PH historian explains maps and birth of the nation at DC lecture

Professor Ambeth R. Ocampo lectures on the significance of various maps of the Philippines, their long and complicated narrative in relation to Philippine national hero Dr. Jose Rizal, and the emergence of the Philippine nation. CONTRIBUTED

WASHINGTON D.C. –  One of the foremost authorities on Philippine history, Professor Ambeth Ocampo, presented “Rizal, Maps, and the Emergence of the Filipino Nation” on Sept. 7 at Sentro Rizal of the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C.

US-Philippines Society (USPS) and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) hosted the event as part of the Embassy’s commemoration September as Maritime and Archipelagic Nation Awareness (MANAMo) Month.

Chargé d’affaires, a.i. Jaime Ramon Ascalon, Jr. welcomed Ocampo, a Horacio de la Costa Professor in History and the Humanities at the Ateneo de Manila University, whose research and works covers the late 19th century Philippines. He was also chairman of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, and the Philippine National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

Ocampo discussed Dr. Rizal’s work on Philippine history and geography. “Not only did he (Dr. Jose Rizal) read maps, write about maps, but he actually created one of the first relief maps that I think inspired this iconic relief map, which is now in Luneta Park in Manila

Following the presentation, Dr. Frank Jenista, who served in the Philippines twice as a diploma and specialist in Philippine history, reflected on Philippines-U.S. relations: “The complexities, the contradictions, and sometimes even the craziness of the relations is what has fascinated me over the years.”

 MANAMo is the Philippine government’s annual celebration to raise national consciousness on maritime and archipelagic issues and policies. This year’s national theme for the MANAMo celebration is “Kapuluan, Kabuluhan, Kaunlaran” (Archipelago, Significance, and Development) to underscore the crucial role that the archipelago’s marine resources play in sustainable development. Learn more about MANAMo here: https://sites.google.com/dfa.gov.ph/dfamanamo23/home?authuser=0 .

The event was a prelude to the Edgar P. Richardson Symposium – 1898: U.S. Imperial Visions and Revisions held at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery on September 8 to 9, where the Philippine-American War and the Philippines-US relations during the 1890s were discussed.

The 1898: U.S. Imperial Visions and Revision exhibition will be on display at the Gallery until  February 25, 2024. Visit the Smithsonian Institution’s website to know more.