The Alliance Française de Manille on Friday launched an exhibition featuring rare maps from the 17th to 19th centuries and the Murillo Velarde 1734 Map, known as the “Mother of all Philippine Maps.”
Titled “Scarborough Shoal and the Spratlys in Ancient Maps: An Exhibition,” it featured the map collection of retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, and the Murillo Velarde 1734 Map, acquired by Filipino businessman Mel Velasco Velarde at a Sotheby’s auction in London in 2012.
Velarde said that the “Mother of all Philippine Maps” was used at the arbitration tribunal to back up the Philippines’ right and ownership over the Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.
This is the first map that gave a name to Scarborough Shoal, or “panacot” in Tagalog, which means danger.
“I’m not just lending the map to the institution, I’m donating it to the government permanently as long as you will give it a permanent place,” Velarde said, adding that he is very honored to participate in the exhibit, donating the official replica.
SOURCE GMA NEWS
Mel Velasco Velarde, Chairman of the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC) and the NOW Group, donated a replica of the Murillo Velarde 1734 Map to the Embassy of Canada in the Philippines.
The turnover ceremony was held at the Canadian Ambassador’s residence in August 2022, a month after the sixth anniversary of the July 2016 landmark ruling at The Hague that upheld the Philippines’ sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the West Philippine Sea. The Murillo Velarde 1734 Map was one of the 270 maps cited at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) hearings.
Present during the turnover of the map were Chairman Velarde; His Excellency Peter MacArthur, Ambassador of Canada to the Philippines; Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr.; Colin Townson, Counsellor, Political and Public Affairs, Canadian Embassy; and Kristian Noel A. Pura, Managing Director of AIJC and NOW Corporation.
On November 18, 2022, at 2:00 p.m., the Murillo-Velarde 1734 Map Replica Turnover Ceremony was held at the Angelo King Multi-Purpose Center, attended by Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC) representatives and Xavier School administrators. This is the first formal onsite event for the two institutions after the second lockdown.
The turnover event was made possible through the generosity of Mr. Mel V. Velarde, a true Patriot, Chairman of Now Corporation, CEO of NOW Telecom Company Inc., and Chairman of the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication and Velarde Inc. (Read his turn-over speech here.)
According to the AIJP website, the map is what historians regard as the “mother of all Philippine maps.”
The map was one of the 80 heirlooms owned by the Duke of Northumberland, Ralph George Algernon Percy, that were auctioned by Sotheby’s London on November 4, 2014. Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio got wind of the auction of the map and shared this information to various public and private museums and individuals, including Velarde, who is also an educator and a technology entrepreneur. Velarde participated in the bid and won.
The 1734 Murillo Velarde map was one of the 270 ancient maps cited at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) hearings in The Hague in the Netherlands when the Philippines contested China’s claims over the West Philippine Sea. In 2016, the PCA tribunal declared that China’s claims were invalid.
Velarde believes that the ownership of the map is every Filipino’s birth right. He donated the map to the Philippine government. He now raises public awareness on the map and its significance to our cultural and historical heritage by donating replicas of the map to government agencies, academic institutions, and private organizations.
More information about the map may be seen on the Murillo Velarde Map website.
Fr. Aristotle C. Dy, SJ, School President, delivered his message of gratitude to Mr. Mel Velarde and his team, emphasizing the relevance of the map to Xavier School’s context as a Chinese-Filipino educational institution. (Read the full message here.)
The map replica is currently displayed in the High School Learning Resource Center of the Xavier School San Juan campus.
The video of the event and an explainer of the Murillo-Velarde 1734 map may be viewed below.
This article by Carlos Villoria Prieto and Valeriano Sánchez Ramos features the Hispanic-Filipino Cultural Center in Laujar de Andarax. The Center pays tribute to the work of Laujar Jesuit Pedro Murillo Velarde, who prepared the first scientific map of the Philippines, the Carta Hydrographica y Chorographica de la Yslas Filipinas Manila or the Murillo Velarde Map, together with two Filipinos: Francisco Suarez, who drew the map, and Nicolas dela Cruz Bagay, who did the engraving.
