The Philippine Embassy in Spain, under the leadership and guidance of Ambassador Philippe J. Lhuillier, organized a webinar on amulets entitled “Ang Anting-Anting sa Kasaysayan ng Pilipinas” in celebration of the 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations.
The event was made in partnership with the National Quincentennial Committee (NQC), the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Cavite Study Center of the De La Salle University – Dasmariñas. The webinar was also in support of efforts of the NQC to underscore the fact that there was a thriving pre-colonial culture prior to the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in the Philippines in 1521.
The resource speaker was Dr. Jeffrey Alfaro Lubang, Associate Professor at the Social Sciences Department of the De La Salle University in Dasmariñas, Cavite. A frequent guest on Philippine television shows as a resource speaker, Professor Lubang has written more than two dozen books on anting-anting, local traditions and children’s stories.
The presentation traced the history of amulets in the Philippines from the pre-colonial to the modern times including during the Philippine Revolution. According to Dr. Lubang, the use of the amulets shows, among others, the creativity and dynamism of the Filipinos. At the same time, it further highlights the cultural component of colonization that is now an indelible part of the Filipino identity.
Professor Lubang’s presentation was followed by a live Q&A session hosted by Consul General Adrian Cruz and co-hosted by Consul Eric Valenzuela and Ms. Trisha Morente, an OFW and freelance journalist in Madrid and former business reporter of Manila Bulletin.
The Philippine Embassy aims to continue hosting webinars that appeal to the interests of Filipinos not only in Spain and Andorra but also around the world.
