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At A Glance

Instituto Cervantes. I don’t speak Spanish, but I figured it’s some kind of

―institute‖, or a place of higher learning. Prior to visiting the venue, I had a picture in

my head of what the place might look like. I imagined it to be like a structure from the

time they would call ―Panahon ng Kastila‖ or during the time of the Spanish conquer-

ors. What would stand before me, I thought, would be a huge castle-like structure that

looks as if it had been established centuries ago. Its grey walls might even be stained

with a dark hue due to the moss that built up over the years. Perhaps there might even

be a moat on this one as the entire institute rests on a field of green, just as I pictured it

from the books I have read about Spanish chivalry. The question is, where in Manila

would something like this be located?

I made my way to the Instituto Cervantes located in Ermita, Manila with the

hopes of seeing the place as I had pictured it in my head. However, the closer I got to

its designated location, the more my hopes diminished. How can the Instituto of my

imagination possibly fit in such a busy and crowded city? It just didn’t make any sense.

As my group mates and I arrived at the station that would lead us to the Instituto, my

Spain Goes Global

heart sunk. I couldn’t even catch a glimpse of the institute from the LRT. Where could it possibly be? Is the place so small that it can’t

be seen from where the LRT stands? I disregarded all expectations, and instead, marched on with an open mind and curiosity.

As we walked along the busy side-street, I kept asking my group mates ―Are we there yet?‖ I was walking ahead of the group

as the unexpected answer suddenly came and one of them said ―We’re here!‖ I turned my head and there it was. Blended in with the

rest of the buildings along Kalaw Street, the place didn’t look anything special from the outside. On the wall was the logo o f Instituto

Cervantes with its name inscribed on it. As we entered the building, my eyes opened wide. The place looked like the complete opposite

of how I imagined it to be. We were welcomed by a high-tech security metal detector as opposed to per say, men in armored suits. It

had a quiet atmosphere, and the place looked clean and spotless. Mounted on one of the walls of the lobby was a plasma screen T.V.

playing a Spanish film with English subtitle for everyone’s enjoyment. Surrounding the T.V. were tables and chairs that made it seem

like a café. As for someone who is a first -time visitor, I would say that the institute generated a friendly, yet business-like vibe that

gave me a warm and welcoming feeling inside.

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4 And This Is How It All Began

The Instituto Cervantes is a world-wide non-profit

organization established by the Spanish government in 1991.

It is by far the largest organization in the world that promotes

the study of both the Spanish language and culture. Named

after perhaps the most important figure in the history of

Spanish Literature, Miguel de Cervantes, its ultimate goal is

to promote the education, the study, and the use of Spanish

universally as a second language. They also aim to aid in the

advancement of the Spanish and Hispanic American cultures

to all the countries unfamiliar with both the language and

culture.

As of now, there are seventy-seven distinct Instituto

Cervantes in forty-four different countries, including one

located in our very own Ermita, Manila. The fact that the

Spanish princess, Dona Elena, was the one who inaugurated

the Instituto Cervantes in Manila in 1994, explains the

plaque outside the Instituto recognizing her presence. Imag-

ine the legitimacy of such an institute! It’s not every day that

we get a Spanish heiress visiting our country for an inaugura-

tion of a Spanish school. Spain’s mission to strengthen its

cultural presence in the Southeast Asian countries truly is

evident.

Why It Stands

The Instituto Cervantes was established

for two main purposes: promote the Spanish lan-

guage as a universal second language and to edu-

cate the non-Spanish countries with the Spanish

culture. No other Spanish institute does it the way

the Instituto does. Constantly thinking of ways to

improve its educational methods, they even offer

an online Spanish language course for those who

simply have no access to the institute itself. Also,

the Instituto serves to create a social, cultural, and

educational environment in each center. When I

entered the place, all the signs were in Spanish,

not to mention that everyone who was a part of

the institute spoke in Spanish. The environment

definitely aids in getting you accustomed to the

language.

