CEBU CITY – The provincial government of Cebu is now in possession of the official replica of the oldest scientific map of the Philippines, Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia said Friday.

The legendary Murillo Velarde Map of 1734 was a gift of businessman Mel Velasco Velarde to the governor who celebrated her birthday Thursday at the provincial capitol.

Garcia said the map is called the “mother of all Philippine maps,” as it was first published in Manila in 1734 by Jesuit cartographer, Fr. Pedro Murillo Velarde.

The map considered to be the first scientific map ever produced to depict the Philippine archipelago.

“This is to award the Province of Cebu for the role it played in the past 500 years,” Velarde, a descendant of the cartogrpaher, was quoted in a statement issued by the capitol.

Measuring 1120 by 1200 millimeters (112 by 120 centimeters), the map was used by the Philippine government in asserting the country’s sovereign rights in the disputed territories in the West Philippine Sea.

It was not discussed yet where the replica will be displayed.

According to Geographicus Rare Antique Maps, the Murillo Velarde maps, along with 270 others, were used in the international arbitration to refute China’s claim of historic suzerainty over the entire South China Sea.

The map recognized as early as 1700s that the Kalayaan Group of Islands and Scarborough Shoal are parts of the Philippine territory.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines stating that China had “no historical rights.” But China rejected the ruling. (PNA)

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1211757

An official replica of the “oldest” scientific map of the Philippines has been given as a gift to the Cebuano people by businessman Mel Velasco Velarde on October 12, birthday of Gov. Gwen Garcia.

The map, called “Mother of all Philippine Maps”, measures 1120 x 1200 mm. It was personally received by Governor Gwen Garcia, along with Vice Governor Hilario Davide III and the members of the Cebu Provincial Board.

The Murillo Velarde 1734 Map was first published in Manila in 1734 by the Jesuit cartographer Fr. Pedro Murillo Velarde, the first scientific map ever produced depicting the Philippine archipelago.

It was used by the Philippines in asserting its sovereign rights in the disputed territories of the West Philippine Sea before the Permanent Court of Arbitration, where the Philippines demonstrated that not only did it have legal bases for its claims, but also historical rights vested by the map which recognized as early as 1700s, that the Kalayaan Group of Islands and Scarborough Shoal are part of the Philippine territory.

“This is to award the Province of Cebu for the role it played in the past 500 years,” said Velarde, whose father was born in Oslob, Cebu. | Babie Jane Revecoy

https://www.cebu.gov.ph/sugbonews/story.php?id=325

About this Item

“Buy it, na!” Tony Carpio said to his friend Mel Velarde. It was an old map that Tony encouraged Mel to buy — the Carta Hydrographica y Chorographica de las Islas Filipinas, more commonly known as the Murillo Velarde 1734 map — the oldest known map in Philippine history. It was November 2014. Sotheby’s had announced an auction of some 80 heirlooms of the Duke of Northumberland, Ralph George Algernon, which included the rare map.

Retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio “Tony” Carpio, whose personal advocacy was (and still is) the protection and preservation of Philippine territorial and maritime sovereignty, specifically in the West Philippine Sea, immediately saw the value of the Murillo Velarde map to counter the adverse claims of China on Philippine territory.

“Local public and private museums declined to take part in the Sotheby’s bid. The National Museum was interested but didn’t have the money, so the plan was for (Mel Velarde) to buy the map and sell it later to the National Museum,” Velarde recalled to media in June 2014. The National Museum had a limit of only P5 million to buy rare items. Mel Velarde paid £170,500 (approximately ₱12 million at that time) for the Murillo Velarde map — not for the name, he says, for he cannot trace his lineage to the Jesuit priest Father Pedro Murillo Velarde (1696-1753) who conceptualized and designed the map under orders from King Philip of Spain. Filipinos Francisco Suárez and Nicolás de la Cruz Bagay did the artwork and engraving, respectively.

