Conversations Across Continents: Philippine Histories and Memories in the Manuel Quezon Papers

Quezon, first president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines (1935-1944), fought for the country’s autonomy and independence throughout his career. Despite the importance of the Quezon papers, improving access has been a long journey.

The original collection was processed by specialists in the Philippines in the 1970s. U-M’s Bentley Historical Library and Center for Southeast Asian Studies then collaborated to create microfilm to connect researchers around the world. Today, online access for the material – a joint project between the University of Michigan and the National Library of the Philippines – is the latest step forward.

This event brings together archivists who prepared the original Quezon materials as well as scholars who use the collection in their research. Interviewed by Ricky Punzalan, they will explore the significance of the Quezon papers and what online access means for their future use.

“The digitization of the microfilmed Quezon papers is an important step in making the study of Philippine history, particularly the American colonial and commonwealth periods of the country, more accessible to anyone,” says Punzalan, Associate Professor of Information and a Filipino scholar.

Speakers include:

• Fe Angela M. Verzosa (Retired Librarian and Archivist, one of the librarians who processed the Quezon Papers at the National Library of the Philippines)
• Dr. Francis A. Gealogo (Professor, Ateneo de Manila University Department of History)
• Veronica Sison (Ph.D. student at UC Berkeley Department of South and Southeast Asian Studies).

Please note: this event takes place in the morning in the United States and in the evening in the Philippines.

This event is co-sponsored by University of Michigan’s School of Information and University of Michigan’s Center for Southeast Asian Studies.