The Antiquated Map that Validates Our Claim to the West Philippine Sea
- museomaritimo
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
September 10, 2025 – Makati City, NCR, Philippines
An Article by SM Floralde
When I first visited AIMS Museo Maritimo in Pasay City two months ago, one of the objects that absolutely caught my attention was this Spanish-colonial map. In the context of our country’s legal victory, particularly the Arbitral Award in 2016, I knew right there and then that it had great importance to our national sovereignty. Though the map that I saw personally at the museum was just a replication, it’s still a magnificent artifact, for this one was a certified true copy of the original 1734 map. And it’s no other than the Murillo Velarde Map. And so, I looked back at our history and found out its significance from our nation’s chronicles.
The Murillo Velarde Map
Do you know that this 300-year-old map was created by Father Pedro Murillo Velarde? According to the Geographicus Rare Antiques Map, he was “a Spanish Jesuit missionary, administrator, historian, and cartographer active in the Philippines in the first half of the 18th century. Murillo was born in southern Spain and arrived in the Philippines via Mexico in 1723.” Aside from the above-mentioned map, Father Murillo’s other famous work was the “Mapa de Las Yslas Philipinas (1744)”.
The Murillo Velarde map is a crucial document for understanding the Philippines’ history and territorial claims. According to the website, this map was first published in 1734 in Manila by Fr. Pedro Murillo Velarde. It was then “Known as the Murillo Velarde map and originally called 'Carta Hydrographica y Chorographica de las Islas Filipinas’” or Hydrographical and Chorographical Chart of the Philippine Islands.
However, at some point in our history, the copies (and versions) of this map were nowhere to be found in the Philippine archives. Because of looting during periods of war in the archipelago, the original copies reached their destination in the galleries of national libraries in the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and Spain. After a few centuries had passed, it took Mr. Mel Velarde, a Filipino businessman, to win an auction at Sotheby's by paying £170,500.00 (approximately ₱12 million) in 2014 to acquire an original copy. In three years, he would soon donate it to the National Museum of the Philippines. Today, it is now placed in its permanent home at the National Library of the Philippines in Manila, ensuring its accessibility and role as a national symbol.
Key Features
In addition to the centerpiece map, there are some interesting engravings placed laterally to the map. The two columns of drawings are on both sides of the Murillo Velarde map, with six images on each side. They were made by Filipino artists, Nicolas de la Cruz Bagay (engraver) and Francisco Suarez (drawer).
Upon scrutiny, the viewer will notice a multitude of remarkable details. This includes a mix of people such as indigenous Filipinos (ethnic groups), mestizos (people of mixed European and indigenous ancestry), and Chinese Filipinos (sangleyes). Looking more closely, the map gazer will also notice bustling ports and rural landscapes. Aside from these, this cartographic sketch also features nautical charts and representations of indigenous maritime communities, which are vital to understanding the Philippines’ connection to the sea.
For meticulously depicting the archipelago's geography, towns, indigenous groups, and cultural scenes, the Murillo Velarde is praised for its artistic and cartographic excellence. Since this copy (and other versions) was widely reprinted all over the world for its authenticity and value, it served as critical evidence in the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) case against China's claims in the West Philippine Sea.
Historical Significance
The Murillo Velarde Map is of significance to our sovereignty and history for the following reasons:
1. Historical Context
The World Digital Library describes the Murillo Velarde map as the "first and most important scientific map of the Philippines." For its historical worth, it is also called the "Mother of all Philippine Maps" and the “holy grail” of Philippine cartography. This map serves as a crucial piece of historical evidence that demonstrates the long-standing Filipino connection to our maritime territories, specifically the land and sea features in the West Philippine Sea.
