University in Madrid holds Hispanofilipino Literature course
A sampling of Filipino dishes were offered to the participants, which included pancit, as described in a chapter from Dr. Jose Rizal´s El Filibusterismo.
As part of its efforts to commemorate Philippine-Spanish Friendship, the Philippine Embassy in Madrid collaborated with Universidad Rey Juan Carlos in its summer course offering on “Hispanofilipino Literature.” The course was handled by Rocío Ortuño of the University of Antwerp and Professor Beatriz Álvarez Tardío of Universidad Rey Juan Carlos. Professor Tardio, the director of the summer course, approached the Embassy to collaborate on the course.
In his remarks during the course’s opening ceremony, Philippine Ambassador to Spain Philippe J. Lhuillier thanked the students for their interest in the Philippines, and expressed hope that the course would reinforce the special friendship and people-to-people relations that the Philippines and Spain enjoy.
The course took place at the University’s Campus de Vicálvaro and was open to the public, with over 70 participants registering for the week-long course. A limited number of attendees were allowed on campus, while the rest of the participants attended virtually.
On the first day, the embassy held a three-hour lecture on baybayin in Spanish, led by Citadel Muñoz Cruz. A sampling of Filipino dishes were offered to the participants, which included pancit, as described in a chapter from Dr. Jose Rizal´s El Filibusterismo.
Professor Daisy Reyes of the University of the Philippines (UP) lectured on poetry writing and Prof. Marlon James Salas of the University of Michigan lectured on colonial literature. Sally Gutierrez Dewar, a Spanish-British documentarist, showed an excerpt of her documentary “Ta acordaba tu el Filipinas (Do You Remember the Philippines),”which explores the ways that the Philippines adopted Spanish culture.
The summer course was made possible in part by a grant provided by Erasmus+, a European Union program that promotes and supports education, training, youth, and sports. www.philembassymadrid.com