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Aside from the friendly staff of the

Instituto and its customary environment, the

Instituto serves to build a strong foundation

when it comes to developing the student’s

ability to use the language in a field of differ-

ent context, as well as in the recognition of

the different Spanish accents. Not only have

that, but enrollees of the Instituto also had the

privilege to access any of the facilities of the

Cervantes Institute around the globe. But

more importantly, the Instituto focuses on

improving each student’s language skills

such as reading, speaking, and writing in

Spanish, ranging from the beginning level all

the way to the advanced level, through sim-

ple methods like having a small student to

teacher ratio as well as constantly speaking to

the students in Spanish.

The Instituto strikes me as a place

where the advisers are passionate about trans-

ferring their knowledge of the Spanish lan-

guage and culture to the students. This kind

of passion in teaching combined with the

student’s passion to learn which stems, per-

haps, from sheer curiosity, allows for quicker

development and thus influences more people

to take part in the education.

What Keeps It Standing

The atmosphere that is universally brought out by Instituto

Cervantes that makes you feel culturally connected is not the only

outstanding feature of the institute. The other important features that

serve as important building blocks to your Spanish education comes

from the 1,800 square meters of property which houses nine class-

rooms, a library, an auditorium, and an exhibition hall. The air-

conditioned classrooms, although not particularly large, has approxi-

mately twenty seats. This ensures a good student to teacher ratio.

The library contains mostly of Spanish books and movies which can

be borrowed by both students and outsiders for a fee. Not only that,

but they also have a Filipiniana section; however, the contents of

this section may only be accessed in the library. The auditorium

contains sixty seats and is used for both public and private film

showing, while an exhibition hall is located just right outside of the

auditorium. Every now and then there would be artwork showcased

throughout the hall for everyone to see.

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6 Now, what good would these establishments do for

someone like me who isn’t enrolled to the Institute? Well,

looks like I’m in luck because their cultural programs offer

activities that are open to the public. Some of these activities

include theater, dance, music, literature, and arts. Because

the Instituto wills to spread the Spanish and Latin American

cultures, the institute collaborates with different institutions

from other countries and invites a variety of guest speakers

who can provide discussions and seminars on literature, lan-

guage, history, and other related topics. Some of these semi-

nars are open to the public who are interested as well. I my-

self have never been to any of these cultural programs. How-

ever, I’ve got to say that the Instituto posts its invitation in

such a way that the invited becomes intrigued in what the

institute has to offer making them want to attend an event.

People’s Appreciation

For a place with only a total of nine classrooms, it

surprised me to learn that there were over six thousand enrol-

lees in the past academic year. The interest of the Filipinos in

learning the Spanish language and culture probably stems

from the fact that we were rooted from some kind of Spanish

history, while others might just want to learn it out of curios-

ity.

Now, my question is what is so special and impor-

tant about the Spanish language and culture that

they strive to promote it worldwide? To the Span-

iards, it’s not only about keeping their tradition

and culture alive; rather, they reach out to the

people in different places hoping that the inhabi-

tants there would have the same enthusiasm and

passion for their traditions and culture.

It’s all about attitude. With that said, I

believe that even the language and culture of a

place like the Philippines—with the right attitude,

mindset, and clear focus—can possibly be appre-

ciated worldwide as well. With millions of Filipi-

nos already scattered all around the globe we’re

already beginning to make little waves, culturally.

Now, are we ready to take it to the next level just

like Spain? (Jodel Katrina Fernandez)

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Instituto Cervantes (also called Cervantes Institute) is a non-profit organization

founded by the Spanish government in 1991. It is the only official Spanish Government

Language Center, and is the largest organization in the world committed to promote the

Spanish language and cultures of Spanish-speaking countries throughout the world. At

present, this organization has branched out in over 44 different countries with 77 centers.

Its Head Office is located in Alcalá de Henares (Madrid), the place where Miguel de

Cervantes was born.

Instituto Cervantes in the Philippines

For three long centuries, Philippines was under the Spanish ruling. During this

long period of time, the influences of the Spanish upon the natives were profound. Every

aspect of their government, culture, education, economy and religion revolutionized ir-

revocably. Therefore, it is inevitable to say that the arrival of Instituto Cervantes in the

Philippines has a connection with the aftereffects of the expansive time of the Spanish

colonization in the country.

