Pinoy children and youth are in for a special cultural treat this weekend on Friday, June 5, at 10:30 a.m. and on Saturday, June 6, at 8pm through the FB page of the EU Delegation to the Philippines.
The European Union Delegation to the Philippines together with the Embassies of Czech Republic, France, Italy, Poland, and the Manila Street Astronomers have prepared a cultural extravaganza of films, games, songs, stories and an astronomy event.
Thomas Wiersing, Chargé d'Affaires of the EU Delegation to the Philippines, said the 'Lakbayin Natin ang EU' and 'Ode to the Stars and to the Moon' aim to enable children to learn about the European Union without having to physically visit the continent, especially during this pandemic.
While both events have been organized previously, this is the first time that the EU Delegation and its partners have ventured into holding the twin events virtually.
Opening Salvo – French Children’s Films
France is the birthplace of film and has contributed immensely to the history, enrichment of the film as an art form. “Fantasmagorie” is an animated film from France by Emile Cohol and is said to be one of the earliest examples of traditional animation.
The French Embassy in this year’s edition of 'Lakbayin natin ang EU' has lined up the following children’s films which are accessible until June 25:
14 (On the Tour de France) a champion cyclist of the Tour de France finds his way by accident into a small town https://vimeo.com/223996470
Sales Gosses (Naughty kids) a story about how a parent instills discipline onto children https://vimeo.com/70768878 directed by Hassan Bensmaine, Alexis Kerjosse, Emmanuelle Ngan Sing, Marine Vilette, and Delphine Zombo On Parent-Children relationship
Raoul (Embouteillages, on traffic) Getting caught in traffic, and how to get out of it https://vimeo.com/70768878
Breakfast in Paris – A Parisian teenager skips breakfast https://vimeo.com/101030171 (on parent-children relationship)
Le Ballet (on watching a ballet at the Opera) https://vimeo.com/48547146 directed by Louis Thomas
Travelling through the EU
Do you know that Czech children also play two of Filipino’s favorite games: the skakani panaka (similar to “piko” or “hopscotch”) and guma (“Chinese garter”)?
The Embassy of the Czech Republic shall demonstrate how exciting and how similar their two games are with the kind of games that the Philippines has.
From Italy, children will surely get amazed with stories to be told live: “The Young Shrimp” and “Tonino the Invisible” by Italian writer Gianni Rodari. Incidentally, this year is the 100th birth year of Rodari, who is regarded as the most important children’s literature writer in Italy.
The Philippine-Italian Association and the National Library of the Philippines (NLP) shall continue their storytelling sessions at the FB page of the NLP.
Meanwhile, the Embassy of Poland through Chargé d'Affaires JarosÅ‚aw Szczepankiewicz, shall teach kids a traditional birthday song in Poland. The birthday song is “Sto lat” (One Hundred Years) and is sung to express good wishes, good health and long life to a person. It is also a common way of wishing someone a happy birthday in Polish. The duration of the “Happy birthday” song, incidentally, is also the time needed to wash hands during this pandemic.
The EU Delegation to the Philippines has invited a gifted filmmaker Jade Dandan Evangelista, 8 years old, to present her film “Get Well Soon.” Her wish through her film is “for the world to get well, safe and better.” Jade is a digital native artist and expresses herself in music, coding, clay and cardboard sculpting, drawing, video and animation. She is a Grade 3 home schooler at Homeschool Global – Victory Christian International School. Her first short film is doing the rounds as part of the official selection in BAM! Festival, Mostra Internacional Cinema Educatiu in Valencia and has been named as a semi-finalist in Zoom.14 in Slovenia.
The Access to Sustainable Energy Programme (ASEP), Save the Children and FSD have also contributed videos especially for children to showcase some reminders on what children can do during this pandemic and beyond. These NGOs are three of the hundreds of partners on the ground of the EU Delegation in the Philippines
Ode to the Stars and to the Moon
What goes on beneath the skies at night? What stars could be seen? How can you better view the moon and when through your telescope?
All these and more could be answered in the first ever virtual star gazing and moon gazing event by the EU Delegation to the Philippines and the Manila Street Astronomers and the Bedan Society of Young Astronomers.
Giovanni Seritella, Program Manager for Environment and Climate Change of the EU Delegation to the Philippines, together with Professor Jun Cajigal and Doods Perea of the Manila Street Astronomers, shall present different aspects of astronomy — stars, constellations and tips and how to observe the planets and other celestial bodies — with astronomers and astronomy enthusiasts. They will also show how to maximise the use of telescopes to better appreciate the wonders of the night skies.
This event draws inspiration from the EU’s Copernicus programme that is designed to monitor the earth 24/7 through a number of orbiting satellites to better understand our living environment and the many challenges it faces.