Home

I hope you and your loved ones are safe and well in the midst of the current public health crisis. More than a year after the pandemic hit the country, a new surge in COVID-19 cases has been recorded in Metro Manila and across the archipelago in the last four weeks. It is in this context that we remain committed to ensuring the health and safety of our stakeholders following the public health guidance of the national government, local government, and University authorities. With an abundance of caution by utilizing virtual platforms and digital processes, the Department has sustained its initiatives to advance instruction, research, and extension in the discipline of history. It continues to engage multiple publics in and out of the University through a multitude of activities that may include but are not limited to academic conferences and lectures, teacher training, virtual exhibits, and partnership meetings. This year marks the 500 years of the first circumnavigation of the world and the victory of the Filipinos in the Battle of Mactan. Knowing fully the historical significance of these events, the Department is holding a year-long commemoration in partnership with the National Quincentennial Committee of the Philippines, the University of the Philippines Quincentennial Commemoration Committee, and the UP Diliman Office for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts (OICA). The webinar series slated from March to April 2021 that we have prepared for this year’s UP Diliman Arts and Culture Festival is the inaugural activity in line with the Department’s quincentennial commemoration. This will be followed by the next set of events: (1) relaunch of BroadKas sa DZUP, the Department’s official radio program, to discuss topics on Philippine history before the advent of the 20th century from April to June 2021; (2) conduct of the 19th Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day Digital Conference in October 2021 to present new researches on the Philippines from 16th to 19th centuries by utilizing diverse theoretical lenses and unexplored primary materials; and (3) facilitation of a three-day online teacher training in November 2021 by a group of Department faculty members to highlight perspectives on the Conquista from the lens on how we, as a people, understand our shared past and advance a holistic and inclusive history of the nation. Rest assured that the Department will continue to find ways to be relevant and relatable in these trying times. Given the empathy and resilience that have been exemplified by our stakeholders during this public health crisis, I believe in the value of synergy and nurturing spirit to keep us going this year and the years to come. Stay safe and healthy,