Top Confucius Institute in Phl sets aside territorial row with China

ANGELES CITY, Philippines – Regardless of the territorial dispute over the West Philippine Sea, something friendly is being observed here in celebration of the Chinese New Year.

The event started early last Feb. 2, and is set to culminate today, thanks to one of the world’s top Confucius Institutes (CI) at the Angeles University Foundation (AUF).

This is amid growing expectations that CI’s course on Mandarin will be a leading option for Filipinos interested not only in learning Chinese culture, but also in getting employment in China.

Dr. Lourdes Nepomuceno, AUF’s director for international affairs, said there are 358 CIs spread in 105 nations, including three in the country.

The two others are at the Ateneo University and Bulacan State University, established in 2006 and 2009, respectively. But the CI at AUF, founded in 2010, was the only one among the three to be included in the top 10.

With its main office based in Beijing, CI is a non-profit public institution aligned with the programs of the government of the People’s Republic of China.

“Its main purpose is to promote Chinese language, particularly Mandarin, and Chinese culture through cultural exchanges,” said Nepomuceno, who is also the Filipino director of CI.

“Confucius Institute is the Chinese counterpart of Britain’s British Council, France’s Alliance Française and Germany’s Goethe-Institut,” she added.

Shifang Zhang, CI-AUF director, said the institute is under the Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban), a non-profit organization affiliated with the Ministry of Education.

Foreign scholars said the CIs were established to improve China’s image overseas amid concerns over “China threat” particularly with its powerful economy and military.

The Economist once quoted Li Changchun, the 5th-highest-ranking member of the Politburo Standing Committee, as saying the CIs were an “important part of China’s overseas propaganda setup.”

But Nepomuceno denied the political agenda at the CI-AUF, particularly with the existing territorial dispute between the Philippines and China.

“We leave the political side to the embassies. Here, we focus only on our cultural ties and friendship,” she said, noting President Aquino had declared 2012 and 2013 as years of friendly exchanges between the two nations.

The CI’s mandate is being carried out through offers of Mandarin courses.

“We have 40-day courses and we have courses lasting four years,” said Zhang, as she dispelled notions that the institute, named after Confucius, teaches Chinese philosophy.

Asked if having knowledge of Mandarin would open up opportunities for Filipinos in China, Zhang said: “If you know Mandarin, you don’t even have to go to China to get high paying jobs. You can get one here in the Philippines.”

This is something that local folk are beginning to realize as the number of CI students has grown since the institute was founded at AUF three years ago.

Meanwhile, AUF president Joseph Angeles led the celebration with the opening of the Experience China Exhibit, which runs until Feb. 10 at a local mall.

The exhibit features teaching and learning resources, audio-posters, a real-time “photo-me” section with the Peking Opera as backdrop, on-the-spot calligraphy and tea-making, and display of Chinese symbols and ornaments, books, pottery, artwork, and costumes, among other features.