At 3:30 p.m. on May 11, 2018, Mr. Arturo T. Valdez, former Minister of Transport of the Philippines, brought a lecture on the theme “The Philippine Maritime Heritage” at Nan’an Building 301 (3) of Xiamen University, chaired by Professor Shi Xueqin, Vice Dean of the School of International Studies.

At the beginning of the lecture, Professor Shi Xueqin introduced Mr. Julius Caesar Aragon Flores, Consul General of the Philippines in Xiamen, and Mr. Arturo T. Valdez, former Vice Minister of Transport of the Philippines. Mr. Julius Caesar Aragon Flores reviewed the achievements of cooperation and the deep friendship between Fujian Province and the Philippines. He hoped that the two sides would continue to deepen the areas of cooperation and promote cultural exchanges between Fujian Province and the Philippines.

Mr. Arturo T. Valdez shared the experience of the navigation experience of his expedition team. Firstly, he introduced the development of Philippine navigation culture, the archaeological excavation and replication of Philippine ancient ships, as well as the navigation experience of his expedition team in Southeast Asia. He made preparations for the voyage, focusing on the Manila galleon trade and Philippines’ contribution to galleon trade. Finally, when discussing the original intention of the voyage, Mr. Arturo T. Valdez said that the relationship between Fujian Province and the Philippines had a long history. Most of the Filipino Chinese came from Fujian Province, China. The purpose of the voyage was to arouse people’s enthusiasm for navigation, inherit and carry forward the navigation culture, pursue the vestiges of the maritime Silk Road, and promote the contacts and unity of Southeast Asian countries.