The exhibit “Archipelagic States: Identity, Consciousness and Law” had Valencia City as its first stop in Spain, through the partnership of the Philippine Consulate General in Barcelona with the Ilustre Colegio de Abogados de Valencia.
(Photo by Barcelona PCG)
VALENCIA, 12 December 2023. The Philippine Consulate General in Barcelona brought to Valencia’s lawyers association, the Ilustre Colegio de Abogados de Valencia (ICAV) , the Philippine exhibit “Archipelagic States: Identity, Consciousness and Law” from 30 November to 05 December 2023.
The exhibit showcased the Philippines’ unique identity as an archipelago of over 7,000 islands, as well as its maritime heritage, and its longstanding commitment to international law and the rule of law in the maritime domain as an archipelagic state, under the United Nations on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS.
“We are thankful to ICAV for partnering with us, bringing the story of the Philippines as an archipelago and the Filipinos’ archipelagic way of life to the people of Valencia”, said Philippine Consul General to Barcelona Maria Theresa S.M. Lazaro to ICAV whose lawyer members reach around 9,000.
Joining the ICAV officials are the members of the Filipino Community in Valencia and university students on international relations and maritime security who likewise attended the lecture “The 2016 Philippine Arbitration Award: Its Implications on International Maritime Law and Security”, headlined by former Philippine Chief Justice Antonio Carpio and University of Jaume I’s underwater archeology expert Professor Mariano Aznar, at ICAV Auditorium on 30 November 2023.
The exhibit was composed of a 20 foot-wide panel display created by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila and 16 photo images captured by Jacob Maentz, a Philippine-based documentary photographer. The photos portray the archipelago as a way of life for Filipinos, emphasizing the interconnected communities, ecosystems, and shared challenges of an archipelagic state.
Valencian Community is under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Consulate General in Barcelona. END
The exhibit “Archipelagic States: Identity, Consciousness and Law” was opened with the presence of Justice Antonio Carpio (leftmost), Philippine Honorary Consul in Valencia Atty. Manuel Carrion Sanchez (2nd from left), Philippine Consul General Maria Theresa S.M. Lazaro (2nd form right), and First Deputy of the ICAV Governing Board Atty. Sofia de Andrés García (rightmost) at Ilustre Colegio de Abogados de Valencia on 30 November 2023. (Photo by Barcelona PCG).
The exhibit features 16 images by Jacob Maentz, a Philippine-based documentary photographer whose work explores the interplay of the natural world, culture, and identity. (Photo by Barcelona PCG).