黑料社

MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The 鈥渕other of all Philippine maps,鈥� which played a key role in the country鈥檚 landmark arbitral victory over China, has found a permanent home at the National Library of the Philippines (NLP) and will soon be available for free public viewing. The original Murillo Velarde 1734 map鈥攖he first scientific map of the Philippines鈥攚ill be featured in the NLP鈥檚 Permanent Gallery, which was inaugurated on Friday.

NLP Director Cesar Gilbert Adriano said the Library aims to open this gallery to the public by September, after years of budget deliberations, bidding and other procedures which in turn were delayed by the 2020 pandemic.

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Published in Manila in 1734, the 鈥淐arta Hydrographica y Chorographica de las Islas Filipinas鈥濃�攖ranslated in the Cultural Center of the Philippines鈥� website as the 鈥淎quatic and Regional Map of the Philippine Islands鈥濃�攚as drawn by Francisco Suarez and engraved on copper by Nicolas de la Cruz Bagay.

The two artists were tapped by Pedro Murillo Velarde of the Jesuit order after the Spanish government had tasked the friar to come up with an accurate map of the archipelago and its surrounding waters.

The map, measuring 111 by 119 centimeters, would go to other hands with the passage of time. Eventually it would be among the 80 possessions of the Duke of Northumberland (Ralph George Algernon Percy is currently the 12th duke) that were auctioned by Sotheby鈥檚 in London on Nov. 4, 2014.

Retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio had informed various museums and individuals about the 鈥渕other of all Philippine maps,鈥� as this artifact is now popularly called among historians.

From auction to arbitral court

Among the people whom Carpio talked to was Filipino technology entrepreneur and educator Mel Velasco Velarde, who eventually joined the London auction and prevailed over the other bidders with an offer of 170,500 pounds鈥攐r approximately P12 million at that time.

Velarde (no relation to the friar) had also convinced the British government that the map was not a piece of British heritage.

On Saturday, Carpio said the Philippines used the Murillo Velarde map in support of its arbitral case against China.

Irrefutable proof

Manila filed its arbitral case in 2013 before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, after Beijing鈥檚 occupation of Scarborough Shoal following a standoff the previous year. The case led to the Philippines鈥� arbitral victory on July 12, 2016.

Velarde, who also chairs the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication, had said in an earlier interview that the most valuable feature of the map is on the upper left section, west of the coastline of Luzon鈥攖he cluster of landmass called 鈥淏ajo de Masinloc鈥� and 鈥淧anacot,鈥� or what is now known as Panatag or Scarborough Shoal.

This was irrefutable proof that as early as the 1700s, the disputed shoal was already deemed part of the Philippine archipelago.

On April 21, 2017, about a year after The Hague ruling, Velarde donated the map through a deed signed with the Office of the Solicitor General.

鈥楪ift to the Filipino people鈥�

鈥淎s my gift to the Filipino people, this 300-year-old Murillo Velarde 1734 Map is a declaration of my gratitude for the privilege of being a Filipino, blessed with a sovereign, democratic, and free homeland,鈥� Velarde said.

鈥淟et this be a beacon of our shared history and an inspiration for generations to come.鈥�

The map also had another copy which Le贸n Gallery auctioned in 2019 for P46.7 million.

Velarde has also been donating replicas to government agencies, academic institutions and other public and private organizations.

He did this to raise public awareness about the map鈥檚 historical and cultural importance.

Adriano agreed, saying the map鈥檚 鈥渏ourney stands as a testament to dedication and perseverance, bringing a significant cultural treasure to the forefront of public access and fulfilling the intent of Mr. Mel Velarde and the Philippine government to preserve and showcase the nation鈥檚 rich cultural heritage.鈥