GOVPH

PH Embassy hosts Paralympics

PH Embassy hosts Paralympics delegation with Filipino community in Paris

01 September 2024.The Philippine Embassy in France organized a community gathering on 1 September 2024 to pay tribute to the Philippine Paralympics team participating in Paris 2024. In attendance were Michael Barredo, the President of the Philippine Paralympics Committee, Richard Bachmann, Chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission, and Para athletes Ernie Gawilan, Cendy Asusano, Angel Mae Otom, Agustina Bantiloc, Jerrold Mangliwan, and Allain Ganapin, along with the Filipino community in Paris.

The Filipino community in Paris gladly welcomed and expressed their suppor to the Philippine Paralympics team  

Philippine Paralympic Committee (PPC) President Michael Barredo thanked the Filipino community in Paris for their steadfast support to the athletes and extolled the hard work, diligence  and determination of Philippine para athletes

Ambassador Junever Mahilum-West, the Philippine Ambassador to France, led the Embassy in warmly receiving the Philippine Paralympics team, emphasizing the significance of the occasion for the Filipino community in Paris. France is hosting the Paralympic Games for the first time in history, following the recently concluded Olympics which it hosted again after a century. The Ambassador highlighted the importance of inclusion and empowering individuals with disabilities.

Jerrold Mangliwan, Filipino para athlete and wheelchair racer, thanked the community for their support to the Philippine delegation

During the event, the documentary film "Super-Able" was shown, depicting the inspiring journey of Marites Burce, a Filipino para athlete who overcame challenges due to her disability. The powerful documentary illustrated the resilience and determination of Paralympians to succeed in the face of adversity.

The Filipino community and the Paralympics delegation watches “Super-Able” a documentary about former Philippine Paralympian Marites Burce   

Ambassador Junever Mahilum-West (center right) and Deputy Chief of Mission Eric Tamayo (far left) warmly welcomed PSC Chairman Richard Bachmann (center left), PPC President Barredo (center), and PPC Secretary General Godofredo Custodio (far right)

The Paralympic Games opened on 28 August 2024  and are scheduled to continue until 8 September 2024. Along with the Filipino community in Paris, the Philippine Embassy lauds the courage and determination of the Philippine Paralympic delegation. END. 

Pabatid

The Filipino (Retro)Romanticist

The Filipino (Retro)Romanticist: PH Embassy in Paris holds lecture on Nick Joaquin works for History Month

31 August 2024. The Philippine Embassy in France hosts a lecture on the translation and analysis of Nick Joaquin Short Stories by Professor Luis Castellví Laukamp on 30 August 2024 in honor of History Month. Embassy personnel and members of the Filipino community joined the session onsite and through Facebook live.

Prof. Castellví Laukamp delivers the lecture on Nick Joaquin’s works to the Philippine Embassy personnel and members of the Filipino community. 

Professor Castellví Laukamp discussed his analysis on three selected works of Nick Joaquin namely, The Mass of St. Sylvester, The Legend of the Virgin’s Jewel, and Doña Jeronima. He explored the genre and elements in Nick Joaquin’s works contextualized in important periods of Philippine history, i.e., Hispanic and American periods. The exploration of his works also calls for a comparative analysis with Spanish and other postcolonial Hispanic writers. 

Ambassador Junever Mahilum-West welcomed the audience to the talk and reminded them of the observances it aligned to, i.e., National Language Month and History Month. 

The guest lecturer donated a copy of his recently published book entitled La mujer con dos ombligos: Cuentos y leyendas de Filipinas (Pre-Textos, 2023), the first anthology of Nick Joaquin’s short stories ever published in Spanish. His work was made possible by a grant from the Philippines’ National Book Development Board which also awarded a second grant on his second proposal on the work of another Filipino author, Professor. Jose Dalisay, Jr. 

The Embassy's library welcomes the donated copy of Prof. Castellví Laukamp’s La mujer con dos ombligos: Cuentos y leyendas de Filipinas (Pre-Textos, 2023). 

Members of the audience actively participated during the lectures’s Q&A session. Questions ranging from the author’s interest in Philippine culture and history, Nick Joaquin’s genre, and insights on promoting study of historical authors were raised among others. 

Members of the audience pose for a photo with lecturer Prof. Castellví Laukamp and Embassy personnel. 

Through activities like this lecture, transcending language and history, the Embassy strategically engages the public to wider and deeper conversations exploring the Filipino identity and heritage. END.

PH Embassy holds Baybayin Workshop with CalligraFilipino Artist for Language and History Month

17 August 2024. In honor of the 2024 National Language Month and History Month, the Philippine Embassy in France organized a calligraphy workshop on Baybayin on 16 August 2024. The workshop was primarily attended by Embassy personnel onsite and Filipino community members online. Its aim was to educate Embassy staff about the Baybayin script and foster an appreciation for its role in Philippine pre-colonial history.

Philippine Ambassador to France, H.E. Junever Mahilum-West delivered her welcome remarks to onsite and online audience and emphasized the importance of learning baybayin. 

The workshop, led by CalligraFilipino artist Taipan Lucero, provided insights into the history of Baybayin, its function as a writing system, and held an onsite writing session, and calligraphy practice. Lucero, known for using calligraphy and art to attract interest in Baybayin, shared his experience in Japanese calligraphy, which inspired him to promote Baybayin calligraphy.

CalligraFilipino artist, Taipan Lucero, discusses his experience in Japanese calligraphy as part of his inspiration to promote baybayin calligraphy as an art form.

Embassy personnel found the session engaging and relevant, recognizing the cultural diplomacy opportunities inherent in native art forms like CalligraFilipino. In France, calligraphy has roots dating back to the Middle Ages, utilized in specialized manuscripts and Catholic writings.

Embassy personnel eagerly participate in the baybayin workshop. 

The Philippines is aspiring to include baybayin in UNESCO's Memory of the World International Register, reflecting its commitment to preserving this documentary heritage. UNESCO Permanent Representative, Ambassador Junever Mahilum-West highlighted the workshop's importance in showcasing the Philippines' linguistic and cultural diversity, underscoring the country's rich heritage of writing systems, languages, and societal structures from pre-colonial times.END