The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), in collaboration with Embassy of the United Kingdom (UK) of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the Republic of the Philippines, held a reading session for ‘Si Tala at ang Kanyang Lakbay Kalawakan!’ children’s book on space treaties at the University of the Philippines Integrated School (UPIS) Elementary Library on August 22, 2024.
This initiative is part of the celebration of Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa (National Language Month) and the fulfillment of the space policy, law, and diplomacy activities of PhilSA.
Space education and awareness
PhilSA Director General Joel Marciano Jr. welcomed the elementary students of UPIS to the event and provided a short introduction of the Agency. He also shared the Agency’s initiatives with the students, including the recently concluded Philippine Space Week celebrations and other space education and awareness activities geared towards the youth, such as the Asian Herb in Space activity and the Ask an Astronaut engagement series.
The British Ambassador, H.E. Laure Beaufils, read passages from the book on the journey of Tala as she learns about the United Nations treaties on outer space. Ambassador Beaufils also highlighted the collaboration between the Philippines and the UK, noting that 16 Filipino engineers are in the UK working on the design and development of the Multispectral Unit for Land Assessment (MULA) satellite. The Ambassador emphasized the importance of space science and technology activities (SSTA) for education, including space law and diplomacy, for the future generation.
PhilSA also turned over copies of the book to the UPIS, where Professor Anthony Joseph C. Ocampo, UPIS Principal, received them for the UPIS Elementary Library.
Book reading in Geneva, Switzerland
The book on space treaties has also reached other European shores, as Space Policy and International Cooperation Bureau (SPICB) Director, Atty. Noelle Riza D. Castillo, read the ‘Si Tala at ang Kanyang Lakbay Kalawakan’ last 16 August at the office of the Permanent Mission of the Philippines to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva. This was conducted on the sidelines of the 2nd Session of the Group of Governmental Experts on Further Practical Measures for the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space.
Young members of the Filipino community joined the book reading as part of the Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa and Philippine Space Week celebration.
Check out the online version of the book here: https://philsa.gov.ph/books/si-tala-at-ang-kanyang-lakbay-kalawakan—Press release from PhilSA/MF
