Philippine Embassy Shares First Portuguese Pocketbook Edition of Noli Me Tangere with Portuguese-Speaking Communities of the World

LISBON 17 May 2024 – In celebration of Dia Mundial de Língua Portuguesa or the UNESCO Day of the Portuguese Language on 05 May 2024, the Philippine Embassy in Portugal, in partnership with the Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa (CPLP - Community of Portuguese Speaking Nations), held a book launch of the first Portuguese pocketbook edition of Noli Me Tangere, published by Penguin Random House Portugal, on 14 May 2024 at the CPLP auditorium.

The book launch commenced with brief remarks from CPLP Executive Secretary Zacarias da Costa who commended the Philippine Embassy for initiating the endeavor of sharing an important piece of Philippine literature with the Portuguese-speaking community. 

In his remarks, the Philippine Ambassador to Portugal, Paul Raymund P. Cortes conveyed his appreciation to the CPLP for supporting the Philippine Embassy’s initiative to generate broader interest and enhance a deeper appreciation of Philippine culture. Ambassador Cortes cited  “it is our hope that through this event the Portuguese-speaking community will become aware and will appreciate more the history, culture and people of the Philippines”.  He also thanked the men and women behind the book project of the Embassy. 

Professors Paulo Pinto and Isabel Branco from Universidade Nova de Lisboa, along with translators, Mr. Àlex Tarradellas and Ms. Rita Custódio, formed a panel that discussed their views on the novel and its author, the translation project’s challenges and nuances, and the book’s relevance to Philippine-Portuguese relations.

The program concluded with Ambassador Cortes presenting copies of the Portuguese Noli Me Tangere to the 9 CPLP members including Portugal, Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Guiné Equatorial, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe and Timor-Leste. 

The presentation of the first Portuguese pocketbook edition of the Noli Me Tangere to the CPLP member countries is one of the many cultural diplomacy endeavors undertaken by the Philippine Embassy that seeks to raise awareness and enhance a deeper understanding of the Philippines and its culture, thereby fostering stronger people-to-people linkages and mutual appreciation among the Philippines and the Portuguese speaking community. END

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