Lapu-Lapu mayor: Celebrating ‘discovery of PH’ is an insult

The proposed celebration of the 500 years of the Magellan expedition has been met with a lot of disapprovals and none is so loud than of Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan. National Quincentennial Committee (NQC) here that in 1921, the US Insular Government in the Philippines branded the commemoration as the “400 years of the discovery of the Philippines.”

The mayor of Lapu-Lapu city reminded around 200 participants of the stake holders meeting organized by the National Quincentennial Committee (NQC) here that in 1921, the US Insular Government in the Philippines branded the commemoration as the “400 years of the discovery of the Philippines.”

“This, as if we were nonexistent and had to thank the colonizers for bringing us civilization, which is an insult to our ancestors,” Chan said which is in direct support to the stand of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’e earlier not to celebrate rather focus on the gallantry of ancient Filipinos in Mactan.

Battle of Mactan
(photo credit to owner)

As per the NQC vice-chairperson, Dr. Rene Escalante said  prior to the arrival of the colonizers the archipelago had already reached a certain extent of civilization and had already established contacts with the neighbors.

Dr. Chan also reminded the participants about Dr. Jose Rizal’s provocation to every generation of the Filipinos, quoting him saying, “We are anxious to learn of the Philippines’ past, which we need to understand in order to plan intelligently for the future. We want to know all that our ancestors knew. Then we progress faster because we can go on from where they left off.”

“Therefore, we are sharing with our fellow Filipino people the history we have here at Mactan. The history will never be appreciated by the nation if it will remain as a mere local event,” he said, thanking Duterte for issuing Executive Order No. 55 series of 2018 giving to the NQC the task to prepare the country in “nationalizing the Victory of Mactan.”

Chan also thanked the NQC, headed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, “in reminding each and every Filipino to celebrate and remember the Filipino way.”

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Report from PNA