Thomasian photographer Paul Quiambao, from the Class of 2011, used his art to recognize the meaning of Filipino independence in an exhibit mounted at the UST Main Building on January 14, 2025.
It included images of life from the municipality of Kalayaan, Palawan, including Pag-asa island, in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), the damage of Chinese vessels to the reefs, a miniature of the BRP Sierra Madre on Ayungin Shoal, and facsimiles of maps like the 1734 Murillo-Velarde Map, which served as critical evidence in the 2016 decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague, which upheld the nation’s rights over the West Philippine Sea.
“Whether through artistic expression, fact-checking social media content, or simply engaging in discourses, we can all contribute to amplifying the voices of those affected,” Quiambao said. He also emphasized the importance of visual storytelling, particularly photography and cartographic maps, to help Filipinos better understand and take action on our maritime situation today
The launch of “Pag-Asa sa Gitna ng Kalayaan” in UST was organized by the UST Museum, UST Department of History and UST History Society of the Faculty of Arts and Letters, in partnership with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) and National Library of the Philippines. The exhibit at the Main Building ran until February 7, 2025.
The materials were originally exhibited at the National Library in July 2024, and at Adamson University in August 2024.
