Author: National Museum of the Philippines

Birth Anniversary of Mauro ‘Malang’ Santos

The #NationalMuseumPH celebrates the 94th birth anniversary of Mauro Malang Santos, who was born #OnThisDay in 1928, by featuring his painting “Panuelo” from the Philippine Center New York (PCNY) collection. 

Signed “Malang, 22-10-73”, this oil painting is among the 115 out of the 120 works of art from the core collection of the PCNY. It is currently on exhibition at The Philippine Center New York (PCNY) Core Collection of 1974: A Homecoming Exhibition located in Galleries XXVII to XXVIII of the National Museum of Fine Arts (NMFA). 

At the core of this artwork is a lean figure of a woman with an elongated neck and tiny feet. On the figure’s right shoulder hangs a pañuelo, painted in red, pink, and earth tones. A pañuelo is a square cloth worn to cover shoulders. The artist’s renowned subjects included female vendors, barung-barong (informal urban settlements), mother and child, churches, and everyday scenes.

Born in Santa Cruz, Manila, he used Malang as his artistic signature to honor his mother, who had it as her maiden name. He took drawing lessons under Teodoro Buenaventura (1863-1950) and studied at the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts. He won awards in the annual art competitions of the Art Association of the Philippines, Society of Philippine Illustrators and Cartoonists, and the Art Directors Guild. In 1963, he was among the Ten Outstanding Young Men awardees and the Gawad CCP Para Sa Sining awardee in 1995. In 1981, the City of Manila conferred Malang with the Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Award for his significant contribution to Philippine Art. 

The artist died in 2017. He was 89 years old. 

The National Fine Arts Collection has several works of Malang namely: Mother and Child (1973, Gouache on canvas), Sampaguita Vendor (93/249) [Undated, Serigraph on paper], Yellow Plant (1983, Tempera on panel), Still Life (1985, Pastel on paper), and his gouache palette shot-glasses mounted on plywood.

You may view this painting and his other work, “Brown Head,” also from the collection of the PCNY by booking online through this website. For those who wish to #StayAtHome, you may click this link for the 360-virtual tour of the PCNY Homecoming Exhibition: https://www.nationalmuseum.gov.ph/pcny360/HTML5/pcny360.html

#MauroMalangSantos

#OnThisDay

#BeatCOVID19

#MuseumFromHome

Text and photo by NMP FAD

© National Museum of the Philippines (2022)

Gugo (Entada phaseoloides)

Did you wash your hair today? For today’s #WildlifeWednesday, we will feature a plant species commonly used for washing hair in the early times – the “Gugo”.

You might have already encountered a shampoo brand with “gugo extract”. “Gugo” or Entada phaseoloides is a native woody vine from the legumes family and is native to the Philippines. Its bark has long been used to wash the hair and be made as hair tonic. The bark is soaked in water and squished to obtain a foamy liquid (sud) which is then used as shampoo to improve hair growth. Filipinos in the earlier times who used “gugo” as their shampoo often had shiny and thick hair. 

The plant produces giant pods which grow up to a meter or more. Studies also suggest that parts of “Gugo” plant also have antidiabetic, analgesic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. You may check out the actual gugo pod specimen exhibited in the Gallery VI of the National Museum of Natural History building during your next visit. 

Even if we’re not in the forest, plants are everywhere and it is always present in our daily lives. If you want to read more about “Gugo”, click this link https://bit.ly/3rpoo0F 

Text by Botany and National Herbarium DivisionPhoto courtesy of Dailun Shi (licensed under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)

Copper Sheathings | Marinduque Shipwreck

Copper Sheathings | Marinduque Shipwreck

  • Copper Sheathings found on Marinduque Shipwreck. © NMP-MUCHD 2022

  • An Illustration of the wreck of Marinduque ship built with copper sheathings. Illustration by Mr. Ed Bersamira, © NMP-MUCHD 2022

  • Underwater archaeologist during the survey and documentation of the Marinduque shipwreck, © NMP-MUCHD 2014

This week’s #MaritimeMonday presents the copper sheathings from the Marinduque shipwreck located in Brgy. Laylay, Boac, Marinduque. 

A team of underwater archaeologists from the #NationalMuseumPH conducted archaeological excavations of a shipwreck located in Brgy. Laylay, Boac, Marinduque from May 27, 2014 to June 6, 2014. Found approximately 100 m from the shoreline and lies 4 m below sea surface level, its wooden remains measured about 20 m long and 2 m wide. Besides the hull remains, other archaeological materials included a heavily encrusted cannon, unknown metal remains probably from an anchor, and copper and/or lead sheathing found attached to parts of the keel and planks. 

