Macao News https://macaonews.org Tue, 12 Dec 2023 00:20:29 +0000 Fri, 07 Aug 2020 10:15:42 +0800 Macao News 28297 2021-02-03 10:00:11 2020-08-07 10:15:42 Rodrigo Brum – former Deputy Secretary-General (appointed by the Portuguese-speaking countries) of the Forum Macao – bridging relations between China and Portuguese-speaking countries with ease.]]>ROLE Former Deputy Secretary-General (appointed by the Portuguese-speaking countries) of the Forum Macao, replaced by São Tomean ambassador Paulo Jorge Espírito Santo on 14 October 2020. AGE 63 [10/05/1957] BORN Lourenço Marques (now known as Maputo), Mozambique  EDUCATION Bachelor of Civil Engineering, University College London (UCL); Diploma in Management and Business Administration, University of Lisbon; Masters in Business Administration (MBA), New University of Lisbon LANGUAGES English, French, Italian and Portuguese PREVIOUS ROLES 2017 - To date >> Deputy Secretary-General (appointed by the Portuguese-speaking countries) of the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries (Macao) 2015 - 2016 >> President of management board at MAR2020  2014 - 2015 >> Deputy Coordinator of Operational Fisheries Programme (PROMAR) 2012 - 2014 >> Executive Board Member of The Portuguese Mint and Official Printing Office (INCM) 2012 - 2013 >> Chairman of Legis Trust; Chairman of Multicert 2010 - 2012 >> Secretary-General of PO Algarve21 2007 - 2009 >> Managing Director of EuroChina, Projectos e Investimentos, Lda; Managing Director MacauTech, New Technologies and Development Center Ltd 2007 - 2008 >> Managing Director of 3D Cities Macau, Ltd; Board member of 3D Cities, Sistemas Digitais Tridimensionais, SA 2005 - 2006 >> Executive Board Member at API Parques, Gestão de Parques Empresariais, SA 2003 - 2004 >> Executive Board Member at API Capital, Sociedade de Capital de Risco, SA 2002 - 2003 >> Guest Lecturer at the Lisbon School of Economics & Management (ISEG); Board Member at HARII-Development of Timor Lorosae SGPS, SA; Board Member of Cabelte, SGPS, SA 2001 - 2002 >> Executive Board Member of IPE, Estudos e Projectos Internacionais SA 1995 - 2001 >> Board Member at Lei Pou Fat; Board Member at Lei Tin; Board Member at San Vai Ip; Board Member at San Hou Kong; Board Member at San Hung Fat; Board Member at Tai Lei Loi 1996 - 2000 >> Chairman and Managing Director of Sociedade do Parque Industrial da Concordia (SPIC); Advisor to the Board at the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) 1992 - 1999 >> Government Representative to the Board of SLOT - Sociedade de Lotarias e Apostas Mutuas de Macau 1991 - 1996 >> Chief of Cabinet for Economy and Finance of Portuguese-Macao government  1989 - 1991 >> United Nations Development Programme Consultant; Director of Assessores de Investimento, Lda; Board member at Registrade, SARL 1987 - 1989 >> Project manager at the Portuguese Foreign Investment Institute’s US Desk 1982 - 1986 >> Economist at the Studies Department of the Portuguese Foreign Investment Institute REPLACES Vicente de Jesus Manuel DID YOU KNOW Rodrigo Brum’s stories are so numerous that they can easily fill the pages of a book. Sitting down with Brum over a dim sum overlooking Praça de Ferreira do Amaral in Macao, he shares with us some stories from his past: “My boat was the last one to navigate the waters of China with a Portuguese flag,” says Brum with a grin. “Just before the handover of administration from Portugal to China [on 19 December 1999], China closed the air and seaspace for a few days. On that day, there were no longer any privately owned boats leaving the docks and going out to sea, but I did, passing a few navy ships and saluting them as I had done over the past few days. They were surprised at my venturing out and eventually I was shown my way back to the inner harbour. A lover of the sea, many of his stories revolve around boats and the ocean. “At that time [late 1990s], I lived at the Westin [now Grand Coloane Resort] for a year and a half and when I was on the sea, going from one island to another with friends, I would call Westin’s room service and they would bring me the meals onto the boat, using the same dinghy they use to pick up floating golf balls. Can you imagine? Five-star room service on a private cabin cruiser!” Travelling through the waters of Macao also gave him insights into what was happening across the border. He was one of the first people to watch and be involved in Hengqin's initial landfill. “I saw Hengqin grow,” he explains.  “Back then, I visited Hengqin at the invitation of local Chinese authorities and a proposal was discussed between us to set up an industrial park area on the land opposite Concordia park, managed by the same Macao regulations. Maybe it isn’t a coincidence that the University of Macau sits today on a one-square kilometre land of Hengqin, facing Concordia as I had suggested, under Macao’s jurisdiction and with a direct tunnel to Cotai.” Brum's love for the sea began at an early age in Mozambique. With its crystal clear, blue Indian ocean, he first took the helm of a boat when he was only six years old and today, he proudly holds a coastal pilot, sailor and diving licenses. “Living by the sea is very important to me,” says Brum. When asked which country or city he has liked the most throughout his career, he laughs and says, “Although this may sound too politically correct, I admit that Macao really is where I feel most at home.”   ]]> Mon, 18 Mar 2019 16:03:38 +0800 Catarina Brites Soares 17855 2021-02-03 09:56:43 2019-03-18 16:03:38 Setting aside his interests in architecture and interior design, Paulo Cunha Alves focused on his stronger passion for people and cultures on an international scale. Being fluent in almost four languages, he makes a great candidate for his profession. After gaining experience in many communities around the world, he is happily posted in Macao as the Portuguese Consul-General.]]