PEACE-MAKER
Our wife Gina and we recently visited Bangkok, a city that holds a special place in our career as five-time Speaker of the House of Representatives and in our modest foray into parliamentary and political party diplomacy in Asia and the global community.
During our trip, we met with Dr. Nalinee Taveesin, who is Thailand’s trade representative, with the rank of deputy prime minister, and who is a dear friend to us and wife Gina. It was an opportunity not just to rekindle friendship but to reflect on our shared vision for Asia’s peace, stability, and prosperity; and the enduring ties between the Philippines and Thailand.
Dr. Nalinee held the same post and, at the same time, also serving as minister in the office of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, overseeing several government agencies, including the Royal Academy, the National Research Council of Thailand, and the office of the National Economic and Social Advisory Council.
We missed an old friend who is a towering figure in Thai and Asian politics, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whose tenure as premier from 2001 to 2006 is remembered as a period of transformative change. He championed policies that reshaped his country’s socio-economic landscape. His universal healthcare initiative, known as the “30 Baht Scheme,” provided affordable medical care to millions, particularly in rural areas. The “One Tambon, One Product” program empowered local communities to develop unique products, stimulating rural economies, and fostering entrepreneurship.
Under his leadership, Thailand experienced significant economic growth, and his pro-poor initiatives helped reduce poverty and improve education. Despite the controversies surrounding his political career, Thaksin’s legacy as a visionary leader continues to resonate in Thailand and beyond.
In 2006, Thaksin was ousted in a military coup that marked the beginning of a prolonged period of political turmoil. Despite Thaksin’s self-imposed exile, he has remained popular especially among the rural people and his influence remained significant. His political party was dissolved, but its successors, notably the People’s Power Party and later the Pheu Thai Party, carried on his populist legacy and has won all elections. Thaksin returned to the country in August last year after 17 years in self-imposed exile.
Thaksin’s youngest child, Paetongtarn, is the current prime minister and the youngest to be elected to the post. She is the fourth member of the Shinawatra clan to become prime minister of Thailand. The others are her aunt, Yingluck, Thaksin’s younger sister, who was the first woman prime minister and served from 2011 to 2014; and her uncle, Somchai Wongsawat, who had a brief stint in 2008.
Over the years, we and wife Gina have maintained our friendship with former premiers Thaksin, Yingluck, and Dr. Nalinee.
For us, Bangkok has been more than just a city of diplomatic engagements; it has been a hub for advancing our vision of regional cooperation. As speaker of the House of Representatives and after we retired from elective office in 2010, we made numerous visits to Thailand, strengthening ties between the two nations. Our efforts extended beyond bilateral relations, as we founded the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP), a groundbreaking initiative that brought together political leaders across Asia to foster dialogue and collaboration.
Bangkok played host to several ICAPP conferences, symbolizing the city’s role as a crossroads of cultures and ideas. These meetings underscored our respective countries’ commitment to promoting peace, democracy, and economic development in the region.
It was also in the Thai capital that we co-founded and launched on September 2012 the Asian Peace in Reconciliation (APRC), which aims to assist governments and organizations in peace-building and conflict resolution in Asia and other areas.
Our recent Bangkok visit also serves as a reminder of the deep and enduring ties between the Philippines and Thailand. Both countries are founding members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and have long collaborated on regional security, trade, and cultural exchanges.
Thailand is one of the Philippines’ key trade partners, with shared interests in agriculture, tourism, and infrastructure development. Over the years, both nations have supported each other in ASEAN initiatives, particularly in advocating for sustainable development and regional stability.