Ocampo delivers talks in Tokyo; receives Presidential Medal of Merit
Dr. Ambeth R. Ocampo of the Department of History, School of Social Sciences is presently Visiting Professor with the Faculty of Foreign Studies, Sophia University, Tokyo where he teaches courses on Philippine history, Philippine Film, Christian Iconography, and Art in the Banknotes of ASEAN.
Talks
Ocampo recently participated in an academic forum organized by the Instituto Cervantes Tokyo marking the 400th anniversary of the Keicho Mission to Spain and the Vatican, where he read a paper on the Hasekura visit to Manila in 1619.
He also delivered a well received talk on the Theft of the Rizal Manuscripts from the National Library in 1961 at the Kyoto University Center for Southeast Asian Studies.
Presidential Medal of Merit
In Tokyo, on December 12, 2013 President Benigno S. Aquino, III conferred on Dr. Ocampo the Presidential Medal of Merit.
Ocampo received the Medal of Merit in recognition of his “achievements as scholar, teacher, and in recognition of his writings through which he popularized Philippine history, art and culture, thus bringing these aspects of our national identity and culture closer to the people.”
In conferring the medal, President Aquino was assisted by Ms. Maritess L. Lopez, wife of Philippine Ambassador to Japan Manuel Lopez.
