Here's your chance to see rare maps and contemporary photographs of the West Philippine Sea -- an exhibit will be launched later this week to mark the 8th anniversary of the Arbitral Award from The Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague this month. 

"Pag-Asa sa Gitna ng Kalayaan (Hope Amidst Freedom)" will showcase images from Pag-Asa isle in the Kalayaan chain of Palawan islands by documentarian Paul Quiambao.

Also to be featured here are cartographic treasures from the National Library of the Philippines (NLP) such as the Murillo Velarde Map, which was part of the winning presentation of the Philippine team at the Hague Arbitration.  

Retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio will present a lecture titled "Philippine Island Territories in the West Philippine Sea." He will be joined by Atty. Fretti Ganchoon, senior state counsel of the Department of Justice, with his presentation titled "South China Sea Arbitration: Procedure, History and Importance."

The upcoming event is organized by the NLP and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), the government agency mandated to protect and promote the country's history through museums, research, and publications.