By Cyrus A. Natividad

Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Irving Domingo Rio, one of the AC Talk speakers discussed on settling cultural conflicts.

The American Corner at Henry Luce III Library conducted its first AC-US Embassy Talks (AC Talks) at the Rose Memorial Auditorium on October 1, 2019. The three invited speakers who talked on Socio-Civic and Cultural topics included, CPU Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Irving Domingo Rio (American Studies Summer Institute Scholar in 2004), Jarrah Brillantes (Interim Chair, US Government Alumni Association in Panay and Guimaras), and Angelica Belarmino (Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative Academic Fellow for Civic Engagement and Leadership at University of Nebraska at Omaha).

Angelica Belarmino, a YSEALI Academic Fellow on Civic Engagement and Leadership at University of Nebraska at Omaha talked about tech-start-ups.(left) University Library Director Prof. Cynthia Peleña, Ms. Angelica Belarmino, (center) and Vice- President for Student Affairs Prof. Esther Rose Romarate (right).

Dr. Rio presented a cultural thesis entitled “Conflict Resolution Process in the Mountains of Central Panay: Whose View? Belarmino and Brillantes talked on “Thesis to Startup” and “Heroes versus Villains: Insurgency from the inside of the community,” respectively. The US Embassy Talks is a signature speaker program platform of the American Spaces of the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines. It highlights key and relevant topics and connecting U.S. Government Exchange Alumni at the American Spaces; bridging mutual understanding and strengthening people-to-people conversations and engagement between the Philippines and the United States.

USGAA Interim Chair Jarrah Brillantes talked about peace and insurgency.

Professor Cynthia Peleña, University Library Director, said: “The U.S. Embassy through its American Spaces (Henry Luce’s American Corner) has been a partner in promoting Philippine-U.S. relations thus, continuously extending helpful academic programs like AC Talks to Central Philippine University.”