19 August 2020 - The month of August is a month of pride for the Philippines as the country commemorates the “Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa” (Language Month) and “Buwan ng Kasaysayan” (History Month). In commemoration of these two national occasions, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will hold virtual celebrations that will highlight our country’s rich language and history.

In collaboration with the National Quincentennial Committee (NQC), the DFA will broadcast on its Facebook page two online lectures that will deepen the understanding of Philippine history through "Countdown to 500 Online Lectures Live."

The first lecture for this month entitled, “Our Ancestors and World Trade in Pre-Hispanic Times,” was broadcast on 11 August; while the second lecture, “From Magellan to Quezon: Our Heritage of Compassion,” will be on 19 August 2020. Both online live lecture series will be streamed live at 10:00 a.m. (PST) via the NQC Official Facebook page and cross-posted on the DFA Official Facebook page https://facebook.com/dfaphl where the lectures can be viewed after broadcast as well.

Aside from the online lecture series, a lecture and workshop on the Philippine indigenous scripts will be held by the DFA on its official Facebook page on 22 August 2020, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m (PST).

The workshop entitled, “Sulat Sinauna: Talakayan Tungkol sa mga Sinaunang Sulat ng Bansa” will begin with a short lecture on ancient Philippine scripts by National Historical Commission of the Philippines Senior Researcher Ian Christopher B. Alfonso, followed by the workshop proper on Baybayin, led by Mr. Leo Emmanuel Castro of Hibla Sanghabi. The workshop will then conclude with an open forum wherein participants can feed their curiosity and engage in discussion with the Philippine script experts.

The workshop, which is open to everyone, is in collaboration with Project Saysay, a non-government youth organization that actively champions popularization and visualization of Philippine history since 2013.

While the workshop is free for all who wish to view it, those who want to actively participate and receive a certificate at the end of the session may register for free through https://forms.gle/wY2WYULeKvswg6g99.

The online events, which are held in view of the challenges brought about by the pandemic, are led by the DFA Office of Strategic Communications and Research – Cultural Diplomacy Division. END