WHEN Foreign Affairs Spokesman Charles C. Jose was sent by his father to a Chinese school in Manila, the elder Jose believed that fluency in the Mandarin tongue would be his son’s ticket to a successful business career.
Little did Jose’s father know that this language skill would bring his son more than what he bargained, as Charles became an envoy to China at the tender age of 35.
“I studied Chinese Mandarin at the Saint Jude Catholic School from elementary until high school, despite the fact that I am 100-percent Filipino,” Jose said, confessing that his father was in business and had many Chinese business friends and colleagues who advised that he be sent to a Chinese school because it would be good for business.
Armed with fluent Mandarin, the official Chinese language, it was a breeze for Jose to be accepted into the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in November 1986. His first job then was as acting director of the Office of Asean Affairs.
Newly married and in China
In July 1989 Jose’s language skills and impressive credentials earned him his first foreign foray.
He was posted third secretary and vice consul, then second, secretary and consul and, eventually, first secretary and consul at the Philippine Embassy in Beijing.
At the time of his arrival in Beijing, Jose observed that China was just starting to open up to the world at large, and the majority of the population sports the Mao suit, while millions of Chinese ride the bicycles to work.
Jose reveals that some 30 years ago, tourists could only shop in Beijing at the Friendship Store for souvenirs. The stores then were state-owned and first appeared in the 1950s, when they were primarily frequented by Soviets assisting China’s economic development.
He said the stores sold imported western branded items, like peanut butter and chocolate bars, along with Chinese art and crafts. Items for sale also included western readings like the New York Times. It led to guards preventing anyone of Chinese appearance from entering.
The prices were considerably higher than market prices, but as the stores operated as a monopoly for imported items, buyers had no other choice. The old Friendship Stores also only accepted foreign-exchange certificates as currency.
Jose, who was newly married at that time, recounted how impressed he was with famous landmarks around Beijing, including the Forbidden City, Great Hall of the People, Mao mausoleum and Bei Hai Park.
“I was newly married and just starting a family. My wife and I had a lot of time to go around. Plenty of good memories from my assignment in Beijing,” Jose said.
Jose added that since the Chinese government used to arrange familiarization tours, he used to hitch in one of those tours and went as far north as Heilongjiang.
Heilongjiang is China’s northernmost province, containing remote mountain ranges and a flat interior plain.
One of the events Jose vividly remembers was the Tiananmen massacre, which, being a seasoned diplomat, he termed it as an incident.
“It happened at dawn of June 3, 1989. We left the embassy and took a drive around Tiananmen Square the following morning. We were seeing bodies being carried by student colleagues who were maybe seeking medical help,” Jose said.
The estimated number of civilian deaths during the protest action varies from hundreds to thousands. The Chinese government condemned the protests as counterrevolutionary riot and has largely prohibited discussion and remembrance of the events
Today Tiananmen Square is lit with large lampposts that are fitted with video cameras. It is heavily monitored by uniformed and plain clothes policemen.
Jose said that, as he was only the third secretary and vice consul then, it was the embassy’s political officer and charge d’affaires who was reporting the event back to the DFA.
“I was also the economic officer but since I can speak Chinese and I can drive, the chargé d’affaires was with me when we went out,” Jose said.
Jose also said that, while he was executive director of the Asian and Pacific Affairs sometime in 2006, he also joined a parliamentary delegation, headed by Sen. Franklin M. Drilon on a trip to Lhasa, Tibet.
“It’s a parliamentary exchange visit since they were invited by the Nationalist People’s Congress of China. They wanted somebody from the DFA who can speak Chinese. So, I was able to join them to Lhasa and Pyongyang,” Jose added.
From Beijing, Jose also became the country’s consul general in Shanghai and Chongqing.
“Aside from Beijing, I was also posted as consul general to Chongqing, which is part of Sichuan province and now an independent city since 2011,” Jose said while adding that Chongqing is now converted to a manufacturing town for automobiles and motorcycles.
He said Chongqing then had the distinction of overtaking Mexico City as the largest city in the world, in terms of land area and population.
Jose’s tenure in China lasted 11 years and six months. Afterward, he was assigned to Singapore and Thailand as a senior diplomat.
That job in front of the media
In March 2014 Jose was installed as foreign affairs spokesman and head of the Public Information Service Unit, taking over the role from Raul Hernandez, who is now the country’s envoy to South Korea.
Jose became spokesman of the DFA when the Philippines was already embroiled in litigation with China over the West Philippine Sea. It was a job that required having to face the media on a regular basis.
“As spokesman the work keeps me on my toes, I am aware and became familiar with so many issues and subject matters. I found that everything is always new. Things always keep changing. I always have to learn new things. I am always exposed to new things” Jose said.
He added that one of the challenges he faced was getting calls very early in the morning, even during weekends. Even through those times, Jose said that he never turns off his cellular phone.
In March Jose would be on his second year as foreign affairs spokesman. He described it all as being able to represent and articulate the position of the department, while also a solemn duty to inform the public even on issues like executions abroad of Filipinos.
According to Jose, dealing with the West Philippine Sea issue is more challenging compared to addressing the plight of overseas Filipino workers.
“The issue is very complex and I have to be very careful with the statement that we make, especially now that we have filed the case. At the arbitral tribunal, we have to be extra careful that the things we say could be used against us later on, which could undermine our case,” Jose said. He revealed that he has 10 more years with the DFA before retirement beacons. It means that he will still be with DFA even as two more presidents are elected.
Jose believes that being the spokesman of the DFA is a stepping-stone in his diplomatic career, with the next logical step is with him being appointed as an ambassador.
Image credits: Jimbo Albano