The University of the Philippines and the UP Asian Center, in collaboration with the Embassy of the State of Palestine, invite everyone to the Palestine Heritage Month: Academic Lecture on 28 October 2026, 1 PM, PHT, at the GT-Toyota Asian Center Auditorium, UP Diliman. The event is free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged due to limited seating.
ABOUT THE LECTURE
October 07 is observed as the Palestinian Heritage Day, officially designated in 1999 to safeguard and promote Palestinian cultural heritage and its integral connection to the national identity, collective memory, history, and land of the Palestinian people. However, in October 2026, as the genocide and systematic destruction in the Gaza Strip exceed two years, the global conversation surrounding heritage has fundamentally shifted. Beyond the catastrophic loss of human life, Palestine has suffered widespread scholasticide and the deliberate obliteration of its physical and cultural memory, including centuries-old mosques, historic churches, museums, archaeological sites, and archives.
As the national university, the University of the Philippines (UP), serves as a premier space for critical discourse, solidarity, and cultural preservation. By dedicating October’s Palestinian Heritage Month to this framework, UP and the Embassy of the State of Palestine - Manila seeks to move beyond passive cultural appreciation. Instead, this collaboration uses Palestinian heritage as an active lens to critique genocide, contest the erasure of history, and center human rights, memory, and steadfastness in the face of ongoing destruction. The UP Asian Center, as the University's only unit specializing in area studies, serves as the primary host for the Academic Lecture, leveraging its expertise in West Asian socio-political dynamics by facilitating an academic discussion framing the loss of heritage alongside human rights issues, genocide, and geopolitical history.
ABOUT THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Palestinian Heritage, Culture, National Identity, and the Importance of Safeguarding the Cultural Heritage of the Palestinian People
HIS EXCELLENCY MOUNIR Y.K. ANASTAS
Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary of the State of Palestine to the Republic of the Philippines
His Excellency Mounir Y.K. Anastas was accredited as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Palestine to the Republic of the Philippines on 26 February 2025, formally presenting his credentials to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. Ambassador Anastas is a veteran Palestinian diplomat with a long-standing career in multilateral and cultural diplomacy. Prior to his posting in Manila, he served in various leadership roles within the Permanent Delegation of the State of Palestine to UNESCO in Paris. Notably, he held the position of Ambassador and Alternate Permanent Delegate, and at times served as the chief representative of Palestine to UNESCO. During his tenure, he chaired meetings of States Parties to major cultural conventions, such as the 1970 Convention on Cultural Property and the Second Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention. He also led working groups on the reform of the Memory of the World Programme, highlighting his role in cultural heritage preservation on the global stage. As Ambassador to the Philippines, he holds the diplomatic rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. A native speaker of Arabic, Ambassador Anastas is also fluent in English and proficient in French—a key working language at UNESCO and in multilateral diplomacy. In addition to his diplomatic service, he is known for his contributions to contemporary music as a composer, reflecting Palestine’s strong emphasis on cultural diplomacy.
ABOUT THE PLENARY SPEAKERS
NOEL CHRISTIAN A. MORATILLA, Ph.D.
Dean and Professor, Asian Center, UP Diliman
Dr. Noel Christian A. Moratilla is the Dean and a Professor at the Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman. He earned his Ph.D. in Philippine Studies in 2015, after completing an MA in Education from the same university. Before he was appointed Dean, he served as Deputy Director of the UP System Office of International Linkages. He is an advocate for the rights of Filipino migrant workers and promotes the alignment of internationalization initiatives with national priorities. Dr. Moratilla's academic interests lie in resistance literature, Marxist and postcolonial theory, testimonial narratives, and diaspora studies.
ALIYA SARTBAYEVA PELEO, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Asian Center, UP Diliman
Dr. Aliya S. Peleo earned her Ph.D. at the Institute of China and Asia-Pacific Studies, National Sun Yat-sen University in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. She has an MA in International Development from the Graduate School of International Relations at the International University of Japan in Niigata, Japan. She has worked on a number of development projects in Central Asia with UNESCO, the Peace Corps/Kazakhstan, USAID, and ADB. She has also taught economics and management at the KIMEP University, International Academy of Business, and Suleyman Demirel University in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
ARIEL C. LOPEZ, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Asian Center, UP Diliman
Dr. Ariel C. Lopez is an Associate Professor at the Asian Center of the University of the Philippines Diliman, where he also serves as the Assistant to the Dean for Research, Extension, and Information. He earned his Ph.D. in History from Leiden University, the Netherlands. He specializes in Indonesian Studies, colonial and maritime History, Philippine History, and Southeast Asian History. One of his most recent publication is "Christian Conversions and Dutch Colonialism in Minahasa in the nineteenth century," published in Archipel: Études interdisciplinaires sur le monde insulindien.
ABOUT THE REACTORS
JULKIPLI M. WADI
Dean and Professor, Institute of Islamic Studies, UP Diliman
Professor Wadi is the current Dean of the Institute of Islamic Studies and has taught for more than twenty years. His background in both Political Science and Islamic Studies provided him with a comprehensive prism in understanding Muslim society, its culture, and dynamics. He follows major issues in Islam and the Muslim World, including its development and tensions. He engages the media and serves as a political analyst on Islam and politics, the Mindanao conflict, and the peace process.
ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS
This lecture is organized by the UP Asian Center and the UP Office of International Linkages in collaboration with the Embassy of the State of Palestine.
For inquiries, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 891-8500 loc. 3586.