Rizal’s Journey through the Suez inspires Sentro Rizal- Egypt

Dr. Jose Rizal’s 1882 journey through the Egypt’s Suez Canal has inspired Philippine-Egyptian cultural connection. Over the past decade, Philippine ambassadors in Cairo have carried this legacy forward through building connections with local cultural partners including the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, one of the largest library complexes in the Middle East and Africa, and the cities of Alexandria and Port Said.

Even before the Sentro Rizal- Egypt was inaugurated, the Embassy had undertaken steps to introduce Dr. Jose P. Rizal to an Egyptian audience. In December 2015, under then Philippine Ambassador to Egypt H.E. Claro S. Cristobal, the Embassy donated a bust sculpture of Dr. Rizal by Filipino sculptor Frederic I. Caedo to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. The donation also included manuscript prints of Noli Me Tángere and El Filibusterismo produced by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. With these donations, the Philippines’ national hero was enshrined in a historic center of knowledge, one that commemorates the ancient Library of Alexandria.

Under Ambassador Leslie J. Baja, the Sentro Rizal-Egypt was officially inaugurated on September 25, 2016. It was the first-ever Philippine cultural center on the African continent. Ambassador Baja led community cultural projects under the banner of the Sentro.

During the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Egypt and the Philippines in 2021, Ambassador Sulpicio M. Confiado, alongside Madame Priscila R. Confiado and embassy officials, met with Port Said Governor Maj. Gen. Adel Mohamed Ibrahim Al-Ghadban. The meeting covered several matters including cultural cooperation as well as the significance of Port Said during Dr. Rizal’s travel to Europe, as he passed through the Suez Canal in 1882 and 1887.

Ambassador Ezzedin Tago later on traveled to Alexandria to meet with the Director of Bibliotheca Alexandrina Dr. Mostafa El Feki, in 2022 to discuss collaborations that may fall under the Philippines-Egypt Cultural Agreement.

Current Ambassador Charmaine Rowena C. Aviquivil conducted the latest milestone visit to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina on August 20, 2026. In a meeting with the Bibliotheca’s Director Professor Ahmed A. Zayed, Ambassador Aviquivil mapped out new collaborative educational and cultural exchange activities designed to benefit Filipino students in Egypt. She also took the time to visit Rizal’s bust located at the main library section.

The Embassy continues to engage with Egyptian cultural and educational institutions, thus advancing diplomatic and cultural relations as well as fostering enduring Filipino-Egyptian friendship.