Representatives from the Philippine General Consulate in New York visited Pitt to explore potential partnerships in research, academia and culture on Jan. 14. 

Consul General Senen T. Mangalile and Consul Juan Carlos Borromeo met with the representatives of the University’s Asian Studies Center and Filipino graduate and undergraduate students in the Filipino Student Association. The Consulate also visited the Philippine nationality room, met with the Pittsburgh Filipino community and learned about Pitt’s activity in the Philippines.

According to University spokesperson Jared Stonesifer, consular visits to Pitt are not uncommon, especially for the Asian Studies Center.

“The Asian Studies Center hosts between four and five consular visits each year,” Stonesifer said.

Pitt currently has partnerships with several institutions in Asia, including the University of the Philippines Diliman. 

“This [consular visit] would build on the center’s current relationship with the Asian Center at the University of the Philippines Diliman campus, which has included participation in conferences and published volumes,” Stonesifer said.

Additionally, Pitt houses the Matthew B. Ridgway Center for International Security Studies, which was formed through a collaboration between the School of Public and International Affairs and the University Center for International Studies. The center focuses on developing analyses of 21st-century security issues, which is key to improving relations in the Philippines and the South China Sea, according to James Cook, associate director of Pitt’s Asian Studies Center. 

“The China-Philippines relationship right now is very tense. The [Ridgway] Center has sponsored two or three speakers recently looking at the South China Sea issue,” Cook said. “From a security standpoint, the Philippines is a very important relationship for the United States.”

Cook believes the relationship between the U.S. and the Philippines has been crucial historically. He emphasized the importance of expanding global academic involvement through the Asian Studies Center’s engagement in the Philippines.

“We’re going to continue to see if we can expand more activities in the Philippines between the University of Pittsburgh and in the schools there as well,” Cook said. 

Cook said the Asian Studies Center is continuing to work on providing new opportunities for students to learn about Southeast Asia. 

“Our relationship with the University of the Philippines Diliman is very solid and very vibrant. The relationship we have in Indonesia is also very vibrant, and we are continuing to do a lot of work with them,” Cook said. “We are working on a new Pitt in Thailand program.”

In the aftermath of the meeting, Cook believes there will be more opportunities for students to learn about the Philippines through academic, cultural and research-based initiatives.

“The Consulate was very pleased to hear about Pitt’s achievements and suggested bringing in speakers in 2026 and 2027,” Cook said. “It’s important to provide students with opportunities to speak to Filipino intellectuals and professors about issues that are important to them.” 

Students from FSA, like senior neuroscience major Clair Ponciano, were able to participate in this meeting. Ponciano, who works as the liaison between FSA and the Asian Studies Center, highlighted the potential for collaboration between FSA and the Consulate.

“This meeting gave me a better idea about how the Consulate serves our population beyond the legal and immigration spheres,” Ponciano said. “Because the Consulate General supports Filipino student organizations in their areas of jurisdiction, we talked about possibly hosting something that would bring our communities together.”

Gabriel Peralta, a junior data science major and president of FSA, said the meeting helped shape and understand his role as a leader in the Filipino community at Pitt.

“I came away from the meeting with a stronger sense of responsibility as a student leader and a deeper connection to the Filipino community,” Peralta said. “It showed me how FSA can be a bridge between students and larger Filipino institutions. It also reminded me that the work we do on campus isn’t just about events. It’s about supporting our community and sharing our culture in a meaningful way.”

The meeting included discussions about FSA and the on-campus visibility of Filipino culture. Ponciano highlighted how student engagement and pride in FSA factors into representation on campus. 

“It’s amazing to see how proud our members are of our culture and identity and how enthusiastic they are in sharing it with their friends and loved ones,” Ponciano said.

Despite FSA only recently growing in size, according to Peralta, he said it’s a crucial environment and resource for Filipino students at Pitt.

“It’s a way for us to bring Filipino culture to campus and help people better understand what it’s all about,” Peralta said.