From Voltes 5 to public service

DE JESUS

DEPUTY Consul General Christian de Jesus was part of the “Voltes 5” generation, those kids who had the misfortune of experiencing Martial Law by having their favorite anime show banned by then President Marcos.

The fascination with the animation series and, subsequently, the Japanese language and culture led him to leave his well-paying job as a corporate lawyer and pursue his dream to become a diplomat.

De Jesus had also been employed by the Japanese Embassy in Manila to teach the Japanese language as a part-time instructor for Filipinos.

In 2003, after being employed as a tax lawyer and corporate lawyer at SGV, and at the Picazo Buyco Tan Fider & Santos law offices, respectively, he took the Foreign Service Office exams and passed it.

“During the oral exams of the FSO, I was asked ‘Mr. De Jesus, coming from a law firm, you must be earning a lot. Why are you transferring to government?’ I told them: ‘man does not live by bread alone’,” he said, quoting Jesus Christ’s reply to the devil when tempted with food.

“Working as a private lawyer, I was satisfied and fulfilled, but there’s always that feeling that something is missing and I’ve always been interested in public service.”

After a seven-month cadetship training at the Department of Foreign Affairs, and a two-year stint at the agency’s Office of Legal Affairs, De Jesus was set to leave for Hong Kong for his first overseas post in 2007.

However owing to his Japanese language skills, then Philippine Ambassador to Japan Domingo Siazon Jr., considered one of the most prominent and respected Philippine diplomats, took him to be a vice consul in Tokyo.

De Jesus said his six-year stint in Japan was a dream come true.

“I was able to watch the entire Voltes 5 series and its ending. And this time, it was in its original Japanese version,” he said, smiling.

The PCG official shared his fond memories of Japan and the Japanese people.

One of these is when the 2011 earthquake struck. De Jesus recalled that they thought the world was about to end and, although the embassy staff were trained for such an occurrence and that they each had an emergency kit, it seemed that the shaking wouldn’t stop.

He said he was impressed by how the Japanese government extended assistance to foreigners in Japan and how the Japanese reacted after the quake.

After the shaking, De Jesus said he and other embassy staff, as well as Filipinos who were in the embassy premises took shelter in the nearest local government office in Tokyo.

“Walang discrimination. Iyong mga sinama kong Filipinos, I can’t recall the exact number now, hindi nila (local government officials) sinabihan na exclusive lang for Japanese or residents ang evacuation center,” he said.

“The OFWs were allowed in. In fact, binigyan ng bedding, binigyan ng tubig, binigyan ng sandwich,” he added.

De Jesus said he was inspired by how the Japanese acted selfless in the face of uncertainty.

“Our instinct after the quake is to buy food and, because we didn’t know then what would happen, ang instinct namin ay maghakot ng pagkain,” De Jesus said.

They were worried, he added, that the emergency supplies at the embassy would be insufficient should Filipinos come to them seeking assistance.

“Noong maghahakot na kami, biglang nakita ko iyong line. Iyong mga Hapon nakita ko na one bottle of water and one loaf of bread lang. Kumuha lang sila ng enough for that meal. You only get enough so that others will survive too,” he said.

Filipinas in Japan also showed their love and devotion to their husbands and their in-laws when many of them refused to be repatriated to the Philippines.

After his posting in Japan, De Jesus then had to go back to Manila and was assigned at the Internal Audit of the DFA.

At Internal Audit, he became a “better public servant” as it gave him a deeper understanding of compliance regulations.

When he was told again that his second posting would be in Hong Kong, he felt that he had come full circle.

“Bago ako kinuha ni Ambassador Siazon, I was supposed to be sent here in 2007. Noong pagdating ko dito noong March, sabi ko ‘parang I should have been here in 2007’,” he said.

Although there are estimated 200,000 Filipinos both in Japan and Hong Kong, De Jesus knows that the two posts are not the same.

“Iba, in the sense, na maliit ang area natin dito. Sa Japan, kahit na over 200,000 ang Filipinos doon, they’re in different places. Tayo dito sa Hong Kong, talagang dense ang population,” he said.

“I came here on March 25, and non-stop [ang trabaho] ever since. Besides consular services, we also work with the host government. We work to foster better relations with other consulates and diplomatic missions. Hong Kong is an active post, there’s never a dull moment,” he said.

De Jesus finds the transportation services in Hong Kong efficient. He lives in Tung Chung, 35 minutes away from the PCG’s office in Admiralty.

“Ang Japan at Hong Kong, parehong first world, parehong efficient ang transportation. I’ve been here three months, but I take the train every day,” he said.

The Philippines and Hong Kong mended their relations in 2014 following a rift owing to the death of eight tourists from Hong Kong and De Jesus said he has only felt friendship from the Hong Kong government and officials.

As for his six-year stay in the territory, he is interested in learning Mandarin.

“I want to pursue it here, I will pursue it here. I wanted to take up Cantonese, but I was told by professors here that it’s better if I learn Mandarin instead,” De Jesus
said.