The Spanish Navy training ship Juan Sebastian Elcano arrived at the port of Cebu on Saturday morning, March 20, to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the world’s first circumnavigation. 

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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was attended by officials of the Cebu City government, heads of government agencies, and the Spanish embassy, among others. 

Undersecretary Jonji Gonzales of the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas said in his address that the event was not to celebrate conquest and colonization, but to commemorate the achievement of circumnavigating the world.

“But a lot of people are still confused why are we commemorating the coming of the Spaniards of the Philippines? Is the Magellan-Elcano expedition our history?” Gonzales said.

He said that the National Quincentennial Committee (NQC) had settled this matter as early as its first meeting in June 2018.

“The committee assures the Filipino people that we will not celebrate the discovery of the Philippines. We will commemorate the quincentennial the Filipino way, which means we will raise the awareness of our countrymen about the rich yet challenging pre-Hispanic or pre-colonial history,” Gonzales said.

The Armada de Molucca, led by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, started with 5 ships – the Trinidad, San Antonio, Concepcion, Santiago and Victoria – that set sail from Spain in 1520.

Only the Victoria made it back to Spain, led by Elcano, after Magellan was killed in Mactan Island in a battle with local chieftain Lapu-Lapu, according to the account of the chronicler of the Armada de Molucca.

“When we first learned of the Cebu stop of the Eclano ship, we made sure to put up the arrival honors, so you will feel the Cebuano brand of hospitality,” said Cebu City Mayor Edgar Labella, who was only recently cleared to work outside of his home due to health issues.

“Today, we relive history as it happened 500 years ago, when Fernando Magallanes set foot in Cebu which gave birth to our Christianity,” Labella added. 

Cebu City, known as the cradle of Christianity in Asia, had bigger plans for the quincentennial commemoration, but had to scale down the event due to the ongoing COVID-19 case surge.

The Spanish Navy sailors did not disembark from the ship, but were gifted with replicas of Magellan’s cross. Local cultural groups performed for the attendees of the event. 

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‘Santo Niño in our hearts’: Cebu marks unusual fiesta without crowds

Physical Masses for the Fiesta Señor, the celebration of the Holy Child, was canceled in January this year due to the pandemic. The Sinulog Festival, the cultural celebration that happens simultaneously with the feast, was also canceled. 

The main activities related to the celebration of 500 years of Christianity in Cebu, scheduled from April 4 to 22, will continue, but will be scaled down.

For more information on the quincentennial activities in Cebu, check the official Facebook page here. – Rappler.com