Spain’s year in Manila

The Embassy of Spain, through the Instituto Cervantes and its cultural and education offices, closes the final page of its cultural agenda this year with activities to suit everyone’s taste, from exhibits to conferences, gastronomy to mathematics, and masterclasses and concerts.

Most recently, world-renowned baritone Luis Llanez has offered master classes to budding Filipino singers from the Philippine Women’s University and the University of Santo Tomas, as well as the University of the Philippines, the last two being the venue of Spanish singer’s recitals.

Meanwhile, street-art collective Boa Mistura returns this month to the country refreshed with a new palette of energy after successfully painting in 2024 a basketball court in Tejeros in Makati.

Students at Enderun are to have a first-hand experience with Chele González, the first Spanish chef in the Philippines to be recognized with a Michelin star, giving a talk on his gastronomic journey to being awarded with one of the most coveted and prestigious honors in culinary.

It is expected to inspire young Filipino gastronomy enthusiasts and professionals as well as encourage anyone to get interested in cooking.

SpyArt showcased contemporary works at Art Fair Philippines, while Fernando Zóbel’s masterpieces drew art lovers to the Ayala Museum.

Manu Chao’s eclectic rhythms delighted crowds young and old, Miguel Trápaga’s guitar wove intimate moments, and the SBK Festival had the city dancing in unison.

Electronic music fans lost themselves at the Unknown and Medium Rare festivals, a testament to the city’s growing appetite for sonic adventure.

Spanish and Filipino neurosurgeons convened in Legazpi for a historic first, sharing expertise that transcended borders. Bernardo Aja’s photography caught eyes, while El Día del Libro celebrated the enduring power of the written word.

Pelikula 2025 kept cinephiles engaged, Ramón Grau explored zarzuela through workshops and concerts, and math professor Fernando Blasco turned algebra into games and magic tricks in Manila schools.

Exhibitions like Mezcla: Interwoven Cultures and the Mantón de Manila revisited the Galleon Trade, while Four Centuries of Spanish Engineering Overseas and Ateneo Art Gallery’s A Synergy of Ventures: The Post War Art Scene (honoring Zóbel’s centennial) continue to run into early 2026.

Design and education also flourished. National Designer awardee Héctor Serrano inspired students across Manila, historian María Dolores Elizalde illuminated Philippine history, and Spanish universities engaged local students at the European Higher Education Fair.

VII Jornadas de Español celebrated the language of Cervantes, Nerea Luis speculated on AI’s future, and marine biologist Isabel Nuñez Lendo urged young minds to safeguard the oceans.

Even the Spanish women’s futsal team left their mark, meeting students at Poveda, while architects in Japan shared lessons in heritage conservation with aspiring designers.