Here is the abstract of the article:
The Spanish Philippine Centre of Laujar de Andarax is the result of two factors that will be the driving force behind its development, on the one hand the international interest in the Laujarean Jesuit Pedro Murillo Velarde and that of the Laujar town council for the recovery of one of its most significant civil buildings that was in a ruinous state and on the verge of being lost. The headquarters of the Centro Hispano Filipino is an exceptional example of a manor house of the small Alpujarran nobility. Built in the first half of the 18th century, it is an example of the economic development of 18th century Laujar. The Centre is dedicated to the Laujar Jesuit Pedro Murillo Velarde, the most prominent intellectual in the Philippines in the 18th
century. Nowadays, Pedro Murillo’s cartographic work has gained unusual relevance due to the territorial dispute between China and the Philippines over the control of the South China Sea.
Access the full article here.
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Mr. President of the United Nations General Assembly;
Mr. Secretary-General;
Heads of state and government;
Excellencies:
I am honored to address you today on behalf of the Filipino people on the 75th anniversary of the United Nations.
The invisible enemy that is COVID-19 has brought about an unfamiliar global landscape and unleashed a crisis without precedent. It is the biggest test the world and the United Nations faced since World War II.
While the United Nations has brought relief and hope to so many countries and peoples around the world, it now finds itself saddled by a virus that has taken many lives and wrecked economies and social order.
We are at a crossroads. How we address COVID-19 will define our future.
For the Philippines, this means putting up all of the peoples of our united nations at the core of this response.
We will need to ask hard and fundamental questions about the vision and mission that the United Nations conceptualized 75 years ago.
We need to ask ourselves whether or not we have remained true and faithful to the United Nations’ principles and ideals.
Mr. President, in the light of the realities of the present, the Philippines grieves with all of the families all over the world who lost their loved ones to this horrible virus.
We extend our heartfelt condolences.
We salute all frontliners who put their lives on the line even in countries not their own. So also do we honor and recognize the healthcare professionals who selflessly answered the call to combat the COVID-19 pandemic despite its virulence and unknown characteristics.
While each nation has its own strategy in fighting the pandemic, what the world needs are coordinated international plans and efforts to pursue a common purpose.
COVID-19 knows no border. It knows no nationality. It knows no race. It knows no gender. It knows no age. It knows no creed.
The Philippines values the role that the United Nations plays in its fight against the pandemic. As a middle-income country whose economic advances have been derailed by the pandemic, we welcome the launch of the UN COVID Response and Recovery Fund.
Ensuring universal access to anti COVID-19 technologies and products is pivotal in the global pandemic recovery.
The world is in the race to find a safe and effective vaccine.
When the world finds that vaccine, access to it must not be denied nor withheld. It should be made available to all, rich and poor nations alike, as a matter of policy.
The Philippines joins our partners in the ASEAN and the Non-Aligned Movement in raising our collective voice: the COVID-19 vaccine must be considered a global public good. Let us be clear on this.
We call for a global health agenda with enough resources and policy space for the World Health Organization.
We need a WHO that is quick to coordinate and quicker to respond. The Philippines will do its part in the pooling of global resources. Our health workers are among the best.
Mr. President, just as we needed stability and confidence because of the pandemic, geopolitical tensions continue to rise.
Escalating tensions benefit no one. New flashpoints heighten fears and tend to tear peoples apart.
When elephants fight, it is the grass that gets trampled flat.
Given the size and military might of the contenders, we can only imagine and be aghast at the terrible toll on human life and property that shall be inflicted if the “word war” deteriorates into a real war of nuclear weapons and missiles.
I therefore call on the stakeholders in the South China Sea, the Korean Peninsula, the Middle East and Africa: if we cannot be friends as yet, then in God’s name, let us not hate each other too much. I heard it once said, and I say it to myself in complete agreement.
Mr. President: Filipino migrant workers have been devastated by the pandemic. Many have lost not only their livelihood, but also their health and lives as well. Yet they
go on in the frontlines, healing, caring for others in the different parts of the world.
