LINK: http://www.hau.edu.ph/news_and_events/index.php?id=1320

August 1, 2017

Replica of the Mother of Philippine Maps Donated to HAU

A replica of the Murillo Velarde Map of 1734 was donated by Mr. Mel Velarde, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication (AIJC) at Holy Angel University through the University President Dr. Luis Maria R. Calingo.

The Murillo Velarde map was one of the documents used in the case filed by the Philippines against China at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in 2013. The Arbitral Court upheld the Philippine position in most of the issues raised in the case.

The map was created by the Jesuit cartographer Fr. Pedro Murillo Velarde in 1734, is being hailed as the “first scientific map of the Philippines.” Velarde purchased the 280-year-old map from an auction in the United Kingdom. The original map was donated by Velarde to the Philippine government last April.

Velarde stated that the shared mission of HAU and AIJC in the quest for truth as the main reason for the donation. Further, he emphasized that the map represents God’s blessings he bestowed to the Filipinos.

The donation of the map simultaneously took place with the ceremonial Memorandum of Agreement Signing between HAU and AIJC in offering MA in Communication last August 1, 2017.