Instituto Cervantes holds forum on genetic diversity in the Philippines

On Tuesday, July 24, Instituto Cervantes presents “Todos somos mestizos: A Topogenetic Atlas of the Philippines,” a forum on the genetic make-up of Filipinos all over the archipelago. The talk will be led by Filipino anthropologist Fernando Zialcita, Ph.D. and Spanish Biology professor, Antonio González-Martín, Ph.D., who is currently in the country to conduct an ongoing project funded by the Goverment of Spain. The forum’s title, which roughly translates to ”We Are All a Mix,” is a prelude to the subject matter of the genetic diversity of Filipinos originating from different parts of the country. Dr. González-Martín will reveal for the very first time a rough approximation of the genetic make-up of the Filipino people. Why did he choose the Philippines? “Aside from the fact that the Philippines has an extremely rich demographic history, these islands are key to explain the expansion of human beings in the Austronesian region,” says González-Martín.   González-Martín, a professor from the Department of Zoology and Physical Anthropology at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, will be joined by anthropologist Fernando Zialcita. Dr. Zialcita, a leading expert on cultural anthropology, has authored numerous publications in the field of cultural identity and is currently a professor at the Ateneo de Manila University. He will delve into the details as to how cultural and social factors have helped galvanize the formation of intercultural societies.   González-Martín says that the main purpose of his study is to reconstruct how the expansion of human migration has affected the demography of the Philippines. When asked about the accuracy of his research, he affirms that although they are still preliminary results, “the potential of the findings could eventually give a practically definitive picture of the genetic map of the islands.” As for the forum, he believes that what the listeners should most remember is that, beyond the apparent diversity, humanity is very homogenous. “At the end of the day, we are all 100% human,” he concludes.   “Todos somos mestizos” is organized by Instituto Cervantes in collaboration with the Spanish Embassy in Manila and AECID. The forum will be on July 24, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. at the Salón de Actos in Instituto Cervantes Manila at 855 T.M. Kalaw, Ermita, Manila. Press release and photo from Instituto Cervantes