President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. asked Filipinos on Friday to draw inspiration from the message of the Murillo Velarde 1734 Map to protect and assert what is rightfully theirs with resolve and integrity.
President Marcos and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos received the original Murillo Velarde 1734 Map during a formal ceremony at the Malacañan Palace.
“Let us not only admire the artistry of the masterpiece presented to us today, but also draw inspiration from its enduring message: the call to protect and to assert what is rightfully ours, with resolve and with integrity,” the President said in his message.
“Together, we hold the pen to write the next chapters of our nation’s history—chapters that uphold the principles of justice, truth, and unity. Let us ensure that the legacy of the Murillo Velarde Map continues to guide us in our journey as a nation, steadfast in our identity and resolute in our aspirations.”
According to the President, the Murillo Velarde Map is an important gift from the country’s past that defined its territory.
It’s the duty of present-day Filipinos to carry the legacy forward, he said.
The map’s significance transcends its time, he said, stressing the Spanish colonial era map became a formidable piece of evidence in the country’s assertion of its rightful entitlements in the complex legal arena of the 21st century.
The historic artifact was among the over 270 maps submitted by the Philippines to the Arbitral Tribunal constituted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in 2013.
It is seen as crucial in establishing the Philippines’ entitlement to maritime areas, as reaffirmed in the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea.
“It reminds us that when history — when meticulously preserved, wields immense power to inform and to uphold the truth,” the President said.
Known as the “mother of all Philippine maps,” it was acquired by Mel Velasco Velarde in 2014 at an auction in Sotheby in London and subsequently donated it to the Philippine government. It became the first scientific map of the Philippine archipelago.
The Murillo Velarde 1734 Map was produced by Spanish Jesuit Friar Pedro Murillo Velarde with the help of two Filipino artisans, Francisco Suarez who drew the map and Nicolas dela Cruz Bagay who engraved it.
Friday’s ceremony at the Malacañan Palace fulfilled a provision of the Deed of Donation for the Murillo Velarde 1734 Map, which states that a formal turnover should be made to the President of the Republic. | PND
