The issuance of an official currency is a timely way to commemorate this milestone in the history of the local Catholic Church.
Philippines – Manila (08/10/2022 7:16 PM, Gaudium Press) On the occasion of the 500th anniversary of Christianity in the Philippines (500YOC), the country’s Catholic Bishops’ Conference (CBCP), in partnership with the Central Bank, has launched commemorative coins. According to the CBCP Secretariat, the issuance of an official coin is a timely way to commemorate this milestone in the history of the local Catholic Church.
Description of the Commemorative Coin
On one side of the commemorative coin is an image recalling the country’s first Easter Mass, celebrated on the island of Limasawa in the southern province of Leyte. On the other side of the coin is the official logo of the 500YOC with the first Baptism in the Philippines and the theme of the celebration “Gifted to Give”.
The limited edition commemorative coins are produced in Nordic gold and are 34mm in diameter with a matte mirror design background. They are available from the CBCP Secretariat and can also be purchased by emailing cbcpsecretariat@gmail.com.
Introduction of Christianity in the Philippines
The 500YOC is the celebration of the fifth centennial of the introduction of Christianity in the Philippines in 1521, when the Portuguese navigator, Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the country, taking Christianity with him and starting European colonization in this nation.
Despite this, the first permanent western settlements on the island of Cebu only appeared in 1565 with the expedition of Miguel López de Legazpi, who renamed the archipelago “Las Islas Filipinas” in honor of King Philip II of Spain. Some time later, the Spanish established the era of colonization that lasted 300 years and Catholicism became the predominant religion in the country.(EPC)
Compiled by Angelica Vecchiato
