MANILA - The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) and the National Quincentennial Committee (NQC) on Wednesday unveiled the historical marker recognizing the role of Homonhon Island in the first circumnavigation of the world five centuries ago.

The unveiling of the Homonhon marker is part of a series of events marking the Philippines' role in the 500th anniversary of the first circumnavigation of the world, led by Ferdinand Magellan and Sebastian Elcano.

• EXPLAINER: The importance of celebrating PH’s role in historic Magellan–Elcano circumnavigation

In his speech, Dr. Rene Escalante, NHCP chairperson and NQC Executive Director, shared the importance of Homonhon Island in the history of the Philippines.

"On March 16, 1521, our ancestors from Suluan already saw their ships. The following day, March 17, 1521, these unfortunate foreigners landed in Homonhon, unconscious how sacred the land was, and enjoyed the freshwater there, a wild boar, and, most likely, fruits. Then the next day, March 18, 1521, our ancestors landed in Homomhon with their grandly decked chief and signaled friendship. Magellan thought these people from Suluan would attack them. They could not understand each other at first yet our ancestors understood the language of humanity. Pigafetta may not have captured the nuance of this gesture and the symbolism of Homonhon to our ancestors, but what our ancestors exhibited is typically Filipino," he said.

"We call it pakikipagkapwa in Filipino psychology or the sense of seeing someone as an extension of yourself. It’s a uniquely Filipino value worthy of celebration this 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines—and it all happened here in Homonhon."

For Escalante, the marker on Homonhon will serve as a reminder of the compassion and friendship the Filipinos showed the Spaniards 500 years ago.

"Unfortunately, a lot of Filipinos, as well as foreign nationals, do not know this episode in the history of the first circumnavigation of the world. We are glad that today, we are marking that episode through this historical marker we are about to unveil. This marker shall be a perpetual reminder to those who will visit this place of our heritage of compassion which we are known at. 500 years later, things have changed but not the kind of compassion we have inherited from our great ancestors," Escalante said.

The Homonhon marker is the second of 34 historical markers to be unveiled.

The NHCP and the NQC unveiled the first marker for Suluan in the town of Guiuan in Easter Samar on Tuesday, commemorating the first anchorage of the Magellan-Elcano expedition in the Philippines.

The NHCP and the NQC mounted a total of 34 markers along the route of the first circumnavigation that took place in the Philippines.

President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to unveil the third marker in Barangay Ngolos in Guiuan town on Thursday, March 18.

In 2018, the t NHCP announced it will mark 34 site in the Philippines along the route of the first circumnavigation of the world. The year-long commemoration will end on October 28 in Sarangani Island.

Collectively known as the 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines, the government will also commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Victory at Mactan on April 27.

The Catholic Church will have its own events in commemoration of the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines.

• Pope Francis leads mass for Philippines' celebration of 500 years of Christianity

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