Ambassador Servigon delivers his opening remarks.
Dr. Navarro (left) conducts a lecture on the Battle of Mactan based on historical manuscripts while Prof. Karganilla discusses the military tactics used by Lapu-Lapu
JAKARTA, 30 April 2021 – The Permanent Mission of the Philippines to ASEAN conducted a webinar on “The Battle of Mactan” on 30 April 2021 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Victory at Mactan and to celebrate National Heritage Month.
In his opening remarks, Ambassador Noel Servigon, the Permanent Representative of the Philippines to ASEAN, exhorted the webinar participants that as citizens and friends of ASEAN, there is a need to look once more at the past – not as passive students of history, but as citizens in a modern world who are able to use the lessons of history. He added that the webinar intends to provide a South East Asian view of the narratives surrounding the Battle of Mactan.
Dr. Francis Navarro from the Ateneo De Manila University provided a perspective of the events based on the manuscript accounts of the first voyage around the world, including the book of Antonio Pigafetta, an Italian who joined the expedition of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. Dr. Navarro traced Magellan’s expedition from Spain, which traversed parts of the Philippines, to find a western route to the Moluccas and to claim glory for the Spanish king.
Professor Bernard Karganilla from the University of the Philippines analyzed the Battle of Mactan in terms of terrain, the composition of the attackers vis-à-vis the defenders of Mactan, their respective weapons systems, protective gear, and other elements which became decisive factors in ensuring the victory of Lapu-Lapu and his army at Mactan.
In her closing remarks, Deputy Permanent Representative Elizabeth Te noted that the webinar sought to commemorate the Philippines’ role in the first circumnavigation of the world as part of the achievement of humanity, as well as celebrate the struggles and bravery of our ancestors in defense of Mactan and our sovereignty.
More than 400 participants consisting of Filipinos working at the ASEAN Secretariat, the Filipino community in Indonesia, personnel from various government agencies, members of the academe and officers and staff of the Permanent Mission of the Philippines to ASEAN, Philippines Embassy in Jakarta and the Philippine Consulate General in Manado attended the webinar which was broadcast through Zoom and Facebook Live. (END)
