PRESS RELEASE
PR-030-2024
25 March 2024, Singapore – A week ahead of the conclusion of the four-month Manila Galleon special exhibition at the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) on 17 March 2024, the ACM hosted the Manila Galleon International Conference on 9-10 March 2024 to highlight the historical significance of the Manila-Acapulco Galleon trade.
With a total of thirteen (13) distinguished speakers, the conference delved deep into the historical, cultural, and socio-economic contexts surrounding the Manila Galleon trade routes, which connected Asia to the Americas and beyond.
Acclaimed Filipino historian, author and educator Professor Ambeth R. Ocampo kickstarted the conference on the first day of the conference with a keynote address entitled “Tornaviaje: Looking back on the legacy of the galleon trade”, where he reflected on the historical and cultural significance of the trade route between the Philippines and Mexico. He shared that the Manila Galleon trade, while often neglected and portrayed negatively in Philippine history textbooks, is highlighted for its cultural and artistic exchanges between Asia and the Americas, emphasizing the need to acknowledge its positive impacts. For example, there would be no Bahay Kubo, where fifteen (15) out of eighteen (18) vegetables were imported through the galleon trade, along with culinary delights champurado and tamales, known in Mexico under the same names, were it not for the Manila Galleon.
Other Filipino experts who served as speakers were Mr. Bobby C. Orillaneda, Curator and Officer-in-Charge of the Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage Division at the National Museum of the Philippines; Dr. Florinda H. Capistrano-Baker, former director and Consulting Curator at the Ayala Museum; and Dr. Cristina Martinez-Juan, Project Head of Philippine Studies at SOAS University of London.
in the 19th and 20th centuries
Other Filipino experts who served as speakers were Mr. Bobby C. Orillaneda, Curator and Officer-in-Charge of the Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage Division at the National Museum of the Philippines; Dr. Florinda H. Capistrano-Baker, former director and Consulting Curator at the Ayala Museum; and Dr. Cristina Martinez-Juan, Project Head of Philippine Studies at SOAS University of London.
Among the conference attendees were Director Jeremy Barns and Deputy Director General Jorell Legaspi from the National Museum of the Philippines and Vice Consul Joy Anne B. Lai and Cultural Officer Ms. Rosellie L. Bantay of the Philippine Embassy in Singapore. Retired Philippine Supreme Court Justice Antonio T. Carpio was also among the attendees of the conference.
Experts from Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States also gathered at the two-day conference to explore various facets of maritime archaeology, shipbuilding, cross-cultural exchanges, and the intricate network of the Manila Galleon trade.
The Manila Galleon International Conference served as a platform for in-depth discussions on the enduring legacy of one of history’s most significant maritime trade routes. The ACM also hosted an appreciation dinner for its partners and supporters on 10 March 2024 which was attended by Philippine Ambassador to Singapore Medardo G. Macaraig.
For the Philippine Daily Inquirer article by Professor Ocampo on his keynote remarks: “Tornaviaje: Looking back on the legacy of the galleon trade”, please check this link: https://opinion.inquirer.net/171922/after-the-manila-galleons. (END)
Dr. Cristina Martinez-Juan, H.E. Medardo G. Macaraig, Ms. Rosellie Bantay, Mr. Kendal Baker, Mr. Jeremy Barns; Seated, L-R: Prof. Ambeth Ocampo, Mr. Bobby Orillaneda, Atty. Joy Anne B. Lai,
Dr. Florinda H. Capistrano-Baker)
