19 March 2013 – The Philippine Embassy in Lisbon commemorated the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in the Philippines in 1521 through a week-long painting exhibit held at the Embassy which began on March 16.
The exhibit featuring the magnificent works of a local artist from Cebu provided a vivid chronology of the Portuguese navigator´s historic voyage from Spain in search of the Spice Islands until his “discovery” of the Philippines.
Magellan first had a glimpsed of the Philippines on March 16, 1521 when he saw the mountains of Samar although he did not land there because he was confronted with cliffs instead of beaches. He moved on to the island of Homonhon where he finally set foot on Philippine soil.
Ferdinand Magellan or Fernão de Magalhães as he is known in Portugal, is credited with bringing Christianity to the Philippines. He was born in the municipality of Sabrosa, a small mountain town in northern Portugal where his ancestral house still stands and which has become an important stop for tourists.
Philippine Ambassador to Portugal Philippe Lhuillier hopes that by holding this exhibit, the Embassy will be able to enrich the knowledge of Filipinos in Portugal about Ferdinand Magellan´s vision and perseverance, and his contribution to the Filipinos´ faith, culture and history as a people.
Aside from the exhibit, the Embassy is planning to schedule an educational and cultural visit of the Filipino Community to Sabrosa.
Since the Philippine Embassy in Lisbon opened three years ago, it has established close relations with the Mayor of Sabrosa who has already earmarked a street in the municipality to be named after Cebu.
The Embassy plans to work towards a possible sister-city agreement between Cebu and Sabrosa. Ambassador Lhuillier intends to pursue this relationship and is planning to bring the exhibit on Magellan to Sabrosa soon. END