First Portuguese Pocketbook Edition of Noli Me Tangere Featured in Plano Nacional de Leitura 2027

Dr. Jose Rizal’s classic Noli Me Tangere translated into Portuguese is featured in Portugal’s Plano Nacional de Leitura 2027. (Lisbon PE Photo)

LISBON 03 January 2023 – In time for the celebration of Rizal Day, the Philippine Embassy in Portugal announced the inclusion of the first Portuguese pocketbook edition of Noli Me Tangere, published by Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial, in Portugal's esteemed Plano Nacional de Leitura 2027 (National Reading Plan 2027).

The Plano Nacional de Leitura (PNL) is a collaborative initiative involving key Portuguese Ministries for Education, Culture, Science, Technology, and Higher Education, among others. The event is dedicated to enhancing the reading habits and skills of the Portuguese population and aims to develop critical and independent citizens through the implementation and development of public reading policies. The decision to include Dr. Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere in the PNL highlights the novel's universal appeal and enduring relevance; reflecting the Philippine Embassy's dedication to promoting an understanding of Philippine culture and literature.

For the first time, the PNL innovatively introduced its book lists through an online catalog, developed in collaboration with the Rede de Bibliotecas de Lisboa (BLX) (Lisbon Library Network). This initiative significantly enhances accessibility to the PNL’s literary recommendations for readers, educators, and literature enthusiasts across Portugal, including the accessible Portuguese edition of Noli Me Tangere.

The realization of the first Portuguese pocketbook edition of Dr. Rizal’s masterpiece is a collaborative project initiated by the Philippine Embassy in Portugal, in close partnership with the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences and the Center for the Humanities (CHAM) of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa. This achievement not only honors a literary classic but also strengthens the cultural ties and shared values between the Philippines and Portugal.

This development reaffirms the Philippines’ and Portugal’s commitment to building stronger people-to-people connections and promoting mutual appreciation through significant cultural endeavors such as this. END

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