The Embassy of Chile in
the Philippines, in partnership with the University of Santo Tomas, inaugurated a two-week cultural exhibition titled “Encounter Between Three Worlds: 500 Years After the First Circumnavigation of the Earth” on August 23, 2022, at the lobby of the UST Bl. Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P. Building.
The Ambassador of Chile, His Excellency Claudio Rojas Rachel, graced the event and delivered the welcome remarks, alongside UST Vice Rector Rev. Fr. Isaias D. Tiongco, O.P., JCD.
The exhibition details the long sea voyage of Portuguese noble Ferdinand Magellan,
who, for the first time, placed in the maps the Pacific Ocean and the Strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, which was later named after Magellan himself. This global route was used for four centuries to connect the East and the West through the sea, since it was the only possible route for galleons/ships until the construction of the Panama Canal in the 20th century.
The contribution of this universal route to human history can be seen not only in the completed voyage itself, but also in the consequences it had in the colonization and development of many nations, including the Philippines and Chile.
Mr. Marco Antonio Navarro Ahumada, the Deputy Head of Mission and Consul of the Embassy of Chile, served as the Master of Ceremonies.
While the exhibition ran until September 1, 2022, a hybrid seminar on First Circumnavigation of the Earth was held on August 30, 2022, at the Dr. George SK Ty Hall of the Paredes Building.
Celebrating 76 years of Philippine-Chile Diplomatic Relations, the seminar highlighted the historical experience of the Philippines and Chile under the Spanish, Latin American and Asian influences and emphasized the rich historical and cultural similarities between the Philippines and Chile.
Prof. Jaime Rosenblitt, Ph.D., a historian from the National Cultural Heritage Service Research Council and the National Library of Chile, delivered a lecture via Zoom titled “The First Expedition to the Strait of Magallanes”. His research, which was one of the primary bases of the exhibition, centered on Magellan and Elcano’s circumnavigation attempt.
Assoc. Prof. Maria Eloisa G. Parco de Castro, Ph.D., meanwhile discussed her paper “Restoring Memory, Reliving History: Cavite Puerto’s Role in the Survival of Spanish Power in the Philippines from 1570-1720”. A native of Cavite herself, the National Book Awardee focused on the significant events surrounding what served as the chief port of the Philippines in the Spanish era.
