Philippine Embassy Receives Replica of the Historic 1734 Murillo Velarde Map
Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene J. Garcia Albano (5th from right) received the replica of the historic 1734 Murillo Velarde map from Capt. Peter G. Tolentino III (PN) (4th from left), Philippine Defense and Armed Forces Attaché, on 8 January 2025. Joining them were several of the Embassy’s officials, including Minister for Political and Economic Affairs Christian L. De Jesus (4th from right) and TSg. Ariel P. Gregorio of the Office of the Philippine Defense and Armed Forces Attaché in Japan (2nd from left).
TOKYO, 8 January 2024 – The Office of the Philippine Defense and Armed Forces Attaché turned over a replica of the 1734 Murillo Velarde Map, also known as the “Mother of All Philippine Maps,” to the Philippine Embassy in Japan.
Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene J. Garcia Albano received the replica from Capt. Peter G. Tolentino III (PN), Philippine Defense and Armed Forces Attaché. The replica, reproduced by the Naval Meteorological and Oceanographic Center of the Philippine Navy, underscores the significance of preserving the country’s cartographic and maritime heritage.
The Carta Hydrographica y Chorographica de las Yslas Filipinas, first published in Manila in 1734, was created by Filipino cartographer Francisco Suarez and engraved by Nicolas de la Cruz Bagay under the guidance of Spanish Jesuit Father Pedro Murillo Velarde. It is recognized as the first scientific map of the entire Philippine archipelago.
Significant features of the map include “Panacot,” later identified as Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal, as well as the Spratly Islands, marked as “Los Bajos de Paragua.” The 1734 Murillo Velarde Map was one of the 270 maps submitted by the Philippines to the Arbitral Tribunal constituted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in 2013. The maps were crucial in establishing the Philippines’ entitlement to maritime areas reaffirmed in the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea.
Technology entrepreneur and educator Mel Velasco Velarde acquired the original 1734 Murillo Velarde Map at a Sotheby’s auction in London in 2014. He later donated the map to the Philippine government, and on 6 December 2024, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. formally received it during a turnover ceremony at Malacañan Palace.
Ambassador Garcia-Albano highlighted the map’s enduring importance, stating that “This artifact symbolizes the Philippines’ commitment to upholding its sovereignty, territory, and maritime heritage, aligning with the shared values between the Philippines and Japan in promoting peace, stability, and respect for international law.”
