PACE: A New Vision for Cultural Exchange in Europe

Submitted by Maria Antonia Bosa Van Espen-Boonen, Belgium

How a volunteer-driven organization is bringing Philippine arts and culture to the mainstream—one collaboration at a time.

For Louise Baterna, preserving Philippine culture is not simply about remembering the past—it is about building bridges for the future.  She believes Filipinos in Europe can share their heritage while becoming active participants in the communities they now call home. In a multicultural city like Brussels, where communities from around the world converge, cultural organizations play an important role in fostering understanding across borders. That belief inspired her to establish the Philippine Art and Culture Exchange (PACE) asbl, a Brussels-based non-profit organization that has quickly positioned itself as a dynamic platform for presenting the Philippines to global audiences.

PACE was founded in 2024 by a diverse group of Filipinos and Belgians led by a long-time Filipino community leader, Louise Baterna. It was created with a vision to showcase the Philippines to the wider cultural landscape of Europe. Rather than organizing events exclusively for Filipinos, PACE develops projects that cultivate dialogue and encourages collaboration between cultures.

A Passion That Brings People Together

Unlike many organizations that rely on formal membership requirements, PACE operates differently. There are no rigid commitments—only a shared passion for celebrating Philippine heritage.

Baterna says: “Leadership is practised by example. There should be a common passion for promoting Philippine art and culture.”

This philosophy has shaped the organization’s culture from the very beginning. By removing barriers to participation, PACE encourages people from different backgrounds to become involved according to their own strengths and availability.

Filling a Missing Piece

The idea for PACE grew from a simple observation.

“There was something missing in the community,” Baterna recalls.

While Filipinos in Belgium have long celebrated their traditions, there was an opportunity to reach beyond the community itself. That vision inspired the name Philippine Art and Culture Exchange.

The emphasis is not only on arts and culture, but on a dialogue where learning flows in both directions. PACE believes that cultural promotion should encourage conversation rather than simply present performances or exhibitions.

Culture Beyond the Filipino Community

Equally important is collaboration.

“We should not work in a bubble. We all contribute to cultural diplomacy.”, the founder explains.

That spirit has allowed PACE to build partnerships with the Philippine Embassy, government agencies, artists, community organizations, and cultural groups across Europe. These partnerships extend far beyond the Filipino diaspora while placing Philippine culture within broader European conversations that resonate with diverse audiences.

Perhaps no project illustrates PACE’s philosophy more clearly than its annual Philippine Food Festival. The event gives Filipino entrepreneurs an opportunity to introduce their businesses while inviting visitors to discover the country’s diverse regional cuisine. Beyond tasting unfamiliar dishes, guests leave with a deeper appreciation of the stories and traditions behind them.

Now celebrating its sixth edition, the festival has grown from a modest community gathering into one of the largest Filipino cultural events in Belgium, welcoming approximately 3,000 Filipino and non-Filipino visitors each year. Supported by the City of Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, the festival has become much more than a celebration of Filipino cuisine.

It also serves as an incubator for aspiring entrepreneurs. Before each festival, participating food vendors attend workshops on food hygiene, business regulations, and entrepreneurship, equipping them with practical knowledge about establishing and operating legitimate food businesses in Belgium. The festival therefore functions not only as a showcase for Philippine gastronomy but also as a platform that supports economic empowerment within the Filipino community.

The event reflects PACE’s belief that culture can create opportunities—not only for appreciation but also for professional growth and community development.

Arts that Create Conversations

Another memorable initiative was Roots and Weaves, a fashion and textile showcase featuring the work of Belgian designer Maxime Edward, who was born in the Philippines before being adopted by a Belgian family. His collection became more than a fashion presentation—it was a celebration of identity, heritage, and belonging, demonstrating how cultural roots can continue to inspire creativity regardless of where life leads. This is a notable project that explored how indigenous textiles can be reinterpreted through a contemporary European design perspective rather than being confined to the classic Filipiniana silhouette.  

