Originally titled: Bringing Cebu to the World
By Luis A. Quibranza III
APPARENTLY, Urdaneta is more than just the name of a city here in the Philippines.
Urdaneta City is named after Fr. Andres de Urdaneta. He was a Spanish Augustinian friar, captain and explorer. Born in the small city of Ordizia, Spain, in 1508, he is best known for discovering a way across the Pacific from the Philippines to Acapulco, Mexico (New Spain).
Now why would the Philippines have a whole city named after a Spanish friar and explorer? What could he have done as to gain the country’s attention, even to the effect of having a whole city named after him?
Urdaneta plotted the return route from the Philippines to Mexico in 1565. This path is famous today as “Urdaneta’s route.” Urdaneta was able to come up with a detailed and precise map to guide sailors navigating in the unpredictable waters of the Pacific. After Urdaneta officially announced the route, the rest became history. And indeed it is history, which we shall be celebrating for today.
So what does this have to do with Cebu?
During those years, no man had ever been praised so much for his mere returning. If Gen. Douglas Mc Arthur’s return gave the Filipino troops a reason to fight even in the midst of a seemingly inevitable defeat, then Fr. Urdaneta’s return to Acapulco from Cebu City in 1565 gave diversity a chance to influence society as we see it today and paved a way to modern trade and industry.
Urdaneta’s discovered route helped sailors avoid treacherous circumstances that hindered the full blossoming of trade back in those days.
Spanish ships, particularly the Manila-Acapulco trading Galleon, used the route for the rest of the 16th and 17th centuries. It was through this that Asian culture was formally introduced to Europe through Mexico.
The trading went on for more than 25 decades. Through the years then, annual fairs in Acapulco were held where traders bargained for the galleon’s cargo of silk, porcelain, spices, and the like. This allowed the Philippines, along with other Asian countries, an opportunity to present her goods to the world across the Pacific.
And faithful to his calling as an Augustinian friar, he did not only focus on the “entrepreneur-side” of things. He was still as motivated to spread the good news of the gospel as part of his being a missionary.
Urdaneta, with Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, was also responsible for the Christianization of the province of Cebu. While he was in Cebu in 1565, he ordered the building of a church for the Sto. Niño. It is now known as the Basilica Minore de Sto. Niño.
The Basilica remains under the care of the Order of St. Augustine up until present.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, in recognition of the achievements of Fr. Andres de Urdaneta, as well as his contributions to Philippine Culture and History, declared 2008 (through Proclamation No. 1423) as the “Year of Urdaneta.”
The proclamation also created the Urdaneta 500 Commission, which was launched late last month. The commission that aims to celebrate the fifth centennial of the birth of Urdaneta is focused on preparing activities throughout the whole year so as to highlight his life, work and achievement. 2008 is the Year of Urdaneta.
And it’s about time he gets the spotlight.
By Luis A. Quibranza III
APPARENTLY, Urdaneta is more than just the name of a city here in the Philippines.
Urdaneta City is named after Fr. Andres de Urdaneta. He was a Spanish Augustinian friar, captain and explorer. Born in the small city of Ordizia, Spain, in 1508, he is best known for discovering a way across the Pacific from the Philippines to Acapulco, Mexico (New Spain).
Now why would the Philippines have a whole city named after a Spanish friar and explorer? What could he have done as to gain the country’s attention, even to the effect of having a whole city named after him?
Urdaneta plotted the return route from the Philippines to Mexico in 1565. This path is famous today as “Urdaneta’s route.” Urdaneta was able to come up with a detailed and precise map to guide sailors navigating in the unpredictable waters of the Pacific. After Urdaneta officially announced the route, the rest became history. And indeed it is history, which we shall be celebrating for today.
So what does this have to do with Cebu?
During those years, no man had ever been praised so much for his mere returning. If Gen. Douglas Mc Arthur’s return gave the Filipino troops a reason to fight even in the midst of a seemingly inevitable defeat, then Fr. Urdaneta’s return to Acapulco from Cebu City in 1565 gave diversity a chance to influence society as we see it today and paved a way to modern trade and industry.
Urdaneta’s discovered route helped sailors avoid treacherous circumstances that hindered the full blossoming of trade back in those days.
Spanish ships, particularly the Manila-Acapulco trading Galleon, used the route for the rest of the 16th and 17th centuries. It was through this that Asian culture was formally introduced to Europe through Mexico.
The trading went on for more than 25 decades. Through the years then, annual fairs in Acapulco were held where traders bargained for the galleon’s cargo of silk, porcelain, spices, and the like. This allowed the Philippines, along with other Asian countries, an opportunity to present her goods to the world across the Pacific.
And faithful to his calling as an Augustinian friar, he did not only focus on the “entrepreneur-side” of things. He was still as motivated to spread the good news of the gospel as part of his being a missionary.
Urdaneta, with Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, was also responsible for the Christianization of the province of Cebu. While he was in Cebu in 1565, he ordered the building of a church for the Sto. Niño. It is now known as the Basilica Minore de Sto. Niño.
The Basilica remains under the care of the Order of St. Augustine up until present.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, in recognition of the achievements of Fr. Andres de Urdaneta, as well as his contributions to Philippine Culture and History, declared 2008 (through Proclamation No. 1423) as the “Year of Urdaneta.”
The proclamation also created the Urdaneta 500 Commission, which was launched late last month. The commission that aims to celebrate the fifth centennial of the birth of Urdaneta is focused on preparing activities throughout the whole year so as to highlight his life, work and achievement. 2008 is the Year of Urdaneta.
And it’s about time he gets the spotlight.
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