2. Evidence for the West Philippine Sea
To refer to the body of water to its west, surrounding the contentious positions of highly disputed islands and shoals, the Philippine government officially mandated the use of West Philippine Sea in 2012. With the use of the Murillo Velarde map labeling Bajo de Masinloc as "Panacot" (now more popularly known as Scarborough Shoal) and the Spratly Islands as "Los Bajos de Paragua," it places them within the context of the Philippine archipelago. These locations are integral to the Philippines' territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea. It is also important to point out that WPH is the portion of the South China Sea that falls within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.
From MurilloVelardeMap.com, “Velarde said the map’s most valuable and relevant feature is found on the upper left section, where a cluster of land mass called ‘Bajo de Masinloc’ and ‘Panacot’ – now known as Panatag or Scarborough Shoal – located west of the Luzon coastline. The cluster is irrefutable proof that the disputed shoal has been part of Philippine territory.”
3. Role in the Arbitral Ruling
As part of its case against China, the Murillo Velarde map was one of over 270 documents submitted by the Philippines to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague. According to the PCA's 2016 ruling, it declared that China's expansive claims in the South China Sea were invalid. And this was partially based on the historical evidence presented, including the Murillo Velarde map. With this notable triumph, we can therefore conclude that the 1734 map was instrumental in supporting our case in the territorial dispute with China.
Maps have never been more essential in maritime and geopolitical affairs than it is now in our modern history. The Murillo Velarde map is one of those that is not only a significant cartographic sketch showing the islands and seas in our country but also a lasting testament to our national territory and sovereignty.
Speaking of such matters, there’s no one more authoritative than the former Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, whose advocacy is "to protect and preserve Philippine territorial and maritime sovereignty, specifically in the West Philippine Sea." On China’s effort to spread misinformation about the nine-dash line to claim Philippine territories, he was quoted, "We have to correct that because that's the false history. And the way to do that is to present old maps, ancient maps, because they don't lie."
References:
1. Philippine Army (30 August 2017). Army receives replica of Mother of all Philippine Maps. Army.mil.ph. https://www.army.mil.ph/home/index.php/press-releases-2/120-army-receives-replica-of-mother-of-all-philippine-maps
2. Mel Velarde. ‘Mother of All Philippine Maps’ finds new home (2024, August 11). MelVelarde.com. https://melvelarde.com/mother-philippine-maps-finds-new-home/
3. AIMS Museo Maritimo (2024, November 12). New Items of AIMS Museo Maritimo. AIMSMuseoMaritimo.com. https://www.aimsmuseomaritimo.com/post/new-items-of-aims-museo-maritimo
4. National Library of the Philippines (2024, August 11). #NationalLibraryPH Launches Permanent Gallery with Over 80 Historical Documents. https://web.nlp.gov.ph/%F0%9D%97%A1%F0%9D%97%AE%F0%9D%98%81%F0%9D%97%B6%F0%9D%97%BC%F0%9D%97%BB%F0%9D%97%AE%F0%9D%97%B9%F0%9D%97%9F%F0%9D%97%B6%F0%9D%97%AF%F0%9D%97%BF%F0%9D%97%AE%F0%9D%97%BF%F0%9D%98%86%F0%9D%97%A3-3/
5. GMA News (2017, September 11). Murillo Velarde Map refutes ‘false history’, China's claims – Carpio. GMAnetwork.com. https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/625435/carpio-murillo-velarde-map-to-correct-false-history-amid-china-s-claims-on-phl-territory/story/
6. MurilloVelardeMap.com. Philippines to submit 300 year-old map to strengthen claim in sea dispute with China. https://murillovelardemap.com/philippines-to-submit-300-year-old-map-to-strengthen-claim-in-sea-dispute-with-china-2/
7. Atty. Elma Christine R. Leogardo (2015, March 25). Introduction of Justice Antonio T. Carpio for the Antiquarian Map Exhibit Lecture. Institute for Maritime and Ocean Affairs. https://imoa.ph/introduction-of-lecturer-for-the-antiquarian-map-exhibit-atty-stephanie-v-gomez-somera-21-february-2015-lopez-museum-and-library/