The Philippine Government has embarked on an unprecedented repatriation program. More than 345,000 overseas Filipino workers needed to come home then.
We have brought back half and are bringing back the rest.
We thank the countries that have provided Filipino migrants with residence permits, access to testing, treatment and related health services in this pandemic.
We brought back most of our seafarers who were stranded because of COVID19 restrictions. We pioneered with the IMO the Green Lane for safe changes of seafaring crews.
In these times, we need stronger cooperation in promoting and protecting the rights of migrants, regardless of their migrant status.
We must all adhere to the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. Unless states include all migrants in their response to this pandemic, “no one among us is safe, until everyone is safe”, as the Secretary-General has said.
With the poverty rate reduced at 16.6 percent; and a sustained economic growth rate of 6.4 percent between 2010 and 2019, the Philippines was on track to becoming an upper-
middle income country by the end of 2020. But the pandemic has placed our economy in recession.
Despite this downward pressure on growth, the Philippines remains committed to the Sustainable Development Goals.
Mr. President: The same urgency needed to fight COVID-19 is needed to address the climate crisis. This is a global challenge that has worsened existing inequalities and vulnerabilities from within and between nations.
Climate change has worsened the ravages of the pandemic.
Peoples in developing countries like the Philippines suffer the most. We cannot afford to suffer more.
The Philippines joined the Paris Agreement to fight climate change. We call on all parties, especially those who have not made good their commitment to fight climate change, to honor the same.
We call on all parties to strengthen communities and peoples for preparedness and resilience. We are talking about mankind and Earth, our one and only home.
Mr. President: The Philippines will continue to protect the human rights of its people, especially from the scourge of illegal drugs, criminality, and terrorism.
A number of interest groups have weaponized human rights; some well-meaning, others ill-intentioned.
They attempt to discredit the functioning institutions and mechanisms of a democratic country and a popularly elected government which in its last two years, still enjoy the same widespread approval and support.
These detractors pass themselves off as human rights advocates while preying on the most vulnerable humans; even using children as soldiers or human shields in encounters. Even schools are not spared from their malevolence and anti-government propaganda.
They hide their misdeeds under the blanket of human rights but the blood oozes through.
To move forward, open dialogue and constructive engagement with the United Nations is the key.
But these must be done in full respect of the principles of objectivity, noninterference, non-selectivity and genuine dialogue. These are the fundamental bases for productive international cooperation on human rights.
Mr. President: Terrorism looms large.
As I said at the Aqaba Process, the Philippines will do everything and partner with anyone who would sincerely desire to protect the innocent from terrorism in all its manifestations.
The Marawi siege, where foreign terrorist fighters took part, taught us that an effective legal framework is crucial. Our 2020 Anti-Terrorism Act shores up the legal framework by focusing on both terrorism and the usual reckless response to it.
Its enactment was done pursuant to our commitment, and the strict adherence to the relevant Security Council resolutions and the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.
Most importantly, we remain committed to rebuild stricken communities and address the root causes of terrorism and violent extremism in my country.
We must remain mindful of our obligations and commitment to the Charter of the United Nations and as amplified by the 1982 Manila Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes.
The Philippines affirms that commitment in the South China Sea in accordance with UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral Award.
The Award is now part of international law, beyond compromise and beyond the reach of passing governments to dilute, diminish or abandon.
We firmly reject attempts to undermine it.
We welcome the increasing number of states that have come in support of the award and what it stands for — the triumph of reason over rashness, of law over disorder, of amity over ambition. This – as it should – is the majesty of the law.
Mr. President: The global health crisis has further complicated the global security environment. But no aspiration nor ambition can justify the use of weapons that destroy indiscriminately and completely.
There is no excuse for deaths that a nuclear war could cause nor the reckless use of chemical and biological weapons that can cause mass destruction.
These weapons of death put us all at mortal risk, especially if they fall in the hands of terrorists without a shred of humanity in their souls.
We call on all Member States to fully implement the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and the Chemical and the Biological Weapons Conventions.
I have asked the Philippine Senate to ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Importantly, we were among those to sign it first.
