PH Embassy in Madrid Hosts Webinar on “Reimagining Enrique: Inspiring Historical Fiction Beyond the First Encounter”

“Reimagining Enrique: Inspiring Historical Fiction Beyond the First Encounter” webinar’s official poster. (Madrid PE photo)

MADRID 02 November 2020 – The Philippine Embassy in Madrid, in cooperation with Tahanan Books and the Magellan-Elcano Studies Center of Partido State University, held an online discussion on 31 October 2020 on “Reimagining Enrique: Inspiring Historical Fiction Beyond the First Encounter.”

The webinar’s two-hour panel discussion centered on Enrique of Malacca, the slave/translator of explorer Ferdinand Magellan who joined the latter’s globe-spanning journey five hundred years ago. The event, which was part of the Embassy's countdown activities for the 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines, explored the myths and the historical facts surrounding the first person said to have circumnavigated the globe, and attracted seven thousand views within just twenty-four hours of its release. 

What makes Enrique relevant today? How did he become a subject of interest among scholars, historians, writers, filmmakers, and other artists? These questions were fleshed out by award-winning authors, Reni Roxas and Carla Pacis; National Artist for Film, Kidlat Tahimik; and historian, Prof. Danilo Gerona. 

The discussion during the webinar also included the value and importance of Enrique in forging and cultivating a strong mixed culture in the islands that would soon come to be known as the Philippines.

The webinar is part of the videos of the Philippine Embassy (#PHinSpain) and may be accessed at https://fb.watch/1Dm08A0OMk/ or on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NLOTrKtRLI. END

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Tahanan Books Marketing Manager Meg Roxas, who co-hosted the video with Consul General Adrian Cruz of the Philippine Embassy in Spain, noted that the featured picture book, “First Around the Globe: The Story of Enrique,” may be ordered online through www.tahananbooks.ph for delivery within the Philippines. For inquiries on international purchases and shipping, readers may send queries to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

(Madrid PE photo)

For more information, visit  https://www.madripe.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.philembassymadrid.com, or https://www.facebook.com/PHinSpain/.