PORTUGAL – THE PHILIPPINES: CONNECTED HISTORIES brings together a set of academic and scientific projects and activities aimed at promoting contacts and enhancing mutual knowledge between Portugal and the Philippines, namely through the recovery of common historical and cultural heritage. It is not a single project, but a cluster or platform composed by different projects created and managed by a group of scholars and researchers, mostly from CHAM – Centro de Humanidades (NOVA FCSH, Lisbon).
Its origin goes back to the early contacts established between CHAM and the Embassy of the Philippines in Lisbon and the first scientific exchange between Universidade Nova de Lisboa and Ateneo de Manila University, within the scope of the Merging Voices Program. This exchange was consolidated in 2018 with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two universities. The approximation of the 500 years of the journey of Ferdinand Magellan and the first circumnavigation of the world was the opportune moment to set in motion the initial activities, in 2019, with the direct involvement of the Embassy of the Philippines (and the personal enthusiasm of Ambassador Celia Anna M. Feria) and other Filipino entities. The success led to the formation of a Working Group, unfolding in different activities and extending the timeframe until 2023.