Background. Dr. Daisaku Ikeda, the founder and head of Soka Gakkai in Japan and Soka Gakkai International has been my friend and associate as an advocate of international peace since the time I was president of the University of the Philippines. His assistance to U.P. enabled me to build the U.P. International Peace Center that I named the Ikeda Hall/Balay Kalinaw. This is a popular venue for meetings and celebrations in U.P. Diliman. Beside it I put up a building of apartments for visiting scholars.
Dr. Ikeda and I have conducted a challenging and rewarding dialogue on the Philippines and Japan and our common effort to promote education, culture, and world peace. On my 88th birthday anniversary on May 25, 2016 we launched our dialogue book of 15 chapters, entitled Global Citizenship: Toward a Civilization of Wisdom, Love and Peace: Hopes from the Philippines and Japan on the Marine Road. All these show how closely we have been together as colleagues and friends since 2001!
The Abueva Family Art Exhibit when Sokka Gakkai International in the Philippines inaugurated its new and beautiful five-storey building at the Escolta on October 2, 2014. I saw the building on September 6, with SGI Secretary General Hisako Alcantara who showed me the ground floor hall where we would have The Abueva Family Art Exhibit from October 2 to 19. (Mrs. Alcantara is a Japanese married to a Filipino businessman. They have three sons who are in Japan.)
The Abueva Family Art Exhibit. As our family contribution to the inauguration of the Soka Gakkai International Peace Center at the Escolta, I offered the idea of presenting an Abueva Family Art Exhibit. To our common and mutual delight this was enthusiastically received by Ms. Hisako Alcantara who knows my brother Napoleon Abueva as a celebrated National Artist.
I suggested that members of our extended Abueva family could participate: Amihan and Mulawin; Lanelle and Jonas; Manoy Teddy (his big black nude), and myself (with a few paintings and photographs).
Transportation, Security, and Display of Art Pieces. Ms. Alcantara offered to help us transport our art pieces to the Soka International Peace Center starting on September 19. A room was reserved to secure the art pieces before they would be displayed at the main hall on the first floor of the Center building. She provided all the tables and shelves for display of the art works, and the screen where we could present a photo and video of Abueva arts.
Meeting with the Billy and Cher Abueva Family. I saw Billy and Cher, and Amihan and Mulawin to talk about the Abueva Family Art Exhibit.
And I urged all of us to kindly cooperate in our gesture of Abueva goodwill and cooperation with the Dr. Daisaku Ikeda and the Soka Gakkai International in the Philippines.
The Abueva Art Gallery in Duero Municipality. All our preparations for The Abueva Family Art Exhibit at the Soka Gakkai International Peace Center at the Escolta in Manila in October 2014 has served very well as our preparation for setting up The Abueva Art Gallery in Duero, Municipality in 2016!
Moreover, our own sister, Teresita “Ching†Floro, an accomplished painter herself and musician, is able to lead us all in sustaining The Abueva Art Gallery in Duero Municipality!  She is the head resident family member of our Handurawan Balay Abueva, our Abueva Ancestral Home. (by Jose “Pepe†Abueva)
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