There are less than 50 extant copies of the map. Some are mounted on a cloth backing measuring 112×120 cm. The map itself measures 108×71 cm and is on a scale approximating 1:1,400,000. The National Library of Congress of the USA, which owns one of the original copies, describes the “Carta” map thus:

“The Philippines were (sic.) at that time a vital part of the Spanish Empire, and the map shows the maritime routes from Manila to Spain and to New Spain (Mexico and other Spanish territory in the New World), with captions. In the upper margin stands a great cartouche with the title of the map, crowned by the Spanish royal coat of arms flanked each side by an angel with a trumpet, from which an inscription unfurls. The map is not only of great interest from the geographic point of view, but also as an ethnographic document. It is flanked by 12 engravings, six on each side, eight of which depict different ethnic groups living in the archipelago and four of which are cartographic descriptions of particular cities or islands. According to the labels, the engravings on the left show: Sangleyes (Chinese Filipinos) or Chinese; Kaffirs (a derogatory term for non-Muslims), a Camarin (from the Manila area), and a Lascar (from the Indian subcontinent, a British Raj term); mestizos, a Mardica (of Portuguese extraction), and a Japanese; and two local maps — one of Samboagan (a city on Mindanao), and the other of the port of Cavite. On the right side are: various people in typical dress; three men seated, an Armenian, a Mughal, and a Malabar (from an Indian textile city); an urban scene with various peoples; a rural scene with representations of domestic and wild animals; a map of the island of Guajan (meaning Guam); and a map of Manila.

Scarborough Shoal and the Spratlys in Ancient Maps: An Exhibition, opened on Friday at the Alliance Française de Manille featuring the Murillo Velarde 1734 Map and Justice Carpio’s old Philippines map collection.

Justice Carpio, who was the guest of honor and main speaker at the Alliance Française, said “the 1734 Murillo Velarde map is a living document because it determines Philippine territory today, that is, Philippine territory cannot be determined without this map.” This oldest Philippine map of “Las Yslas Filipinas” is the official Spanish Government map showing Philippine territory during the Spanish regime. It shows Panacot (Scarborough Shoal) and Los Bajos de Paragua (the Spratlys) as part of Philippine territory, Justice Carpio said. None of these islands drawn in this Murillo Velarde map appeared in China’s maps from centuries ago.

“The map debunks once and for all, the Chinese historical narrative that China has owned the South China Sea for 200 years. Now the world knows better. Thanks to the definitive ruling of the Arbitral Tribunal, China’s historical narrative has been exposed as fake news. The map proves, beyond any shadow of doubt, that Spratlys and Scarborough Shoal were part of the Philippine territory as early as 1734,” Justice Carpio had said at a lecture at the Ateneo de Manila University in 2017.

At the Alliance Française opening, Justice Carpio explained that the aggressiveness of China in claiming the Spratlys and Scarborough Shoal started with the 1898 Treaty of Paris, after the Spanish-American war, when Spain ceded to the United States the archipelago known as the Philippine Islands in exchange for $20 million to ratify the Treaty. Spain might have missed the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal, putting these outside the western side of the polygonal lines of the Philippines in the Treaty of Paris.

But the United States noticed the exclusion, and demanded a revision of the map for the revised treaty, called the 1900 Treaty of Washington, which provided that “Spain relinquishes to the United all title and all claim of title, which she may have had at the time of the conclusion of the Treaty of Peace of Paris, to any and all islands belonging to the Philippine Archipelago, lying outside the lines described in Article III of that Treaty and particularly to the islands of Cagayan (Mapun), Sulu and Sibutu and their dependencies, and agrees that all such islands shall be comprehended in the cession of the Archipelago as fully as if they had been expressly included within those lines.”

The frame of reference for the 1900 Treaty of Washington’s definition of the Philippine territory was the Murillo Velarde map, which included the Spratlys and the Scarborough Shoal, But still, China’s position is that Philippine territory is limited to the islands enclosed by the polygonal lines drawn in the 1898 Treaty of Paris. Justice Carpio said that China did not participate in the Arbitral proceedings, but “by officially submitting its Position Paper to the Arbitral Tribunal, China expressly and formally recognized that Philippine territory is defined by three treaties, including the 1900 Treaty of Washington… China is forever estopped from claiming that Philippine territory is limited to the islands enclosed by the Treaty of Paris.”

