ASIDE from advising claimant parties to the West Philippine Sea to abide by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), Spanish Ambassador to the Philippines Luis Antonio Calvo urged the Philippines to help his country’s efforts to translate voluminous documents during the Spanish Occupation.
In the course of translations, Calvo said Filipinos might be able to find texts that would help show that the many shoals and reefs in the West Philippine Sea belong to the Philippines.
One example is “Bajo de Masinloc,” a Spanish term which translates to “under Masinloc.” Bajo de Masinloc is a town in Zambales that has jurisdiction over what is now called Panatag Shoal and Scarborough Shoal on some international maps.
“The solutions to the South China Sea could be found in history,” Calvo said during a forum on Tuesday, dubbed as The Roundtable,” which was attended by the publisher, editors and reporters of the BusinessMirror and other media companies belonging to the ALC Media Group.
At the moment, the Philippines and China are engaged in arbitration in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, and are asking Unclos to define the limits of China’s excessive claims in the West Philippine Sea.
He said Spain is helping train many Filipinos to be proficient in Spanish, so they can help translate some 5 million pieces of documents deposited in the archives in his country.
He said these documents contain all the political, economic and cultural activities of Spain during its 300-year occupation of the Philippines. Nonetheless, Calvo suggested that the Philippines must find other means to settle its differences with China.
“China and the Philippines must find ways to find a common ground, because they share many economic and cultural exchanges in the past,” Calvo said.
He added that, during the Spanish Occupation, there was a meeting of three cultures in the Philippines shared among the Chinese and the Spaniards and the Filipinos.
“There is much more to be gained through discussion rather than talks of entitlement or polemics,” Calvo said.
Meanwhile, Calvo added Spain is celebrating the 450th year of the Galleon Trade, which also marks the 450th year of the Sanduguan or the blood compact, between datu Sikatuna, the reigning Datu or lord in Bohol, and Spanish explorer Miguel Lopez de Legazpi.
He said the Sanduguan, or alliance between the two, happened in Loay, Bohol, where he is involved in restoring some of the old Spanish churches destroyed by the earthquake.
At the same time, the Spanish envoy said this year also marks the 200 years of the end of the Manila Galleon and the 150th year of the establishment of the Manila Observatory. Previously named Observatorio Meteorologico del Ateneo Municipal de Manila, it was founded in 1865 by the Jesuits.
When the Manila Galleon ended, Calvo said the Philippines “dramatically progressed” economically.
Calvo also said Spain is committed to assist Bohol in restoring several churches destroyed by the earthquake.
He said he would go back there, after visiting Bohol last Sunday because the province is high on the agenda of Spain.
The Spanish influence is pronounced in Boholano culture and society. For one, Spanish family names are still being used by Boholanos, a news report of his visit said.
Spain-assisted organizations have been providing assistance to Bohol to help in its rehabilitation and development.
Image credits: Stephanie Tumampos