PH Embassy in Beijing Screens Filipino Short Films for Pinoy Scholars

BEIJING 27 July 2023 –– The Philippine Embassy in Beijing organized a movie screening for Filipino scholars studying in different universities and colleges in Beijing on 15 July 2023. In partnership with the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), it featured the award-winning 2019 coming-of-age short film titled “Oppa-Wikan” by Tracy Tang and Hanz Florentino, and the acclaimed 2017 documentary about the bul-ul of the Igorot people titled “Hugô: A Hidden Past Revealed” by Rhadem Morados.

In his welcome remarks, Philippine Ambassador to China Jaime FlorCruz recognized the collective spirit of survival shown by the students through hardships brought about by extended lockdowns, remote classes, and quarantine requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. He looked back on his own experiences after intellectual curiosity led him to Beijing way back in the 1970s. He encouraged the students to make their time in the country even more worthwhile by doing internship or volunteer work and to give back to their family and community when they return home to the Philippines.

An open forum was held afterwards. Ambassador FlorCruz, his spouse Mme. Ana Segovia FlorCruz and the students shared their views about the themes tacked in the short films such as self-discovery, cultural awareness, and national patrimony. They also shared some thoughts about the challenges they faced and the learnings they picked up while navigating life as an expatriate.

The participants partook in a reception or salo-salo of Filipino merienda (light meals), where they continued to engage in networking and conversations about student life.

The event is a flagship cultural diplomacy project of the Embassy, which aims to reach out to Filipino students in China and to inculcate a strong bond with national identity and culture. Affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, their community started to recover in August 2022 when, through the combined efforts of the Philippine Embassy in Beijing and other Philippine Government offices, China reinstated the issuance of student visas to Filipinos. END

For more information, visit https://www.beijingpe.dfa.gov.ph.