Mr. President: The Philippines has a long history of opening its doors to the refugees – from the White Russians following the 1917 Revolution, the European Jews in the Second World War, the Vietnamese in the late 1960s, and the Iranians displaced by the 1979 revolution, among others.
The Philippines continues to honor this humanitarian tradition in accordance with our obligations under the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol.
But lest we forget: helping the most vulnerable – those displaced by conflict, persecution, and political instability – is a shared responsibility of all countries.
As I have said many times: The doors of the Philippines are open, as they have always been, to everyone fleeing for safety, such as the Rohingyas.
In the face of a mounting refugee crisis worldwide, let us work together towards ending the conflicts and conditions that force people to flee their homes.
Mr. President: As our societies become more diverse yet interdependent, social cohesion issues come to the fore.
Mutual understanding always accompanied by mutual tolerance between those of different faiths and cultures is the only foundation of societies at peace with itself and all others.
Finally, I express gratitude to the gallant peacekeepers, including our own, who advance the cause of peace in the most difficult situations.
From the Golan Heights in the Middle East to Liberia in West Africa, Filipino peacekeepers put themselves in the frontlines between the vulnerable and those who seek harm.
We are committed to increasing the Philippine footprint in UN peacekeeping operations with increased participation of women.
Again Mr. President: To defeat the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges, we must work with seamless unity which demands complete mutual trust and the conviction that we will win or lose together.
We cannot bring back the dead but we can spare the living; and we can build back better, healthier, and more prosperous and just societies.
To this end, we rededicate ourselves to multilateralism. The UN remains humanity’s essential Organization. But it is only as effective as we make it.
To make significant changes, we need to be bold. We need the same collective courage that finally made the United Nations a reality 75 years ago.
We need to act on long-standing recommendations to improve the Security Council’s composition and working methods; to strengthen the role of the General Assembly; and to streamline the processes and the operations of the UN.
Indeed, to be ready for the new global normal, it cannot be business as usual for the UN.
Let us empower UN – reform it – to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.
Let us strengthen it so it can fully deliver its mandate to maintain peace and security, uphold justice and human rights, and promote freedom and social progress for all.
After all, we are the United Nations. Thank you.
Source: PCOO-PND (Presidential News Desk)
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is being presented with a commemorative frame of the historic “Murillo Velarde Map Circa 1734” Commemorative Stamps by Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) Postmaster General Norman “Mr. Postman” Fulgencio during the 500th Anniversary of the Philippine Part in the First Circumnavigation of the World held at the Veterans Park Calicoan Island in Guiuan, Eastern Samar. Witnessing the historic event is Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go. The said stamp is the largest souvenir sheet, produced by PHLPost measuring 200 mm x 220 mm. It is printed using offset lithography, with special perforation and Intaglio as embellishments.
The Philippine Postal Corporation launched the “Murillo Velarde circa 1734 Map”, regarded as the “Mother of All Philippine Maps” in celebration of the 500th Anniversary of the Philippines’ and its role on the first circumnavigation of the world by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and the victory of Lapu-Lapu in the Battle of Mactan.
“The launching of the Murillo Velarde 1734 Map postage stamps is symbolic and historic for the country”, newly appointed Postmaster General Norman N. Fulgencio said.
Believed to be the “holy grail” of Philippine cartography, the 1734 Murillo Velarde map shows the entire Philippine archipelago in such detail that it is regarded as the first ever scientific map of the Philippines. The map was named after the Spanish Jesuit friar Pedro Murillo Velarde who vividly described the detailed territory of our country nearly 300 years ago.
“The postage stamp hopes to rekindle the sense of patriotism among our young people, develop their geographic awareness leading to a better understanding of our history and culture”, PHLPost said in a statement.
The stamps released is in support of Republic Act no. 10086, otherwise known as the “Strengthening People’s Nationalism through Philippine History Act”, and pursuant to Executive Order no. 55 signed by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte in 2018 creating the National Quincentennial Commission (NQC) in charge of all the events and activities celebrating the “500 years of Victory and Humanity of the Filipinos”.
