By Chessa Pae N. Faustino, StratCom Correspondent

Exhibiting strong and active partnership, Mariano Marcos State University joined the Consulate of the People’s Republic of China in Laoag City in celebrating the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival through a program held at the University Student Center today, September 13. 

Organized by the MMSU Language Center and the Internationalization, Linkages and Partnerships Directorate, the event gathered faculty and students of the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, Economics and Accountancy, and College of Teacher Education. Students taking up AB in English Language and BA in Sociology at CAS, BS in Hospitality Management and BS in Tourism Management at CBEA, and BS in Technology and Livelihood Education and BS in Special Needs Education at CTE participated in the workshops on paper cutting, singing, and dancing. Foreign language students also showcased their singing skills in Mandarin through an intermission number. 

Mr. Sun Weidong, acting head consul of Chinese Consulate in Laoag, served as guest speaker in the celebration. He said the Mid-Autumn Festival or Zhong Qiu Jie (also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival) celebrates rice and fruits harvest as a way of gratitude to the bounty they receive throughout the year. One of the most celebrated events in China, the festival signifies togetherness and brings family together from various parts of the world.

“I have realized that despite our differences, we somehow share similar experiences which allow us to understand and empathize with each other,” expressed MMS President Shirley C. Agrupis. 

MMSU Language Center Chief Danica Hannah Pastor said through this activity, “we hope that we will be able to establish better relationships knowing that we are all living under one sky and gazing at the same moon.”

MMSU and the Chinese Consulate in Laoag City continuously collaborate in carrying out academic and cultural activities. These include the reopening of the Chinese Corner at the university main library and the establishment of Chinese Learning Center at the Center for Flexible Learning. (HLY/JVBT/DPTJ, StratCom)