A collaborative project, Freeze Frame, was presented during PACE’s residency at the Elsenhof Community Centre. The photographic exhibition invited returning Filipinos and international visitors to share the single image that remained most vivid from their visit to the Philippines.

The results challenged many long-held stereotypes. Rather than focusing on poverty or familiar tourist imagery, participants overwhelmingly remembered family life, festivals, local cuisine, neighborhood communities, landscapes, and even street dogs. The exhibition became a thoughtful reflection on how authentic personal experiences can reshape perceptions of an entire nation.

These projects embody PACE’s belief that culture becomes most meaningful when people are invited to experience it, rather than simply observe it.

Literature as Cultural Diplomacy

Literature occupies an equally significant place within PACE’s cultural programming.

Recognizing the growing presence of Filipino voices in international literature, the association has steadily expanded opportunities for Filipino writers to engage with people across Europe.

In 2024, PACE sponsored Filipina author Jacqueline Chio Lauri as one of the featured speakers at the Writers Festival of Belgium, introducing readers to contemporary Philippine literature and the experiences of the Filipino diaspora.

Building on that success, PACE launched the first Asian Literary Festival in Belgium in 2025, creating a platform that brought together writers, readers, publishers, and academics. Later this year, PACE will publish an anthology exploring the theme of mothering, featuring contributions from Filipino writers in the diaspora. The book’s launch will coincide with a mini Philippine Book Fair in Brussels, further expanding the association’s commitment to promoting Philippine literature internationally.

These literary initiatives reflect PACE’s conviction that culture extends beyond visual arts and performances. Stories, poetry, essays, and books provide equally powerful ways of expanding awareness of the Philippines through cross-cultural conversations.

Museums, Universities, and Cultural Institutions

PACE has also distinguished itself through collaborations with some of Belgium’s leading academic and cultural institutions.

One of the organization’s most exceptional projects came in 2025 when PACE was invited by the Brussels Museum of Migration to curate a six-week multimedia exhibition dedicated to the Philippine diaspora.

The exhibition marked a significant milestone, making the Philippines one of the Asian countries to receive such extensive representation in the museum. Drawing on an impressive collection of historical and contemporary materials that were presented, the exhibition combined visual arts, documentary films, podcasts, video interviews, photographs, and archival pieces to tell the story of Filipinos in Belgium.

Conferences, concerts, film screenings, afternoon gatherings, and community events transformed the museum into a vibrant cultural space that offered visitors an in-depth introduction to Philippine history, migration, creativity, and community life.

Together with the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), the association also organizes public conferences exploring subjects such as migration, human rights, environmental sustainability, and intercultural dialogue. These discussions demonstrate that Philippine perspectives can contribute meaningfully to broader international issues while encouraging exchanges between scholars, students, artists, and the public.

PACE also serves as a platform for emerging Filipino artists. It has organized visual exhibitions featuring both Belgium-based and Philippine-based artists as part of the latter’s European exhibition tours.

These projects illustrated one of PACE’s defining strengths: its ability to bring together artists, historians, academics, institutions, and community members in a single collaborative undertaking that presents the Philippines in all its richness and diversity.

Inspiring the Next Generation

PACE believes that cultural exchange should begin early, introducing the young audiences to Philippine traditions through engaging and interactive experiences.

This commitment was evident in 2025 when PACE was invited to organize a month-long Philippine cultural program for Artistes du Monde for Kids in Brussels. Tailored for children, the programme featured storytelling, music, traditional crafts, culinary discovery, and an exhibition showcasing the works of two young Filipino visual artists.

Rather than presenting culture as something to be observed from a distance, the activities encouraged children to participate, create, ask questions, and experience the Philippines through play and creativity.

Cinema as a Cultural Bridge

One of PACE’s most exciting upcoming initiatives is the Philippine Film Festival at the Cinematek Brussels, scheduled for 2027. The festival represents another important milestone in bringing Philippine cinema into one of Belgium’s premier film institutions while introducing European audiences to both classic and contemporary Filipino filmmaking.

