Slovenia and the Philippines celebrate historic women travellers at landmark Manila exhibition

9. 3. 2026

Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Manila

In celebration of International Women’s Day and National Women’s Month, a landmark double exhibition has officially opened at the National Library of the Philippines. Entitled "Potovanje / Paglalakbay: Two Women Travellers in the 1920s: Alma Karlin of Slovenia and Paz Guazon of the Philippines", the exhibition creates a significant cultural bridge between the two nations.

Organised through a close collaboration between the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Manila, the Celje Regional Museum and the National Archives of the Philippines—with the vital support of the Slovenian Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs—the exhibition brings together the legacies of two extraordinary female intellectuals who independently crossed global boundaries at a time when solo female travel was virtually non-existent.

Opening ceremony with grandnephew of Paz Guazon, Atty. Roberto J. Consunji, exhibition’s curator, Davor Mlinarič, Executive Director of the National Archives of the Philippines, Victorino M. Manalo, and Slovenian Ambassador in Manila, Dr Smiljana Knez | Author Embassy of Slovenia in Manila

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A High-Profile Opening Ceremony

The exhibition was officially opened by the Slovenian Ambassador in Manila, Dr Smiljana Knez, who delivered an address that included a special message from the Mayor of Celje (where a permanent location about Alma Karlin's travels is on display). She was joined in launching the event by Victorino M. Manalo, the Executive Director of the National Archives of the Philippines. Philippine Senator Loren Legarda, a prominent cultural advocate, addressed the audience by a video message.

Adding deeply personal and expert dimensions to the opening were the grandnephew of Paz Guazon, Atty. Roberto J. Consunji, and the exhibition’s curator, Davor Mlinarič, from the Celje Regional Museum. Speaking to an audience of 120 students and distinguished guests, Mlinarič earlier in the day detailed the adventurous lives and literary contributions of both women in an engaging lecture.

Two Bold Paths, One Shared Era

The heart of the exhibition lies in the striking parallels between these two trailblazers. Traveling completely alone during the 1920s, both women extensively documented their global observations, leaving behind powerful literary contributions that challenged societal norms, bridged cultures and championed gender equality and women's rights.

Alma M. Karlin (1889–1950): A celebrated Slovenian author, poet, polyglot and globetrotter from Celje, Slovenia. Karlin embarked on an epic, solo eight-year journey around the globe starting in 1919, supporting herself entirely through her writing and language lessons. Her travels brought her to Manila in 1924. According to historical records from the Celje Regional Museum, Karlin faced daunting challenges with the local colonial bureaucracy of the era, but found moments of peace, strength and reflection in Manila and nearby Antipolo.
Dr Maria Paz Mendoza-Guazon (1884–1967): A monumental figure in Philippine history, she was the very first woman to graduate as a medical doctor in the Philippines. As an intellectual, researcher, and fierce advocate for women's suffrage, she travelled throughout Europe and beyond to study foreign social systems. She recorded her journeys in vivid, literary diary entries which, after decades out of print, were proudly republished two years ago.

Exhibition Tour and Visitor Information

The exhibition is open to the public in the second-floor lobby of the National Library of the Philippines in Manila from 10 March until 16 April 2026.

Following its Manila run, the exhibition is scheduled to travel to other cities across the Philippines, as well as to neighbouring countries in the Southeast Asian region, carrying forward the inspiring stories of these two pioneering women.