Author: National Museum of the Philippines

The #NationalMuseumPH celebrates the 132nd birth anniversary of National Artist for Sculpture Guillermo Tolentino, born #OnThisDay in 1890 by featuring his sculpture Diwata from the National Fine Arts Collection (NFAC).

The Diwata is the winged fairy that welcomes the visitors upon entering the Spoliarium Hall. Made from reinforced concrete as a mortuary ornament for the Reyes Family Mausoleum in Malolos, Bulacan, this sculpture was a recast of the winged female figure that rise above the pylon of the Bonifacio Monument in Caloocan City, which Tolentino completed in 1933. The Diwata is a Gift to the National Museum by the heirs of Hermogenes S. Reyes and Teodora Tantoco Reyes.

Tolentino was known as a master in classical sculpture and was widely known for his classical representation of images and his mastery of various media in sculpture such as concrete, plaster, wood, marble, and bronze, among others. Besides being an exceptional artist, he is a musician and a writer. He is known to sign and put titles on his sculptures in baybayin, the oldest writing system of the Filipino people. He was honored as National Artist for Sculpture in 1973.

The National Artist died on July 12, 1976.

Visit the Security Bank Hall (Gallery XII) of the National Museum of Fine Arts to view more of his works. It features the Eskultor ng Lahing Filipino exhibition, honoring the life and works of Guillermo Tolentino.

You may also enjoy the link our 360 degree virtual tour of galleries at the National Museum of Fine Arts at http://pamana.ph/ncr/manila/NMFA360.html while you #StayAtHome.

#GuillermoTolentino
#Diwata
#MuseumFromHome

Text and photo by NMP FAD
© 2022 National Museum of the Philippines

In celebration of Nutrition Month, we feature the diet of Philippine populations in the past as revealed by isotope analysis. What can we learn from these isotopes?

Food plays a major role in understanding how humans utilize environmental resources. The plant and meat resources in people’s diet tell about accessibility, subsistence strategies and techniques, seasonality of food sources, and also paint a picture of the past environment wherein these were available.

Though substantive in providing baseline information on the paleo diet, analysis of faunal and botanical remains from the archaeological context may be limited by preservation conditions. A study using stable isotopes (ẟ) was applied to select human remains recovered in Philippine archaeological sites to obtain direct information from the consumer and determine food resources in the past.

The protein component of the diet and the ecosystem from which their food belonged are reflected in the δ¹³C (Carbon 13 isotope) value, while the δ¹⁵N (Nitrogen 15 isotope) value is an indicator for trophic level (or the number of steps in the food chain relative to the plant/producer) at which food is positioned in the ecosystem.

The δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N analyses on 81 human skeletal remains from 6 burial sites revealed a largely terrestrial plant-based diet. Both terrestrial and aquatic proteins from either marine or riverine sources were consumed. Results from Batanes Site showed a diet more reliant on terrestrial meat and C₃ plants (like potato, purple yam, garlic, yellow ginger, and beans) than marine resources. The protein resources in Lal-lo Site in Cagayan were more from a terrestrial-based ecosystem, while values from Santa Ana Site in Manila showed a heavy reliance on marine-based sources. Considering the topography of the Kabayan Site in Benguet, animals from the rivers and streams were the possible sources of protein and C₃ plants. In the Romblon Site, results reflect a diet dependence on both terrestrial resources and marine ecosystems. On the other hand, values in Cebu Site show a significant difference with a heavy reliance on marine resources diets, probably due to accessibility.

Text by Ame Garong, and posters by Timothy James Vitales | NMP Archaeology Division

© 2022 National Museum of the Philippines

For this week’s #ArtStrollSunday featuring the National Fine Arts Collection, we present “Hulat Sweldo” (1994), a painting by Negrense social realist painter Nunelucio Alvarado.

“Hulat Sweldo”, a Hiligaynon phrase for delayed wages, is Alvarado’s two-panel oil on canvas painting made in 1994 to represent the plight and struggle of the sakadas or migrant farmworkers. Coming from a region that thrives on the sugar industry, this work reflects his life of living with the sakadas who are depicted with stocky and muscular bodies, their pallid face in stark contrast to their weather-beaten skin, and their curiously big eyes give a powerful and moving gaze that tells their stories of hardship.

Alvarado is one of the social realists who took the lead in protest art in the 1970s, presenting sociopolitical themes in their works of various styles and media to campaign for issues such as workers’ rights, women’s rights, land reform, and the struggle of cultural communities, among others.

This painting is exhibited at the National Museum of Fine Arts at the Northeast Hallway Gallery on the third floor.  It is part of the “Social and Political Commentary After The 1970’s” exhibition. It features works by social realist painters such as Nunelucio Alvarado (b. 1950), Papo de Asis (1949-2005), Orlando Castillo (b. 1947), Antipas Delotavo (b. 1954), Imelda Cajipe-Endaya (b. 1949), Edgar Talusan Fernandez (b. 1955), Gene de Loyola (1956-2018), Red Mansueto (b. 1944), Pablo Baens Santos (b. 1943), and Roy Veneracion (b. 1947).

Alvarado was born in 1950 and currently lives in Sagay City, Negros Occidental, where he has helped establish several artist collectives. These include the Black Artists in Asia, Pamilya Pintura, Pintor Kulapol, and Concerned Artists of Negros. He also runs a café and art space called Kape Albarako and acts as art director of Syano Artlink. Alvarado has participated in exhibitions locally and internationally, such as in Singapore (1996 and 2004), Japan (1997), and the U.S.A. (1998). He also represented the country in the first Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art held in Australia in 1992.

