Berlin, 9 October 2025 — The Philippine Studies Program (PSP) of Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB), conducted in partnership with the Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt, marked a major milestone with the launch of a new anthology on Spanish travel writing about the Philippines. Edited by Dr. Roger Friedlein, PSP Coordinator, with co-editors Beatriz Friedel Ablanedo and Katharina Pohl, the publication was made possible through the support of Senator Loren Legarda, who has long championed the establishment of Philippine Studies programs abroad.
In a video message during the book presentation, Senator Legarda underscored the importance of scholarship as the foundation of cultural diplomacy, saying:
“Cultural diplomacy must be built on substance, research, translation, and the honest reconstruction of shared histories. This book, published in Spanish, German, and English, gathers fifteen scholars from Germany, Switzerland, Great Britain, Spain, and the Philippines, presenting twenty studies on how Spanish travellers from the 19th to the 21st centuries saw and interpreted our islands. Its significance lies not only in what it recovers, but in what it repositions.”
The book, presented at the event “The Philippines in the 19th Century: New Contributions” held at the Ibero-Amerikanisches Institut in Berlin, compiles accounts by Spanish travellers that shed new light on the Philippines’ cultural and intellectual landscape during and beyond the colonial period. Other presenters included Dr. Stephanie Coo (Universidade Nova de Lisboa), Annette Hug (Bern), and Kristin Wolter (Ibero-Amerikanisches Institut), who discussed recent research and translation work on Philippine texts and historical encounters.
As the Philippines prepares to serve as Guest of Honour at the 2025 Frankfurt Book Fair, this publication offers an opportunity to highlight new directions in Philippine scholarship and the growing academic engagement with Philippine history, culture, and identity across Europe. END
Photos by: Ruhr-Universität Bochum and Stephanie Coo