A fond farewell to Congen Delia

THE POST of Consul General in San Francisco is the most coveted appointment in the Philippine Foreign Service, at least according to the late Amado Cortez who served as the San Francisco "Congen" from 1998 to 2001. Cortez
recounted that when he lobbied for the appointment with then President Joseph Estrada, an old friend from their acting days, his main rival was former San Francisco Congen Romeo Arguelles who had served as ambassador to Germany and Peru.

Owing to old loyalties, Cortez secured the appointment. As a consolation prize, however, Arguelles was appointed ambassador to Japan. There is an old saying: "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog." Put in another way, it's not the post that gives stature to the person, it's the person that gives stature to the post.
And nowhere is that more true than in describing the incredible three-year tenure of Consul General Delia Menez Rosal.

Rosal served as Philippine ambassador to Mexico in 1996, capping a distinguished foreign service career that began in 1964. But in 1999, after then Senator Nikki Coseteng lobbied Estrada for a personal favor, Rosal was replaced with Coseteng's mother. Rosal was then demoted to Consul General in Guam. After Estrada was deposed, however, new President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo chose a career foreign service officer to replace Cortez in San Francisco and
tapped Rosal for the post.

When "Congen Delia," as folks here fondly call her, first arrived in San Francisco to assume her post in 2001, the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco was in a mess. Congen Cortez was waging a losing battle against leukemia
and was mired in controversy owing to his political appointment and allegations that his consular residence had been transformed into a mahjong den.

Congen Delia, a childless widow, devoted herself full-time and overtime to her new post, attending virtually all the community functions she was invited to in the five western states under her jurisdiction, including all of Northern California, home to nearly 500,000 Filipinos.

It was in the summer of 2001 when I first conceived this idea for a Global Filipino Community Networking Convention. The concept was based on the notion that eight million overseas Filipinos constitute the "Global Filipino Community" that can be harnessed to support each other and the Philippine motherland. Instead of seeking unity, which is always a minefield of questioned motives, the goal was simply to have Filipinos "network" with each other, sharing
information about themselves and their organizations.

When I first broached the idea to Congen Delia in the summer of 2001, she immediately embraced it as a way to unify the community. But 9/11 happened shortly thereafter, and the idea seemed farfetched as the war against global terror was all that people could think of.

In January of 2002, we revived the idea once again and saw that, perhaps, now more than ever, Filipinos needed to "network" with each other, locally and as a global Filipino community.

Congen Delia agreed and hosted a series of community meetings and forums at the Philippine Consulate where the idea was vetted, presented and discussed.

Under her leadership and guidance, the idea blossomed and plans were concretized. We booked the largest convention center in the West Coast, the Moscone Center, for the Labor Day weekend of August 31, 2002. Although the Center is
booked four years ahead of time, that weekend was available.

We were told that our concept was unique as the majestic Moscone Center had never hosted an ethnic community convention. The convention coincided, not coincidentally, with the annual Pistahan festival held at the Yerba Buena
Gardens, across the street from the Moscone Center. A Global Filipino-Pistahan parade, the largest San Franciscans had ever seen, capped the two-day convention.

The Moscone Convention drew 4,000 participants from all over the US but mostly from Northern California. There, on the massive center stage at the opening ceremonies, was Congen Delia, beaming with pride, seated beside Senate
President Franklin Drilon, US Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony Principi and First Gentleman Mike Arroyo. Also there, way at the back of the convention hall, was former Senator Nikki Coseteng, selling books. The irony was not lost on Congen Delia.

But Congen Delia was not through with holding a Filipino event at sites that don't normally see Filipinos. When President Arroyo visited San Francisco in October of 2002, the welcome event organized by Congen Delia was held at the resplendent Davies Symphony Hall, the first time it had hosted a visiting head of state since Queen Elizabeth.

Congen Delia will also be fondly remembered for hosting the first mass swearing-in of Filipinos who were regaining their Philippine citizenships on September 17, 2003, the first day the Dual Citizenship Law came into effect. While
other US consulates may have halted the swearing-in of former citizens in recent months, Congen Delia continued the practice in her consulate, attracting Filipinos from all over the US.

But the brightest feather in her cap has to be the Calpers victory. Early in February of this year, the California Personnel Retirement System (Calpers) announced plans to withdraw all its investment funds from the Philippines, a move that would have triggered a flood of disinvestments in the Philippines, which would cause the closure of businesses and massive unemployment.

Congen Delia mobilized the Bay Area Filipino community to attend the March meeting in Sacramento where Calpers was set to finalize its decision to disinvest in the Philippines. Over 350 Filipinos packed the Calpers auditorium and
spoke out against the planned move. Calpers board member and state controller Steve Westly moved to grant the Philippines a 30-day extension to disprove the allegations of Wilshire Associates, the agency that recommended the
Philippine disinvestments.

At the April Calpers Board meeting, with 500 Filipinos packing the auditorium, the Calpers board unanimously voted to keep its investments in the Philippines.

Congen Delia's tenure in her San Francisco post was set to expire in 2003 but was extended a year due to the lobbying of the community. Despite the plaintive pleas of the San Francisco Filipino community to extend her term for another year, however, President Arroyo denied the request and appointed another career official, Rowena Sanchez, to succeed Congen Delia.

But that will be easier said than done. How does one succeed Congen Delia with her unparalleled success in this post?
Congen Delia is back in Manila now leaving after a tearful farewell birthday party dinner held August 6, before an overflow crowd of adoring friends, at the Crown Plaza in Burlingame.

You can e-mail Congen Delia at Delia_Rosal@yahoo.com. Or you can make plans to attend the 3rd Global Filipino Networking Convention, which will be held in Cebu City on January 20-22 at the Waterfront Hotel. Congen Delia will be there for a reunion with her friends from the city where she left her heart and with the community whose hearts she
lovingly captured.

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