It was only in 1947 that China started to claim the Spratlys, Justice Carpio said. Scarborough Shoal appears in a 1948 Chinese map, named Si-ka-ba-luo, a Chinese transliteration of the English name Scarborough, The shoal was named by Captain Philip D’Auvergne, whose East India Company ship East Indiaman Scarborough grounded on one of the rocks on Sept. 12, 1784, before sailing on to China although it already had a Spanish name recorded in the 1734 Murillo Velarde map of Spanish Philippines (W. Gilbert [1804] A New Nautical Directory for the East-India and China Navigation .., pp.480-482).

The Carta Hydrographica y Chorographica de las Islas Filipinas, the Murillo Velarde 1734 map is indeed the “Mother of all Philippine Maps,” a “Living Document” to history, as Justice Carpio says.

Filipinos thank Justice Antonio Carpio for his unrelenting fight for Philippine territory and maritime sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

We thank Former Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Ambassador Albert del Rosario, who had fought together with Justice Carpio for Philippine rights on the seas. Ambassador del Rosario, 83, passed away on April 18. May he rest in peace.

Amelia H. C. Ylagan is a doctor of Business Administration from the University of the Philippines.

SOURCE: BWORLDONLINE

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

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.

Source : https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/03/22/phlpost-presents-commemorative-frame-of-historicmurillo-velarde-circa-1734-map-stamps-to-president-duterte/

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

By Recto Mercene

FORMER congressman Roilo Golez announced on Monday that his Di Ka Pasisiil Movement will join the multisectoral Martsa Para sa Kalayaan protest action on June 12, Independence Day, in front of the Chinese Consulate in Makati City to denounce China’s illegal reclamations at the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) and other parts of it in violation of the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and international law.

Golez is one of the leading civil- society advocates opposing China’s incursions that started with the illegal grabbing of the Mischief Reef and later the Scarborough Shoal inside the country’s EEZ.

The march will be led by young professionals belonging to the Martsa Para Sa Kalayaan Network, headed  by youth leader Eufemio Agbayani III, who also led a successful march last year.

Other groups that will join are the Parañaque Riders Club, Armas Riders, Filipino Patriotic Solidarity Movement, United Filipino Seafarers, HOPE Inc., some members of UP Vanguard Reserve Officers Training Corps, ROTC Philippines and retired Armed Forces generals. Other like-minded groups were invited to join.

The rally will start at 10:30 a.m. on June 12 in front of the Chinese Consulate on Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City, across Mapúa Institute of Technology’s Makati campus.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), meanwhile, said its legal team will study the value of the Murillo-Velarde map to determine its usefulness in regard to the arbitration case it filed before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, the Netherlands.

“We’re glad the map is now in the hands of a Filipino. As to its value in the arbitration case, we will defer it to the legal team,” DFA Spokesman Charles Jose said in a media briefing.

Jose was referring to the almost 300-year-old map of the Philippines showing the disputed Scarborough Shoal being part of Philippine territory as far back as three centuries ago.

The map was bought at an auction by Filipino businessman Mel Velarde for $266,869.46, or more than P12 million.

Velarde said the first certified true copy of the map has been reserved for Malacañang, and he will personally present it to President Aquino on June 12, the anniversary of Philippine independence.

The Murillo-Velarde map debunks the so-called nine-dash line map China has been using as proof of its claim over the whole West Philippine Sea.

It also locates the Scarborough Shoal, then known as Panacot, also called Panatag by Filipinos, some 150 kilometers off Luzon, then known as Nueva Castilla.

Renamed Scarborough Shoal after an English sailor, the Shoal has been made a target area or “impact point” by the US military during its decades of stay at Clark Field and Subic Naval Base without any protest from China.

Three years ago, a standoff developed between the Philippines and China, when Filipino authorities tried to arrest Chinese fishermen found illegally fishing at the Scarborough Shoal.

China blocked the arrest, sending paramilitary vessels to surround the Philippine patrol ships.

The face-off lasted two months before the US intervened, securing assurances from both sides to withdraw vessels from the disputed rock formation in the West Philippine Sea.

The Philippines left, but China ignored the deal and its coast guard and fishermen stayed at the shoal.