Manifestation speech of Sen. Pia Cayetano in support of Senate Resolution No. 946
75TH Anniversary of Philippine-South Korea Diplomatic Relations

Thank you, Mr. President. This is very short, Mr. President. But I hope my simple not even a speech, my simple story will manifest my personal relationship with Korea and as a Senate as well. I think I am the only senator, Mr President, who has hiked and slept on top of the mountain in Korea, Seoraksan. I was there even before I was a senator. I hiked there, I had to put on maybe three layers of jackets. But after you hike, it's a very difficult hike, and eventually, you'll take it out and then if you stop to eat, you put all your jackets on again.

And then when we got to the peak, Mr President, it was the first time I experienced that. They looked like container vans, totally enclosed, but when you open it, that's where all the hikers sleep. And then, everybody is eating Kimchi. And I never ate Kimchi before, but everybody was just eating Kimchi, so I had to eat Kimchi. And we slept on just elevated wooden planks, next to all the Koreans there.

I almost missed that, Mr President, because during our hike, it was getting dark, and then I did not know, and of course the signs were in Korean, maybe now, there's English. But this was more than 20 years ago. I almost missed that wooden shed, I didn't know what it was. So we would've gone up if not for our companion calling us that that's where we were going to stop and sleep for the night.

And the following day, to be sure that we did not get lost, we were accompanied by our new Korean friends down the mountain, and at the very end, we ate the freshest Bibimbap I ever tried in my life. And I think no one in the Senate has such a personal experience as I have had. And it is my dream that I will be invited to do that again, Mr. President.

So on that note, I of course express my deep support for the continued diplomatic relations with South Korea. Thank you.