The “Pinoy X-Factor” in East Timor

By  Snake

Jogging or just walking along the streets or seaside of Dili ( capital of East Timor) especially after sundown, just when the moon is the only dependable source of light because there is not enough street lights yet,  it seems incredibly funny for  Timorese kids and oldies alike are surprisingly keen on easily identifying whose that  incognito approaching  or being swallowed in the dark and yet they would call out and shout “Filipino…Mabuhay!” (Filipino…Long Live! Or sort of)

 Oh heavens!  Anywhere, in the market, at work and almost in just anywhere, Filipinos in East Timor can’t hide from anyone especially from the locals without being known as Filipinos even beyond a recognizable  distance. It fascinates  my imagination therefore to investigate   further their keen sense on Filipinos  in my   first  few days after arriving for a mission in East Timor. 

What exactly and  instantly makes  them recognize Filipinos even in the dark, is my “mission impossible.”

This kind of impression is shared  by all  Filipinos serving as peacekeepers in this part of the world.  Although there are other Filipinos serving as  civilian volunteers among the various United Nations agencies in East Timor,  the same can be said to just everyone of them.

I’m a UN peacekeeper myself.  Like anyone else, I have all the good reasons for serving the United  Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor-Peacekeeping Force (UNTAET-PKF).  Aside from having a chance to be working side by side with various  nationalities (there are 24 nations working under the United Nations mission excluding some other nations doing independent missions like the United States), thus sharing or gaining some techniques in doing things but  greater as well is the  reasonable remuneration for  risk and danger  of   sickness  or death.     Well, nothing is more real than money taking precedence over all other intentions especially for us who have it less.   It gives us the better choice, naturally.

Whichever way you put it,  there is some strange wind that brought everyone  in East Timor.

There are  three vital components of Philippines’ participation in the East Timor campaign. The major bulk is the Philippine Battalion (Philbatt), followed by  the Force Support Unit (FSU) and  Peacekeeping Force staff positions at the Headquarters (PKF Staff Hqs). 

Philbatt’s main mission of  about 500 strong is to secure and protect the transitional administration’s  main objective  of reconstruction as well as other motives of the various United Nations agencies,  mainly in Manatuto at the eastern part of the island. The FSU of about  70  personnel provides security at PKF Headquarters but more importantly  providing catering needs to  400 strong PKF personnel  in Dili. PKF staff is composed of 8 Officers working in various sensitive areas at the headquarters in terms of  planning, operations and  public information. My group is aptly called the “Magic 7” since we came here altogether with that number. Magic 7  could also mean invincible power (just something to keep us in high spirits).

Everyone here at the peacekeeping mission  has their own  interesting stories to tell. But unlike anyone else, the  Filipino peacekeepers are doing a great job and have all the reasons to stand up and be proud of  prominently among the  different nationalities.  What makes  this so is  the closeness of the Filipinos not only with the local populace but  also with the international participants as well. 

The accomplishment of the peacekeeping operations is a given constant to speak of.  With its civil military operations aspect as a way in getting closer to the populace in terms of the number of beneficiaries of all sorts of civic action programs like  medical and dental missions cannot not be overemphasized.  But of course, it is just part of what I call the x-factor thing.

If the shortest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach then that is one thing. If music brings up the soul in  high spirits and conquers it  then that is another thing.

All the nations’ forces at the headquarters will hardly forget that once in their peacekeeping mission they have been served by Filipino cooks (or chef may sound  more refined) at the Kobe Camp.(The Kobe Camp has a Kobe kitchen that caters to all peacekeepers in Dili which is proudly Filipino).  It is amazing that  soldiers from the Philippines who got into the mission for whatever reasons that brought them here, are cooking  for the international community.  You just can imagine how a multi-national force of  400 strong  would  eat  in  one roof with a universal recipe that must fit for everyone, and without a hint of  complaining. 

They cook very well and with a little salt and delectable too!  But what is fascinating is  that these Filipino cooks were able to learn so much in  the recipe book that  is equally comparable with a 5-star hotel standard in terms of variety and presentation.  Beef steak is not uncommon.  Chicken cooks in a variety of recipe like a la russe, afritada, tandori, curry, etc.  Vegetables get one interesting look with cauliflower hollandaise, glazed potato, coleslaw, buttered broccoli.  Eggs too in different presentations like scrambled, pouch, spicy, sunny side up and automatic (this sounds like a new recipe that refers to a boiled egg). And you know curry and lots of  curry. They make good pizza pie too!

