10 December 2020 – The Philippine Embassy in Ankara organized a digital cultural activity with the Bilkent University in Ankara to introduce Philippine dance to Turkish students completing degrees in Arts and Culture on 7 December 2020.
In his remarks, H.E. Raul S. Hernandez gave an introduction on the Philippines and the numerous and diverse cultures that contribute to its national heritage. The Ambassador stated that “through teaching about culture and interacting with people of different races, ethnicities or backgrounds, we often find that we share a common ground and we also often find that there is much more to share with one another than we originally imagined.” Speaking to the students, the Ambassador stated that by learning about Philippine culture, the students will gain a deeper appreciation for both their own culture and the culture of the world around them.
Dr. Leilani L. Gonzalo, a Professor in the University of the Philippines-College of Human Kinetics, served as the Embassy’s resource speaker and gave the students an overview of the history, formation and evolution of Philippine dance. The Professor also made use of visual presentations to introduce different forms of Philippine dance that students were seeing for the first time.
The event, attended by around 60 people, was the first-ever cultural activity held by the Embassy designed specifically for university students. END
