Ambeth Ocampo is a household name in The Philippines, as historian, author (more then 35 books), including the widely-read “Rizal without the Overcoat” and the most recent “Cabinet of Curiosities: History from Philippine Artifacts.”
He’s Professor of History at the Ateneo de Manila University and Distinguished Professorial Lecturer at the De La Salle University and former chairman of the National Historical Commission of The Philippines and then chairman of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Ocampo is also the author of “Looking Back,” the longest running column on history in the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
During his highly anticipated visit, Professor Ambeth Ocampo delivered a lecture titled “The Philippines, Maps, and the Emergence of Nation” at the Philippine Embassy. The event was organized in collaboration with the Philippine National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the Knights of Rizal – The Hague Chapter, and also featured a lecture at Leiden University.
In his opening remarks, H.E. Ambassador J. Eduardo Malaya praised Professor Ocampo’s work, highlighting how his contributions as a historian at Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University have shaped how Filipinos view and appreciate history. Ambassador Malaya noted that Ocampo’s approach encourages Filipinos to look beyond conventional historical narratives, making history both engaging and accessible to students and scholars. “For Ocampo, maps are not just navigation tools; they are powerful instruments that influence our understanding of geography, culture, and identity,” the Ambassador remarked.
Professor Ocampo began his lecture by describing the Philippines as “a young nation with an old history,” a history that can often be found in overlooked objects such as maps. He presented a series of historical maps, including the 1563 Ramusio-Gastaldi map, the first to reference “Filipina,” and the 1734 Velarde-Bagay-Suarez map, known as the country’s first scientific map and the “mother of all Philippine maps.” He also discussed the Philippines’ early encounters with the Dutch, showcasing maps like Jan Huygen van Linschoten’s 1598 map of Southeast Asia and the 1619 Mercator-Hondius map, which recorded naval battles between Spanish and Dutch fleets in Philippine waters. Ocampo also highlighted artifacts such as cannons marked with “VOC” (the initials of the Dutch East India Company), which are displayed in Intramuros and Zamboanga City.
“Old maps are significant not only for what they show but also for what they omit. They help define a nation’s territories, contributing to the formation of national identity,” Ocampo explained. “Maps represent trade, evangelization, and empire, while also connecting the past with the future.”
Sir Anton Lutter, KCR, Chapter Commander of the Knights of Rizal – The Hague, also delivered remarks, stating that the “Philippines has been an interesting country for the Dutch people, it being a seafaring nation, and that the presentation by Prof. Ocampo highlights the historical relations between the two nations.”
The event included an exhibition of historical books on the Philippines, curated by Sir Steef Klarenbeek, KOR, of the Knights of Rizal – The Hague Chapter. The collection featured works such as A Sense of Nation: The Birthright of Rizal, Bonifacio, and Mabini, Not Everything in Me Shall Die, Lolo Jose, and Philippine Cartography 1320-1899 by Carlos Quirino. Additionally, Dutch translations of José Rizal’s novels Noli Me Tangere (Raak me niet aan!) and El Filibusterismo (De revolutie), translated by Mr. Gerard Arp, were displayed.
Ambeth Ocampo is widely regarded as the foremost expert on Dr. José Rizal, the Philippines’ national hero, and is known for his extensive work on Rizal’s legacy. Rizal was deeply influenced by the Dutch author Multatuli (pen name of Eduard Douwes Dekker), whose 1860 novel Max Havelaar inspired Rizal’s own work El Filibusterismo (1891). In connection with this, Ocampo visited the Multatuli Museum in Amsterdam, the birthplace of Douwes Dekker, which houses personal artifacts, letters, and other items offering insight into his life.
During his visit, Professor Ocampo was welcomed by members of the Multatuli Society, including board member Jurjen Pen, former Museum Conservator Willem van Duin, former Vice President of the Amsterdam Court Teun van Os van den Abeelen, and Filipina volunteer Jeanette Go. Ambassador Malaya, Sir Anton Lutter, KCR, and the Philippine Embassy team also accompanied him.
Mr. Pen, having read Rizal’s novels, described the Philippine hero as “smart, dedicated, strict, organized, and well-traveled.” Both Rizal and Multatuli had firsthand experience with the injustices of colonial rule, which led them to advocate for reform. Multatuli’s ideas played a significant role in reforming colonial policies in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) and sparked movements for women’s rights and equality in the Netherlands.
