PH Embassy Inaugurates Sentro Rizal in Kuala Lumpur

Philippine Ambassador Maria Angela Ponce during her opening remarks in the inauguration. (Kuala Lumpur PE photo)

KUALA LUMPUR 10 June 2024 – The Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, in collaboration with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), successfully inaugurated Sentro Rizal Kuala Lumpur on 31 May 2024. The inauguration is part of the celebration of the 60th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between the Philippines and Malaysia, and aligns with National Heritage Month. Under the leadership of Ambassador Maria Angela Ponce, the inauguration marks a significant milestone for Philippine cultural diplomacy. 

The event was witnessed by Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Cultural Diplomacy Celia Anna M. Feria, Malaysian Chairperson of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies Datuk Professor Dr. Mohd Faiz Abdullah, Undersecretary for Southeast Asia Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dato Akmal Che Mutafa, and NCCA Youth and Sentro Rizal Ambassador Josh Cullen Santos of SB19. The Embassy extended its gratitude for their inspiring remarks during the event, as well as to Philippine Chairperson of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts Victorino Mapa Manalo for his unwavering support to ensure a successful establishment of the Sentro.

Members of the diplomatic corps, students, Malaysians, and members of the Filipino community graced the event. 

In her remarks, Ambassador Ponce noted that the Sentro Rizal in Kuala Lumpur completes the network of Sentros Rizal in ASEAN capital cities. She also highlighted how in 1995, then Deputy Prime Minister Anwar praised Rizal for inspiring the Asian Renaissance, stressing the significance of commemorating Dr. Rizal globally to understand and appreciate his many contributions and to inspire a new awakening in Asia.

Datuk Prof Faiz, the event’s guest-of-honor and an ardent admirer of Jose Rizal, underscored that the national hero’s unshakable humanism and sense of justice are very much relevant today as they were when he wrote Noli Me Tángere and El Filibusterismo. He emphasized that Rizal’s wisdom, spirit, and tenacity are not just worth preserving and emulating, but are very much in need at a time of tremendous uncertainty and inequity both within and among nations. 

The event featured a book reading session conducted by Mr. Josh Cullen Santos, who enthusiastically read Iba’t Ibang Lasa and Haluhalo Espesyal. Guests were also trated to a performance by Filipino-Malaysian artist Ms. Yasmin Aziz, followed by a cooking demonstration and lecture on Filipino Muslim food conducted by gastronomy expert Chef Datu Shariff Pendatun. Guests enjoyed partaking of the palapa (a condiment made of coconut and spices) and sangkerat (a banana dessert with coconut milk and pandan) that Chef Datu Shariff especially prepared for the evening. 

The opening of Sentro Rizal (SR) serves as a balangay that provides a platform for learning to enhance appreciation and understanding of Filipino language and culture, foster connections, and engage communities of overseas Filipinos.

Sentro Rizal Kuala Lumpur is the 38th Philippine cultural center globally and the 10th in the ASEAN region, bringing the country’s culture closer to the Filipino diaspora and our neighbors and friends around the world. END

Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Cultural Diplomacy Celia Anna M. Feria during her speech in the inauguration. (Kuala Lumpur PE photo)

For more information, visit https://www.kualalumpurpe.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.philembassykl.org.my, or https://www.facebook.com/PHinMalaysia/.