Philippine Lives under Early Spanish Rule

Description

The study of Spanish Colonialism in the Pacific (1550-1800) has been revitalized in recent years, thanks to the efforts of scholars working in a variety of academic disciplines, at institutions across Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia. 

Thanks to this work, the Spanish Philippines, which were once dismissed as a distant periphery of a world centered on the Atlantic, are now understood as a crucial node in the global network of exchange that emerged during the early modern period. This symposium brings together some of the leading scholars responsible for the reinvigoration of colonial Philippine studies, along with prominent officials of the Philippine government charged with educating Filipinos about their history. As the Newberry Library represents one of the world’s foremost repositories of historical materials related to the Philippines, the symposium hopes to draw attention to the wealth of the library’s Philippine holdings, and to the ways that these materials can be used to understand Philippine lives under Spanish rule.

The keynote presentation will be given by Ambeth Ocampo, Senator Gil J. Puyat Professor, Ateneo de Manila University and Distinguished Professorial Lecturer, De La Salle University. Learn more about his work here.

A Collaborative Humanities Project from the Princeton University Humanities Council. Co-sponsored by the Philippines Consulate of Chicago and the University of Chicago.

Schedule

Thursday, October 23

1:00-2:00 pm Opening Roundtable: The Role of the Archive Today 

Chair: Christina Lee, Princeton University

Victorino Manalo, National Commission for Culture and the Arts

Regalado Trota Jose, National Historical Commission of the Philippines

Will Hansen and Analú Lopez, Newberry Library

2:00-2:30 pm Coffee

2:30-3:30 pm Collection Presentation 

3:30-5:00 pm Panel 1: Environment 

Chair: Barbara Mundy, Tulane University

"After the Swarm: Colonizing Wax in the Philippines"
Dana Leibsohn, Smith College

"Naming the Vernacular: Philippine Coastal Natures in Colonial Biological Inventories"
Ruel V. Pagunsan, University of the Philippines Diliman

"Revisiting a Monument of Philippine Cartography"
Ricardo Padrón, University of Virginia

5:00 pm Keynote Talk

Ambeth Ocampo, Ateneo De Manila University

6:00 pm Reception

Friday, October 24

9:30 am Coffee

10:00-11:30 am Panel 2: Language 

Chair: Ricardo Padron, University of Virginia

"Grammars of God: Language and the Colonial Divine in the Early Spanish Philippines"
Marlon James Sales, University of the Philippines Diliman

"Ladino Life in Gaspar de San Agustín's Carta a un amigo suyo (1720)"
Miguel Martinez, University of Chicago

"Francisco Blancas de San José, OP, and early Philippine Printers"
Jorge Mojarro, RCCAH, University of Santo Tomas

11:30 am-1:00 pm Lunch Break

1:00-3:00 pm Panel 3: Identity 

Chair: Nicholas Sy, University of the Philippines Diliman

"Unearthing Early Modern Martial Arts: Spanish Destreza in the Philippines"
Diego Luis, Johns Hopkins University

"What is (the) Law in the Absence of Rule? The Implications of Legal Anarchy in the Philippines Between the 16th and 19th Centuries"
Jody Blanco, University of California, San Diego

"Merchants and Laborers in Pueblos de Indios: Investigating Chinese Presence outside Manila in the 17th century"
Grace Concepcion, University of the Philippines Diliman

"A Sea of Ink: Print Cultures, Artistic, Technical and Material Exchanges across the South China Sea"
Stephanie Porras, Tulane University

3:00-3:30 pm Coffee Break

3:30-5:00 pm Roundtable: Digital Initiatives and Colonial Philippine Studies 

Chair: Ambeth Ocampo, Ateneo De Manila University

Nicholas Sy, University of the Philippines Diliman

Cristina Juan, SOAS University of London

Christina Lee, Princeton University

Saturday, October 25

11:00 am Public Lecture

"The Philippines at the Newberry Library"
Ambeth Ocampo, Ateneo De Manila University

This program is organized by the Newberry Public Programs and requires additional registration. Click on the button below to register for the lecture.

Registration Information

This event will be free and open to the public, but space is limited and registration in advance is required. Click on the button below to register for the conference. ***Please note that the public lecture on October 25 requires a separate registration.***