PH Embassy Inaugurates Sentro Rizal in Hanoi
Philippine Ambassador to Vietnam Meynardo LB. Montealegre and Executive Director Oscar G. Casaysay of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts unveils the Sentro Rizal marker at the Philippine Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam on 21 June 2022. (Hanoi PE photo)
HANOI 27 June 2022 — Philippine Ambassador to Vietnam Meynardo LB. Montealegre and Executive Director Oscar G. Casaysay of the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts (NCCA) inaugurated Sentro Rizal in Hanoi on 21 June 2022, together with the members of the Filipino Community in Vietnam.
Ambassador Montealegre, quoting Dr. Rizal’s words when he wrote to the young women of Malolos in 1889, said, “Ignorance is like slavery because whatever the mind thinks, that is how the person will act. A person who does not have a mind of his or her own is not a person. A person who is blind from knowledge will follow what others will say and that person is no different from an animal who will blindly follow the leash. I encourage all of you, through our Sentro Rizal, to spread our heritage to family and friends in Vietnam so that they may understand us deeper and foster a more accepting and understanding international community.”
NCCA Executive Director Casaysay emphasized that each Filipino in Vietnam is a bearer of Philippine culture. “I encourage everyone to learn more about our heritage, develop programs that nurture our identity, and reinforce our activities for a creative and inclusive community. Makilahok, maki-alam, makisama sa pangangalaga at pagpapayabong ng ating kultura dito sa Sentro Rizal Hanoi. Together, let us be proud of our identity and culture, and forge ahead, strong and proud of our genius and heritage,” Executive Director Casaysay said to the attendees.
During the inauguration ceremony, both the NCCA and the Philippine Embassy in Hanoi signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which spells out the undertaking of both agencies for the maintenance and utilization of the Sentro Rizal. Executive Director Casaysay also took the opportunity to inspect the Rizal bust located at the Embassy grounds, which was unveiled by officials from the Philippine Embassy on 12 June during the commemoration of the 124th anniversary of Philippine Independence.
The Sentro Rizal Hanoi is part of the cultural diplomacy project of the Philippine Embassy and is supported by the NCCA through Republic Act no. 10066 or the Heritage Law. The Sentro Rizal’s main purpose is the promotion of Philippine arts, culture and language throughout the world. Aside from Sentro Rizal in Hanoi, there are also 36 Sentro Rizal all over the globe. END
Ambassador Montealegre signs the Memorandum of Understanding between the Philippine Embassy in Hanoi and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) for the establishment of the Sentro Rizal Hanoi, with NCCA Executive Director Oscar G. Casaysay witnessing on behalf of NCCA Chairman Arsenio J. Lizaso. (Hanoi PE photo)
Philippine Ambassador Meynardo LB. Montealegre and Executive Director Oscar G. Casaysay of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts in Hanoi, Vietnam on 21 June 2022. (Hanoi PE photo)
For more information, visit https://www.hanoipe.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHinVietnam/.