24 July 2015 - Philippine Ambassador to China Mrs. Erlinda F. Basilio led the Embassy personnel in paying meaningful tribute to Dr. Jose Rizal on his 154th birth anniversary, with the inauguration of Sentro Rizal at the chancery on Dr. Rizal’s birthday itself on 19 June 2015.
Special guests at the inauguration included Filipino students enrolled in various universities and colleges in Beijing and officials of China Radio International (CRI), particularly the CRI Filipino Service. Other members of the academe who were present were led by Prof. Shi Yang, Director of the Philippine Studies Section of Peking University (PKU) and Ms. Jade Xian, Filipino language instructor at the Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU), and students under the Philippine Studies program of PKU and Filipino language students at BFSU.
Highlights of the event included the ribbon-cutting to formally open the Embassy’s Sentro Rizal and the unveiling of its marker. The Embassy also found it fitting to screen the film “Jose Rizal: The Movie” that celebrates Dr. Rizal’s heroism, for which the Embassy thanks the Film Development Council of the Philippines and GMA Films.
Another focal point of the inauguration of the Sentro Rizal was the display of the “Colors of Freedom: The Sun and Stars: Stories Behind the Philippine Flag” exhibit at the Sentro Rizal that added historic and patriotic perspective to the event.
In line with the objectives of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Embassy’s Sentro Rizal will be a repository of materials and resources aimed at the promotion of Philippine arts, culture, heritage and language in the Chinese capital of Beijing and the rest of northern China.
For Filipinos in China, the Embassy’s Sentro Rizal is envisioned as an education and information center for them to better appreciate their Filipino heritage and to instill and deepen their love for and loyalty towards their homeland. It is also geared towards members of the Chinese public interested to learn more about Philippine arts, culture and heritage.
In Ambassador Basilio’s opening remarks at the event, she said, “We at the Philippine Embassy here in China will always find it a source of pride to have in the halls of the chancery a center named after our national hero.”
In an interview with China Radio International (CRI)’s Filipino Service, Ambassador Basilio underscored the importance of a center such as the Sentro Rizal in Beijing in highlighting the Philippines’ rich culture and heritage. She invited Filipino students in China to visit the center to learn more about their heritage.
A guest at the inauguration said, “The Embassy’s Sentro Rizal is not only an ideal venue for promote Filipino historical and cultural heritage and resources, but could also be the setting of cultural exchange activities with various sectors of Chinese society, such as the youth, women, children, the academic community and think tanks, among others, to strengthen mutual understanding and friendship.” END