'Sentro Rizal' digital collection of Filipiniana to help Pinoys appreciate heritage

The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) is putting together a digital collection of Filipiniana to help Filipinos appreciate their heritage more. The Virtual Sentro Rizal (VSR) is a digital collection of Filipino cultural materials covering different genres across regions, CFO Undersecretary Mary Grace Ampil-Tirona told GMA News Online on February 22. Tirona said the VSR will be launched during the second day of the Diaspora to Development Global Summit (D2D) on Tuesday. The VSR is a digital collection with some 150 entries, a sampling of Filipino music, visual arts, and architecture, mostly requested from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. The VSR will be available at the CFO, which is already accepting reservations for it. The content, to be stored in an external hard drive, comprises 250 gigabytes of files, including over 72 hours of video footage. Tirona explained that the content is free and the buyers will only have to pay for the cost of the external hard drive. Tirona likened the VSR to an "interactive e-book” which provides a shortcut to getting to know one's country. The VSR was inspired by Republic Act 66, initiated by former Senator Edgardo Angara, stating that the government should promote Philippine culture in overseas communities with a siginificant number of Filipinos. Although the VSR is not about Philippine national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, it is named in honor of him, Tirona said. With a budget of P300,000 and a timetable of six months, the CFO chose from some 500 entries, 150 which best represent the Philippine culture, she added. “This is directed primarily to our overseas Filipinos (but) it could be senior citizens, it could be yuppies, it could be preschoolers,” Tirona said. "Patikim" Tirona said the Filipino community abroad is fast growing and cannot be ignored, especially as there are already over 10 million of them, roughly half of Manila's population. The VSR is "really for the 10 million Filipinos who want to have a patikim or a quick exposure to the Philippine experience in the area of arts and culture so that they will appreciate their heritage,” she said. Aside from targeting overseas Filipinos, the VSR also intends to make culture accessible to the public. “The Virtual Sentro Rizal is an attempt of the CFO to democratize access to Philippine culture,” Tirona said. She noted that cultural programs, such as ballets and plays, are costly, thus creating a gap between people who can afford to watch them and those who couldn't. Through the VSR, the CFO is attempting to close the gap by providing an easier access to Philippine art, pictures and movies. Other uses Tirona said the VSR can also be useful in Filipino schools abroad where teachers are in need of teaching materials about the Philippines. Lecturers will find it much easier to look for materials on Philippine culture, she noted. The VSR will also help the elderly "visit" places in the Philippines where they could otherwise not go. Tirona admitted that she herself would like to go to the Banaue Rice Terraces but could not due to her age and physical condition. "Bringing back" Filipinos Tirona said the ultimate goal of the Sentro Rizal is to to tap the younger generation of overseas Filipinos who have never been to the Philippines and convert them into “tourism ambassadors” for the country. She said they envision that one day these Filipinos would “return” to their homeland and appreciate the country more. Some of these youngsters have an identity crisis because they are Filipinos growing up in another country with a different culture, she noted. The VSR can act as a bridge to reintroduce them to the Philippines, she explained. “It is our hope that having had a foretaste of Philippine culture that someday soon they will come home and come home more often to see for themselves what their homeland is about,” she said. - VVP, GMA News