BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCES CALLED INDONESIA

(ENGLISH VERSION - speech for BAHASA INDONESIA LANGUAGE COURSE)

Selamat Siang.

For the past 23 years that I was in the military service particularly in the Philippine Air Force, majority of my time were spent within the confines of military camps and air bases. Being in the military profession has also given me the great privilege to travel nationwide for free. I was deployed all over the country from Northern Luzon, to Southern Luzon, to Visayas, to Palawan and even in Mindanao especially as a military pilot. But along that journey in the military profession, I was also acquainted with other countries and nationalities including or especially INDONESIA.

I was initially acquainted with INDONESIA when I was still a student pilot of the Philippine Air Force in 1997. We were the first batch of student pilots trained at General Santos City. The pilot training of the Philippine Air Force was transferred to GENERAL SANTOS CITY because of its good weather. The pilot training is usually conducted at FERNANDO AIR BASE LIPA CITY in BATANGAS since its inception. GENERAL SANTOS City is situated at the southern part of the country in Eastern Mindanao.  Some parts of Indonesia were within our sight while we were about 2,000 to 5,000 feet above sea level while conducting flight lessons and maneuvers. It was in GENERAL SANTOS CITY that I learned how to fly an aircraft and it was also in General Santos that I had first seen INDONESIA even from above, even from a distance.

The first time that I was able to talk with and to be with an INDONESIAN was when I was designated as the Assistant Commandant of the Air Force Officer School in 2012. I have students from Indonesia for our SQUADRON OFFICER COURSE or a course needed in order to be promoted to the rank of MAJOR. One of the activities we provided to our foreign students including students from INDONESIA is the educational tour to historical and interesting places in our country such as the INTRAMUROS, the RIZAL SHRINE in CALAMBA, LAGUNA and TAGAYTAY overlooking TAAL VOLCANO. During those educational tours as TOUR GUIDE to our INDONESIAN STUDENTS, I discovered that INDONESIANS are very appreciative of even small things and they are absolutely nice individuals. I might have imparted my knowledge to my students about writing a thesis, leadership and management, but in return I also learned something about them including from my INDONESIAN students, about their culture and way of life.

In 2013, I was supposed to go to INDONESIA as I was considered for a schooling in JAKARTA. However, my passport was released late so I failed to visit INDONESIA for the first time.

In 2014, the window of opportunity once again knocked when I applied for another schooling, the United Nation Peacekeeping Operations Instructor Course to be conducted in JAKARTA. I already went through a long and tedious process. I passed the written examinations. I was selected during the panel interview. After completing the medical examinations, I was informed that the course was cancelled. I was lined up for another course since I already hurdled the processes and complied with the requirements for foreign schooling. I was instead sent for 19 days to take up the UNITED NATION STAFF OFFICER COURSE but not in INDONESIA. It was in PORT DICKSON in MALAYSIA. I still consider it a blessing in disguise since Malaysia has similar language and culture with INDONESIA. During the first day of class, I discovered that we have 2 classmates from INDONESIA. They are ZUNAM and TAUFIQ. I even requested for an INDONESIAN money from TAUFIQ who who is also my group mate. I told him that with the Indonesian Money in my hand directly from an INDONESIAN is another step closer for me to know more about Indonesia with the fervent hope that one day I will be able to reach the WORLD’S largest archipelago. He gave me a 2.000 bill of Indonesian money. In return, I also handed him a Philippine peso bill. During my 19 days in MALAYSIA, aside from exploring many places including the PETRONAS TWIN TOWERS in KUALA LUMPUR, I also learned several BAHASA WORDS like SELAMAT DATANG, SELAMAT PAGI, SELAMAT MALAM, , KAMPUNG, NASI, GORENG, AYAM, JALAN, TERIMA KASIH, KELUAR, EMPAT, TANDAS among others. My close encounter with my classmates from INDONESIA unfolded that there are several similar words for BAHASA INDONESIA and TAGALOG like BIHON, BELIMBING, TOLONG, BUKIT among others.

This year, when the message that 5 slots were given to the Philippine Air Force for the BAHASIA INDONESIA LANGUAGE COURSE I didn’t hesitate to try another shot to at least feel INDONESIA even in learning its language and to be in the INDONESIAN EMBASSY.

Before attending the BAHASA INDONESIA LANGUAGE CLASS, I usually headed for out of town trips immediately after the regular inspection every Saturday morning to unwind and to breathe fresh air in the nearby towns and provinces after a week of being in the office. But for the past Saturdays, it was a different journey. The JOURNEY every Saturday from Villamor Air Base to the Indonesian Embassy is supposedly a very short one, about 15 to 20 minutes. But after the regular inspection that happened from 6am to 8am every Saturday, I immediately left Villamor Air Base to optimize my free time since during weekdays, I have a full schedule at the office presiding and attending numerous conferences, conceptualizing projects to improve the services of my office, crafting or editing paper works and dealing with various concerns related to my profession. While waiting for 2pm for the past Saturdays, I was able to visit the AYALA Museum, the YUPCHENGCO Museum, the WASHINGTON SYCIP Park, the GREENBELT Park and was able to dine with different restaurants that I had never visited before. Those things are certainly good trade-offs (opportunity cost) for my out of town trips during Saturdays. Since, this will be the last Saturday for this course, I will be going back to my usual habit of traveling to the towns and provinces next Saturday. But for sure I will never forget the journeys and the lessons attending classes at the INDONESIAN EMBASSY and the remarkable moments along the way.

At this point, I would like to thank our teacher, madam CLAI for her outstanding efforts and precious time devoted for us for the past several Saturdays. My gratitude to the INDONESIAN GOVERNMENT for this wonderful opportunity. Thank you to our classmates. I significantly learned from you especially to our more senior classmates. Your commitment not just to attend the class every Saturday but more importantly the active participation is a strong testament that learning is certainly a continuous process. Thank you to all the people who conceptualized and labored for this endeavor to become a reality.

As a proof of my willingness to visit and learn more about INDONESIA not just the language and the people but the whole of Indonesia, I applied for another opportunity to be able to visit INDONESIA this year. This time for the PHILINDO or PHILIPPINE INDONESIA EXCHANGE OFFICER PROGRAM with 8 AIR FORCE OFFICERS to be selected to visit INDONESIA for a week this coming August for free.  Until this very moment, I am still waiting for the result of the selection process and hopefully I will be included among the 8 lucky individuals.

This speaking exercise is also another opportunity for me to have that chance to visit INDONESIA, the place that I had a first and last glimpse when I was still learning how to take off, fly and land an aircraft. Hopefully this year I can finally take off, fly and land to a beautiful destination called INDONESIA.

If not selected for the PHILINDO and even for this SPEAKING CONTEST, I will continuously strive and look for opportunities to finally arrive at INDONESIA.

To everyone, THANK YOU and a pleasant Saturday to all of us.

TERIMA KASIH.