SB19 receives replicas of Murillo Velarde Philippine map

The members of SB19 received replicas of the Murillo Velarde map of the Philippines in a turnover ceremony hosted by the National Library of the Philippines on Tuesday.

Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication Chairman Mel Velarde, who donated the original 1734 Murillo Velarde Map to the library, attended the event with his family.

As seen in the photos posted by the NLP on Facebook, Pablo, Stell, Ken, Josh, and Justin were each presented with framed copies of the historic map.

"Just as the Velarde Map once guided explorers to new frontier, SB19's music and dedication serve as a beacon for the next generation, lighting our way to endless possibilities," Velarde said in his message.

The map was featured in the music video for SB19's song "WHAT?" which was presented during the ceremony.

SB19 and members of the Velarde family also viewed the original map in a guided tour of the NLP Permanent Gallery led by its curator Dr. Xiao Chua.

According to the United States' Library of Congress, the Murillo Velarde map is the "first and most important scientific map of the Philippines," valued not just as a geographical but also as an ethnographic document.

Interestingly, SB19 also has a song titled "MAPA," an anthem dedicated to the sacrifices made by mothers and fathers. Its lyric video has reached over 100 million views on YouTube.

The group performed the song on the popular Japanese YouTube channel "First Take" earlier this year.

—MGP, GMA Integrated News