Legarda reflects on shared heritage at Hunting for Artifacts Launch

Senator Loren Legarda joined the launch of Hunting for Artifacts: 19th Century German Explorers in the Luzon Cordillera, a new book introduced as part of the Philippines’ Guest of Honour program at the 77th Frankfurt Book Fair 2025.

In her speech, Legarda spoke about the lasting connections between the Philippines and Germany and highlighted the value of preserving culture through shared curiosity and respect.

“In the intricate weave of our history, there are moments when cultures intersect, reshaping the way we view ourselves and the world,” Legarda began.

She described the arrival of 19th-century German explorers in the Cordillera as a moment of respectful engagement, bringing new insights and artifacts that remain important today.

“These artifacts were never inert relics. They became instruments for the exchange of ideas, bearing the spirit and ingenuity of Cordillera communities across continents and generations.” Legarda said.

Dr. Analyn Salvador-Amores, Professor Emeritus Delfin L. Tolentino Jr., and their team explored the travels of German scholars like Carl Semper, Richard von Drasche, Hans Meyer, Otto Scheerer, and Alexander Schadenberg. Their research, later documented in William Henry Scott’s German Travellers on the Cordillera, greatly deepened the understanding of the Cordillera region’s culture and biodiversity. Many of the artifacts these early researchers collected are still kept in major European museums, such as those in Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig, Munich, and Vienna.

Senator Legarda, head of the Senate Committee on Culture and the Arts, highlighted that the Philippine-German relationship is built on shared curiosity and intellectual exchange—best represented by the life and work of Dr. Jose Rizal.

“Rizal’s immersion in Germany and his correspondence with European scholars deepened our understanding of the world and our sense of national identity,” she said.

Legarda praised the book for honoring the complexity of heritage and advancing Filipino scholarship.

“Every artifact and story carries powerful claims to memory, belonging, and identity. By restoring these materials to Cordillera communities and scholars, the book allows us to question, reinterpret, and celebrate heritage on our own terms.” Legarda noted.

“As we embrace this prestigious role as Guest of Honour at the Frankfurter Buchmesse, let this launch renew our commitment to recognize that cultural preservation is not merely an act of commemoration, but a pledge to justice, solidarity, and creative exchange. May Hunting for Artifacts inspire ongoing conversations, responsible stewardship, and a future where history is remembered, revisited with openness, and continually transformed by the courage to seek, listen, and care.” Legarda concluded.

Legarda helped fund the book Hunting for Artifacts through the 2018 national budget. The book was launched on April 30, 2025, at the Museo Kordilyera and is based on a research project about the Igorot way of life, using items collected by early German travelers in the Cordillera.