20 December 2024, BEIJING – Before he was Jose Rizal, the Philippine national hero, he was Pepe, the boy from Calamba.
Chinese students were introduced to young Pepe, and learned about his childhood adventures during the recent iteration of the cultural program “Ni Hao Philippines” held on 20 December 2024 at the Philippine Embassy in Beijing.
“Jose Rizal is a symbol of friendship between the Philippines and China. His Chinese roots show how people from different places can work together,” Third Secretary and Vice Consul Diane Merce B. Bartolome told the Chinese students during her presentation titled “Young Pepe: The Childhood Adventures of Rizal.”
Bartolome also discussed Rizal’s literary works for children such as “Ang Pagong at Ang Matsing" (The Turtle and the Monkey) and "Sa Aking Mga Kabata" (To My Fellow Youth).
First photo: The childhood adventures of Dr. Jose Rizal is the theme of Ni Hao Philippines program on 20 December 2024; Second photo: Cultural Officer Shaomei Z. Ong interacts with a Chinese student during question-and-answer portion of the program.
Vice Consul Bartolome introduces Philippine national hero Dr. Jose Rizal to the Chinese students at the “Ni Hao Philippines” program
Ni Hao Philippines is a flagship cultural program of the Embassy, wherein Chinese students visit the Embassy and experience aspects of Philippine culture through presentations, games, and various activities.
Ambassador Jaime A. FlorCruz, Philippine Ambassador to China, highlighted the importance of introducing the young Jose Rizal to Chinese students, especially as the Philippines commemorates Rizal’s martyrdom on every 30th of December.
“We want to show that even great men and women come from humble beginnings,” the Ambassador said.
The visit offered students an immersive experience through various interactive activities. The visiting students enjoyed doing the DIY paper craft bobblehead of Dr. Jose Rizal.
First photo: Visiting Chinese students get ready to make their DIY paper craft Jose Rizal bobblehead; Second photo: Visiting students and Embassy personnel pose for a photo with Jensen Moreno’s Jose Rizal painting as the background.
The participating students, aged 6 to 12 years old, were accompanied by their teachers and staff from YOOFU Youth International Cultural Education, who co-organized the visit.
![]() |