A special limited copies of the Souvenir Sheet featuring the “Murillo Velarde 1734 Map” was also launched. Each stamps feature the images depicting a capsule of history of the Philippines during the later part of the 17th century.
The stamp is the largest souvenir sheet, produced so far by the Philippine Postal Corporation. The size of the material is: 200 mm x 220 mm. with 12 stamps on both sides, each stamp with a corresponding denomination. It is printed using offset lithography, with special perforation and Intaglio as embellishments.
The commemorative stamps are now available at the Philatelic Counter, Manila Central Post Office, all Mega Manila Post Offices, Postal Area 2, San Fernando, La Union, Postal Area 4, San Pablo, Postal Area 5, Mandaue, Postal Area 6, Iloilo, Postal Area 7, Davao, and Postal Area 8, Cagayan De Oro. For inquiries, please call 8527-01-08 or 8527-01-32 or follow/like the facebook page https://www.facebook.com/PilipinasPhilately/ for updates.
One does not need to be a stamp collector to appreciate the new postage stamp unveiled by the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost), which features the “Mother of all Philippine Maps.”
The first scientific map of the Philippines, the “Carta Hydrographica y Chorographica de las Yslas Filipinas Manila 1734,” also known as the Murillo Velarde 1734 Map was prepared by Spanish Jesuit cartographer Father Pedro Murillo Velarde together with two Filipinos–engraver Francisco Suarez and artist Nicolas dela Cruz Bagay.
It was acquired by Mel Velasco Velarde, Chairman of the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC) and the NOW Group, through a Sotheby’s auction in London in 2014. Velarde donated the map to the Philippine government through a deed of donation.
Now, citizens can get their hands on this significant artifact in the form of a stamp.
On March 16, PHLPost honored Philippine history and heritage through the launch of the stamp featuring the Murillo Velarde 1734 Map. It was held at the Philippine Postal Corporation Building in Liwasang Bonifacio, Manila.
Hon. Norman N. Fulgencio, Postmaster General and CEO of PHLPost, expressed his appreciation to the Velarde family: “We are honored to be given by the Velarde family the opportunity to issue this souvenir sheet.” He said the launch of the stamp was organized in commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Philippines’ role in the first circumnavigation of the world.
In his message during the ceremony, Velarde thanked PHLPost for bringing the map closer to the Filipino people. He added, “Today, PHLPost is telling the world that we are one nation deserving of our self-worth and respect, for we are evolving as cultural leaders of this blossoming single global community of man.”
The Murillo Velarde 1734 Map stamp was presented to the Velarde family during the ceremony. Accepting the plaque were Velarde, Vivian F. Salinas, and their 3-month-old baby, Victor Chriscien S. Velarde.
The Murillo Velarde 1734 Map shows the entire Philippine archipelago. It is flanked by two pasted-on side-panels with 12 engravings—intricate illustrations of the early Filipino people and their way of life during the 18th century.
The map was cited as evidence in the maritime case at the UN Arbitral Tribunal under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). It may be used as a visual representation of the country’s sovereign territorial rights.
Launch of the Murillo Velarde 1734 Map Postage Stamp, 16 March 2021
Hon. Norman N. Fulgencio, Postmaster General and CEO of PHLPost, and his wife Cherry DC. Fulgencio present the Murillo Velarde 1734 Map stamp to the Velarde family, who gave permission to PHLPost to reprint the map into stamps. Accepting the plaque were Mel Velasco Velarde, Vivian F. Salinas, and their 3-month-old baby, Victor Chriscien S. Velarde.
