The Philippine Embassy in Santiago team pose for official photos following the unveiling of the Murillo Velarde Map of 1734 and the signing of the and Philippines-Chile MOU on Cooperation in Aquaculture.
(Santiago, 02 October 2023) The Philippine Embassy in Santiago, Chile, capped its line-up of activities for this year’s celebration of the Maritime and Archipelagic Nation Awareness Month (MANAMo 2023) in two landmark activities held at the Philippine Chancery in Las Condes on 02 October 2023.
“The vast ocean that separates us also connects us,” said Philippine Ambassador to Chile H.E. Celeste Vinzon-Balatbat. She added, “The Philippines and Chile are maritime nations, bordering the Pacific Ocean and united by our commitment to biodiversity and the sustainability of our oceans.”
The first MANAMo activity was the official unveiling of the Replica of the Carta Hydrographica y Chronographica de las Yslas Filipinas, also known as the Murillo Velarde Map of 1734. This replica was donated by Chairman and CEO Mel Velasco Velarde of Velarde Inc.
In her speech, Ambassador Balatbat underlined the value of the map as an “important window to the Philippines’s past and as a veritable treasure trove of historical data.” She also highlighted the map’s importance “as a symbol of the Philippines’s commitment to international law” and stressed its value as “a key piece of evidence in the Arbitral Tribunal” to select attendees composed of Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials, former Chilean Ambassadors to the Philippines, members of the academe from the Catholic University of Chile, and other guests.
The signing of the Philippines-Chile MOU on Cooperation in Fisheries and Aquaculture served as the day’s second MANAMo activity, and formally cemented the two countries’ commitment to foster scientific and technical cooperation, promote bilateral trade, exchange business models and research, and develop partnerships between government agencies, private sector, academe, and fisherfolk communities.
Signing the MOU on the part of Chile were Deputy Undersecretary Javier Rivera Vergara of SUBPESCA (Sub-Secretariat for Fisheries) and National Director Soledad Tapia Almonacid of SERNAPESCA (Chile’s National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service).
Following the signing of the MOU, Deputy Undersecretary Rivera reiterated Chile’s commitment to continue developing and reinforcing the two countries’ partnership in aquaculture, cultivation, and other related sciences.
The Philippine Embassy organized these two landmark activities in line with MANAMo 2023’s overarching goals of promoting maritime protection, sustainable development, and ocean awareness. END
Photo of Amb. Balatbat (standing, rightmost) with the MOU signatories from SUBPESCA (seated,Ambassador Balatbat delivers her remarks left) and SERNAPESCA (seated, right). Also in the photo are Amb. Patricio Powell of DIRAPAC (standing leftmost) and Amb. Claudio Rojas, former Ambassador of Chile to the PHL
