THE Embassy of Chile, in partnership with University of Santo Tomas, inaugurated late in 2022 a two-week cultural exhibition: “Encounter Between Three Worlds: 500 Years After the First Circumnavigation of the Earth.”
Ambassador Claudio Rojas Rachel delivered the welcome remarks with UST’s vice rector Rev. Fr. Isaías D. Tiongco OP, JCD. Deputy Head of Mission and Consul of the Chilean Embassy Marco Antonio Navarro Ahumada served as the event’s host.
The exhibition detailed the lengthy naval voyage of Portuguese noble Ferdinand Magellan (Fernão de Magalhães) who, for the first time, charted the Pacific Ocean and the strait that was eventually named after him connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. Said naval route was used for four centuries to connect the East and the West, since it was the only possible waterway for galleons and ships to traverse, 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.
Part of the two countries’ 76th anniversary of diplomatic relations, the seminar highlighted the historical experience of the Philippines and Chile under the Spanish, Latin American and Asian influences, then emphasized the rich historical and cultural similarities between both nations.
Prof. Jaime Rosenblitt PhD, who is a historian from the National Cultural Heritage Service Research Council and the National Library of Chile, delivered an online lecture: “The First Expedition to the Strait of Magallanes.” His research, which was one of the exhibition’s primary bases, centered on Magellan and Sebastian Elcano’s circumnavigation attempt.
Associate Professor Ma. Eloisa G. Parco de Castro PhD likewise 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 the said province herself, the National Book awardee focused on the significant events surrounding what served as the chief port of the Philippines in the Spanish era.