Postage stamp featuring the Murillo Velarde 1734 Map, the “Mother of all Philippine Maps”
Mel Velasco Velarde, Chairman of the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC) and the NOW Group
Unveiling of the postage stamp featuring the Murillo Velarde 1734 Map, March 16, 2021
(Left to right) Maximo C. Sta. Maria III, Asst. Postmaster General for Management Support Services; Mel Velasco Velarde, Chairman of the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC) and the NOW Group; Hon. Norman N. Fulgencio, Postmaster General and CEO of PHLPost; Engr. Joel L. Zamudio,Asst. Postmaster General for Operations
Unveiling of the postage stamp featuring the Murillo Velarde 1734 Map, March 16, 2021
(Left to right) Gilbert B. Javier, Director for Mega Manila, PHLPost; Maximo C. Sta. Maria III, Asst. Postmaster General for Management Support Services; Mel Velasco Velarde, Chairman of the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC) and the NOW Group; Hon. Norman N. Fulgencio, Postmaster General and CEO of PHLPost; Engr. Joel L. Zamudio,Asst. Postmaster General for Operations; Maura Baghari-Regis, Asst. Postmaster General for Administration and Finance
The journey of the mother of all
Philippine maps back home began four
years ago
In 2014, an information technology entrepreneur was on the phone bidding in an auction in London, England, more than 10,700 km. away from Manila. Eventually, he won the bid for the 1734 Murillo Velarde map or the Carta Hydrogaphica y Chronographica de las Islas Filipinas, an heirloom of the 12th Duke of Northumberland, Ralph Percy. After winning the map at the London Sotheby’s, Velarde sent a copy to the team that would argue before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague in the Netherlands on the Philippines’ claim on the South China Sea. The team included Supreme Court associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio The 1734 Murillo Velarde map played a crucial role in winning the Philippines’ case against China’s claim over the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea). This was on July 12, 2016. (see Map rights wrongs: the 1734 Murillo Velarde map). The Philippines now has in its public collections the country’s first and most important scientific map, thanks to the benevolence of Mel Velarde, who donated to the National Museum the map he bought at London Sotheby’s for US$273,000 (P12 million). How did the Murillo Velarde map of 1734 end up in the United Kingdom? An official map of the Spanish empire, it was commissioned by Philippine Governor General Fernando Valdes y Tamon (1729-1739) and was designed by Jesuit priest Pedro Murillo Velarde, drawn by Francisco Suarez and engraved by Nicolas dela Cruz Bagay in eight copper plates. Madee in Manila, the map shows the maritime routes from Manila to Spain and to New Spain (Mexico and other Spanish territories in the New World), an important route for the Galleon Trade. In the conflict between England and France from 1756 to 1763 (known as the Seven Years War), the Philippines found itself embroiled in the battle when Spain allied itself with France. As a territory of Spain, Manila was vital to the Spanish empire and was very much on the British’ radar. Appearing in Manila Bay and taking the Spanish forces by surprise on Sept. 23, 1762, the British fleets finally captured Manila on Oct. 6, 1762 after 12 days of fighting. In less than two days, Manila’s wall was breached, its citizens raped, tortured and killed, and its treasures looted. Among the looted artifacts was the set of eight copper plates of the 1734 Murillo Velarde map. Brigadier General William Draper, the commander of the British fleets, brought these copper plates to London and donated them to Cambridge University, his alma mater. The University then ran several new prints of the map. One of these maps was acquired by the then Duke of Northumberland who brought it home at Alnwick Castle. There, it stayed for more than 200 years. Sadly, the copper plates were later melted by the British to print their admiralty charts.
Lot #183. In May 2012, a huge portion of the properties of the present day Duke of Northumberland was damaged by a severe flood. Repairing the damage entailed millions of pounds. By 2014, the Duke announced the sale of family heirlooms to raise funds to cover the cost of repairs. Among those to be auctioned off at Sotheby’s was the 1734 Murillo Velarde map estimated between US$32,000 to US$48,000. The map, Lot #183, was put up for bid at the auction house and was eventually won by Mel Velarde at the price of US$273,000. Almost three years after the auction, the celebrated map came home on Apr. 29, 2017. It was formally turned over to the Philippine government on June 12, 2017, the country’s 119th anniversary of
Independence from Spain.
