06 December 2016, Rome – The Philippine Embassy in Rome, Italy and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) launched the Sentro Rizal Rome Branch on 29 November 2016.

During the inauguration, Philippine Ambassador to Italy Domingo P. Nolasco, Jr., and NCCA Chairman Felipe de Leon, Jr. signed a memorandum of understanding on Sentro Rizal between the Embassy and the NCCA and did a ceremonial ribbon cutting to officially open the Sentro Rizal.

The launch was filled with Filipino community members, including Filipino youth, members of the diplomatic and art community, and officials of the Knights of Rizal, a non-government association dedicated to promoting Dr. Jose Rizal’s work.

“With a Sentro Rizal branch in Rome, Filipinos, Italians, and anyone interested, will have access to programs and activities on Philippine culture, arts, and language. We will have a physical space where children of overseas Filipinos can be educated of their roots and the interested to learn about the Philippines,” said Ambassador Domingo P. Nolasco during his welcome remarks.

During the event, Chairman de Leon gave a lecture on the Filipino World View, discussing the unique “genius” of Filipinos as a culture and why overseas Filipinos have been successful abroad. The lecture provided an opportunity for Italians and Filipino-Italians to have a better understanding of Filipino culture.

Curators from the Philippine Pavilion at the 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale, Architects Juan Paolo dela Cruz and Sudarshan Khadka, Jr. also gave a lecture on the Philippines’ exhibit in the biennale. They discussed the current state Philippine architecture and urban development in Metro Manila. END