Bayanihan means ‘mateship’ to me
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2019 18:02:52 +0000
By Australian Ambassador Steven J. Robinson AO
One of the things I’ve learned in diplomacy is that the search for common ground can take time. Yet, here in the Philippines I haven’t had to look far at all because our countries share much in common. We are both democracies in the same region with a shared view on many issues. We also share values.
As I understand it, the Filipino ideal of bayanihan conveys the spirit of communal unity, work and cooperation to achieve a goal. Bayahihan is akin to the Australian concept of “mateship,” which includes notions of friendship, solidarity and pulling together. These values have shaped who we are and what we stand for. And they have been tested under the most grueling periods of history.
Seventy-five years ago, we fought together to achieve a common goal — the liberation of the Philippines. In the Leyte Gulf and the Surigao Strait, over 4,000 Australian Service Personnel were among the Allied Forces who fought a major battle that played a small but significant part in the Allied victory here and across the Pacific.
In that battle, 92 Australians died and hundreds more were wounded. Since then, every October we honor those who gave their lives in the cause of peace. And we pay tribute to those who survived. Every year in October 20, veterans come back to the Philippines to commemorate the anniversary of the Leyte Gulf Landings and the Battle of Surigao Strait.
We mark this occasion by reaffirming our common values and the deep, historical friendship that we Australians share with Filipinos and other Allied countries that were forged during World War 2. Moreover, it is a reminder that the success of military coalition operations ultimately rests on collaboration and shared values.
Mateship and bayanihan bind us together today. That spirit lies at the heart of the relationship between the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). This is demonstrated in many forms, particularly when natural calamities or disasters strike, or when there’s disorder and instability in an area.
Back in 1999-2000, the AFP deployed three contingents of the Philippine Humanitarian Support Mission to East Timor in support of the International Force East Timor, an Australian-led multinational peacekeeping task force under the United Nations. It restored peace and security, and facilitated humanitarian assistance in the territory.
When Typhoon “Yolanda” made landfall in November 2013, it decimated properties and livelihoods, resulting in the devastation of the lives of so many Filipinos. I am proud to say that Australia was quick to respond with emergency assistance, including medical and logistics support, and Defence personnel on the ground. Over 500 soldiers, airmen and airwomen, like their forefathers, answered the call to work alongside their Filipino friends in Tacloban City and other parts of the country.
In May 2017, when the Maute group of radical Islamists terrorised Marawi City in Southern Mindanao, the ADF formed Operation Augury-Philippines in partnership with the AFP. The ADF utilized P3 Orion aircraft for intelligence surveillance reconnaissance in support of the AFP’s ground forces and operations in Marawi.
Some two years after the Marawi Siege, the ADF still provides the AFP with urban operations and counter-terrorism focused military training.
Many readers may be aware that there are Australian troops in the country training with their AFP counterparts. This helps deal with common threats that we face today and enhances the shared understanding of terrorist threats in the region.
Australia’s participation is focused on providing insight and experiences from recent ADF operations in the Middle East and Afghanistan, and the AFP sharing knowledge from its experiences in Marawi.
Looking ahead, I am confident that Australia’s relationship with the Philippines will remain grounded in the values embodied by mateship and bayanihan — friendship, solidarity and cooperation.
And while the nature of the challenges we face in the years to come will always continue to change, the necessity of cooperating closely in our response never will.
Steven J. Robinson AO is the Australian Ambassador to the Philippines. Follow him on Twitter @AusAmbPH.
The Australian Embassy is hosting the exhibition “Mateship and Bayanihan: The Story of Philippines-Australia Defence Ties” at the QCX Museum, Quezon Memorial Circle from Oct. 18 to 30 2019 as part of the national commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the Leyte Landings.