The Philippine National Historical Society (PNHS) invites everyone to its 42nd National Conference on Local and National History, to be held in virtual format from November 18-20, 2021, with the University of San Carlos, Cebu City, as host. The conference had originally targeted a face-to-face activity in the hope that the pandemic would dissipate by this time of the year. The venue is most significant because Cebu and the Visayas, as a whole, played important roles in the events that unfolded in the 16th century, which is the period of focus of the Quincentennial Commemorations of 2021.
These events included the first circumnavigation of the world by the survivors of the Magellan Expedition, the arrival of Christianity in Cebu, and the victory in the Battle of Mactan. The Quincentennial Commemorations of these events provide a venue for a reassessment of the impact of the said events, whether real or symbolic, to Filipinos.
The Conference is co-sponsored with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts – Committee on Historical Research (NCCA-CHR) (of which the Conference is a flagship project), the Philippine Social Science Council (PSSC) where PNHS is a Charter Member, and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), the lead agency for the National Quincentennial Commemorations of 2021.
The Philippine National Historical Society (PNHS) is the oldest professional organization of historians and practitioners of history in the Philippine, founded on February 2, 1941, with the mission to “encourage and undertake the study of Philippine history.” PNHS conferences and publications have presented researches on national history and local/regional histories that have reflected the diversity of Philippine society and culture.
Now on its 42nd year, the National Conference on Local and National History has been the major platform of the Philippine National Historical Society for the dynamic production of historical knowledge and dissemination of outputs from historical researches. The Journal of History, the official publication of the PNHS, shows the rich harvest of selected and refereed papers from the Annual Conferences. These initiatives are all consistent with the PNHS’s fundamental aim of promoting the study of Philippine history. Being the oldest volunteer professional organization, the PNHS has consistently contributed to relevant historical scholarship. Through its Annual Conferences on Local and National History, the PNHS has spread its geographic reach beyond Manila to encourage academics, cultural workers, and researchers to be active partners in promoting historical researches, resulting in the cultivation of national consciousness. The Annual National Conference sustains efforts towards collaboration among partner-institutions of the PNHS, as well as linkages among participants.
The Conference promises a vibrant exchange from interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary perspectives during this 2021 Quincentennial. Selected papers presented at PNHS Conferences are reviewed for publication in the Journal of History, first published in July 1941. The Journal of History 2021 will be launched at the Conference on November 20.
Registration for the Webinar is free. Please use the link below for the registration and zoom link:
A certificate will be issued to duly registered participants who will attend the three-day conference and will complete the evaluation.
We enjoin members to renew their Annual Membership with the Philippine National Historical Society. We invite new members to file their applications for membership. Please use the link below to renew your membership:
We look forward to your participation on November 18-20, 2021.
Bernardita R. Churchill, Ph.D.
President and Conference Convener
Philippine National Historical Society, Inc.
E-mail: nitachurchill@hotmail.com
Maria Nela B. Florendo, Ph.D.
Co-President and Conference Co-Convener
Philippine National Historical Society
University of the Philippines Baguio
Baguio City
E-mail: marianelaflorendo@gmail.com
Delilah R. Labajo
PNHS Board of Trustees
Local Conference Convener
University of San Carlos
Cebu City
E-mail: lailacebutpl@yahoo.com