CATARMAN, Northern Samar – The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), in partnership with the Province of Northern Samar, and the Municipality of Palapag will commemorate the 350th Death Anniversary of Francisco Ignacio Alcina, the Jesuit priest whose pioneering documentation of Visayan history and culture has become one of the earliest and most exhaustive sources for Philippine pre-colonial and early colonial history.
The historical marker “Francisco Ignacio Alcina” will be unveiled on 30 July 2024 at the ruins of the old Palapag Church, constructed under the supervision of the Jesuit priest. NHCP Chair Regalado Trota Jose, Jr. and Diocese of Catarman Apostolic Administrator Most. Rev. Nolly C. Buco will lead the unveiling to be witnessed by Northern Samar Governor Edwin Marino C. Ongchuan, Palapag Mayor Florence “Fawa” A. Batula, NHCP Deputy Executive Director Alvin R. Alcid, Rev. Fr. Lito C. Jumadiao, Parish Priest of the Nuestra Señora de Asuncion Parish of Palapag, Northern Samar, and NHCP Commissioner Dr. Francis M. Navarro.
On 31 July 2024, a commemorative conference will be held at the University of Eastern Philippines, Catarman, Northern Samar in partnership with the Province of Northern Samar, the Philippine Historical Association, the Philippine National Historical Society, and the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. The conference will examine the deep influence of Alcina’s volume of work in the development of Visayan and Philippine historiography.
The NHCP is the national government agency mandated to promote Philippine history through its museums, research, and publications, and to preserve historical heritage through conservation and the marking of historic sites and structures. (NHCP)
