The Philippines is eyeing an educational partnership with a Moroccan university for possible programs in architecture and business administration.

The Philippine Embassy in Rabat said Saturday it facilitated a meeting between representatives of De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) and the Université Internationale de Rabat (UIR).

DLS-CSB proposed organizing an intensive course for Filipino and Moroccan students enrolled in UIR’s architecture program and DLS-CSB’s arts management program, which may include lectures by professors from both institutions.

The proposed course could also include visits to important architectural monuments in the Philippines and Morocco, and workshops on applied business administration and management of art and architecture institutions.

The embassy said the UIR welcomed the proposal and invited DLS-CSB to negotiate a memorandum of understanding as the initial step to formalize their partnership.

The meeting, held in the Moroccan capital of Rabat on October 17, was initiated by the embassy as part of its efforts to improve the bilateral cooperation between the Philippines and Morocco in the field of education.

Cooperation between the two countries had been growing over the past years since the reopening of the embassy in Morocco in 2020.

In March alone, agreements on diplomatic studies and news exchanges were signed.

In September, Manila also sought to expand cultural cooperation as the two nations mark 50 years of diplomatic ties in 2025.

‘Filipino art in Rabat’

The Philippine Embassy also organized the art exhibit “Kinabuhi: Ompo and Suyam of Agusan Manobo” at the UIR from October 12 to 14.

The three-day event featured the vibrant culture of the Agusan-Manobo tribe through paintings, ceramic sculptures, and drawings of Carlito Camahallan Amalla, as well as suyam textiles and accessories.

The art pieces represent the centuries-old tradition of the Agusan-Manobo and the interwoven elements of kinabuhi, which means life or relief; suyam, a traditional embroidery style of the tribe; and ompo, which represents a god or a sentinel who wards off evil spirits and keeps watch over the people.

“We look at culture as a bridge between the Philippines and Morocco so we hope that through culture and through the arts, we’ll be able to create awareness and understanding between our two countries,” Philippine Ambassador to Morocco Leslie Baja said in a recent interview. (PNA)