The timing is particularly significant following the rediscovery of Diwata ng Karagatan, a nearly 90-year-old Filipino film preserved at the Royal Film Archive of Belgium. Long considered lost, the film has become an important symbol of the historical links between Belgium and the Philippines.

PACE played an important role in facilitating cooperation between the Belgian archive and the Filipino film historian and director Nick Deocampo, helping support research and renewed international interest in this remarkable cinematic treasure.

For PACE, the festival represents far more than a series of screenings. It is another opportunity to present Philippine history, artistic achievement, and cultural heritage to wider audiences while creating new partnerships within Europe’s cultural sector.

Overcoming Challenges Together

Organizing cultural events is rarely simple. Budget constraints, venue availability, scheduling artists, finding collaborators, and avoiding conflicts with other community events all require careful planning. Yet instead of viewing these challenges as obstacles, PACE sees them as opportunities to strengthen partnerships.

Planning also plays a crucial role. PACE invests considerable time in developing long-term partnerships and carefully curated projects because major European cultural institutions often schedule events eighteen months or even several years in advance.

Looking Toward the Future

PACE has no intention of slowing down. Several major initiatives are already in development, including book fairs, film festivals, expanded food festivals, and other cultural programs designed to showcase the richness of Philippine history, literature, cinema, and artistic traditions.

The organization also has even bigger aspirations. Among its long-term goals are establishing a Philippine cultural resource center, creating a repository of experts and educational materials, promoting research on Philippine arts and culture, and one day helping establish a Maison des Philippines in Belgium—a dedicated cultural center that would house a Philippine library while serving as a venue for exhibitions, workshops, conferences, performances, and culinary events.

It is an ambitious dream, but one firmly rooted in the belief that culture deserves a permanent home. Such a centre would not only preserve Philippine heritage but also provide future generations a permanent venue where culture continues to evolve through dialogue and collaboration.

For its 2027-2028 events, PACE is already working on potential partnerships with several museums, as well as a film festival mentioned earlier, a choral concert, and a Philippine Day celebration in one of the tourist cities in the Wallonia region. 

A Changing Narrative

PACE’s work comes at a time when international perceptions of the Philippines are changing.

For many years, Filipinos abroad were often recognized primarily for their economic contributions or their role in the global workforce. Today, however, Philippine artists, writers, filmmakers, designers, musicians, and creative professionals are gaining increasing international recognition.

The association believes this presents a unique opportunity to showcase the country’s remarkable cultural wealth.

As Louis Baterna observes:

“Social media has helped dispel many of the stereotypes Filipinos faced over the past two decades. Globally, we are increasingly recognized as a people with a rich culture and a country teeming with talent. This is the right moment to build on that momentum and bring Philippine culture beyond our borders. We have an abundance of creatives, both in the Philippines and throughout the diaspora, whose work deserves global attention.”

“We need to move beyond the idea that we should remain on the fringes of society simply because we were not born here. We are not simply migrants. We are participatory members of our adopted countries, and our contribution goes far beyond economics.”

That message encapsulates the spirit of PACE.

Every performance shared, every artwork exhibited, every recipe passed on, and every story told becomes another opportunity to challenge stereotypes, celebrate creativity, and strengthen relationships between communities.

For Louise Baterna, the success of PACE will not simply be measured by the number of events it organizes or the audiences it reaches. It will be reflected in the confidence of Filipinos who choose to share their heritage and the understanding built between communities. Despite its current small membership, PACE continues to grow. Its dedication and unwavering commitment as a non-profit organization remain steadfast, and its message is clear: Philippine arts and culture are not only meant to be preserved—they are meant to be shared and celebrated across cultures.

---

Maria Antonia Bosa Van Espen-Boonen is a retired Philippine foreign service staff officer and diplomat based in Brussels, Belgium. Her writing draws on both personal and professional experiences, spanning more than two decades of government service and diplomatic assignments in the United States and in Europe. She is a recipient of the Department of Foreign Affairs 2014 Outstanding Employee Award.