Sheathing wood can be traced back to the early 4th century Before Common Era (BCE) to protect the ship’s hull from attacks of shipworms. An ancient ship built with lead sheathing and fastened by brass and copper nails dated back to about 100 Common Era (CE) was found in the Lake Hemerose, Naples in Italy. Roman vessels found in Lake Nemi were also built with lead sheathing fastened by gilt nails. The use of lead sheathing by the Spanish during the 15th century CE was followed by a series of attempts to improve sheathing methods by the English. 

The use of copper sheathings on the other hand has been proven effective and was later adopted by the Royal Navy. By the 18th century CE, copper sheathings fastened with copper bolts have protected ships’ hulls from attack of wood-boring organisms as well as from unwanted marine growth below the waterline. As a result, the wooden sailing vessels were built with protection and were added with speed (less drag), and the warships were allowed to spend longer period at sea before being required for a routine repair and maintenance. 

Interestingly, in 1775, an American patriot, David Bushnell built his mini submarine, the American Turtle, to annihilate the British fleet. The mini sub was equipped with a bit that could drill an enemy ship’s hull, which is deployed with an improvised 150-lb gunpowder timed-bomb. The copper sheathings of the British ship Eagle, however, have rendered Bushnell’s Turtle futile despite series of attempts in 1776. 

Your #NationalMuseumPH is open to the public on a limited capacity. Visit our newly upgraded ‘300 Years of Maritime Trade in the Philippines’ exhibition on the second floor of the National of Anthropology building, or watch a virtual tour of the gallery here: https://tinyurl.com/300YearsOfMaritimeTradePH. Please monitor our website and social media pages such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for further information and booking arrangements.

#CopperSheathing

#ShipHull

#MarinduqueShipwreck

#MuseumFromHome

#StaySafeStayHome

#BeatCOVID19

Poster and text by the Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage Division

© National Museum of the Philippines (2022)

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Kahimunan Festival: a ritual of gathering

Last year, the #NationalMuseumPH featured the Santo Niño festivals in the Visayas —Ati-Atihan in Aklan, Sinulog in Cebu, and Dinagyang in Iloilo. This year, as we celebrate the feast of Santo Niño this month, we explore the Kahimunan Festival in Butuan City, Agusan del Norte in northeastern Mindanao — a thanksgiving celebration in honor of the Child Jesus and a tribute to the indigenous practices in the region.

The annual Kahimunan Festival was founded in 1987 by Father Juanito Belino, the first parish priest of Santo Niño Parish in Barangay Libertad, Butuan City, where a Santo Niño Diocesan Shrine is also located. This week-long event is held every 3rd week of January and has since been widely attended by devotees and tourists alike. 

While the festival is highly associated with the Santo Niño, its underlying indigenous root is indicative of the etymology of “kahimunan,” a Manobo term meaning ‘to gather.’ It also refers to the series of rituals performed at the start of planting season among the lumadnon of Agusan, and is also referred to as the full moon festival. The ritual is composed of chanting, singing and playing indigenous musical instruments including gimbor (drums), gong, and bamboo percussions such as kalatong/karatong and kotik. Grace Nono, a renowned ethnomusicologist who hails from Agusan, accounts that Kahimunan also known as Kaamulan, is a yearly celebration among the Manobo, Higaonon and Banwaon groups of Agusan del Sur, and music is a vital component of it.

Kahimunan Festival exemplifies an amalgamation of the influence of the Catholic practice and the indigenous ritual, similar to the many celebrated festivals in the Philippines. The annual street dancing competition participated in by several groups from different parts of northeastern Mindanao is one of the highlights of the event. Participants clad in vibrant clothing and accessories, accented with baskets and arrows among others, and dance along the streets of Libertad down to the City Sports Complex. The images of Santo Niño held by some participants is also a common sight.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, about 400,000 visitors from different parts of the country joined the religious festivities last January 2019. With the threat of the Covid-19, the majority of the activities were suspended last year including street dancing. Nevertheless, daily novena masses were held at the Santo Niño Shrine under limited capacity to enter the shrine.

The Lumad gallery located on the third floor of the National Museum of Anthropology displays some of the traditional musical instruments of different Lumad groups in Mindanao. Follow the #NationalMuseumPH and discover more about the Philippines’ array of festivities.

