The 1734 Murillo map shows more than just locations of places. It has two panels on both sides engraved with images depicting lifestyles and special features of places. One panel shows a farmer plowing the field not far from a river with crocodiles. It’s noted that in Zamboanga, there’s “Pozo de Agua Dulce.” In general it showed a high level of civilization.
But the most significant feature of the Murillo map a tiny spot off the shores of Nueva Castilla, which was then the name of Luzon labeled as “Panacot.”
It’s actually a coral reef known now as Scarborough shoal, after the tea-carrying British tea clipper Scarborough sank in the vicinity in 1784.
It is also known as Bajo de Masinloc and Panatag, 124 nautical miles off Zambales. The Chinese which also claims the shoal, which is 467 nautical miles from its mainland calls it Huangyan Island.
I’m intrigued by Fr. Murillo’s identification of the coral reef a “Panacot”, which means fear in contrast to how the fishermen refer to it as “Panatag” which means calm.
Could it be that it was called “Panacot” because any one who ventured into the shoal would have to go through rough seas? Masinloc fishermen, on the other hand, say that they called the rock formations Panatag because it provides them a solid refuge during bad weather.
Mel Velarde, president and CEO of the Information Technology based- One Corp and chairman of the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication, has decided to donate the map to the National Museum since the government has no funds to buy it from him.
The map is still being stored in the vault of the auction house Sotheby’s in London. It will be used as one of the evidence to debunk the claim of China that they own a large part of the South China Sea, including Scarborough shoal, with its nine-dash line map.
How the map by a Jesuit priest in Manila got to London and became part of the collection of the Duke of Northumberland who owns the magnificent Alnwick Castle could be another great story.
It could be that it was during what historians refer to as “The First Rape of Manila” that the Murillo map was taken out of the country as part of the British loot when they invaded the Philippines.
History accounts relate: On 24 September 1762, a British fleet of eight ships of the line, three frigates, and four store ships with a force of 6,839 regulars, sailors and marines, sailed into Manila Bay from Madras…Once Manila fell to British troops, the churches and government offices were ransacked, valuables were taken and historical documents such as Augustinian records, government documents and even the copper plates for the grand 18th-century Murillo Velarde map of the Philippines were taken. The naval stores at the Cavite Naval Yard, the paintings in the Governor General’s Palace, the contents of Intramuros churches and the possessions of wealthy houses were also not spared. “
The Murillo map had lain together with hundreds of heirlooms collected by the Duke of Northumberland for more than 200 years in Alnwick Castle, a favorite location for period films. In the first two Harry Potter films, the castle was the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
It happened that two years ago the Northumberland Country was hit by heavy rains that destroyed a culvert of the Alnwick Castle and caused severe flooding not only to the Dukes property but also the surrounding community.
To recoup the millions that he spent for the repair of the property, the current Duke of Northumberland, Ralph George Algernon Percy, decided to auction off 80 family heirlooms which included the Murillo map.
That’s how the Murillo map got back to the Philippines.
Velarde has bought a large format printer to reproduce the map. The first copy will be presented to President Aquino on Friday as the nation celebrates Independence Day.
He would like to distribute copies of the maps to schools and in the provinces through local government units to rekindle the sense of patriotism among the young people.
“I’m also proposing a stone etch of the map in front of the Jose Rizal monument (in Rizal Park),” he said.
Source :http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/opinion/wealth-stories-murillo-velarde-map