The UP Asian Center was honored to receive book donations from the Embassy of Brunei Darussalam in Manila in a ceremony held last 06 December 2024 at the UP Asian Center in time for the 40th anniversary celebration of the diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Brunei.

Her Excellency Megawati Dato Paduka Haji Manan led the delegation from the Embassy of Brunei Darussalam to the Philippines. Chancellor Edgardo Carlo Vistan II together with UPD University Librarian Elvira Lapuz, Institute of Biology Director Dr. Ian Kendrich C. Fontanilla, and UP Asian Center Dean Dr. Noel Christian A. Moratilla represented the UP Diliman during the ceremonial handover of the donated materials.

H.E. Ambassador Manan delivered a special message hoping that the gesture will encourage closer collaboration between Filipino and Bruneian scholars. Chancellor Vistan also delivered some remarks reconizing the contribution of the newly donated materials to the growth of scientific research in the university, and looking forward to more knowledge exchange between the two countries.

The ceremony was hosted by UP Asian Center Assistant to the Dean for Cultural and External Affairs, Dr. Jocelyn Celero. Professor and Dean of the Asian Center Dr. Noel Christian A. Moratilla delivered the welcoming remarks.

The ceremony was followed by a tour of the Asian Center Library.

ABOUT THE BOOKS DONATED

The books donated by the Embassy of Brunei to the Philippines can be accessed through the UP Asian Center and UPD Institute of Biology’s Libraries. Below are the available titles:

ASEAN Committee on Culture and Information. 2021. ASEAN Diversity. Jakarta: ASEAN Secretariat.

Hessels, Mark. 2008. Winging the Bornean Skies: A Photographic Journey Among the Birds of Brunei, Sabah & Sarawak. Borneo, Malaysia: Natural History Publications (Borneo).

Mcilroy, Roger, and John Elder. 2009. The Seashore Life of the Brunei Heart of Borneo. Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei: Brunei Press.

• • • • • • Volume 1 - The Physical Environment
          • Volume 2 - The Seashore Plants
          • Volume 3 - The Seashells
          • Volume 4 -  Beachcombing
          • Volume 5 - The Crustaceans
          • Volume 6 - The Sea Life
          • Volume 7 - Seashore and Coastal Birds
          • Volume 8 - Man

Said, Idris M. 2015. Orchids of Brunei. Brunei: ASTERA Consultant and Heart of Borneo (HOB) Brunei Darussalam International School.

Wong, K.M. 1997. In Brunei Forests: An Introduction to the Plant Life of Brunei Darussalam. Borneo, Malaysia: Natural History Publications (Borneo).

Wong, Khoon Meng, and A.S. Kamariah. 1999. Forest and Trees of Brunei Darussalam. Borneo, Malaysia: Natural History Publications (Borneo).

MORE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT

The Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman offers M.A. degrees in Asian Studies with four fields of specialization: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. The UP Asian Center also has an M.A. program in Philippine Studies that allows students to major in Philippine society and culture, Philippine foreign relations, or Philippine development studies. It also offers a Ph.D. program in Philippine Studies in conjunction with the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. For an overview of these graduate programs, click here. As an area studies institution, the Asian Center also publishes Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia, the latest issue of which can be downloaded at the journal's website.