14 December 2018, Dubai, UAE --- The first ever theatrical production of Overseas Filipinos in the United Arab Emirates, Ang Pambansang Litanya ng mga Inang Wala sa Bayan, premiered at the Philippine Consulate General’s Rizal Hall on 14-15 December 2018. Around 700 guests led by Ambassador Joy Quintana and Consul General Paul Raymund Cortes took part of the 6 weekend schedules. Both Heads of Missions commended the production team for encapsulating the emotions, dreams, visions, and souls of the over 10 million Overseas Filipinos across the world.

The original play written by Ateneo de Manila’s Dr. Christine Bellen, was staged in celebration of Overseas Filipino Month, making the production more memorable and symbolic of the bond that ties the global Filipino community amongst themselves and with the global diaspora. 

Ambassador Quintana hoped to bring the production to Abu Dhabi, emphasizing the need to bring our migration narrative not only to more Overseas Filipinos but to the global community as well. On his part, Consul General emphasized that the Consulate has always engaged and collaborated with the Community in further promoting our identity and values and in the arduous task of nation-building. A community that is unabashed in expressing themselves through the various forms of art is a community that is able to take on a very crucial role in our over 120 years of nation-building, he stressed.

The six showings of the Litanya production have given the community of Dubai and the Northern Emirates the first glimpse of the depth of talent the Filipino in the field of theater, proving time and again the Filipino artistic element will always be at its best when called for.

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