In 1994, the Spanish Princess Dona Elena officially inaugurated the Instituto

Cervantes in Manila. Given the fact that there were centers which also opened in Indone-

sia, Vietnam and Malaysia, Spain’s mission to reinforce its cultural presence in South-

Inside and Outside the Hub:

History and Features

Aprender Magazine

east Asia is confirmed.

The locations of the different centers all over the globe are classified as Centros Cervantes (full-fledged centers), and Aulas

Cervantes (smaller "lecture halls"), as well as a network of associated institutions. These are Centros Acreditados (within Spain) and

Centros Asociados (outside Spain). The Instituto Cervantes that we have here in the country belongs to the Centros Cervantes category.

According to Ms. Nicole Villamor, a collaborator under cultural affairs, Instituto Cervantes Manila was used to be located at

the Mayflower Building, corner Estrada and Leon Guinto Sts., Malate, Manila. However, because of the organization’s desire to have a

larger space to occupy more students and walk-in visitors, they moved the center to the historic district of Ermita, along Kalaw Street.

It was in the year 2006 when Ms. Leire Pajín, the Secretary of State for International Cooperation, presided the presentation of

the new office that houses the Instituto Cervantes in Manila, a newly constructed building with a modern architectural design of 1,800

square meters with nine classrooms, a library, an auditorium, and exhi-

bition hall.

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8 The Miguel Hernández Library

First opened in 1993, the Instituto Cervantes library

in Manila (also known as the Miguel Hernández Library) is

regarded as a resource center capable of offering an exten-

sive collection of documents, literature and audio-visual,

focusing on the language and culture of Spain and Spanish-

speaking countries. The Chief Librarian, Mr. Carlos Blanco,

told our group that the books that are found in this library are

provided by the organization’s main headquarters in Madrid.

Their collections, on the other hand, are from the former Cul-

tural Center of the Embassy of Spain in Manila. At the pre-

sent time, the library has more than 20,000 documents. Its

collections and services, a strategic counterpart of the aca-

demic area, are aimed to provide documents, information, or

data to any student or researcher interested in studying any-

thing pertaining to the Hispanic world.

The library has a wide-ranging compilation of Span-

ish and Latin American literature. Moreover, it houses a

large number of films and references on the most important

works of Spain. The library visitors may listen to a broad

collection of music and the radio. Students taking a break

from class can even watch Spanish television (with English

subtitles, in favor of those who are in level A1). Such facili-

ties found in the library make the students and

visitors more equipped.

The Auditorium

The screening of Spanish cinema every

Saturday afternoon at the auditorium (called

Salón de Actos) has been a long -standing tradi-

tion in Instituto Cervantes Manila. Films from

Spain are projected on the big screen at the said

auditorium every Saturday. The films are open to

anyone who is looking to catch a taste of Spanish

cinema. Free admission and tickets are available

on a first come first served basis.

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Outside the Center

Aside from the typical classroom

setting at the hub, those who are willing to be

officially accredited as competent in Spanish

but have so little time can take advantage of

the Spanish Online Course (Aula Virtual de

Español). It is Instituto Cervantes’ Spanish

Virtual Classroom, an Internet-based educa-

tional infrastructure set up to provide Spanish

courses for distance learning. Aside from

that, those who may consider themselves late

bloomer need not to worry for themselves!

These online courses may be taken at the

student’s own pace. The online course of

Instituto Cervantes in Manila allows these

students to enjoy active learning, a personal

tutor, personalized and continuous evalua-

tion, be in contact with other on-line mem-

bers through email and chat, and avail of the

resources and services of the Internet.

Experience Spanish

Instituto Cervantes offers language

classes designed to equip students with skills

for them to gain the knowledge of communi-

cating in Spanish or to improve their abilities

in Spanish communication. The student learns the essential tech-

niques of reading, writing, comprehending and speaking the Spanish

language in the classes.

These language classes are offered at very affordable rates.

They have special courses for business, nurses, caregivers, children

as well as teachers. Students who want to learn the language who

wish to learn more about cinema, literature, music, and art of the

Spanish-speaking world may take cultural enhancement courses.

This full-fledged center also accepts customized courses for compa-

nies, universities, enterprises, small groups and agencies that send

workers to Spain as long as clear goals are realized and agreed.

