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The Philippine precolonial artifact that inspired Filipino author Darwin De Jesus Mariano’s historical fantasy novel–Namwaran and the Golden Tara—has been officially inscribed in the UNESCO Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP) Regional Register.
Dating back to 900 CE and recognized as the earliest known historical document in the Philippines, the Laguna Copperplate is one of three Philippine nominations evaluated and reviewed under UNESCO’s 2026 Memory of the World Regional Register cycle before their successful inscription was announced on November 5, 2026, during the 11th General Meeting of MoWCAP in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Although a precolonial Philippine artifact, the Laguna Copperplate is notably written in Kawi, an ancient script that originated in Java, Indonesia, rather than Baybayin, the well-known native writing system within the Philippines. This discovery opened up an important chapter in Philippine history, revealing an organized social, legal, and administrative system, as well as established maritime and cultural connections between communities around Manila Bay and the wider Malay world or Southeast Asia.
The Laguna Copperplate is among the precolonial treasures that inspired author, lawyer, and UNACOM Chairman Atty. Darwin De Jesus Mariano to write Namwaran and the Golden Tara. The novel also draws on another artifact from the country’s past: the Golden Tara of Agusan, a 21-karat gold statuette now displayed at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.
Through his book, Atty. Mariano hopes to draw Filipinos’ attention to the richness of Philippine history and the complexity of its society and systems before colonization, beyond the usual focus on the country’s colonial past.
Completing the three Philippine nominations officially inscribed in the 2026 UNESCO Memory of the World Regional Register are the Baybayin Documents in the Archivo de la Universidad de Santo Tomas and the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group Audiovisual Archive, marking a significant milestone in the recognition and preservation of the country’s precolonial documentary heritage.
Through this programme, UNESCO recognizes and promotes the preservation and accessibility of these documentary heritage, which are considered to have significant value for humanity.
The Laguna Copperplate is on display at the National Museum of Anthropology in Manila, where visitors can see this important piece of Philippine history firsthand. For those interested in exploring the period further, Atty. Darwin De Jesus Mariano’s Namwaran and the Golden Tara is available through the Central Books website.
