After five years as Iceland’s ambassador to Finland, Hannes Heimisson was reassigned last year to Japan. He is also concurrently “ambassador at large” to four other countries in the region, including the Philippines.
During the recent Independence Day festivities, the diplomat joined other ambassadors in offering President Noynoy Aquino a celebratory “Vin D Honnieur” toast at Malacañan Palace.
It was not his first time to meet Aquino, as as they were already introduced last December at Sofia University in Tokyo when the President was awarded with an honorary degree.
When asked what was his impression of our President is, the ambassador thinks that we have picked the right man for the job. “Your president is very open about his fight against corruption…I think he is going very far on his honest approach. I think that is the right path.”
Accompanying the ambassador on his first ever visit to Manila was his wife Gudru Solonsdotti. Both were impressed with what they saw here.
“You are a vibrant and dynamic society and you are moving ahead. We know that there are differences between those who are wealthy and those who are poor. It is very important to bridge that gap. I think you are doing it correctly, but it is a process that takes time. All nations have to go through a similar process,” he says.
“Your country, in economic terms, maybe less developed than the European countries, but still you have a vibrant environment. I think you should try and focus on your unique historical past here in Southeast Asia. You should focus on your cultural heritage, your blend of Asian and European culture. Instead of trying to copy another country, you should just be yourselves and be Filipinos,” he adds.
One local industry that the ambassador thinks the Filipinos could excel by just being themselves is the furniture industry. He was impressed with the design and quality of local furniture makers.
“You are great furniture makers. But nobody outside knows about it. You have a beautiful and original style of furniture that speaks of deep tradition. The Europeans have no idea about it. They might see your furniture think and it is made by some fancy American stores,” he says.
Since they were only here for a few days, the ambassador and his wife vow to comeback and explore more of the country. While they support tourism as a way of developing the country’s economy and generate employment, they caution us against over development.
They used the Southern Baltic coast as an example. “The best thing the Russians did was to leave the beaches more or less intact, especially those they have identified of vital military importance. Those beaches are still largely untouched because they did not allow any infrastructure to be built on them. People now visit these beaches as they have kept their natural beauty.”
