'Sentro Rizal' cultural center launched in Oman

As the Philippines marked its 114th Independence Day on June 12, the Philippines launched in Oman the Middle East's first "Sentro Rizal," a cultural center and library dedicated to Philippine national hero Dr. Jose Rizal. The Sentro Rizal allows Filipino expatriates in Oman and their children to reconnect with their homeland through books, films and other published materials. "The collection at Muscat's Sentro Rizal library includes donations by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), the Ayala Foundation's Filipinas Heritage Library, the Ateneo de Manila University, the Film Development Council of the Philippines, and the Film Academy of the Philippines," the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a news release.  In time for the inauguration on June 12, a marble sculpture of Rizal created by Filipino artist Anastacio Caedo was flown in from Manila. NCCA Chairman Professor Felipe de Leon Jr., and Executive Director Emelita Almosara donated the Rizal bust. Also, the library also contains a section on Islam and Filipino Muslims, Oman, and the different countries in Asia. Books for the Asian collection were presented by spouses of the Asian ambassadors in Muscat at a luncheon held at the Sentro Rizal hall last June 13. The Sentro Rizal was created under the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 to promote Philippine culture and heritage in the world. It was envisioned "as the Philippine counterpart of France's Alliance Française or Germany's Goethe-Institut." The NCCA opened the world's first Sentro Rizal in Intramuros on June 28, 2012, the 150th birth anniversary of Rizal. In showing the library to guests that included Omani officials, local media and library patrons, Philippine Ambassador to Oman Joselito Jimeno reiterated Sentro Rizal "will bring the richness of Philippine arts, culture, history, and language to Oman." Muhammad bin Obeid Al-Maskari, Library Head of the Ministry of Heritage and Culture, told the Times of Oman that "such initiatives by local embassies contribute a lot to developing cultural ties between expat communities and Omani people." - VVP, GMA News