Last 20 June, the National Museum of the Philippines formally turned over the newly-restored Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Caysasay to the Archdiocese of Lipa and the people of Taal, Batangas.

The turnover ceremony, coinciding with the 52nd anniversary of the elevation of the then-Diocese of Lipa into an Archdiocese, was graced by the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines Most Rev. Charles John Brown, D.D., the Archbishop of Lipa Most Rev. Gilbert A. Garcera, D.D., NMP Director-General Jeremy Barns, Rector of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Caysasay Rev. Fr. Raul Francisco A. Martinez, Executive Director of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines Carminda R. Arevalo, Chief of the NHCP’s Historic Preservation Division Ar. Reynaldo S. Lita, Chief of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts’ Cultural Properties Protection and Regulation Division Joseph Patrick V. Lee, and Taal Mayor Fulgencio Mercado, among others.

Furthermore, markers declaring the Shrine a National Cultural Treasure and National Historical Landmark, as well as the marker of the Decree of Dedication were also unveiled.

During the ceremony, DG Barns said that this restoration project is a manifestation of the NMP’s hard work and dedication to preserving this heritage structure. “We are very happy to show our public service at the National Museum in this way by showing to you this complete Shrine that will stand as a cultural treasure and historical landmark for more generations to come,” Barns mentioned.

Archbishop Garcera, meanwhile, described the restoration project as a ‘dream come true’ for Batangueños which has also sparked renewed faith in many. “You will see before us the dream that I detailed in my homily back in 2021; a reconstructed church and a renewed devotion to Our Lady of Caysasay,” he remarked.

Moreover, in his Homily during the first Eucharistic Celebration after the turnover, Rev. Brown lauded the breathtaking beauty of the newly restored Shrine. “When we opened the doors, and I saw the works in the inside for the first time, my breath was quite literally taken away by the beauty of this historical restoration, bringing the church back to its original splendor, simplicity, integrity, and nobility,” Archbishop Brown said.

In 2021, the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Caysasay and its complex were put under the care of the National Museum of the Philippines after sustaining damage from the 2020 eruption of Taal Volcano.

Follow this link for more information about the History of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Caysasay: https://bit.ly/HistoryofCaysasay 

#NationalMuseumPH #Caysasay #OurLadyofCaysasay #Taal #Batangas

Last Tuesday, 18 June, the National Museum of the Philippines received its latest Gift to the Nation—a replica of a 5,500-Year-Old Cacao Ceramic Bottle from the Republic of Ecuador!

The original ceramic bottle, which belongs to the Mayo-Chinchipe Marañon Culture, was unearthed from the Santa Ana-La Florida archaeological site in southeastern Ecuador in 2002. Traces of cacao found in the bottle offer evidence of Ecuador being the earliest domesticator of cacao in the world, dating as far back as 5,500 to 5,300 Before Present (BP). These cacao beans eventually travelled to different parts of the world, reaching Manila through the Manila-Acapulco Galleon trade from the 16th to the 18th century, and have since become part of Filipino gastronomy.

The replica of the bottle was donated by the Cultural Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of Ecuador Mr. Ramiro Hidalgo, who was represented by Philippine Ambassador to Chile, H.E. Celeste Vinzon-Balatbat, and was received by the NMP’s Deputy Director-General for Museums Mr. Jorell Legaspi.

After the ceremony, brief lectures on the cacao industry and the use of the crop in Philippine gastronomy were given by Ms. Louise Emmanuelle Mabulo and Mr. Guillermo Ramos, respectively.

#NationalMuseumPH #Cacao #Ecuador #CulturalDiplomacy #GiftToTheNation

On 14 June, the National Museum of the Philippines received its latest Gift to the Nation, a burial jar lid from Brooke’s Point, Palawan, repatriated by the Madison County Historical Society (MCHS) in Winterset, Iowa, USA.

The limestone burial jar lid, which features an anthropomorphic figure, traces its provenance to Brooke’s Point, Palawan, where donor Donald Thomas acquired the piece as a gift in the 1960s. Later, in 1992, Thomas donated the lid to the MCHS. On 29 May, the burial jar lid was transferred to the Philippine Consulate General in Chicago, who has been assisting the MCHS and the NMP in the repatriation process. 

This repatriation comes just months after the return of the much-larger Sally A. von dem Hagen Collection of Limestone Burial Jars to the country.

The National Museum of the Philippines would like to extend its deepest appreciation to the Madison County Historical Society for this important repatriation and to the Philippine Consulate in Chicago for their tireless assistance in bringing the object home.  

#NationalMuseumPH #Repatriation #GiftToTheNation