(First of two parts)
“Before the beginning had begun; before mountains became mountains; Basques were Basques.” — Traditional Basque Saying
We are a nation of culture and languages; having over 100 different dialects with accompanying differences in customs and social mores. Within Metro Manila alone, we can see in places such as Greenhills Mall in Ortigas different religions (Muslim and Christian) living side by side. Much like the wave of nouvelle cuisine, we are a fusion nation.
There is a social and ethnic group in the Philippines that few are aware of: the Basques. We have long seen them as Kastilas, failing to differentiate between Basques and Spanish. But let there be no mistake, the Basques are their own people, with their own language (Euskera), their own architecture, their own myths and culture. The Basque Country operates as an Autonomous Region north of Spain, complete with its own government.
From the very first Spanish voyage to the Philippines led by Magellan they were here. Juan Sebastian Elcano, the first to circumnavigate the world, was a Basque from the province of Guipuzcoa. Most of the crews in that expedition were Basque; as was the case with subsequent voyages. In 1565, the Urdaneta-Legazpi expedition arrived; both of whom were Basque. A good number of our Governor-generals were Basque, including Luis Lardizabal who set up the province of Nueva Vizcaya (named in honor of the Basque province, Biscay) and Simon Anda de Salazar, who was called by noted Philippine historian Eulogio Rodriguez as one of the best governor-generals in our history. Today, many of the largest and most successful companies are Filipino-Basque owned or were founded by Basques. From Elcano first coming to the Philippines to the time when Urdaneta and Legazpi set into motion the evangelization and development of the country, we may have been a Spanish territory but we were a Basque nation.
It is readily apparent from place names to family names the effect the Basques had on the country. Basques from the Basque Country created the Philippines, but what many do not know is that a Basque family from the Philippines helped create the modern Basque state. We are sure everyone has noticed the celebration of the 5th Centenary of Friar Andres de Urdaneta which is going on this year. The Philippine celebration was actually initiated through the efforts of Antonio M. de Ynchausti and organized together with the National Commission on Culture and the Arts, the Augustinian Province of Sto. Niño de Cebu, Instituto Cervantes, University of San Carlos and San Agustin Museum.