoken languages reaches the number of 182. Sounds quite different from what we are used to in the Czech Republic, so how does a Filipino perceive our country when they arrive? “My first impression of the Czech Republic was one of a prosperous, industrialised country. Of course, I was not mistaken - for indeed, it is,” says the Philippine ambassador Ombra T. Jainal and goes on to explain how he became a diplomat, what the current state of the Czech-Philippine relations is, and what significant milestone awaits our two countries next year.
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Can you tell us about yourself and your path to being an ambassador? I am the eldest child of a lowly farmer and fisherman in the southernmost island municipality of the province of Sulu where education, including basic education, is very hard to avail of. Married to Elsie Escandar Jainal, a nurse, who also comes from the same island municipality, we have nine grown-up and professional children, six of whom are already married. We have four grandchildren. So, you can imagine that in my free time, aside from exercising and reading, I often talk to my children and grandchildren by video call. I became an ambassador by a stroke of fate. I am a lawyer by training, and never did I dream of becoming an ambassador. However, in 2016, when our President Rodrigo Roa Duterte assumed office, he made it known that he needed well-meaning people to join him in government. The rest is history. When I hear “the Philippines”, an image appears in my mind of long beautiful beaches combined with an ongoing economic boom. What about your impression of the Czech Republic? This is now my 4th year in the Czech Republic, and I will be ending my tour of duty on June 30th this year. My first impression of the Czech Republic was one of a prosperous, industrialised country. Of course, I was not mistaken - for indeed, it is. It is also a beautiful country; with Prague as its capital, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
My children and grandchildren simply love the place, and travelling to some of the most beautiful places in the country is certainly a good adventure that I shall always remember. Aside from trade and commerce, tourism is one industry that has a big potential between the two countries. What is the strangest or the most difficult issue you have faced here? Dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic can be weird. Despite my age, in order to minimize the risk of infection, I climb the stairs instead of using the elevator. At 73, I am not supposed to climb the stairs, right? Besides that, and modesty aside, I did not really find any difficulty to deal with. In fact, I have truly enjoyed doing my job as an ambassador, serving my country, helping the Filipinos in the Czech Republic, and in the process, meeting so many good people and making friends. It is my hope that bilateral meetings in various fields, e.g., political, defence, and economic, which were temporarily held off due to the pandemic, would finally resume this year and continue to be held in the upcoming years. What is the current state of the Czech-Philippine relations? The current state of the Philippine-Czech relations, I believe, is on a high note. Despite the physical distance between the two countries, and the challenges brought about to all of us by the COVID-19 pandemic, we still managed to enhance bilateral relations. When I started my tour