#KahimunanFestival

#SantoNiño

#PhilippineFestival

#Manobo

Text and poster by the NMP Ethnology Division

Photo from Mr. Michael S. Licup

© The National Museum of the Philippines (2022)

“The Basi Revolt by Esteban Villanueva”, National Cultural Treasures, in Know Your North

Finally, a preview of “The Basi Revolt” (1821) paintings documentary that is part of the Victory Liner’s Know Your North series! After the pandemic-induced delay, we will be able to show you a number of short features leading up to the main one to celebrate the National Arts Month in February.

Your #NationalMuseumPH is happy to share this first video on the paintings by award-winning documentary filmmaker Gabriel Malvar. He shares with us the determination to continue celebrating the bicentennial of the historical paintings, which took place last year. In this four-minute video, the National Museum of the Philippines’ Director-General Jeremy Barns gives an overview of the 14 panels depicting the Basi Revolt of 1807 that in 2009 were collectively declared as National Cultural Treasure. He shares his insights while guiding us through some of the images in the panels that, apart from portraying scenes in the historical event, provide “glimpses of Philippine life at the time”.

Ilokana soprano Rosette Marie Aguinir of Vigan also renders lines of the Iloko folk song “O Naraniag a Bulan” (“Oh Bright Moon”) towards the end of the short feature, creating a haunting tone that reminds latter generations of Ilokanos one of the darkest episodes of their colonial past.

The video documentary on the “The Basi Revolt” paintings that are attributed to Vigan landowner and mestizo Esteban Pichay Villanueva was part of the commemoration of the paintings’ 200 th year. Together with a new publication featuring contemporary Ilokanos’ views of them, a video would contribute to the NMP’s campaign as well as continue its online presence since most of our museums were closed last year due to the continued threat of COVID-19. The partnership with the transportation company Victory Liner, Inc. (VLI) through Mr. Malvar and The Extra Mile Productions was forged through a Memorandum of Agreement in July 2021. Having developed the “Know Your North” project in 2017, they willingly agreed to join the NMP’s remembrance of the paintings’ milestone and the event that inspired it. More short features will follow as we anticipate the launch of the main documentary on the 200-year-old “The Basi Revolt”paintings in February. We hope you will enjoy this video. Please send us your feedback, and tune in for future programs!

#TheBasiRevoltPaintingsAt200
#TheBasiRevoltPaintingsBicentennial
#KnowYourNorth
#TheExtraMileProductions
#MuseumFromHome
#NMPIlocosRegionalMuseumComplex

©National Museum of the Philippines (2022), with the Victory Liner, Inc.

86th Birth Anniversary of National Artist Abdulmari Asia Imao

The #NationalMuseumPH celebrates the 86th birth anniversary of National Artist (NA) for Visual Arts Abdulmari Asia Imao #OnThisDay in 1936.

Imao, the first National Artist from Mindanao, was a sculptor, painter, photographer, ceramist, filmmaker, researcher, and writer. In 1954, a floating art exhibition by the Art Association of the Philippines (AAP) arrived in Sulu where he met Tomas Bernardo (1918-1994) who encouraged Imao to go to Manila to study art. He earned his fine arts degree at the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts with National Artists Guillermo Tolentino and Napoleon Abueva as mentors. He traveled to the United States of America to pursue graduate studies at Kansas University as a Smith-Mundt and Fulbright scholar. He also had two-year fellowships at the Rhode Island School of Design for sculpture and ceramics, and at the Columbia University in New York for photography and cinema.

The artist’s goal is to promote indigenous motifs in Southern Philippines — the naga, the okir/ukkil, and the sarimanok. The sarimanok is an ornate chicken-like figure or a decorative bird notable in Maranao Art. The “Darangen”, a Maranao epic describes the sarimanok as a messenger of “datus” or chieftain — thus a symbol of royalty. 

Exhibited at The Pillars of Philippine Modernism, Gallery XVIII of the National Museum of Fine Arts is his 1975 acrylic painting “Sarimanok”. This is the only work of NA Imao in this medium at the National Fine Arts Collection wherein the sarimanok is depicted in a contemporary or modernist manner, placed in a plane of interlocking shapes.

You may also view other artworks of NA Imao at the Lilok, Hulma, at Tipon: Modern Sculptures in the Philippines (Gallery XXIX): Sarimanok (1996 and another dated 1969), and Fishes (1976). 

Imao was conferred as National Artist for Visual Arts in 2006. He passed away on December 14, 2014, in Marikina City. 

Text by NMP-FAD

Photo by Bengy Toda

#AbdulmariImao

#OnThisDay

#MuseumFromHome

© The National Museum of the Philippines (2022)