On September 1st, Consul Cunanan formally turned over a collection of books on Georgian culture, architecture, tourism, and history to Dr. Vernon Totanes, PhD, the Director of the Rizal Library of the Ateneo de Manila University. This donation marks the creation of the FIRST Georgian Literature Collection in the Philippines and in Asia.
The project is an initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, in partnership with the Consulate of Georgia, led by Consul (a.h.) Thelmo Cunanan, to spread awareness of Georgian culture in the Philippines and the Far East, by donating reference materials to libraries and related institutions.
Established in the late 19th century, the Rizal Library has developed into the most modern, dynamic, and respected library in the Philippines. It has over 5,000 square meters of space, a 700 seating capacity, and shelving space for 200,000 volumes. Furthermore, it has over 180,000 books in its collection, 33,000 bound journals, roughly 4,300 rolls of microfilm, and over 300,000 microfiches. Holding its own to international standards, Rizal Library has computerized its operations and established a network with universities and libraries around the globe to provide the Ateneo community with information services which ensure the university’s continuing tradition of excellence.
Dr. Totanes thanked Consul Cunanan for the donation of the books and said these would form the nucleus of the library’s “Georgian Collection”. For his part, Consul Cunanan expressed his appreciation at the support and cooperation extended by the Rizal Library to the Georgian Literature project and vowed to bring more books from Georgia in the near future. Consul Cunanan and Dr. Totanes also discussed the establishment of a formal relationship of friendship and cooperation between the Rizal Library and the National Parliamentary Library of Georgia and the library of Caucasus University, one of the most prestigious schools in Georgia. Among the books donated to the Rizal Library was “History of Georgia”, written by Dr. Kakha Shengelia, President of Caucasus University.
