MANILA, Philippines - More than just a landmark in the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman campus, the GT-Toyota Asian Cultural Center (GT-TACC) serves as a venue for people to people diplomacy or the sharing of ideas and insights among people of different cultures.
According to Dr. Carolyn I. Sobritchea, dean of the UP Asian Center, the GT-TACC plays a key role in helping foster better relations between the Philippines and its regional neighbors.
Made possible by a P100-million donation from Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation (TMP) to UP during the university’s centennial in 2008, the 1-hectare GT-TACC has two fully-operational facilities – the GT-Toyota Asian Center Auditorium and the GT-Toyota Hall of Wisdom. Both serve as a venue for numerous local and international events and exhibitions organized by the UP community, various embassies, and other organizations such as the Japan Foundation, the Korean Cultural Foundation, the Confucius Institute, and Instituto Cervantes.
Last year, the GT-TACC opened its doors for the Rizal Sesquicentennial Celebration, an event featuring a mix of academic lectures by both local and foreign scholars as well as a 150-item exhibition honoring the national hero.
This year, the 500-seat GT-Toyota Asian Center Auditorium continues to host several conferences, seminars, forums and performances.In January, the Understanding Philippine Foreign Policy through New Frames roundtable series, a conference on key aspects of Philippine foreign relations ranging from the imperatives of external defense to the role of civil society,was conducted by the UP Asian Center with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
In February, a lecture-forum on State Structure and Contested Development: Thailand and the Philippines in Comparative Perspective was given by Dr. Antoinette R. Raquiza who, in a comparative analysis, identified the factors that account for variations in the economic growth patterns and rates of the two countries. In the same month, a lecture on Philippines-Japan Foreign Relations was given by Dr. Sylvano D. Mahiwo for visiting students from Soka University, Japan.
Today, the UP Asian Center is transforming the GT-TACC into an even more dynamic, active, international venue in light of the numerous local and regional events that have been scheduled to maximize the use of the facility as well as other resources at the UP Asian Center.
“We are maximizing the use of the GT-TACC to promote cultural exchanges,” said Sobritchea. “Thanks to several activities we have planned for the year, the Center is expected to help improve both diplomatic and cultural relationships between the Philippines, China, Japan, and other ASEAN member countries.”