December 06, 2022— In celebration of the 75th anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between the Republic of the Philippines and the Italian Republic, 800 students were invited to view the general rehearsal of “Turandot” on December 7 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP)

The invitation is extended by His Excellency Marco Clemente, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Italian Republic to the Republic of the Philippines, to Vice President and Secretary Sara Z. Duterte, through the International Cooperation Office (ICO).

Highlighting cultural awareness and diplomacy, the initiative aims to teach learners the importance of honoring, celebrating, and learning about different cultures across the globe.  Giacomo Puccini’s “Turandot” is an example of a classic Italian Opera that shows the culture and art of Italy.

Junior High School (JHS) and Senior High School (SHS) students from F.G. Calderon HS, F. Torres SHS, J.P. Laurel HS, Lakan Dula HS, M. Marcos HS, Tondo HS, V. Mapa HS, M. Roxas HS, C.P. Garcia HS, I. Villamor HS, M. Araullo HS, C. Aquino HS, M.L. Quezon SHS, and Philippine High School for the Arts were selected to participate in the viewing.

Before the rehearsal viewing, DepEd marked another milestone with the Italian Embassy as Ambassador Clemente visited public schools to orient students on the Ärt of Opera. He visited Mariano Marcos Memorial High School last December 1 and Ignacio B. Villamor High School last December 2.

Last November, the Italian Embassy also arranged free screenings of operas for students. La bohème, L’elisir d’amore, Roméo et Juliette, Così fan tutte, and Eugene Onegin were screened at the CCP for SHS and JHS students from M.L. Quezon SHS, C. Aquino HS, Ignacio Villamor SHS, Mariano Marcos HS, Manuel G. Araullo HS, and Manila HS.

To further strengthen and educate the learners on the Operas, the Italian Ambassador engaged in open forums with the students to explain and gather reactions and questions about the Operas they witnessed.

This marks the long-standing cooperation and partnership between DepEd and the Italian Embassy.

 

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