Presidential award for IC’s Javier Galvan

We are having a lively conversation in the ante-room of the Palace as we awaited to witness the conferment of the Presidential Medal of Merit on Dr. Javier Galvan, Instituto Cervantes director, by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Waiting in the ante-room were Dr. Galvan himself and some members of his staff – Manuel Valenzuela, administrator; Jose Mari Pons, deputy for cultural affairs; Anna Requillo, head of studies; Manuel Perez, library head, and Katerina Veneracion, Dr. Galvan’s secretary (the other being Isabel Fernandez) – former Ambassador to Spain Juan Rocha, Consul to Spain Jose Maria Cariño, Frankie and Tessie Sionil Jose, Jaime Lava, Bambi Harper I.

The exchanges in the Music Room between the President and Dr. Galvan were delivered so softly, they could hardly be heard or understood. Accordingly, I asked Dr. Galvan for a copy of his response, and here it is (translation supplied):

"I would like to express my most profound gratitude for the conferment of the Presidential Medal of Merit on me. Nothing else could have better concluded my stay of more than five years as director of the Instituto Cervantes which agency animates the very special relations I have maintained with this friendly country through 12 years. Although I may be living far from here in the next few months or perhaps years, I shall not say the distinctive phrase ‘I shall return’ because I shall never leave; instead, I shall keep coming back.

"In 1935, the Spanish scientist Julio Palacios wrote a book entitled The Philippines, Pride of Spain wherein he recounts a journey he took around the islands while lecturing in different places. The prologue refers to a certain erudite Spaniard who, having visited the archipelago some years before, said that ‘In the Philippines, he had encountered himself.’ Thus, like many other Spaniards doing so through the years, I can now say that in the Philippines, I have found myself.

"No one is a prophet in his own country, contend the prophets Matthew, Mark and Luke. Perhaps that is why not a few Spaniards come to these islands where they receive respect, affection and recognition which they do not always receive in their own country. Perhaps some of us come to idealize these islands, confusing them with a lost paradise, for which reason our compatriots who have never been here, take us for fools or quijotes. Pity them; they don’t understand anything.

"I would like to end these remarks by expressing my gratitude to all those present, and my respect to you, Madame President, the highest representative of the Filipino people. Paraphrasing President John Fitzgerald Kennedy who, upon visiting Berlin in June of 1963, declared, ‘I am a Berliner’, I now say with pride, ‘I am a Filipino.’ Many thanks."

The genteel, modest, incredibly unassuming Dr. Galvan more than deserves the award conferred on him. Although he is only 50, his achievements are countless and most impressive. Here are certain highlights of his economic background and career.

A Madrileño, he received his Ph.D. degree from the Escuela Tecnica Superior de Arquitectura in Madrid in 2004. His dissertation was on "Architecture and Urbanism of Spanish Origin in the Western Pacific". He earned his master’s degree in 1991 from the Centro Superior de Arquitectura in Madrid, with "Architectural Intervention and Rehabilitation" as his dissertation, having earned his degree from the Escuela Tecnica Superior de Arquitectura in Madrid in 1980.

In December of 1989, King Juan Carlos of Spain conferred on him the Cross of the Order of Isabel la Catolica "for his outstanding services to Spanish culture and his work in bringing the Philippines and Spain closer together".

The degree Doctor of Humanities (honoris causa) was conferred on him by Legaspi’s Aquinas U. (May 2005) "in recognition of his active promotion of the influence of renaissance Spanish culture on the Philippines and the rest of the Pacific, and his many works of great consequence in architecture and culture resulting in the enrichment of Fil-Spanish heritage".

Since April of 2001, he has been the director of the Instituto Cervantes – the Spanish Cultural Center of the Philippines – which serves as the hub of the satellite branches in Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and Hanoi, and the coordinating center for the Asia-Pacific region.

Under him, the center has increased its enrollment of Spanish language students from 2,283 to 3,697 in the last three years. His expansion of the Spanish classes to other venues (in Makati and QC), also accounts for the increase.

Before joining IC, Dr. Galvan was V-P of the Asociacion Española de Estudios del Pacifico (2000-2002).

Since 1993, he has engaged in various cultural activities in the Asia Pacific region, doing research and presenting cultural heritage exhibits, including one on permanent display in Corregidor Island. To spread knowledge and create awareness of the value of Filipino Architectural Heritage, he has lectured in numerous academic centers in Madrid, Segovia, the Philippines – UP in Diliman and Baguio, universities in Vigan and Iloilo, the DLSU, UST, FEU – and in the IC itself.

His research on the architecture of the Spanish period in the Pacific was accompanied by a proposal for the revitalization of the historic zone of Vigan (1994) and of Dominican architecture. He was senior architect in charge of the urban plans for the reconstruction of the cities of Baguio and Dagupan.

He has authored over 20 publications, mostly on cultural manifestations of Spanish origin in the Pacific.

A member of the Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos de Madrid, he designed countless buildings in the 80s and 90s. Soon-to-depart, he leaves the Philippines a permanent contribution in the new, elegant IC edifice he designed.