MANILA – The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) is encouraging local government units (LGUs) and non-government organizations (NGOs) to include tree planting in their respective activities for the 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines (2021 QCP).
“It’ll be our offering for the next generations,” said NHCP Chairperson Dr. Rene Escalante, who also serves as Vice-Chairperson and Executive Director of National Quincentennial Committee (NQC), that is in charge of 2021 QCP.
Aside from providing ecological benefits for future generations, he said trees beautify surroundings.
Supporting wildlife, conserving water, preserving soil, improving air quality and providing raw materials are among the trees’ benefits, noted experts. They also said trees absorb carbon dioxide, one of several greenhouse gases that cause global warming.
Escalante expects LGUs nationwide to spearhead their respective flag-raising and wreath-laying ceremonies on April 27 next year — 2021 QCP’s big day when the country will commemorate the 500th anniversary of Philippine warrior Lapulapu’s battle and victory against foreign intervention in Mactan Island.
LGUs generally have plazas where local officials can lead such ceremonies to honor Lapulapu, he noted. Warriors of Lapulapu defeated and killed Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and several of his men who sought to convert the locals to Christianity, which is what rival chieftain and the foreigners’ newfound ally, Rajah Humabon, wanted.
Magellan and his men arrived in the country on March 16, 1521 while on an expedition to find a westward sea route from Spain to spice-rich Moluccas group of islands located northeast of the Philippines’ neighbor Indonesia.
Spices were prized commodities in Europe at the time. The expedition of Magellan began in 1519 and eventually became the first to circumnavigate Earth, with the remaining vessel of his five-ship fleet returning to Spain in 1522.
Aside from Lapulapu’s victory and related events, the 2021 QCP will also commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Philippines’ involvement in what turned out to be a global first in marine navigation.
EO 55 series of 2018 created multi-agency NQC, noting there is need to “systematically organize, coordinate and synchronize the commemoration of the quincentennial of the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in the Philippines and other historic events that happened from 1519 to 1522 in different localities and in other countries where Magellan’s voyage made landfall, by creating a committee that shall take charge of the preparations for the said commemoration in the Philippines”.
“Pursuant to RA 10086 or the ‘Strengthening People’s Nationalism Through Philippine History Act,’ the State shall provide the means to strengthen people’s nationalism, love of country, respect for its heroes and pride for the people’s accomplishments by reinforcing the importance of Philippine national and local history in daily life with the end view of raising social consciousness,” EO 55 added.