Senator Legarda Visits Litoměřice and Prague to Further Boost Cultural Diplomacy in Czech Republic

The Philippine-Czech Museum established in 2009, houses literary collection of Professor Ferdinand Blumentritt and memorabilias and manuscripts of Dr. Jose Rizal as well as Philippine cultural displays. The 4-storey Bastion serves as the Sentro Rizal Filipino or Rizal Center in the Czech Republic.

PRAGUE 23 April 2018 – The Philippine Embassy in Prague reported that Senator Loren Legarda made a visit to the cities of Prague and Litomerice, the Czech Republic on 05-07 April, immediately after her participation in the 138th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Geneva, Switzerland and at the Opening of the Hibla ng Lahing Filipino Travelling Exhibition held at the Philippine Embassy in Lisbon, Portugal. 

Senator Legarda visited Litoměřice for the Rizal-Blumentritt Historic Trail organized by the Philippine Embassy in Prague. The Senator visited the Philippine-Czech Museum and the Busts of Rizal at Salva Guarda Hotel and Blumentritt’ bust.

In Prague, the Senator held meetings with Dr. Michel Lukes, the Director-General of the Czech National Museum; Director Helena Koenigsmarkova of the Museum of Decorative Arts and Mr. Pavel Onderka, Curator at the Mueseum of Ethnography to discuss possible collaboration between the Philippines and the Czech Republic in holding exhibitions such as the works of Federico Aguilar Alcuaz, Philippines’ National Artist for Visual Arts, Painting, Sculpture and Mixed Media, who learned Art Protis, a Czech textile tecnology created in Brno, Czech Republic. The Senator also promoted the Hibla ng Lahing Filipino Travelling Exhibition, which will feature Philippine fabric such as abaca, jusi, pina and pina-seda. 

The Senator has committed to fund the exhibit in cooperation with the National Museums of both the Philippines and the Czech Republic. These exhibits will form part of the Philippines’ Independence day celebration in Prague in June 2019.

Senator Legarda also made a pilgrimage to miraculous image of Infant of Prague (Santo Niňo de Praga) at the Church of Our Lady Victorius in Malá Strana. She also visited Pinoy Store, a Filipino convenience store, located in front of the Church where she was greeted by some of the members of the Filipino community in Prague. 

Philippine Chargé d’affaires, a.i. Juan E. Dayang, Jr. said that the visit of Senator Legarda to the Czech Republic boosted Philippine-Czech bilateral cultural cooperation and mutual undestanding. He said that Senator Legarda’s project to bring the Art Protis of National Artist Federico Alcuaz work and the Hibla ng Lahing Filipino Travelling Exhibition in June 2019 will further strengthen the ties that bind Philippine-Czech relations, which is celebrating its 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2018. END

For more information, visit www.praguepe.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHinCzechRepublic/

Senator Legarda visits the Busts of Rizal at Salva Guarda Hotel and Blumentritt’s bust installed in a Park across the secondary school where he taught. In May 1887, Dr. Jose Rizal visited Litoměřice to meet Blumentritt, a native of Litomerice, who was Rizal’s close friend and collaborator.

Senator meets with Dr. Michel Lukeš, the Director-General of the Czech National Museum to discuss possible collaboration between the Philippines and the Czech Republic in holding exhibitions

Senator Legarda also visits the work studio of Mr. Milan Pekař, Assistant Professor at Studio of Ceramics and Porcelain Academy of Arts Architecture & Design in Prague. His work focuses mainly on porcelain and development of his own glaze using crystals. His collection is currently on exhibit at the Museum of Decorative Arts.