I believe that the objective of the organization to promul-

gate proper knowledge of the language, culture and arts of Spain and

some Latin American countries is undoubtedly evident in the

courses that they are offering and the cultural programs that they are

opening to the public. So to those who are enthusiastic enough to

learn about these things related to the Hispanic world, why not pay a

visit and even try some courses? (Geraldine Marie Paulo)

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On a hot, damp afternoon, I sat in the coffee shop of Instituto Cervantes, Ma-

nila, a Spanish institution for learning culture and language, waiting for my guest. A

few moments later, a tall, white figure strolled in wearing a casual plaid shirt and dark

jeans. The man then approached me with a smile and a polite ―How do you do?‖ and

extended his hand and introduced himself as Adrian Fernandez, one of the professors

of language.

For a young man of thirty-two, Mr. Adrian Fernandez oozed with confidence;

after shaking my hand, he led me to an air-conditioned room to save us both from the

scorching Philippine heat. We both took our seats. I pulled my laptop out, set it on the

table and began a very delightful conversation with Mr. Fernandez.

Growing Up in Spain

Living in Spain was wonderful, according to Mr. Fernandez. Although some-

how protective of his past, he frequently stressed the importance of his parents’ teach-

ings. In a lot of ways, his parents’ lifestyle affected the man who sat before me that

afternoon. Both doctors, his parents told him the essence of life through dictums and

examples. He grew up thinking that ―happiness is being in between. You don’t need to

Through a Spaniard’s Eyes

Aprender Magazine

Instituto Cervantes. perfect body, but don’t be too fat and lazy.‖

Also, he had an unfaltering respect for his teachers and mentors. ―When you are a child, and you are in school, you’ll always

love your teachers. I always respected my teachers,‖ he answered when asked about his early teaching influences. He had a who lesome

primary and secondary education, which propelled him to study Business Administration and take a master’s degree in Finance, both

from the University of Spain. He is currently taking an online masters course in Spanish in the same university.

Around the World

The thought of being a professor never occurred to Mr. Fernandez until he was chosen by the Spanish government to teach

their language, especially not in the Philippines. Prior to being a Spanish professor, Mr. Fernandez had two occupations, both of which

he did not like. The first one was a stable yet dull bank job which made him move to his next job in an auditing firm which he did not

appreciate as well. Feeling the hunger for knowledge and experiences well up in his body, he decided to travel the world. He has been

to Japan, worked for the government under a scholarship and fell in love

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11 with the country. He spoke of Japan with fondness, remem-

bering the busy streets and rich culture of the Land of the

Rising Sun. He also worked in Australia for a few years. Al-

though he liked the country as well, he still felt the need to

travel, which made him book a flight to the Philippines.

While on the plane to the Philippines, he doubted his deci-

sions and thought about his future in this foreign land. It is

here, though, where he finally found the job he wanted –

teaching. ―I can really say it’s my passion,‖ Mr. Fernandez

said when asked about his thoughts on teaching.

Living in the Philippines

Mr. Fernandez’s Filipino students, according to

him, respond well to his lessons. He commented on the Fili-

pinos’ love for history and culture. ―They really love the

Spanish culture, because the history of the Philippines is very

related [to Spain’s.]‖ According to him, he also appreciates

the fact that Filipinos are vocal and can express their opin-

ions clearly and fluently. He learns from his students as they

learn from him. This give-and-take relationship established

by the professor and his students provide a very good atmos-

phere for wholesome learning. Also, taking note of the fact

that the Philippines was once colonized by Spain, a lot of

Spanish influences can still be seen all over the country and

therefore heightening the interest of the youth to

study their language and culture. Another big

factor is football, which Spain has been conquer-

ing for a while now.

Aside from teaching in Instituto

Cervantes for the past ten months, Mr. Fernandez

spent his time travelling the Philippines. He has

been to different provinces all over the country,

including La Union, Banawe, Cebu and Negros.

He keeps himself busy as well by working as a

Spanish professor in the De La Salle University

along Taft Avenue during Tuesdays and Thurs-

days. Also, he writes for a Spanish newspaper,

where he does reports on the condition of the

Philippines and the state of its people.

