Czech Republic Ambassador Jaroslav Olša, historian Ambeth Ocampo, writer and book author Jessica Zafra, and filmmaker Pepe Diokno launch travel show The Flip Trip
The travel tandem of filmmaker Pepe Diokno and writer and book author Jessica Zafra is back with a new series — this time in search of Filipino connections around the world. The Flip Trip is set to air on CNN Philippines starting April 8, 2018.
For the first season, Diokno and Zafra made an unexpected choice to visit the Czech Republic. Compared with Spain or the US (for obvious reasons), the connection between the Philippines and the Czech Republic seems thin. Yet, the tandem discovered that the connection lies on the close friendship between Philippine National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal and Ferdinand Blumentritt, well-known in Filipino history for his articles and books on the country and its ethnography.
“We wanted to go with something unexpected. The Czech Republic is not on top of many people’s minds. We got a beautiful partnership with the Czech Embassy. They invited us to come over. They helped us take care of the on-ground arrangements — from helping us with the itinerary to finding guides for us,” Diokno said.
Snippets from the series shown during the press launch event showed how a small Czech town, Litoměřice, became a destination to learn about Rizal as he stayed there for a week to visit his friend, Blumentritt. The town even has a Rizal Wall to commemorate the visit of the Filipino hero. Diokno and Zafra went on to show how many other places in the Czech Republic hold valuable Philippine artefacts like signed copies of the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.
According to historian Ambeth Ocampo, many famous Filipinos aside from Rizal have made a visit to the Czech Republic. “There were other Filipinos that visited like Juan Luna, the painter, was there for almost two months, and he did a lot of little drawings which he gave to the Blumentritts. There are other Filipinos that visited — Rafael Palma, the former President of the University of the Philippines,” Ocampo revealed. As a historian, Ocampo found many other traces of Filipino visitors and connections in the said country.
Even Czech Republic Ambassador to the Philippines Jaroslav Olša,Jr. attested to the number of Filipinos visiting the country. “There was President (Fidel) Ramos. There was also (former ARMM Governor) Nur Misuari, many former presidents and politicians that visited,” he said.
Aside from the historical connections between the countries, Diokno and Zafra cited similar qualities between Filipinos and the Czech people. Both are laid back and carry the same kind of humour which is both funny and self-deprecating. There is also a religious link between the two peoples as both have devotions to the Sto. Niño.
The six-episode pilot series, “Czech Trek”, will air on CNN Philippines and will be available on the Flip Trip YouTube channel. While waiting for the premiere on April 8, viewers can already watch Diokno and Zafra’s vlog here:
Stay updated with and find out more interesting content from The Flip Trip on their Facebook Page and Instagram Account.
