Plenty of Nothing

Lapu-Lapu

Today is the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Mactan, in which the forces of chief Lapu-Lapu repelled the Spanish Empire and killed Magellan. Source.

Florante at Laura Comic

Florante at Laura, the epic poem written in Tagalog in 1838 by Francisco Balagtas, and considered a classic of Philippine national literature, was given the Classics Illustrated Comics treatment by G. Miranda and Sons of Manila. Source.

Blessed Takayama, Manila

When the Shogun Takegawa Ieyasu cracked down on Christianity in 1614, Takayama Ukon led 300 Christian Japanese to the Philippines where they settled in the Dilao district of Manila. Takayama was beatified by Pope Francis in 2016. This statue is at the University of Santo Tomas, in Manila. Source.

Jai Alai Building

The Manila Jai Alai Building (1940-2000) was one of the grandest Art Deco structures in East Asia, and Philippine capital of the Basque sport of jai alai. Source.

Philippine Kinnari

This gold kinnari was discovered in 1981 by Berto Morales while he was digging a trench with an excavator. Read about a recent exhibition of Philippine gold here.

The Boxer Codex

If like me you know basically nothing about the Philippines, a good place to start learning would be the remarkable Boxer Codex, a wonderfully illustrated volume from the 16th Century now residing at Indiana University and available to browse here.