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Inside the Mind of an

Outsider

The writing job for Spain prevents

Mr. Fernandez from turning a blind eye to

those in need. He takes note of even the

smallest problems of the city, from the ineffi-

ciency of public transport systems to the

clouds of smoke puffed by the jeepneys he

encounters every single day. He keeps track

of the happenings in the Philippines, the con-

dition of the people and the events that make

up the daily life of the Filipino. Despite the

things he sees, he maintains a rational view

of the future, stressing that change can still be

made and the Philippines can still rise. He

even thinks that calling the Philippines a poor

country is ―mean,‖ and that he thinks other-

wise; he says that the country is rich in its

own way.

After expressing his sentiments, Mr.

Fernandez addressed some messages to the

youth. In terms of the development and

spreading of the Spanish language and cul-

ture, he says that ―[He doesn’t] invite any-

body to study Spanish. If you want to learn a

language, [do something about it.] Nobody has to tell you to study

Spanish.‖ Keeping the future in mind, he then states that ―Spanish

now is very important, especially now in the Philippines‖ and that

others take up the language for future use. Mr. Fernandez then con-

tinued the message in a political light, saying that ―[he loves] the

Philippines,‖ but for the Philippines to prosper, the citizens must

stop complaining to people and the government; instead, they should

start doing something.

―People are dying because of cancer. People are acting like

they just don’t care,‖ Mr. Fernandez said, referring to the huge vol-

ume of pollution the public and private vehicles exhaust every day.

As a commuter, he takes notice of such things and suffers its effects

every day. Aside from pollution, Mr. Fernandez believes that pov-

erty and corruption should be prioritized by the youth. ―There is

corruption because you allow the corruption,‖ he says, and that peo-

ple should fight for what they believe in. According to him, social

classes should not exist, or at least, the gap between the rich and the

poor.

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Foresight

On a final note, he gave an insight to his future,

stating that he is planning to go to South America next year

and hopefully retiring soon, taking into consideration his

physical and monetary security. Finally, it seems, he has

found the answer to the nagging question in his head. There

are no more doubts – he was born to teach and to spread his

culture throughout the world.

Although deeply attached to his home, Spain, Mr.

Adrian Fernandez shows that race and ethnicity don’t matter

– everything is all about perspective. Being a Spaniard in a

country thousands of miles away from home may be difficult

at times, but this doesn’t bring Mr. Fernandez down. Instead,

he adapts and embraces the different cultures and traditions

he encounters. In the end, we’re all just travelers in this

world looking for our place we call home. (Danica De-

nise Manicad )

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In all honesty, not many are well aware that Instituto Cervantes existed. Insti-

tuto Cervantes is an institution dedicated to promote the Spanish language and culture of

Latin-American countries. Like most, I was also oblivious to the fact that such a wonder-

ful institution stood on Philippine soil. I was excited to go there but I knew that going to

a new place for the first time meant unfamiliarity and uncertainty. Because of that, I was

pretty sure that the worlds of the people working there and my world are totally different

and far from each other. To my pleasant surprise, I met someone closer to home than I

imagined.

Nicole Villamor is a 20-year-old fresh graduate of BS Management in the

Ateneo de Manila University. Interestingly, I met her in an unlikely setting. A suppose-to

-be-businesswoman is now working under the cultural department of Instituto Cervantes,

clearly defying the conventional career paths a graduate of her course usually takes. Her

love and enthusiasm towards the Spanish language and culture brought her to where she

is now. She first immersed herself in Spanish one summer in high school but learned

majority of what she knows now when she went to Spain to study for five months during

the Junior Term Abroad (JTA).

Aprender Magazine

Can you share some interesting experiences or stories during your JTA?

Some of my experiences would be seeing the coffin of past Kings and Queens of Spain (including Felipe II), traveling on weekends

alone and learning to navigate a map, learning to live with people from different nationalities, and traveling from Madrid to Paris, then

to Brussels and finally, to Amsterdam and back in 4 days. Basically, the living independently with strangers is a definite first for me.

The seemingly mundane things but you gain a whole new perspective in doing things when you’re abroad and you’re forced to liv e out

of your comfort zone.

Where did the interest for Spanish culture and language come from?

