Of Consuls and Consulats

By Antonio v. Figueroa

The importance of Davao region just seven-two years after its conquest by a Spanish-led expedition in 1848 was highlighted with the opening of a Japanese consular office in March 1920. Though it was originally an annex of the Manila Consulate, the growing economic influence of Japanese investment and labor in the region promoted it to an embassy on February 6, 1932.

At the time the consulate was opened, Davao was already home to a huge Japanese population, roughly a sixth of region’s inhabitants. Most Okinawans, the migrant workers and the expanding Japanese control of the hemp economy contributed greatly to the progress of the area.

The confluence of growth and demographic expansion eventually inspired the national government to promote Davao into a city, the second the Mindanao after Zamboanga, which was the administrative center of the Americans in the south.

Years after the Japanese consular annex opened in Davao, the Republic of China (Taiwan) under Dr. Sun Yat-sen and by now had established a consulate in Manila. To attend to the sizable Chinese population in Davao, Te Chiu Im, a local Chinese resident who was into beer distribution and involved in the founding of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Davao, was appointed as its first honorary consul of Davao (1923-28). 

Sun’s death in 1925 led to the rise of Chiang Kai-shek, a former commandant of the Koumintang’s Whampoa Military Academy, and the coup of Canton in 1928. Taiwan’s post-war consul in Davao was S.T. Mih when the office reopened in November 1947. He was assisted in the post by M.C. Chen, as deputy consul, and Johnny Huang, as secretary.

With the rise of the People’s Republic of China as member of the United Nations on November 25, 1971, Taiwan, an original UN member, was forced to close its consulate in the city. During the UN’s founding, the Philippines was still a commonwealth of the United States.

Extant historical records, on the other hand, show that even Britain, during the prewar period, had also appointed a foreign affairs liaison in honorary capacity. War accounts identify the honorary British consul in Davao City as Alex Brown, who was among those rounded up by the Imperial Army in December 1941.

In August 1945, eight years after getting independence from the Dutch, Republic of Indonesia opened its consular mission in Davao City on December 17, 1953. Given its impact in trade and economy decades later, the office became a consulate general on September 23, 1974 by virtue of an edict signed by Indonesian envoy to the Philippines Marsekal Sri bima Ariotedjo.

On December 11, 1995, Malaysia became the second member of Association of Southeast Asian Nations to open a chancery in Davao City. The opening was part of the growing role Malaysia would play in two key historical events involving Muslims of Southern Philippines: (a) the signing on September 2, 1996 of a peace accord between the Philippines and the Moro National Liberation Front and (b) a similar event on October 15, 2012, between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. 

Although the US established its embassy in Manila on July 4, 1946 after Washington “granted” the Philippines its independence, it was not until July 2007 when the Americans opened a virtual consulate, known as the “American Presence Post” (APP), in the city. Initially, it catered to the issuance of visas through the internet, which was manned by a Digital Outreach Team.

Over the next seven decades (1945-2015) other friendly countries opened their own diplomatic missions in the city, managed by honorary consuls, all prominent socio-civic Davao icons. 

The first honorary consul of the Czech Republic was Gilbert C. Go, a well-known trader. Republic of Palau appointed Miguel Iñigo, a businessman, as its honorary consul for life in Davao. Antonio Brias, spouse of Maricris Floirendo, daughter of late banana king Don Antonio, became the first honorary consul of Spain in Davao; he was succeeded by Genaro Lon y Ozami.

Ma. Lourdes G. Monteverde was appointed honorary consul of Mexico while Rowena Vida-Lisbona, the Davao-based assistant general manager of Maersk Filipinas, a shipping firm, was anointed as honorary consul of Denmark. 

Dennis Uy, founder of the Davao-based oil firm Phoenix Petroleum Philippines Inc. (PPPI) and 2013 Datu Bago awardee, was installed honorary consul of Kazakhstan to the Philippines. His Udenna Holdings recently bought Enderun Colleges and FamilyMart.

Meanwhile, Joaquin C. Rodriguez, a Davao resident who was past president of Benguet Mines and wife of Sonja Habana (daughter of former city councilor Antonio Habana) is Republic of Serbia consul ad honorem to the country. Two new consulates under an honorary officer were also opened later in Davao City. 

On June 17, 2017, Davao resident Austrian Dr. Peter Faistauer was officially designated honorary consul of Austria. Five months thereafter, business man Edgar N. Ang, a Davao native, was invested the honorary consul position by the Republic of Korea on November 24, 2016.

On June 20, 2017, German Klaus Doring, a long-time Davao resident, journalist, and educator, was installed as honorary consul of Germany of Mindanao. He is best known for introducing German language as elective at the University of Southeastern Philippines in Davao City.