14/11/2021
Is it true that the SM Mall of Asia's globe is missing? 🤔
Well, as a travel agent, we found the Philippines 1st of the 34 🌏 markers of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and the National Quincentennial Committee to commemorate the Philippines' part in the first circumnavigation of the globe 500 years ago.
Follow the National Quincentennial Committee, Republic of the Philippines official page ☑️ and read our very interesting history! 🇵🇭
"Let me start my message with a quotation from Antonio Pigafetta, the chronicler of the Magellan-Elcano expedition, the one who proved that the world was indeed round. He wrote:
'We ate biscuit, which was no longer biscuit, but powder of biscuits swarming with worms. We drank yellow water that had been putrid for many days. Often we ate sawdust from boards. The gums of both the lower and upper teeth of some of our men swelled so that they could not eat under any circumstances and therefore died. Had not God and His blessed mother given us so good weather we would all have died of hunger in that exceeding vast sea.'
"Pigafetta wrote this entry in his chronicle three weeks before they sighted the island of Samar. By the time they reached the Eastern Visayas area, I would suppose their situation was far much worse than what he described above. As we commemorate the 500th anniversary of the first circumnavigation of the world, I would like to ask two questions related to this big event. One, what is the contribution of our country to this achievement of humankind? Second, what is the significance of this achievement to our present generation?
"With regard to the first question, allow me to continue reading Pigafetta’s account. 'The captain-general, [referring to Magellan] seeing that they were reasonable men, [referring to our Waray ancestors of Guiuan], ordered food to be set before them, and gave them red caps, mirrors, combs, and bells. When they saw the captain's courtesy, they presented fish, a jar of palm wine, bananas, and coconuts.' Pigafetta also wrote that they went ashore in Samar and rested to let their sick comrades recover from the debilitating journey. This account of Pigafetta clearly shows the generosity and magnanimity of our ancestors. I think this is the major contribution of the people of Samar to the expedition. If they drove the newcomers away from their island or worse, if they displayed a hostile attitude towards them, the expedition might have ended in Samar and the circumnavigation of the world would not have been completed.
"As regards the second question, I would argue that the event we are commemorating today here in Samar is important to us, Filipinos, because it says a lot about what kind of people we are. What transpired in Samar 500 years ago clearly shows that we, Filipinos, are generous, kind-hearted, and always willing to help those who are in need, regardless of race and citizenship. This is the reason why the National Quincentennial Committee under the able leadership of Exe. Sec. Salvador Medialdea chose Humanity as one of the themes of the 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines.
"History is replete with episodes showing the Filipino heritage of magnanimity and compassion. We extended the same to the Chinese who fled their country during the O***m Wars and during the Cultural Revolution in China. We did the same thing to the Jewish refugees who were persecuted by the N***s in 1939—actually one of the few countries to do so, not even the United States which was then the sovereign in the Philippines. Filipinos extended assistance also to the White Russians who fled their country during the reign of Josef Stalin in 1949—and, surprisingly, they found a new home here, in this very town of Guiuan. In the 1970’s, the Philippines also offered refugee centers to Vietnamese boatmen who left their country after the fall of Saigon. And most recently, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, in a gathering of agrarian reform beneficiaries in Cotabato City last December 23, 2019, echoed the same magnanimity to the Rohingyas who are being persecuted in Myanmar and Bangladesh. He offered a safe haven to the Rohingyas and it came at a time when they were looking for a better life and peaceful living condition.
"As we commemorate the 500th anniversary of the first circumnavigation of the world, let us once again promote the Filipino heritage of magnanimity and hospitality but mindful of our sovereignty and security. These values we are espousing this quincentennial serve as ego-booster to each and every Filipino, especially in this time of pandemic; a driver of confidence to foreign and domestic tourists to come and enjoy the beauty and heart of the Filipino; and a reminder to the whole world how compassionate we are, especially our overseas Filipino workers. We also dedicate the quincentennial to our medical front liners who offer not only their skills and knowledge in combating an invisible enemy but their heart and willingness to attend to the medical needs of our sick brothers and sisters. We also need to remind our business leaders to be extra considerate and generous to our countrymen who lost their livelihood because of the pandemic. As the theme song of the 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines titled “Bagani” says, “Mandirigmang Pilipino, dakila ang lahi ko, bayaning Pilipino sa makabagong panahon.”
"Thank you and Mabuhay ang sambayanang Pilipino."
-Rene R. Escalante
Chairperson, National Historical Commission of the Philippines &
Executive Director, National Quincentennial Committee
Speech read by Usec. Jonathan C. Malaya (on behalf of the National Quincentennial Committee) during the unveiling of the Quincentennial historical marker for Samar graced by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, Veteran's Park, Ngolos, Guiuan, Eastern Samar, 18 March 2021
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Seeing this post? Curious what this is about? In 2021, we will commemorate the Philippine part in the achievement of science and humankind in circumnavigating the planet for the first time. Central in this commemoration is the 500th anniversary of the Victory at Mactan on 27 April 2021. These and more are collectively known as the 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines by virtue of Executive Order No. 103 (2020). Know more about the event here: 👇
🖱 About us 👉[https://nqc.gov.ph/en/about]
🎞 Watch our promotional video 👍 [https://youtu.be/ptgU1ZUgFZc]
🎧 Listen to Quincentennial Soundtrack 🤟[https://spoti.fi/3nxWXPa]
📺 Watch our lectures [https://portal.nqc.gov.ph/]☝️
🕵️♀️ Quincentennial activities and materials here [https://bit.ly/3dHrnKF]
