SEOUL, 7 August 2014 – Five culture and arts specialists from the Philippinesparticipating in this year’s five-month Cultural Partnership Initiative (CPI) program offered their talents to the Filipino community during their stay in Korea until December this year during a visit to the Embassy on Thursday, 7 August 2014.

“It’s important not only to learn whatever you can here in Korea and to take it back home with you, but also to share our culture with Koreans and our fellow Filipinos living here in Korea if your time allows it,” Philippine Ambassador to South Korea Hernandez told them in during their call at the Embassy Chancery.

LinoMatalang, Jr. of the Cultural Center of the Philippines; Sheila dela Paz of the Japan Foundation / ICOMOS Philippines; Nicky Juanite and MalouMatute, both of the UP College of Music; and Raymond Anthony Suba of St. Paul’s College arrived in late June to start a resident fellowship at their Korean host organizations.

Matalang proposed organizing a small film festival for Filipinos based in Gangneung to enhance their appreciation of Philippine cinema, while Matute and Juanite said they could connect with Filipino community leaders in Gyeonggi Province to teach them traditional Filipino songs and dances for their performances here.

The five were accompaniedGoni Cha, CPI Secretariat staff based in the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute,Sung Hyun Park of the Andong Festival Tourism Foundationin Andong, 191km southeast of Seoul, and Jung Yeop Chun, Deputy Secretary General of the World Martial Arts Union (WMAU) based in Chungju, 105km southeast of the capital.

Theyare among 80 CPI fellows from40 different countries to be hosted by one of 16 cultural organizations for five months to learn Korean language and experience Korean arts and traditions, and at the same time to introduce their culture for the purpose of enhancing cultural diversity and building cultural networks.

Of the five, two are being hosted in Seoul: dela Paz who is training at the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation in the protection, conservation and transmission of cultural heritage; and Matute who is studying theory and practice of Korean traditional performing arts by the National Theater of Korea.

Matalangis studying local policies governing intangible culture through field work and conferences organized the Inter-City Intangible Cultural Network (ICCN) based in Gangneung in Gangwon Province. Juaniteis taking up theater performance by the AndongMaskdance and Music. Arnis expert Suba will be trained in the Korean martial arts of taekkyeon by the WMAU in Chungju.

The CPI is a special project of South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) to create a regular venue for cultural interchange among peers for specialists in the fields of culture, arts, industry, tourism, and physical education from Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Africa.

Since its establishment in 2005, CPI has invited 56 Filipinosto Korea, a total that places the Philippines among the top five country recipients of the cultural residency grant. Their ranks include musicians, visual artists, museum curators, art managers, cultural workers, tourism specialists, librarians, professors, and media practitioners.