THE Czech Republic will soon take centerstage on CNN Philippines’s travel show FlipTrip, with film director Pepe Diokno and writer Jessica Zafra as hosts of the series billed as “Czech Trek.”
The choice of the country that was once part of the “Iron Curtain” came as a surprise to many followers of the show, as the land of novelist Franz Kafka is not familiar to Filipinos. Compared to, perhaps, the United States or Spain, many have yet to establish connections between Manila and Prague.
Nonetheless, Diokno and Zafra found out that ties between the two countries were first nurtured by the friendship between Jose Rizal and Prof. Ferdinand Blumentritt, an intellectual who did a body of research work on Philippine history and culture.
During the news briefing held in Makati City, snippets from the series documented Diokno and Zafra’s tour in the small town of Litomerice, the hometown of Blumentritt. It became a “must-visit place” for many Filipinos, as they yearned to learn more and pay homage to our hero’s foreign confidante.
Litomerice even has a “Rizal Wall” in honor of the Filipino polymath. During their tour, the FlipTrip duo learned that several places in the Czech Republic possess vital Philippine artifacts, such as the signed copies of the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.
For his part, historian Ambeth Ocampo told the audience that aside from Rizal, several other prominent Filipinos visited the Czech Republic. Among them were prominent painter Juan Luna and former President of the University of the Philippines Rafael Palma.
According to Ocampo, Blumentritt was virtually unknown until the first group of Filipinos visited in the 1950s the country formerly called “Czechoslovakia” when it was still under Communist rule.
Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the Philippines Jaroslav Olša Jr. interjected that “the Filipinos were quite excited [then] because they have set foot on the hometown of the best friend of their hero.”
From the 1960s until the 1970s, Czech historians have been writing about Rizal and the Philippines. Since then, they have realized that Blumentritt played an important role in the country’s history.
During his tour in Litomerice, Ocampo recalled that he discovered in the archives there the numerous letters sent by Filipinos to Blumentritt’s widow that expressed their grief on the demise of the Austrian scholar.
Zafra said the 1986 Edsa People Power uprising and the 1989 Velvet Revolution that toppled Communist rule in Czechoslovakia also served as strong connections between the two countries.
“The influence was there, and we saw a chance to have a peaceful change,” Olša commented.
He remembered Philippine personalities who had once been guests of his country: “They were former President [Fidel V.] Ramos, [and also ex-Gov. of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Nur Misuari, as well as] many other past presidents, including politicians, who had visited,” he shared.
Aside from the historical connections between the countries, Diokno and Zafra cited similar qualities between Filipinos and the Czech people, curiously enough: from their devotion to the Santo Niño and to their love of drinking beer, among many others.
FlipTrip featuring Czech Trek starts airing on CNN Philippines beginning April 8 at 8 p.m.
Image credits: Alysa Salen