A FEW weeks ago, I wrote about how the manifestation of the doctrine of discovery is felt and experienced today by Filipinos through the regalian doctrine, which asserts that all lands during the Spanish colonization of the Philippines belonged to the "crown," or the King of Spain. The "regalian doctrine" was also recognized in Section 2, Article 12 of the 1987 Constitution which stated that, "All lands of the public domain, waters, minerals, coal, petroleum, and other mineral oils, all forces of potential energy, fisheries, forests or timber, wildlife, flora and fauna, and other natural resources are owned by the State."
On March 30, 2023, the Vatican made a historic move to formally repudiate the "doctrine of discovery," a 15th-century concept found in papal bulls which legitimized the colonial-era seizure of native lands in the Africas and Americas, among other places. The decision came after decades of calls from Indigenous peoples to rescind the doctrine.
Continue reading with one of these options:
Ad-free access
P 80 per month
(billed annually at P 960)
- Unlimited ad-free access to website articles
- Limited offer: Subscribe today and get digital edition access for free (accessible with up to 3 devices)