Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo was warmly received by Filipinos during her unofficial and private visit to Sydney, hobnobbing with the Philippine community in few occasions, obliging with the regulatory “selfies: here and there.
It was of course following some traditions of private and unofficial trip by Philippine national leaders, noticeably by what we call as “presidentiables” or presidential timbers and even former presidents.
Former President Fidel V. Ramos had visited Sydney at least three times on unofficial capacity, at least once representing an international community development think tank who commissioned him on an important international task.
Then Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who later assumed the presidency had a brief stopover in Sydney and met community leaders at the Philippine Consulate. on her way to a speaking engagement in New Zealand.
I remember then Senate President Manny Villar who was very much on the radar to be gunning for the presidency had a community reception at the MPC in Rooty Hill during a pre-Easter trip to Australia.
Senator Richard “Dick” Gordon who once ran for vice president, lost and subsequently became Philippine Tourism Secretary, came and virtually preached on tourism in the Philippines , then promoting the slogan “Wow Philippines.”
In each of their visit, poor journalists like me conveniently say “they capture the hearts of the community.”