Alvarado was awarded the Cultural Center of the Philippines Thirteen Artist Award in 1992 for his art which serves as a platform for voicing the struggles of the marginalized sectors and his active participation in supporting the creative community in Negros region.

Visit us at the National Museum of Fine Arts or view the 360 degrees virtual tour of selected NMFA galleries on the link https://www.nationalmuseum.gov.ph/nmfa360/HTML5/NMFA360.html. See you at your National Museum!

#NunelucioAlvarado
#BeatCOVID19

Text by NMP-FAD

Photo by Bengy Toda

© 2022 National Museum of the Philippines

Contrary to what the movies tell us, sharks are not terrifying giants out to get us underwater. The #SharkAwarenessDay is created to bust myths about this group of fishes and regard them in a new light.

A majority of sharks found in Philippine waters are harmless and feed on smaller organisms like fishes, crustaceans, and octopus, among many other species. According to LAMAVEph (Large Marine Vertebrates Project), the country hosts approximately 200 shark and ray species, with resident and migratory populations.

The presence of sharks and rays are good indicators of healthy marine life. As top predators, seeing them means there is plenty of food in the sea, from which they prey on the weaker and most abundant ones. Unfortunately, many of our known sharks and rays are threatened due to targeted hunting, finning, by-catch, and habitat degradation. Their numbers plummeted by 90% in the last half-century.

There are groups and government offices who appeal to establish science-based policies in the management and creation of more Marine Protected Areas, and corridors to connect these networks, for the protection of resident species and safe passage of migratory ones.

Sharks were here first. They’ve been in our oceans for millions of years and swam our oceans even before dinosaurs existed. Awareness is the first step to understanding and eventually caring and advocating for this often-misjudged marine species. Let us treat each living creature with kindness and respect, whether they look enchanting or unsightly. After all, we only have this only one planet to share.

Today, the #NationalMuseumPH joins our Muslim brothers and sisters in celebrating the Feast of Sacrifice or Eid al-Adha which is considered the most important feast for Islam. This occasion celebrates the completion of the pilgrimage to Mecca during the last month of the Islamic lunar calendar and commemorates Prophet Ibrahim’s faith in his willingness to sacrifice his only son, Ishmael, a manifestation of his complete submission to the will of Allah. Prophet Ibrahim and Ishmael’s willingness to obey Allah’s command was rewarded by sparing Ishmael’s life and the birth of a second son, Is-haag.

Like other Muslim feasting and fasting traditions, Eid al-Adha also involves communal prayers, recitation of selected passages from the Koran, consumption, and sharing of local delicacies and beverages, adornment of feasting spaces, and use of highly decorated prestige items and utilitarian goods. It is also a time for Muslims to wear their finest clothes as they visit other households and gather for a feast.

Available on our website is a 360° virtual tour of “Faith, Tradition, and Place: Bangsamoro Art from the National Ethnographic Collection” exhibition at the National Museum of Anthropology in Manila. You may visit it at: https://tinyurl.com/BangsamoroArt360. 

The material culture displayed in this gallery shows the vitality of interactions among these groups, particularly in the region’s varied religious, artistic, and feasting traditions. The gallery also includes a small prayer room for NMP personnel and visitors that they can freely use to practice their faith. Through this self-guided tour, you can explore and learn more about the culture of Muslim ethnolinguistic groups in the Southern Philippines without leaving the comforts of your home. 

We are open this Eid al-Adha from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM! Admission is FREE and walk-in visitors are accepted. Come and visit our galleries and learn more about our rich culture and traditions! 

Eid Mubarak!

#FeastOfSacrifice #EidalAdha #YourNatMuseumPH

Text by the NMP Ethnology Division

© 2022 National Museum of the Philippines 

The #NationalMuseumPH is one with the nation in the observance of a month-long National Disaster Consciousness Month (NDCM) this July. 

This year’s theme “Sambayanang Pilipino, Nagkakaisa tungo sa Katatagan at Maunlad na Kinabukasan” advocates for unity towards resilience and sustainable development. For today’s #DignayanBiyernes feature, let us talk about a landform that can have devastating consequences when triggered for collapsed – sinkholes.

Sinkholes are cavities in the ground that are common in areas underlain by limestone and other rocks that can naturally be dissolved by percolating groundwater. When rainfall interacts with the atmosphere, and as well as when it seeps through the soil, it absorbs carbon dioxide creating slightly acidic water. This acidic water moves through the voids and cracks underground, slowly dissolving the limestone and creating a network of cavities. Over thousands of years, these cavities become larger forming cave systems.

Sinkholes are formed when the land above collapses or sinks into these cavities or when the surface materials are carried down into the cavities. Many natural sinkholes cannot be prevented. The land usually stays intact for a while until the cavities get too big. If there is not enough support for the overlying land, then a sudden collapse usually happens.

The October 2013, 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Bohol triggered the collapse of close to 100 sinkholes on the island. Following this event, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) expanded its geohazard assessment mapping to include subsidence susceptibility assessment due to sinkhole collapse in areas underlain by limestone.

Sinkhole collapse is unpredictable and rarely happens, but when it does, may lead to damages to infrastructure, cause high economic losses, evacuation, and displacement of residents, and loss of lives.

Text and image by the NMP Geology and Paleontology Division

© 2022 National Museum of the Philippines