Philippine Embassy Inaugurates Sentro Rizal in Tokyo

Photo credit: Mark Akim

Philippine Ambassador to Japan Jose C. Laurel V and National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Chairperson and National Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario led the inauguration ceremony of Sentro Rizal on December 8 at the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo.

Laurel, in his remarks, talked about the sojourn of Dr. Jose Rizal in Japan on February 28 – April 13, 1888 and the National Hero’s prophetic words that “I have stayed here longer than I intended, for the country seems to me very interesting and because in the future, we shall have much to do and deal with Japan.” He also mentioned that the Philippines and Japan celebrated the 60th year of the normalization of Philippine-Japan diplomatic relations and is now on their way to a golden age of strategic partnership.

The establishment of Sentro Rizal is mandated by the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 which states that “Sentro Rizal shall have branches or offices in countries where there are children of overseas Filipino workers who need to be educated about their roots, as well as developed countries where there are large Filipino communities.” Sentro Rizal – Tokyo is now the 27th Sentro Rizal branch to be inaugurated outside the Philippines.