>Macao In October 2018 he was posted for the first time to Asia, as Consul-General for Macao and Hong Kong. “It hasn’t been hard to adjust. I think we Portuguese feel cultural differences distinctly. I feel at home. It’s very pleasant to see the names of streets and bus destinations, and to be able to speak with nearly all members of the local government in Portuguese,” he says. Here, as with previous posts, the priorities are to serve the Portuguese community and to represent the country well. “One of the main roles is to show what Portugal is today: a modern, enterprising country, very much linked to science and technologies.” Despite this being his first professional assignment in the Far East, the culture seems familiar to him. For Alves devotes his free time, “which isn’t a lot”, to antiquities. And besides his appreciation of French 18^th century drawings and prints, he collects Chinese export porcelain. Indeed, he and his ex-wife are co-authors of a book titled “From East to West – The Quest for Chinese Export Porcelain with Western Themes (1695-1815)”. “The urge is always there. Every once in a while I take a look at the catalogues and buy whenever I find something very special. I can’t resist.”  ]]> Fri, 15 Mar 2019 10:45:45 +0800 Catarina Brites Soares 17840 2021-02-03 09:58:47 2019-03-15 10:45:45 Rafael Custódio Marque is the Consul General of Mozambique in Macau. He opened the first Consulate General in the Special Administrative Region of Macau in 2014.]]> Fri, 06 Jan 2017 20:06:20 +0800 Leonor Sá Machado 10992 2021-07-28 14:53:19 2017-01-06 20:06:20 Lilybeth R. Deapera was the Consul General at the Philippine Consulate General in Macao and held the post from January 2015 to 15 January 2021. Born 24 July 1960, she grew up in Quezon City, which is part of Metro Manila, the National Capital Region of the Philippines. She speaks fluent Tagalog, English and Spanish.]]>15 January 2021, with Porfirio Mayo taking over her post in July 2021. Born 24 July 1960, she grew up in Quezon City, which is part of Metro Manila, the National Capital Region of the Philippines. She speaks fluent Tagalog, English and Spanish. The eldest of six daughters, Deapera grew up with a sense of responsibility, and she attributes her parents with greatly influencing her formative years as well as her development. “My father is a combination of conservative and liberal. When we were growing up, he used to say we should not limit ourselves just because we were girls, and he always encouraged us to follow our dreams. We were taught to use a hammer and a saw by [him], and he is a better cook than my mother,” she remembers. Growing up, Deapera’s household was not restricted by the concept of gender inequality, as her father also shared the domestic duties: “He knew how to do all those things: iron, clean and cook. Whenever my mother could not take care of the house, he did it.” Deapera’s passion for diplomacy was a seed planted many years ago when a grade school assignment required her to prepare a speech pretending to be someone important. Her father helped her prepare it from the perspective of an ambassador. From a very young age, Deapera’s parents encouraged her ambitions by providing a supportive environment, teaching her to read by the age of five. “Filipino parents put great emphasis on education, no matter their socioeconomic situation. Mine did as well, and this motivated us to study more and get scholarships to continue our education.” Deapera initially chose to focus on the sciences in high school, but as she struggled with math and really enjoyed reading, she redirected her focus to foreign services, which had a strong language and literature component (and very little math). After completing her bachelor’s degree in 1980 from the University of the Philippines, she looked for a job in her field for three months. When nothing came up, Deapera worked briefly as a secretary but knew it was not the career of her dreams, and so she went on to pursue a second degree, this time in economics. “My experience taught me that I was not marketable with my Foreign Service degree, so I had to do something to change that.” After a year, she decided that it would be better to shift to a post-graduate course. She completed her Masters in Public Administration in 1990, from the National College of Public Administration and Governance, University of the Philippines. After passing a battery of tests to qualify as a Foreign Service Officer, Deapera embarked upon her diplomatic career: her first posting was as Vice-Consul, then Consul at the Philippines Embassy in the United Kingdom from October 1996 to September 2003. “I was mainly dealing with consular affairs and meeting with members from international delegations. The bottom line is that you keep looking out for and caring for the interests of the country you represent,” she explains. She also took advantage of her time there to get a Certificate in International Studies (2000) from the University of London. Deapera returned to the Philippines following her UK posting. After working in her native country for two years, she embarked on another adventure—this time to Venezuela for two years followed by four years in Mexico. She acknowledges that every experience is different, with each country having “its charms”. Her South American experience lasted from September 2005 to December 2011. She was the Consul at the Philippines Embassy in Caracas (Venezuela) from 2005 to 2007. She then held the same position, this time in Mexico, where she stayed from 2007 until 2011. “I had to brush up on my Spanish, or I would not have survived!” After Mexico, Deapera returned to the Philippines again for three more years. She arrived in Macao January 2015: “My government invited me to serve in Chile as an ambassador in December 2015, but I chose to stay here.” Since the election of the Philippines’ new president in 2016, the Consul General has asked to be allowed to continue on in Macao. Deapera confesses to enjoying reading and watching TV in her spare time. She also relishes sleeping and relaxing, playfully adding, “I also love travelling, but I hate to pack and unpack!”  ]]>