By Mariamme D. Jadloc
illustration by Brent Antigua
Source : https://upd.edu.ph/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/NEW-UPDATE-OCT-DEC2018.pdf
LIVE: Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio launches e-book on South China Sea
Speakers:
– Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio
– Former Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario
– Businessman Mel Velarde, the man who brought home the “Mother of All Maps”
Posted by Rappler on Thursday, May 4, 2017
Source:https://web.facebook.com/rapplerdotcom/videos/1599403326747111/?extid=xDIu4rcjTL280G04
The map regarded by historians as the “mother of all Philippine maps” found its way to yet another home. On 03 October 2019, Mr. Mel V. Velarde, Filipino technology entrepreneur and educator, and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC) turned over to NAMRIA, through Administrator, Usec. Peter N. Tiangco, PhD, an official replica of the Carta Hydrographica y Chorographica de las Yslas Filipinas Manila, 1734, otherwise known as the 1734 Murillo-Velarde Map.
MGB Director Belen gives his welcome remarks at the start of the program. –VENER QUINTIN C. TAGUBA, JR.
Mr. Velarde talks about his gift to NAMRIA in his message. –VENER QUINTIN C. TAGUBA, JR.
The momentous occasion was held in the NAMRIA Boardroom and was also attended by staff from AIJC, NAMRIA Deputy Administrators Jose C. Cabanayan Jr. and Efren P. Carandang, Chief of Staff Rowena E. Bongalos, Branch Directors Ruel DM. Belen of the Mapping and Geodesy Branch (MGB), Dr. Rijaldia N. Santos of the Resource Data Analysis Branch, John Santiago F. Fabic of the Geospatial Information System Management Branch, Febrina E. Damaso of the Support Services Branch, Assistant Director John M. Labindalawa of the Hydrography Branch, other NAMRIA officials and employees. The event was hosted by Engr. Charisma Victoria D. Cayapan of MGB.
The Deed of Donation is signed by Administrator Tiangco and Mr. Velarde with
officials from NAMRIA and AIJC witnessing the event. –VENER QUINTIN C. TAGUBA, JR.
First made and published in Manila in 1734, the map was created by Spanish Jesuit Friar Pedro Murillo Velarde (1696-1753), together with two Filipino artisans, namely, Francisco Suarez who drew the map and Nicolas dela Cruz Bagay who engraved it upon the behest of then Governor-General Fernando Valdés Tamón, in compliance with an order from King Philip V of Spain.
The map is unveiled by Administrator Tiangco and Mr. Velarde…
…and the agreement for its donation is sealed with the customary handshake. –VENER QUINTIN C. TAGUBA, JR.
Regarded as the first and most important scientific map of the Philippines by the World Digital Library, the map depicts the entire archipelago as flanked by two side panels, containing six vignettes on each side that describe various ethnic groups as well as cities and islands of the country. Also shown on the map as part of national territory are Shoal Panacot, now known as Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal and Los Bajos de Paragua, now referred to as the Island of Spratlys.
In his message, Administrator Tiangco acknowledges the gift received by NAMRIA
and also its great significance. –VENER QUINTIN C. TAGUBA, JR.
Mr. Velarde gained ownership of the artifact on 04 November 2014 through an auction by Sotheby’s London in the United Kingdom. It was among the 80 heirlooms owned by the Duke of Northumberland, Ralph George Algernon Percy. Upon the recommendation of Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio, Mr. Velarde joined and eventually won the bid over the phone. The map arrived in the Philippines on 29 April 2017 and was donated by Mr. Velarde to the Philippine Government through the Office of the Solicitor General.
In his message during the turnover ceremony in NAMRIA, Mr. Velarde spoke of the map which he said was “a gift to the Filipino people” and of a public awareness campaign on it and its significance to the nation’s cultural and historical heritage. He said that the campaign involves donating official replicas of the map to different government agencies, academic institutions, and private organizations, with NAMRIA being one of the beneficiaries. In his own message, Administrator Tiangco expressed NAMRIA’s great appreciation for the gift saying “Christmas came early for NAMRIA.” Indeed, the rare map was an early Christmas present for everyone in the agency.
Monica M. Ocfemia
Source: http://www.namria.gov.ph/list.php?id=2598&alias=namria-gets-official-replica-of-1734-murillo-velarde-map&Archive=1