I can't entirely pinpoint since there was no single aha moment when I realized I liked it most among the languages. I do enjoy dabbling

in other Romance languages but in Spanish the most. As for liking culture, it only started when I was already there particularly during

the weekends when I traveled around Spain and went to parts that were

less known to tourists and in which I felt more immersed in the culture.

Pursuing Your Passion

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15 Moving on to your career, can you

tell me more about your career?

What is your official position?

What is it that you do?

I don't think I have an official title but I'm a collaborator un-

der Cultural Affairs. Since it's a small department, I work

closely with the Cultural Head (José María Fons) as we plan

and implement the cultural events laid out for the year. Most

of these events are organized by Instituto Cervantes in coop-

eration with the Embassy of Spain. However, there are also

events that are in partnership with other embassies or with

other cultural institutions such as the Goethe Institut, Japan

Foundation, etc. My work also includes writing promotional

content, taking care of logistics, and sometimes even translat-

ing.

What are the difficulties that you

have encountered while working or

before you started working?

Obviously, the language barrier but that's more on the sur-

face. What's more challenging is dealing with the work at-

mosphere. On one hand, you do enjoy a certain

candor and frankness which is obviously very

different from the work culture that's prevalent in

a local setting. Everyone addresses the other on a

first name basis. I'm encouraged to speak my

mind and give my opinion on things. On the other

hand, the downside also has something to do with

the culture. For example, their lunch breaks are

about two hours long and they take coffee breaks

so in terms of efficiency and time management, I

always have to compare it with the local setting.

Among all the events,

which do you recommend?

I particularly liked the El Día E (Spanish Lan-

guage Day) this year not just because it was tech-

nically my first event but also because it really

did give one holistic Spanish and Latin American

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American experience from the language to

the literature down to the different cuisines of

the Spanish-speaking countries. This year, we

paid homage to Chilean poet Nicanor Parra

and so we had actors from CCP perform

"mob-style" in different areas within Shangri-

La Plaza where they performed the poet's

works in Spanish, English and even Filipino.

That was entertaining, well-received and also

what I'd consider a personal achievement

since I was the one who suggested, planned

and coordinated the entire thing.

I came across the 6th In-

ternational Silent Film

Festival in ALAC. I' m

interested in attending

if possible. Can you

elaborate or give me more

in f o rm a t io n a b o ut

the event aside from the

one in the website?

The movie we're showing this year is from

1925 and so it's an experience to be able to say that you've just seen

one of the earliest pieces of Spanish cinema. We will be having Si-

nosikat as the local band who will do the live score of the movie.

They will be accompanied by Spanish silent film composer Ignacio

Plaza who works regularly at the French Cinematheque in

Paris. You can see more information in the Facebook page of the

ISFF.

Lastly, why did you choose to take an

unusual career path for a BS Manage-

ment graduate?

I'd say that one of the things I've realized is that the course I took in

college did not have to define my career path especially since the

conventions for Management majors dictate that I be in banking,

marketing, and the like. Although those are perfectly valid fields to

grow and learn as a professional, I think I was one of the lucky few

who was able to combine what I like (the language, the culture,

meeting literally different kinds of people) and what I do well (or so

Aprender Magazine

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17 I'd like to think) like planning, writing, giving instructions,

and other things you learn in college.

Having had a nice and inspiring talk with Nicole

Villamor, I realized that a person is definitely not limited to

the norms of society. Our talk also opened numerous path-

ways and opportunities for me to explore in the future. As I

was leaving Instituto Cervantes, I felt very satisfied with the

new insights I gained from the worthwhile visit. Now that

I’m aware of this institution, I have started to notice all Span-

ish related posters and ads especially the verses in the LRT.

(Bernice Danielle Ong)

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As Filipinos, we should be responsible enough to have the basic knowledge of

how our country came to be. This may not pique the interests of some ignorant die-

hard nationalists, but despite the―harassment‖ our country has undergone, the impact

of cultural influence is very evident to this day. The Philippines is very much a unique

amalgamation of varying cultures.

Take for example the sari-sari store on the corner of Gen. McArthur street

where you bought a few pieces of pan de sal for breakfast. You may not realize the fact

that evident traces of foreign cultures have merited such permanence in our society, but

the fact remains: we harnessed a matchless, diverse culture from outside our box.

