Filipino historian named honorary professor in Mexico

MANILA, Philippines — Ateneo de Manila University historian Dr. Filomeno V. Aguilar Jr. has been named an International Honorary Professor by a Mexican university, as the Philippines became the first Southeast Asian country to be named Guest Country of Honor at the 39th Feria Universitaria del Libro (FUL).

Aguilar, a professor of history and assistant vice president for research, creative work and innovation at Ateneo, received the distinction from the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo (UAEH) during the university book fair, held from Sept. 4 to 13.

The recognition acknowledged his career as a historian and his contributions to Philippine studies, according to Ateneo de Manila University.

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The investiture also coincided with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Ateneo and UAEH covering faculty and student exchanges, joint research, internships, conferences and other academic activities.

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Tracing the Philippines-Mexico link

At the FUL, Aguilar delivered the keynote lecture, “Mexico and the Philippines: The Beginning of World Trade,” examining the historical links between the two countries through the Manila-Acapulco Galleon.

“Philippine history cannot be comprehended apart from Mexico—and the other way around,” Aguilar said.

He traced how the galleon route connected Asia and the Americas and contributed to the development of world trade, drawing on the work of historians Dennis Flynn and Arturo Giráldez.

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In their framework, world trade refers not only to commerce between continents but also to a continuous commercial network connecting all permanently inhabited continents.

READ: Global cargo, colonial burden: Museum revisits Galleon Trade

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Aguilar also discussed the inequalities and systemic vulnerabilities that emerged from the global economy built around the trade.

He noted that the system left the Philippine countryside underdeveloped while helping support affluent lifestyles in the Americas through profits from silver.

The historical relationship between the Philippines and Mexico was also reflected in language, Aguilar said, pointing to Indoamerican words that entered Philippine languages through Spanish and Philippine words that became part of Mexican Spanish along Mexico’s west coast.

He said the imbalance in the linguistic exchange reflected differences in administrative power, population size and the structure of colonial trade.

“The Galleon Trade, for better or worse, put our two countries at the center of global history—at the birth of world trade. This undeniable fact is worth remembering and celebrating,” Aguilar said.

“México y las Filipinas no son desconocidos; somos hermanos del Pacífico (Mexico and the Philippines are not strangers; we are brothers of the Pacific),” he added.

Aguilar also gave a separate lecture for undergraduate students on national hero José Rizal and his novels and delivered a graduate-level lecture on Philippine global migrations from a comparative Mexican perspective.

Philippine literature, culture showcased in Mexico

The FUL, organized by UAEH, is one of Mexico’s longest-running university book fairs and a major publishing and cultural event.

Its 2026 edition, themed “Global Trade,” featured more than 800 publishing imprints and over 550 literary, academic, scientific, artistic and cultural activities.

The Philippine program featured the country’s literature, history, scholarship, food, music, textiles, tourism and arts.

More than 300 Philippine publications were showcased, including over 200 titles from the University of the Philippines Press.

Exhibitions also highlighted indigenous textiles and the Manila-Acapulco trade route.

Filipino participants included Philippine Ambassador Arvin de Leon, Second Secretary and Consul Marisa Winkler, poet, novelist and filmmaker Kristian Sendon Cordero, and chef and author Claude Tayag.

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The UAEH Symphony Orchestra also featured Philippine National Artist for Music Lucrecia Kasilag’s “Philippine Scenes” in its opening program. /dm