21 December 2015 – Hon. Felipe M. De Leon, Jr., scholar, composer, and Chairman of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), delivered a special lecture on “What makes Filipinos Filipino” at the Philippine Embassy in Moscow on December 11.  The event was attended by professors and students from the Southeast Asian Department of the Institute of African and Asian Studies of the Moscow State University (MSU-IAAS).

Professor de Leon discussed the “cultural genius” of the Filipinos -- their core values and behavioral traits-- as manifested, for instance, in various Philippine art forms. Expounding on the concept of “kapwa”, he highlighted the inherent nurturing qualities and natural propensity of Filipinos to connect with others.

An impromptu musical performance capped off the event -- with Professor de Leon on the piano and Ms. Mary Anne Luis, Head of the NCCA’s International Affairs Office, regaling the audience with Filipino Christmas songs and a few Russian classics.  Ms. Luis is also a member of the Bayanihan Dance Company, and a has masters degree on Acting/Directing Chinese Opera from the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts in Beijing, China.

The lecture at the Embassy is an annual event in support of the Philippine studies program of the Institute of Asian and African Studies of the Moscow State University. END