Philippine Ambassador to Timor-Leste graces Buwan ng Wika celebration at a Filipino-owned international school

^{Ambassador Belinda M. Ante (center) joins Heritage International School Director Mitchel B. Andres (first from right) and Ministry of Education Dili Municipality Division Chief Florentina Fernandes (second from left) for a group photo.}

Dili, 24 August 2023 – Philippine Ambassador to Timor-Leste Belinda M. Ante graced the culminating activity for Buwan ng Wika (National Language Month) by Heritage International School in Nain Feto, Dili. Officials of Heritage International School, the Ministry of Education – Dili Municipality Department, and the Ministry of Justice, also graced the event.

The theme for the culminating activity was “Native Language: Language of Peace, Security and Inclusive Means towards Social Justice”, which was drawn from the 2023 theme of the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (Commission on the Filipino Language).

Among the performances featured during the culminating activity were Filipino, Timorese, and Portuguese folk dances, public speaking, and the final round of a school-wide singing contest.

In her remarks, Ambassador Ante highlighted the significance of Filipino and indigenous Philippine languages in internalizing one’s culture, history, and identity as a Filipino and in facilitating dialogue among Filipinos on current issues.

The formal program ended with the awarding of winners for numerous competitions (e.g. quiz bee, spelling bee, singing contest, etc.) hosted by the school in the lead-up to the culminating activity for Buwan ng Wika.

Established in 2014, Heritage International School is one of the Filipino-owned international schools operating in Dili. END

^{Senior high school students of Heritage International School perform the “Tiklos”, a Waray folk dance that originated from Leyte Province in the Philippines.}