Samot-Saring Hiraya Enchants Kids Through Filipino Storytelling 

(Left to right, clockwise): Storytellers - April Coronel, Jael Selag, Jay Menes and Dom Agcaoili. (Photo credit: DFA OPCD).

PASAY CITY 25 August 2023 – In celebration of Buwan ng Wika 2023, the Department of Foreign Affairs - Office of Public and Cultural Diplomacy, in cooperation with Storyhouse Philippines, conducted an oral storytelling event entitled “Samot-Saring Hiraya: Imagination through Filipino Stories'' at the DFA Daycare Center. Buwan ng Wika is held every August with this year’s theme being “Filipino at mga Katutubong Wika: Wika ng Kapayapaan, Seguridad, at Ingklusibong Pagpapatupad ng Katarungang Panlipunan.”

 The storytelling event aims to promote Filipino culture and tradition and emphasize Filipino values through featured children’s stories that were narrated in English and Filipino. The storytellers regaled the audience with the following tales:  “Bakit may Batik ang Buwan (Why Does the Moon Have Spots?)”, “Ang Dalawang Magtrotroso at ang Engkantada (The Two Lumberjacks and an Enchantress)”, “The First Monkey”, “Si Pagong at si Matsing (The Monkey and the Turtle)”, and “Hugo, the Troublemaker”.

In his speech, DFA Office of Public Cultural Diplomacy (OPCD) Deputy Assistant Secretary and Executive Director Gonaranao Musor emphasized the importance of the Philippines’ storytelling heritage: “Likas sa ating kultura ang pagiging malikhain. Masasalamin ito sa ating napakasiglang kultura ng ‘storytelling’ o kuwentuhan. Ang mga kwento ay nagsisilbi ring tulay ng ating mga ninuno na naglalayong isalin sa mga kabataan ang kasaysayan at mga kalinangan ng mga nakalipas na panahon. (Creativity is inherent in our culture. This is emulated by the vibrant culture of storytelling in our country. Stories serve as our link to our ancestors, as they transmit the history and knowledge systems of the ancient times to the younger generation)”.

The storytelling event was attended by DFA Day Care students, parents and guardians, and DFA Officers and personnel. Foreign Service Posts across different countries also joined the event through the online Zoom platform. The event was also live streamed via the DFA’s official Facebook page and Youtube channels. END

DFA Daycare Kids with Storytellers - April Coronel, Jay Menes, Jael Selag, and Dom Agcaoili. (Photo credit: DFA OPCD)

DFA-OPCD headed by Deputy Assistant Secretary Gonaranao Musor (middle of the photo) with Storytellers - Jay Menes, April Coronel, Jael Selag, and Dom Agcaoili; and DFA Daycare Kids. (Photo credit: DFA OPCD).