Post by EXPRESIDENT on Jan 22, 2010 23:35:40 GMT 8
A rarity in the world of diplomacy
Probe Profiles did a wonderful episode in presenting last week a heartwarming glimpse into the human persona of the first ever female US envoy to the Philippines, Kristie Ann Kenney, who is now bidding farewell to Filipinos.
It laid bare interesting bits of information about this cheerful, courageous and charismatic US ambassador, including facets of her personality known only to people who worked closely with her either as embassy or household staff.
One trait of hers stood out in the aforesaid documentary. Unlike her stiff-necked, straitlaced male counterparts who are typically armchair executives in the art of the possible called diplomacy, Kenney is outgoing, athletic and truly loves mingling with people.
And the way she reached out to our people, even going unconventional to the point of gamely dancing on TV shows such as Shall We Dance, Game Ka Na Ba and Wowowee, was beyond her call of duty as Washington's top diplomat in the Philippines but she did not hesitate to have fun with the locals in a charming and disarming manner and she easily won the hearts of Filipinos.
''It was pretty fun,'' she told media representatives at a recent US embassy function. ''I've met a lot of graceful people. It's only here in the Philippines that I get to dance on TV.''
Regarded as the ''the most loved ambassador'' in the country, Kenney wrote in her blog entry (yes, she's a blogger): ''I've learned from Filipinos to take time to celebrate the big and small moments in life and that in doing so, you create memories.''
A highly visible diplomat, she will surely leave endearing and lasting memories when she returns to Washington at the end of the month. Vivid images of hers, involving all kinds of events from formal to sporting to relief and rescue operations in several areas hit by natural calamities, are already indelibly etched in the minds of most Filipinos.
Just last Thursday she inaugurated in Sulu infrastructure projects funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Roads, schools, bridges, health centers, building and water projects were built by US troops who were assisted by their Filipino counterparts.
Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan praised the indefatigable American envoy who is about to end her tour of duty after four years: ''On behalf of my people, we thank the good Ambassador Kristie Kenney, who was a frequent visitor of Sulu, for her many contributions to peace and development. And forever, we will be grateful to her.''
And at one point she also met with eight fellow bloggers at the Ateneo de Davao University. No, they did not talk about the peace situation in Mindanao nor about Philippine politics. They simply talked about themselves, their interests and, of course, blogging. The Mindanao bloggers had a wonderful time with the ambassador.
In her last official blog entry as US ambassador to the Philippines, Kenney wrote, ''And I hope our paths will cross again. Let me close with an old Irish blessing that has always been a favorite of my Irish-American family:
May the road rise up to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
May the rain fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand.''
Ultimately, as the saying goes, all good things come to an end. But Ambassador Kenney will always be remembered in a favorable light by Filipinos, a classy act with a common touch, a rarity in the world of diplomacy that comes along only in a long while.
Probe Profiles did a wonderful episode in presenting last week a heartwarming glimpse into the human persona of the first ever female US envoy to the Philippines, Kristie Ann Kenney, who is now bidding farewell to Filipinos.
It laid bare interesting bits of information about this cheerful, courageous and charismatic US ambassador, including facets of her personality known only to people who worked closely with her either as embassy or household staff.
One trait of hers stood out in the aforesaid documentary. Unlike her stiff-necked, straitlaced male counterparts who are typically armchair executives in the art of the possible called diplomacy, Kenney is outgoing, athletic and truly loves mingling with people.
And the way she reached out to our people, even going unconventional to the point of gamely dancing on TV shows such as Shall We Dance, Game Ka Na Ba and Wowowee, was beyond her call of duty as Washington's top diplomat in the Philippines but she did not hesitate to have fun with the locals in a charming and disarming manner and she easily won the hearts of Filipinos.
''It was pretty fun,'' she told media representatives at a recent US embassy function. ''I've met a lot of graceful people. It's only here in the Philippines that I get to dance on TV.''
Regarded as the ''the most loved ambassador'' in the country, Kenney wrote in her blog entry (yes, she's a blogger): ''I've learned from Filipinos to take time to celebrate the big and small moments in life and that in doing so, you create memories.''
A highly visible diplomat, she will surely leave endearing and lasting memories when she returns to Washington at the end of the month. Vivid images of hers, involving all kinds of events from formal to sporting to relief and rescue operations in several areas hit by natural calamities, are already indelibly etched in the minds of most Filipinos.
Just last Thursday she inaugurated in Sulu infrastructure projects funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Roads, schools, bridges, health centers, building and water projects were built by US troops who were assisted by their Filipino counterparts.
Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan praised the indefatigable American envoy who is about to end her tour of duty after four years: ''On behalf of my people, we thank the good Ambassador Kristie Kenney, who was a frequent visitor of Sulu, for her many contributions to peace and development. And forever, we will be grateful to her.''
And at one point she also met with eight fellow bloggers at the Ateneo de Davao University. No, they did not talk about the peace situation in Mindanao nor about Philippine politics. They simply talked about themselves, their interests and, of course, blogging. The Mindanao bloggers had a wonderful time with the ambassador.
In her last official blog entry as US ambassador to the Philippines, Kenney wrote, ''And I hope our paths will cross again. Let me close with an old Irish blessing that has always been a favorite of my Irish-American family:
May the road rise up to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
May the rain fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand.''
Ultimately, as the saying goes, all good things come to an end. But Ambassador Kenney will always be remembered in a favorable light by Filipinos, a classy act with a common touch, a rarity in the world of diplomacy that comes along only in a long while.