FERDINAND ROMUALDEZ MARCOS JR.
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
ENRIQUE A. MANALO
SECRETARY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
JAIME VICTOR B. LEDDA
AMBASSADOR
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DFA Holds Special Free Screening of Tanghalang Pilipino’s Zarzuela “Walang Sugat”
To cap the virtual celebrations of “Buwan ng Pambansang Wika” (National Language Month) and “Buwan ng Kasaysayan” (History Month) held by the Department of Foreign Affairs this August, a special free screening of the classic zarzuela, “Walang Sugat (Unwounded),” will be held from 29 to 31 August 2020 through the DFA Official Website (https://tinyurl.com/DFAZarzuela).
An initiative of the DFA Office Strategic Communications and Research – Cultural Diplomacy Division, the special screening is in cooperation with the Cultural Center of the Philippines and Tanghalang Pilipino.
The Tagalog-language zarzuela “Walang Sugat,” which was written in 1898 by Severino Reyes, the Father of Tagalog Plays and Zarzuela and more popularly known for his pen name “Lola Basyang,” was first staged in 1902 at Teatro Libertad. For this special screening, the DFA will feature the Tanghalang Pilipino production which was mounted for its 26th Season in 2012.
In this production of the timeless classic zarzuela, the story of forbidden love amid the 1896 Philippine Revolutionary movement against the Spaniards was beautifully portrayed by soprano Cris Villonco who played the character of “Julia,” and the tenor Noel Rayos who played the role of “Temyong.”
Direction was done by Carlos Siguon-Reyna and for this production, Dr. Nicanor Tiongson, Fulgencio Tolentino, and Mike Velarde added some lines to the 1898 original work of the playwright. Nonoy Froilan took charge of choreography while Chino Toledo was in charge of the musical direction.
Zarzuela is a Spanish tradition that started in Spain in the 17th century which showed the cultures of Spain through music and dance. When it was introduced in the Philippines in the 19th Century by Spanish director Alejandro Cubero, the zarzuela transformed to narrate the contemporary socio-cultural-economic and political issues through songs, dances, and lyric poetry masked in romance.
Apart from this screening, the Tanghalang Pilipino will also be holding, “Handa Awit,” a special performance of songs from their previous musicals such as “Walang Sugat” and “Noli Me Tangere The Musical” on their YouTube Channel on 31 August 2020 at 6:00 p.m.
International Humanitarian Law Day 2020: “Preserving Human Dignity in Times of Armed Conflict: A Shared Responsibility”
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the member institutions of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Ad Hoc Committee created through Executive Order No. 134, s. 1999, join the entire country in the observance of IHL Day 2020 with the theme “Preserving Human Dignity in Times of Armed Conflict: A Shared Responsibility.”
The Philippines, as a Contracting Party to all four Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 and its three protocols, reaffirms its commitment to the effective implementation of IHL.
Flora de Filipinas: An online exhibit on the book on Philippine plants (17 to 31 August 2020)
In observance of National Language Month and History Month, the Department of Foreign Affairs reintroduces to the public the Flora de Filipinas, a collection of illustrations on Philippine flora that was diligently compiled by scientist Fr. Manuel Blanco, OSA and was first published in 1837.
An illustrated edition, which resulted to a five-volume work published between 1877 and 1883, features the drawings of Fray Mariano Fabregas, OSA; Fray Miguel Lucio, OFM; Agustin Saez, Ramon Santa Coloma, and Emma Vidal. Also included are the illustrations made by Filipino artists Cayetano Arguelles, Francisco Domingo, brothers Regino and Rosendo Garcia, Jose Lorenzo Guerrero, Isidro Llado, F. Pardo, Felix Martinez, R. L Salamanca, Miguel Zaragoza at Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo.
Filipinos can now access rare historical sources, downloadable in hi-resolution and for free, like the five-volume opus of Fr. Blanco (https://tinyurl.com/y5vf7nfg), thanks to the generosity of the Biblioteca Nacional de España (http://bdh-rd.bne.es/).
Featured here are the 15 laminas or botanical illustrations from Fr. Blanco. The DFA, in cooperation with Project Saysay, curated this series that highlights the role of the selected plants in Filipino society, culture, and history. Indigenous names are also written in baybayin, as DFA’s humble contribution in popularizing the use of one of the ancient scripts of the country.
On 22 August 2020, a lecture will be conducted about the said ancient scripts, coupled with a workshop, via the official Facebook page of DFA, in cooperation with Project Saysay Inc. as part of DFA’s cultural diplomacy efforts and to strengthen the cultural confidence of the Filipinos, here and abroad.
The Flora de Filipinas series is an official activity of the 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines.
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