Roots to Branches

In 1991, the Spanish government established Instituto Cervantes as a means to

spread the knowledge and power of Spanish culture worldwide. It currently has 77

branches in 44 different countries around the world, one of which can be found in the

busy streets of Ermita, Manila.

Upon entering the institute, a wide, breathtaking, and architecturally beautiful

interior welcomed us a security guard frisked our belongings. The building is not rela-

A World Within the Walls

Aprender Magazine

tively ―new‖. Instituto Cervantes Manila started out in 1994 at Vito Cruz, but has been revamped in 2006 and has been moved t o Er-

mita, conveniently a stone’s throw from the United Nations MRT station.

Instituto Cervantes currently has about two hundred and fifty programs and more or less six thousand students going in and

out of the place from Monday to Saturday, every week of the year. The building looks small, simple, and modest, but nevertheless,

great wealth lies within its walls.

A Victory Within a Victory

A simple conversation with Katerina De Veneracion, the Director’s Secretary revealed that Instituto Cervantes’ surprising

population burst was brought about by two events entirely: their change in location and Spain’s victory in the 2010 FIFA worl d cup.

―Our old branch was too small and too unattractive to invite more enthusiasts of the culture. While we could have accommo-

dated much more students at the time, some classrooms were barely full.‖

says Katerina.

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fresh feeling of modernity and a pinch of grandeur, which

invited more people with certain standards for educational

facilities. As we all know, or even guilty of, people tend to

judge an institute’s capacity to educate by the facilities con-

tained within it, thus almost doubling the number of students

who enrolled. A different conversation with a very friendly

and soft-spoken Nicole Villamor, a general assistant in their

offices, and conveniently an alumna from the Ateneo, in-

formed me that Spain’s victory in the 2010 world cup also

brought more cultural enthusiasts to the institute.

Nicole mentioned that the number of students en-

rolling annually has also steadily increased since said vic-

tory. She said that most of them are football fans and players

who bring along their friends with them, aside from the usual

enrollee population who possess Spanish lineage and those

who would like to find jobs as Spanish teachers or find jobs

in Spain.

Curiosity, Passion, Satisfaction

Later that week, I discovered that one of my friends,

Danica Sarmiento, had enrolled in the institute and has been

taking Spanish classes after her everyday classes at DLSU

for the past month. We caught up with each other’s happen-

ings and I proceeded to interview her.

J: What do you love most about the Spanish lan-

guage?

D: Personally, I always thought it sounded sexy

or romantic. I also love how it somehow relates

back and forth to Filipino. I would also like to

build myself on a versatile foundation that could

possibly help me in the future.

J: What do you love most about their culture?

D: Somehow, the similarities to our culture had

me interested and eager to know more about it.

My newfound knowledge of their culture gave me

a different perspective because from Philippine

History, I always thought they were the bad guys.

Now, I see they’re actually quite harmless and

prioritize family and religion over everything.

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J: What motivated you to enroll in Instituto

Cervantes? How has it changed you so far?

D: I simply got curious. My father is half

Spanish, though he didn’t persuade or talk

me into enrolling, I just thought that this

would be an effective way to discover how

he lived back when he was in Spain. Right

now, I couldn’t say it has changed me that

much, I just recently developed a new love

for Spanish food, does that count?

On a personal account, I could say

that Instituto Cervantes is indeed doing a

fantastic job at bridging an old link between

our countries. It also acts as a damper of any

discrimination we have left towards Spain. I

could say that even I have somehow grown a

different perspective on the matter, seeing

Spanish culture as an answer key or a refer-

ence to how and why we do things in our

country.

From where I’m seated, Instituto

Cervantes has brought assurance and perpetu-

ity to the Spanish culture and will continue to

grow indefinitely. As the Spanish say:

―Adios, amigos.‖ (Ellsworth Justin Ng )

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The Festival

Tired of the over the top comedies and bucketful of tears in the average Filipino

movie? Exasperated by the average Hollywood movie that’s either a remake or one

based on a board game but with the added advantage of a hundred million dollars as the

budget? If you say yes, then come on over to Greenbelt and watch the Spanish film festi-

val hosted by Instituto Cervantes. As the premiere institute of spreading the Spanish cul-

ture all over the world, Instituto Cervantes annually hosts a film festival called Pelicula,

known as the must see event for the movie buffs, the hispanophiles, the movie critics and

the average movie-goer looking for a change in movies. Now on it’s tenth season and

owing to the success of the previous nine seasons, this season promised to be bigger.

