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The Philippines will commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the expedition of Fernando de Magallanes and Sebastián Elcano to go around the world the Filipino way. It will not celebrate the anniversary of its “discovery” by Europeans.
This was the message from the Office of the Presidential Assistant to the Visayas Undersecretary Anthony Gerard Gonzales during the brief welcoming ceremony for the arrival of the Spanish Navy training ship Juan Sebastián Elcano at the Cebu International Port (CIP) in the city of Cebu. on Saturday March 20. , 2021.
Gonzales said that the National Quincentennial Committee resolved the issue in June 2018 still.
Instead, he said, the country will recognize and raise awareness of the archipelago’s rich pre-Hispanic history.
“We need to understand our ancestors as we commemorate the fiftieth centenary: their society, belief system, customs, worldview,” he said, adding that sources on the pre-colonial past are scarce and scattered in various libraries and archives of all the world.
Gonzales said that as the Philippines commemorates the events associated with the world’s first circumnavigation, it will highlight “the achievement of science and humanity.”
Spain was represented by Amaya Fuentes Milani, deputy head of mission at the Spanish Embassy in Manila.
He said it is necessary to strengthen ties between the two nations, especially amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“The historical ties between Spain and the Philippines must be strengthened more than ever because only together, through the development of new projects and common initiatives, can we overcome the crisis caused by the pandemic,” he said.
“We must take advantage of the many things that unite us to successfully overcome challenges,” Milani added.
The captain of the Spanish Navy training ship Santiago de Colsa said the trip is worth it despite the danger of contagion, as it has “great symbolic significance.”
“This scale reinforced the historical ties of the Philippines and Spain. We share a common history that goes back 500 years, ”Colsa said.
Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella described the ship’s arrival as a historic event.
“Today, we relive history as happened 500 years ago when Christianity was brought to Cebu and gave birth to our deeply rooted faith in the Lord Santo Niño,” he said.
The ship is named after Elcano, a member of the Magellan expedition crew. He assumed the post of captain after Magellan was assassinated on Mactan and completed the circumnavigation.
Colsa said the Elcano ship has 62 naval cadets on board.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, Colsa said they are not allowed to abandon ship.
The officer in charge of the Office of Cultural and Historical Affairs, Bryner Díaz, said that the Elcano ship will be docked at the CIP until Monday, March 22. (JJL)
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