CULTURAL ties between Spain and the Philippines have always remained undoubtedly strong, even in this day and age when cross-cultural sharing among nearly all the nations of the world has become much easier—thanks in large part to the Internet and social media.
Various aspects of everyday local life, such as language, society, entertainment, education and the like are a testament to the unique and enduring connection between Spanish and Filipino cultures. And in celebration of such, Montessori de Manila hosted the “Fiesta Hispano-Filipina” on November 16, an event where students could partake of an authentic Spanish-Filipino experience in a fun and festive way.
Many of the students who attended belonged to Grades 4 to 8, most of whom are studying Spanish as a special subject under their Creative and Production classes. The event showcased musical performances from local singer-songwriter Eloisa Jayloni with her original Tagalog songs “Pangako” and “Blangko,” followed by Alex Alcaraz Fernandez from Granada, Spain, along with Jean Paul Zialcita, who performed the flamenco—a Spanish musical style often accompanied by a guitar.
Most of the instruments used during the flamenco were everyday items such as plastic water gallons for drums, and plastic bottles for shakers. The students also participated as they were invited to try out the instruments for themselves and joined in on the performance.
The Spanish Embassy’s Education Adviser Sandra Lozano Alberich delivered the opening remarks and a short presentation about Spanish culture. She talked about the benefits of learning the Spanish language, as it is the second-most spoken and most studied in the world, used in more than 20 countries.
Over 4,000 Spanish terms, she said, have been incorporated in Filipino, which accounts for roughly 20 percent to 33 percent of the total number of its words. She also briefly discussed with the students the different kinds of Spanish food, celebrities and fiestas in various locations in Spain, such as the La Tomatina (tomato war) in Valencia, the encierro in San Fermin, Pamplona, where bulls are let out in the streets, the castells (human castle) in Cataluña, and the Feria de Abril in Sevilla.
Jonah Basanta García, a teacher for History, Geography, Araling Panlipunan and Spanish at the Montessori de Manila, organized the “Fiesta Hispano-Filipina.” His objective: to promote the language and culture of Spain, as he believes that doing so would help students become more in-tune with the culture of another nation in relation with our own and our national identity.
In addition, García wanted the students to have an enjoyable and authentic experience when learning about the Spanish and Filipino cultures relative to each other as they share a diverse range of aspects and similarities.