Incidentally the tenth season coincided not only with the sesquicentennial of our national

hero’s birth but also of the decade long Spanish -Filipino cultural exchange. With the

confluence of these events Instituto Cervantes proudly unveiled this season’s lineup of

movies.

The season’s list included multi -awarded films such as Tambien la Lluvia (Even

The Rain), Todas las Canciones Hablan de mi (Every Song is About Me), and Chico y

Aprender Magazine

Rita Also included in the film selections, as per its tradition, a movie that showed the cultural tie of the Philippines and Spain; the

movie, shown for the first time in Asia, was Buenas Noches Espana (Goodnight, Spain) from the Filipino director Raya Martin. One

more highlight of the festival was the Diez anos de Pelicula( 10 years of Pelicula), which included the previous winners of Audience

choice awards from seasons 2004-2010, featuring such films as Mar Adentro, El Secreto de Sus Ojos and Fuera da Carta.

The festival proper opened with the premier of La Verguenza (The Shame), which was attended by the director himself, David

Plannell himself. Running from October 5 to 16 film goers were able to get a taste of Latin- American and Spanish Culture rarely

brought to our attention. Films such as Lope, a period drama about the famous Spanish playwright during the Golden Age, and Chico y

Rita, a love story set on the backdrop of the golden age of Cuban Jazz, provide a look into the different cultures in the Hispanic world.

Each movie-goer was asked at the end of the movie to rate the movie that they have watched and the movie with the highest votes

would become the winner of the Audience’s Choice award. The winner for the tenth season was Tambien La Lluvia, a story about a

director wanting to show Christopher Columbus as a greedy conqueror but the filming is soon complicated when the Cochamba Water

War, a series of protests in Bolivia’s third largest city that began when

Pelicula: A Decade of Films

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new owner increased the water rates, begins and the crew is

trapped in a moral dilemma.

A Night at the Festival

Lining up on to get my ticket I was disappointed at

how the other people beside me were not on the same line as

me and wanting to watch a movie part of the festival. If they

could spend 180 pesos on a movie about aliens attacking the

world why can’t they spend just 75 to watch something with

a unique story. That however does not mean that there were

only a few people who watched the films in the film fest. The

line I was in was long and people looked really interested

and immersed in the movie they were going to watch for that

schedule. The movie me and my brother were going to

watch was titled Enterrado(Buried), a man wakes up inside a

coffin buried six feet under with nothing but a cellphone, a

lighter and a pen, he must struggle to survive or die away

from his family, with nothing to mark his demise. With my

eyes glued to the screen from the opening scene to the last

spark of light that ended the movie, I knew that I had not had

enough of Pelicula so after that I went directly back to the

ticket stand to watch another movie. Next up was El Secreto

de Sus Ojos( The Secret In Their Eyes), a movie about a

crime committed in the past and how it has af-

fected the two protagonists. I had thought it was

just another twist to a love story, I however

proved was, to my delight, proved wrong. The

movie not only talked about love it also talked

about the problems of their society. I had not had

enough of the movies and the festival, it capti-

vated me, the stories the movies told, the world

they showed simply piqued my curiousity. From

the time defying live in Chico y Rita to the sensu-

ality of Habitacion en Roma( A Room in Rome),

these movies were not afraid to show the world

t h r o u g h d i f f e r e n t l e n s e s .

As the lights slowly dimmed in Cinema

2 of Greenbelt and the stalls were closed and as I

lined up to get a cab to get me home at 12 mid-

night on a Saturday, I realized that Pelicula is

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only for those unafraid to try something new. And to understand something not just about the shared past with our

colonizer for 333 years but that our common humanity transcends borders and languages. That deep down we all

feel the same and the only thing that differs is how we see them and how we act on them. (Ralph Jasper

Manuel )

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