PUP Faculty Elected to the Global Youth Organization's Board
Racidon P. Bernarte, The PUP Observer, Volume 1, Issue 2, July 2012Joseph Reylan B. Viray, a faculty member of the College of Arts and erstwhile Chief of the Visual Arts Office, was elected Secretary and member of the Interim Board of the International Organization of Folk Art (IOV)-Youth Commission Global during the 3rd IOV Youth Congress held at Billstromska Folk Arts High School, Tjorn Island, Sweden on June 24-30.
Prof. Viray (2nd from left) with Philippine Ambassador to Sweden Maria Zenaida Angara-Collinson (center) and IOV World Chairman Carmen Padilla (3rd from right).
The election of Prof. Viray was reported to the Philippine Ambassador to Sweden, Her Excellency Maria Zenaida Angara-Collinson during a diplomatic dinner prepared by the latter in her residence for the Philippine delegation headed by IOV-World President Ms. Carmen Padilla. It was noted by Ms. Padilla that there were only two South East Asians who made it to the Board, one from Indonesia and Prof. Viray. With this feat, the ambassador expressed her delight and pride.
Other elected officers were Assistant Secretaries – Atty. Andris Adhitra from Indonesia and Gianluca Masiglia from Italy; IOV Youth Nationals Support – Daniela Regina of Brazil, Pierre-Julien Canone of France, and Luba Pirgova of Bulgaria; Program Coordinators – Carlos Hidalgo of Costa Rica, Divya Nawale of India, Kelly Moe and Lyle Murphy of USA and Gabriel Freitas Souza of Brazil. The IOV-Youth Commission incumbent chairman is Olvin Valentin, a young lawyer and cultural magazine publisher from Puerto Rico.
The Congress which was attended by less than a hundred young professionals and cultural workers from more than 40 countries was organized and sponsored by the International Organization of Folk Art (IOV) World – an international association of individuals and institutions which focuses on intangible cultural heritage in cooperation with UNESCO; Gotaland Region, Sweden; and National Crafts Association of Sweden.