What brings these Filipinos inside the kitchen  is one interesting note.  When the first batch of multi-national force called the Interfet came down to Dili, the  food was taken cared of  by other nations.  But not so long after, it was drowned by a heap of complaints. Thus, the  whole peacekeeping force who by then under the overall Command of  Lt. Gen. Jaime  Delos Santos, the Force Commander (now the Deputy Chief of Staff, AFP) took the cudgel in providing   the services of the Filipino soldiers and later on were left all by themselves doing  the agony and lengthy ritual of food  preparation, and until a decisive taker would eventually take the risk.  But more than  6- long months had passed with no taker yet.

 It was said though that  no private business would take the risk because of its low profitability.  In fact, the cooks who are only supposed to be on 6-month tour have often been extended due to that.  At least, no one could complain but everyone seems to be even thankful of this type of peacekeeping  role. From an original of  something like  $16 per head/day, when it was time for the Filipinos, it was reduced to around $4.50 per capita and yet it is workable and sufficient with everybody  their best meal.  This looks like saving the United Nations with almost ¾ of the original allocation.

Another thing worthy of note is  the impact of a “ragtag band”  of Filipino soldiers not at the battlefront but at  the beachhead.

Everyone else in  East Timor mission  cannot deny or fail to notice the live music they had fun with dancing and singing either at the beach  or during  day and night parties of  their  respective contingents with the Filipino  “makeshift”  combo.  The Filipino combo at the peacekeeping  has gained so much popularity and mind you, it  even conquered an international audience (for lack of choice?).

“It started with the 2^nd Batch and carried through the 4^th Batch ( batch is a rotation or overlapping of 6 months duty since September 1999),” said Airman 1^st Class Johnny Nacar of Basa Air Base, Pampanga who is doing the lead guitar. “We had to organize among ourselves just as when we arrived in the mission since that was not our primary  duty.  We  ask among ourselves who can play any music instrument or sing. It’s good we were able to fill in for the complete set.”

Sgt Christian, another air force guy does the lead singing and was able to master the “Tetum Song” which is apparently becoming the “national hymn” of the locals.  He said, “everytime he sings the tune, all the locals gather around in jubilation because they can relate not only with the music but with its essence.  This is in one way  which made us closer to the people. And they love the Filipinos.”

Other members of the so-called  “Beach Boys in East Timor” are  Sgts Fontanilla for drums and Graneta for base guitar.

The group has  barely missed any moment without being invited by the international community to perform either during official celebrations  or just simply during national rejoicing of  the respective participating nations.  They are selling like hot cakes to speak of despite the  “low-tech” Karaoke type speakers as their main equipment but still they come out with a boom and all the while, everybody goes crazy with their  primetime beat.

Well, everyone goes to the beach during weekends. The Europeans, Latin Americans , Australians  and other nationalities  decorate the  waterline from sun up to sun down. The Filipinos we are   don’t miss joining the party too!  But we have better reasons in going there because the Filipinos can just instantly transform the beach into one big holiday treat to all with the “Beach Boys”  on the scene.  It’s like what you’re seeing on TV where  there is this one makeshift stage  in the open beach with a live band  while  others gather around or just simply enjoying the music in the water.  It’s one big joint where all colors congregate and  not a point of any disagreement.

Now, I  no longer wonder why Filipinos are well-liked and  are easily recognized by anyone in the street especially the small kids. It’s just incredible! The presence of Filipinos in this  global humanitarian concern  is omnipresent.  Despite  the contradictions obtaining back home,  your  Filipino peacekeepers deployed in East Timor are doing one great of a job relieving the pain , stereotype or impression  cast  daily on international media  through an  alternative  sampling of  people the world calls as  Filipinos in East Timor.

With the upcoming rotation of troops  next week by  fresh troops from the Philippines (via a Navy ship  to depart before the end  of the month and to arrive  about 9 days after in Dili), with   the  Filipino troops who are completing their mission here  are surely bringing home with them beautiful memories in this mission particularly the feeling that the Filipinos permeated the landscape and  culture not only with the local community but   providing as well a balancing act to rectify  the  misimpressions of the international  community.  And we will continue achieving as ambassadors of goodwill in this part of the world.

The author is a professor in Political and Social Sciences at the University of the Philippines (Clark Field) and is serving as Public Information Officer of  the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in East Timor Headquarters and the web master  of UN Peacekeeper on line www.geocities.com/snake1ph/peacekeeper.html.