On July 16, 2025, at 4:00 PM, Instituto Cervantes will hold the seminar “De Magallanes al Bulevar España: breve historia del español en Filipinas,” featuring prestigious speakers from the University of Málaga (Spain), Dr. Livia García Aguiar and Dr. Antonio Calvo Maturana. They will discuss and analyze the presence of the Spanish language in the Philippines, from its beginnings to the present day.
There is an abundance of traces of Spanish all over the Philippines, heard through family names, shop names, and street signs. Nevertheless, they are more than just representations of what once was, they are living reminders of a shared history that continues to shape the present.
The seminar will explore the historical journey of the Spanish language in the Philippines through analyzing the pivotal time in global history that spurred the early globalization, also known as the “Age of Exploration”. The discussion will reflect how these historical remnants continue to resonate in the Philippines’ contemporary society and culture. The seminar is a part of the continuing effort to foster greater understanding and appreciation for the historical ties between Spain and the Philippines, and the language that preserves them with its enduring relationship. This objective will be enriched by the insights of Dr. Livia García Aguiar, professor in the Department of Spanish Philology and a specialist in the History of the Spanish Language and Dr. Antonio Calvo Maturana, professor in the Department of Modern and Contemporary History and professor of History and East Asian Studies at the aforementioned University of Malaga.
The discussion will be held in Spanish and is open to everyone, but attendees and participants are encouraged to register early through this link: https://forms.office.com/e/1cHaNpfhVQ
This event is organized by Instituto Cervantes de Manila in collaboration with the Embassy of Spain in the Philippines, AECID, Intramuros Administration, the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, the Spanish State Investigation Agency, University of Málaga, and the UP Círculo Hispánico.
For more information about this event, visit Instituto Cervantes’ website at www.manila.cervantes.es, or follow it on Facebook at www.facebook.com/InstitutoCervantesManila
