GT-Toyota Asian Cultural Center

Toyota Motor Philippines’ (TMP) and the University of the Philippines formally inaugurated last week the P100 million GT-Toyota Asian Cultural Center. The new building will be the new home of the university’s Asian Center located in the main campus in Diliman, Quezon City.

The event, which was attended by top executives from Toyota, UP, foreign diplomats and local politicians, introduced two new structures in the one-hectare GT-Toyota Asian Cultural Center:
The Hall of Wisdom and the Asian Center Auditorium. The structures were the fulfillment of TMP’s P100-million pledge, which was announced during the 20th anniversary of Toyota Motor Philippines last August 2008. This was the largest private donation received by UP in its centennial year.

“The facilities that we have built here shall showcase the rich heritage of Asia and provide perspective on the global role that it plays in the 21st century. These structures will become landmarks in the university, and more importantly, a melting pot of cultures,” said TMP chairman Dr. George S.K. Ty.

The project started in March 2008 and was developed by Dean Aileen Baviera as part of the Asian Center’s UP Centennial fund-raising activities. Senator Edgardo Angara, chairman of UP’s Centennial Commission, also helped in securing this P100 million gift to the University. Construction began in March 2009. The structure was designed by renowned architect Jose Pedro Recio.

The GT-Toyota Hall of Wisdom, a building showcasing clean lines and modern design, now houses a new museum on Philippine ethnography, which was pioneered and collected by famed anthropologist F. Landa Jocano.

During the turnover, the museum showcased an opening exhibit on papier mache art, and on textiles with the theme “Ugnayan: The Philippines in Asia and Asia in the Philippines”.
On display for the first time in over three decades since it was acquired, is the Asian Center’s textile collection of rare Maranao and Tausug costumes, along with mini-exhibits on Ifugao ikat and the Japanese kimono.

The library on the other hand, which can be accessed by local and international researchers, will house the Asian Center’s extensive collection of over 50,000 volumes on Asian studies.
An audio-visual room, computer room, and seminar rooms will complement the research and library facilities.

The Hall of Wisdom will provide offices and meeting rooms for research, extension, and conference activities. The GT-Toyota Asian Center Auditorium, was conceptualized as a 500-seat hall for international conferences and other similar events. It has audio-visual equipment that includes a simultaneous interpretation system for multi-lingual conferencing.

“The University is now in the process of establishing a research institute for the study of relevant national and regional issues. The GT-Toyota Asian Cultural Center will help us attain our vision to be a cultural and policy hub of intellectual and cultural exchanges in the Philippines and Asia,” said UP president Emerlinda Roman.

To further underscore the growing partnership between Toyota and the University, TMP also donated a 15-seater HIACE Commuter van.

In its 20-year history, TMP has established itself not only as a manufacturer of high-quality vehicles, but also as a catalyst of social progress through its various initiatives intended to raise the quality of education, health, road traffic safety and environment in the country.

“We derive our resources from society. So, we should accordingly give back to society. As we look forward to further strengthen our partnership with the Philippine government, we will continue to strive to contribute to the country’s development, to the economy as well as to society,” Mr. Ty said.