Encyclopedia of PH Art Forms Part of Portugal’s National Library

Ambassador to Portugal Celia Anna M. Feria (right) presents the 12-volume Encyclopedia of Philippine Art to Dra. Maria Inês Cordeiro (left), Director General of the National Library of Portugal. (Lisbon PE photo)

LISBON 08 May 2019 -- Ambassador to Portugal Celia Anna M. Feria presented the 12-volume Encyclopedia of Philippine Art to Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal (National Library of Portugal or NLP) director general Dra. Maria Inês Cordeiro in Lisbon on 15 April 2019.

Director General Cordeiro was able to view and leaf through the pages of the encyclopedia volumes and was impressed by the high quality of the books’ contents, and told Ambassador Feria that these books must be shared with the public. The 12-volume encyclopedia is now part of the open reference section of the National Library of Portugal. 

Ambassador Feria thanked Director General Cordeiro for making available to the Portuguese public open access to these books which will contribute to a wider understanding of the Philippines in Portugal.  In addition, the Ambassador also donated to the National Library of Portugal a complete set books from Professor Ambeth Ocampo.

The library was the venue of a recent international seminar on the Philippines, entitled “Philippines, a Global Contact Zone: Transoceanic Connections (1521-1898)”. 

The seminar was held on 21-22 March 2019 and organized by the Center for Humanities of the Nova University of Lisbon, together with the Ateneo de Manila and the Universidad Pablo Olavide in Seville.

The Department of Foreign Affairs, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and the Philippine Embassy in Lisbon were among the Seminar’s sponsors.  Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Strategic Communications and Research Ernesto Abella and historian-professor Ambeth Ocampo represented the Philippines in the seminar.

The NLP is the largest library in Portugal and was created in 1796, after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake and fire which destroyed a huge portion of the city and its rich historical collection of books and manuscripts.  The NLP has as its primary role the collection and preservation of the national bibliography through legal deposits. END

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