Manila — Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar emphasized on Wednesday the convergence of culture, especially in surfing, in the Duterte administration’s pursuit of closer ties with new state allies.
Attending as the guest-of-honor of the 25th International Surfing Cup in Siargao, Secretary Andanar said in his speech that he looks forward to a convergence of culture as the government undertakes the much touted independent foreign policy.
“Like our renewed relations in the global realm, may the Siargao International Surfing Cup flourish and may it also serve as an avenue for the convergence of culture,” he said.
He likened the administration’s push for independent foreign policy to the island’s popular sport.
“Surfing as a sport is like the art of diplomacy in a metaphorical way. One has to be strong enough to stand on a board, cruise over the raging heights of the waves and flow with the treacherous currents,” he further said.
Sec. Andanar mentioned the recently completed state visit to Russia by President Rodrigo Duterte, which the PCOO chief said was one of the foreign state visits that allowed the Philippines to open up to different cultures and political waves.
“Our foreign missions sail through the tides of different cultures and political waves, enclosing us in the center of negotiations and dialogues, until we can finally maneuver the high and the low of cerebral tides and come to a comfortable conclusion of understanding, equality, and fairness,” the PCOO Secretary added.
He also mentioned that during the foreign trip, Philippines and Russia witnessed the inking of P620 million worth of business deals as a sign of strengthened bilateral partnership between the two countries.
