2021 is the Year of Filipino Pre-Colonial Ancestors

Posted on 04 August 2021
By NQC Secretariat

By
virtue of Proclamation No. 1128, s. 2021, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte declared the year 2021 as the Year of Filipino Pre-Colonial Ancestors (YFPCA). The National Quincentennial Committee (NQC) is tasked to lead the observance along with the 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines. The committee convened a national technical working group composed of cultural, educational, and diplomatic government agencies to guide the country in this observance.

During its 2nd meeting, the YFPCA TWG adopted the theme “Our Origin, Our Identity.” It advocates the need to emphasize our pre-colonial ancestors–their world, way of life, sense of being–as the country commemorates this 2021 series of 500 years milestones (or quincentennials). It also exudes the thrust of the 2021 QCP to view Philippine history from our viewpoint.

The YFPCA TWG moved that the observance be extended to 30 August 2022 to give the Filipinos enough time to celebrate.

The logo was designed by Alvin Lorena and Billy Joe Marciano of Project Saysay. The typeface is Maragsâ, designed by Visayan John David Maza of Iloilo. Visit his Philippine typefaces at https://johndavidmaza.gumroad.com/. The eight-ray sun was derived from a patik (Visayan tattoo) pattern documented by the 16th century Boxer Codex of The Lilly Library, Indiana University. The digit “2021” is inspired by water, symbolizing the Philippine maritime heritage. The background image is from the pre-colonial panel in Botong Francisco’s Filipinos Struggle through History (1968) courtesy of the National Museum of the Philippines (photographed by Xiao Chua).

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