“May taglay na boses ang sining.
Maingay ang mga alaala, ideya at emosyon.
Sa katahimikan ng bawat sulok ng mga gusali nito.
Sa sigaw ng mga larawan, kulay at rebulto,
Ikaw na nakatingin sa mga imahe,
Kailan mo maririnig ang mga salita sa likod ng paglikha?”
Huminga ng malalim at pinasok ang isang tahimik na museo.
Nais kitang maala sa mga sining na nasa loob nito. Sa mga rebulto, mga iskultura, at mga imahe.
Sa tuwing nais kong mag-isip at mag munimuni ay sa museo ang lagi kong napipiling puntahan. Swerte ko naman at may bago akong nakitang museo sa aking pag lalakad sa intramuros.
Nais kong maramdamang nandyan ka. Lalo na sa mga oras ng aking pangungulila.
Mahilig syang magkwento ng mga santo, ng Diyos, at ng simbahan. Mga bagay na hindi ko kahit kailan man naisip intindihin noon, pero heto ako at manghang mangha sa mga sinasabi n’ya. Pero sa totoo lang, madami sa kanyang mga salita ang hindi ko nadinig. Hindi dahil sa wala akong interes sa mgas ito. Hawak mo kasi ang aking kamay kaya naman wala na akong inintinding iba pang bagay.
Nais kitang mahalin pa. Hindi na kailangan hingin sakin ang lahat pagkat ibibigay ko naman sa iyo ito ng kusa.
Umikot ako sa museo at gaya nga ng inaasahan ko’y makikita kita sa bawat sulok nito. Sa bawat kwarto ay parang naririnig ko ang mga kwento mo. Tahimik ang lugar pero nakakabingi ang mga alaala ng bawat gamit dito. Mga sining na niluma na ng panahon ngunit hanggang ngayon ay hindi parin napapaos.
Mahal, nais kitang pakinggan araw araw. Kahit umulit man ang iyong mga kwento ay matutuwa parin ako. Mananatili akong nakikinig sayo.
Mananatili ako.
Mananatili tayo.
At sa pag labas ko ng museo na may payapang diwa at isipan, nakita kita sa may pintuan. Mahal, buti at nakita mo ako dito.
April 29, 2019
Me together with THE ODS was invited to the press launch of the newest museum in Intramuros.
Intramuros is celebrating their 40th anniversary this year and launching a museum is one of their highlighted events. The museum will be opened on May 02, 2019 and will be available for viewing every Tuesday to Friday. 9 am to 5 pm.
Intramuros Administration(IA) together with Department of Tourism(DOT) opens the museum for the public in time for the celebration of National Heritage Month. The aim is to let the people see the evangelization of the Philippines thru the eyes of the early Filipinos.
The current exhibit is titled Imagenes / indigena : The Indio Response to Evangelization. The perception of the newly introduced religion is reflected on every craft shown in the gallery which will be your guide on the history behind Catholicism back in the days. Especially when it was first introduced to us.
From the sculptures, to paintings, to the creation of the churches, and to the woods carvings. You’ll see how the early Filipinos look at Christianity in different ways. It could be instructional, devotional, attendant, intimate and personal.
The museum will have 6 gallery, which I will tell you later on. The photo above is included in one of the galleries. The Immaculate Conception Gallery tells the story about Immaculada Concepcion.
When the missionaries arrived way back in 1965, they saw how the women in the islands bathe almost naked. Immediately after that incident, they set up a new role model for them to follow. The troubled missionaries felt that the women are unchaste, so they showed them Immaculada Concepcion. Mary being inviolate, pure and immaculate.
Five religious orders played an important role in the evangelization of the Filipinos. The Agustinians, Franciscans, Jesuits, Dominican Order and Recollects.
The Religious Orders gallery shows the different images of the five orders. As we all know other than Spain’s goal of expansion, they also aim to spread Christianity. To do that they have a system called “reduccion” to bring every Filipinos under their church. This is where the religious orders are involved. To spread Christianity in the archipelago.
The Patronato Real and the Establishment of Parishes is located in the museum’s ground floor. These consists of the old parts of the churches. Most of the things that you’ll see here are parts of the structural designs before. Sadly, I wasn’t able to take a picture of it. At least, you’ll have something to look forward to.
Religious Colonial Paintings depicts how the missionaries taught Christianity. In this gallery you will notice different versions of the saints and different images of Christianity. The thing is they don’t have materials that are written in local language so they taught Filipinos using these paintings.
There came a time when Christianity is spreading fast and they needed more materials and images. Fortunately, they were able to get it from the locals. So, you’ll notice that the images may be of the same subjects but in different versions. It’s because of how it was painted by different people in their own perceptions.
You will see different representations of Christianity in this gallery. As they try to get it from the Chinese living in the country and from the locals later on.
Churches will not be completed without the religious items and vessels. Crafted first by Chinese blacksmiths and later on done by Filipinos. In this gallery called The Establishment of Parish and Sacred Vessels, you will see all the crafted ornaments that you will normally see in churches.
This gallery will show how the churches started to form as the Spain missionaries successfully converted the Filipinos to Christianity. You’ll see different forms of craftsmanship done to complete the churches in our country.
The Indio Response gallery reflects how we as former believers of Anito see saints and Christianity in a form of sculptures. You will see different sculptures done by people who’s response to evangelization as an intimate and personal belief.
This gallery interests me as you’ll see how they made those images and sculptures using their faith. That’s the reason why the sculptures for me looks too personal as they are done purely out of their own images and interpretations of their religion.
I am fully honored to be part of this event. Being able to see history in the artworks and being able to see different perceptions of Filipinos when it comes to Christianity is such an experience for me.
The gallery reflects a huge part of our history. This was the start of Christianity in the Philippines.
If you happen to be in Intramuros, Museo de Intramuros is located in Anda St corner Arzobispo (beside Arzobispo de Manila). The museum is free of charge and again, it’s open Tuesday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm.
I hope to see you there!
“This collection of the Intramuros Administration is extremely valuable because it represents the first real attempt to collect and preserve withing the Philippines the important aspects of the country’s cultural heritage. The collection affords the viewer a panorama of the various styles, and enables him to compare them with the artifacts done abroad in the same medium. We Filipinos have always tended to accept that we were the passive receiver of artistic stimuli from abroad. This collection proves that the Philippines was as much a giver.”
-Dr. Esperanza Gatnonton ” Philippine Religious Imagery”
Museo De Intramuros 
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