Vancouver, 25 September 2026 — Professor Ambeth R. Ocampo, the Philippines’ foremost public historian and Senator Gil J. Puyat Professor of History at the Ateneo de Manila University, gave a lecture on 25 September 2026 at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada on the topic, “Maps and the Emergence of The Filipino Nation.”
Professor Ocampo’s lecture was very timely for two (2) reasons. First, this year is the 10th anniversary of the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award. Second, every September of each year, the Philippines observes the Philippines’ Maritime and Archipelagic National Awareness Month. It was divided into three parts:
1.How the Philippines’ long and complicated history could be read through maps and cartography.
- The lecture reframed a view of the Philippines’ geography by shifting the narrative from a nation divided by water to one deeply connected by it. This is evidenced by the coins, gold artifacts, and ceramics shared not just among the thousands of PH islands but also with the PH’s neighboring countries at the time.
2. How the evolution of the geographic shape of the Philippine archipelago from the 16th to the 21st centuries reflects the idea and emergence of an independent nation from a mere colony.
- Various maps discovered by Professor Ocampo from around the world were shown to prove how these maps would usually reflect three things: trade, evangelization, and empire-building. Some cartography even introduced showing ethnicities, flora and fauna, as well as the cultural way of life found in the specific geographical areas shown by maps.
3. How old and new maps help countries claim territories and create territories respectively .
- Professor Ocampo cited two (2) maps that are relevant to the Philippines’ history: (1) the Velarde map made and first published by the Jesuit cartographer Pedro Murillo Velarde in 1734; and (2) as well as the United Nations world map logo where a tiny dot representing the Philippines remains visible thanks to the insistence of General Carlos Romulo.
Ms. Erin Williams, APFC Programs Director, emceed the event. Professor Kai Ostwald of the University of British Columbia facilitated the Q&A portion. Questions from the audience ranged from Professor Ocampo’s personal experiences as a historian to more specific cultural features of the Philippines.
In her opening remarks, Consul General Gina A. Jamoralin thanked Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada’s President, Mr. Jeff Nankivell (who unfortunately could not attend the lecture) for collaborating with the Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver in organizing this lecture. She also mentioned that ten years ago, the Permanent Court of Arbitration constituted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) rendered a historic decision that firmly upheld the primacy of international law. Today, that ruling is no longer just a milestone in Philippine diplomatic history; it is an indelible part of the corpus of international law. It serves as an enduring anchor for the rules-based international order, affirming that maritime domains are governed by settled legal principles, not by unilateral force or historical assertion. The Philippines has consistently stood as a responsible maritime nation, with its commitment to UNCLOS and the peaceful settlement of disputes unwavering. END
