At the opening of the two-day 22nd Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day Conference, UP Diliman (UPD) Chancellor Edgardo Carlo L. Vistan II said the annual activity “marks two decades of reflection on the enduring relationship between the Philippines and Spain.”
“The implications of this global connectivity still resonate in our modern legal and political frameworks,” Vistan said. He added that he was particularly pleased that the conference “will shed light” on the role “of Philippine-Spanish relations in the shaping of our legal system.”
As a faculty and former dean of the UP College of Law, he acknowledged the indelible mark of Spanish legal traditions on the Philippine legal landscape.
Organized by the UPD Department of History (DHist), the two-day conference at the Pilar Herrera Hall of Palma Hall focused its discussions on the legacy of the Manila-Acapulco Galleon trade, and the complexities of the 11-month Siege of Baler.
“The historical interactions between Filipinos and Spaniards particularly during times of conflict and resistance such as the Siege of Baler have enriched the fabric of our legal and political identity. This episode with its complex blend of loyalty, perseverance, and eventual reconciliation is emblematic of the enduring relationship with Spain,” Vistan said.
In addition, he said, “these early influences laid the grand work for what would become the modern legal system, a hybrid of indigenous, Spanish, and later American laws. Even beyond the former structures of law, Philippine-Spanish relations are deeply imbedded in our conceptions of justice, governance, and the rule of law.”
Meanwhile, in his video message, UP President Angelo J. Jimenez said the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade and the Siege of Baler are events “that continue to reflect the intricate, dynamic, and enduring relationship between the Philippines and Spain.”
According to DHist, the conference is “an annual diplomatic activity gathering various scholars and experts, both local and foreign, to discuss the history of Philippine-Spanish relations.”
This year’s conference carried the theme Commemorating the Galleon Trade and Exploring the Legacy of the Siege of Baler.
DHist Chair Ruel V. Pagunsan said the theme “brings us back to the two sides that has inspired and shaped this friendship commemoration” between the two countries.
“The Manila-Acapulco Galleon trade, a trans-Pacific economic system resulted in exchanges beyond the mere goods,”he said. It also brought the “transfer and cultural interactions that will have lasting effects in the society.”
This year also marks the return of the on-site setup for the conference programs.
“We hope this will give us an extended and personal time to discuss, interact, and engage with the speakers and amongst each other,” Pagunsan said.
In addition, Pagunsan mentioned that “the papers in this conference wish to explore new understanding” of the events “by providing topics and insights of emerging archives as well as establish [its] archaeology, ecology, and heritage.”
The conference also held the soft launch of Galleons and Social Control in the Spanish Empire published by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines in the afternoon of Day 1.
Also present at the conference opening were Alvaro Garcia Moreno, cultural attaché of the Embassy of Spain in the Philippines representing Spanish Ambassador to the Philippines Miguel Utray Delgado, Executive Director Carminda R. Arevalo of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, and Dean Ruth R. Lusterio-Rico of the UPD College of Social Sciences and Philosophy.
The two-day conference held from Oct. 10 to 11 had three keynote lectures and five panel sessions.