Spanish Program for Cultural Cooperation

Look back, move forward
Personal Fortune (January-February 2010)

Despite a troubled history, Philippine-Spanish relations continue to evolve, especially with the growing importance of the global Hispanic market in the world economy.

Spanish culture has spread- and evolved -in many parts of the world, resulting in a global Hispanic culture based on the customs, traditions, beliefs, food, costumes and celebratios of people from Spanish-speaking countries.

The Philippines may not be a Spanish-speaking country, but it still shares many of these cultural influences, owing to a shared heritage given the historically rich common past of the two countries that continues to be evident in the daily life of every Filipino. For example, despite a limited or lack of formal training in the Spanish language, FIlipinos often find themselves using Spanish words in their everyday conversations, such as when telling time. Read more...

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The Spanish Connection
People Asia (October-November 2009)

Distinguished and good looking, there is no mistaking the European lineage of Instituto Cervantes (IC) Manila director and Spanish Program for Cultural Cooperation (SPCC) general coordinator, Jose Rodriguez. Which is why it comes as a big surprise to ordinary Filipinos when they hear the Galician gentleman (he comes from the Spanish province of Ourense in the Northwestern autonomous region of Galicia) conversing in Tagalog, and that he is very familiar with distinctive Filipino phrases and expressions.

But then again, this should not be surprising because Don Pepe, as Mr. Rodriguez is fondly called, has had and enduring "romance" with the Philippines that began more than a three decades ago when he first met his wife, portraitist Lulu Coching, in Spain. This soon translated into genuine love for a country which he describes in his book Cronicas as a "stupendous panorama." Read more...

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The Galleon Sails to the Future
People Asia (May 2008)

In 1898, Spanish settlers in the Philippines packed their bags to sail back to Spain after spending exactly 333 years on Philippine soil. However, their departure seemed limited to their physical presence alone. They left their culture, epecially their language, to be integrated into our own. The Spanish culture has blended itself so well with the Philippines' way of life that it has become difficult to determine which ones are inherently Filipino and which ones are of Spanish origin when it comes to contemporary Filipino language and lifesty1e. Read more...

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Toward a Common Future
People Asia (April 2007)

In its simplest sense, culture is defined as the "values, attitudes, beliefs and customs of society." However, this simplistic perspective does not highlight the fact that culture can give people better knowledge and understanding of others, either individually or as a group. Observable aspects like food, religion, celebrations and language form part of a person or a country's cultural heritage, while shared values, customs and history relative to culture can shape the way a person perceives others and the world. In a way, a shared cultural heritage strengthens ties that bind people, creating a kindred spirit and a sense of belonging. Read more...

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Jose R. Rodriguez: The Don with a Mission
Instituto Cervantes Newsletter: SPANISH, it Works (2007)

Like the romantic and noble Don from La Mancha, Josá "Don Pepe" Rodriguez may very well have embarked on an elusive quest. The gentleman from Orense, in the Northwestern region of Galicia, has no qualms at all about proclaiming what he intends to do during his term as the new director of the Instituto Cervantes in Manila. Read more...