Pigafetta Monument Readied for the Quincentennial

Posted on 29 March 2021
By NQC Secretariat

The
National Historical Commission of the Philippines’ (NHCP) Materials Research Conservation Division, together with the Cebu City Cultural and Historical Affairs Office (CHAO), is almost done in sprucing up the 1980 Antonio Pigafetta Monument at the Plaza Independencia, Cebu City. The monument, which was donated by the Philippine-Italian Association (PIA) to the Cebu City Government, was a work of National Artist Abdul Mari Asia Imao. The NHCP is scheduled to install a historical marker on its pedestal on April 13, a day after the 41st anniversary of the monument’s inauguration. 500 years ago, Pigafetta recorded details of the way of life, belief system, language, and world view of our pre-colonial ancestors in the Visayas and Mindanao. A joint exhibit of NHCP, PIA and CHAO will be opened on the unveiling date, to be followed by the launching of food historian Felice Prudente Sta. Maria’s book, Pigafetta’s Philippine Picnic.