ICYMI: LECTURE ON WOMEN IN ARCHAEOLOGY CONCLUDED

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ICYMI: LECTURE ON WOMEN IN ARCHAEOLOGY CONCLUDED

As we draw to a close the celebration of #NationalWomenMonth2022, we are sharing the highlights of the #NationalMuseumPH lecture She Digs: Women in Archaeology, held online yesterday, March 29, 2022.

The presentations, which aimed to highlight and discuss the contributions, involvement, and visibility of women of and in archaeology, were delivered by four competent archaeologists from the Archaeological Studies Program of the University of the Philippines-Diliman (UP-ASP).

Dr. Mary Jane Louise Bolunia, Museum Curator II and Officer-in-Charge of the Archaeology Division, officially opened the program and welcomed students, educators, museum and heritage workers, as well as colleagues from various academic institutions and local government units nationwide. In her remarks, she shared about the prevailing challenges, social pressures, and misconceptions when she was starting in the discipline, and how she envisions more women in the field recognized as archaeologists without the gender qualifier. 

The first lecture was on women in the history of Philippine archaeology, presented by Dr. Ligaya Lacsina, highlighting the few women pioneers in both terrestrial and underwater archaeology who paved the way and are still continuing to do so with the new generations that sprung from their breaking of barriers. Andrea Dominique Cosalan’s presentation focused on the Tabon (Wo)Man as a talking point for the invisibility of women in prehistory, the importance of inclusivity, and the use of gender-fair language in academic and public discussions. A slide show of archaeologists-at-work and students-in-training signaled an intermission for the second half of the program.

Dr. Grace Barretto-Tesoro discussed where the women are in Philippine archaeological sites and suggested methods on how their presence may be observed in the archaeological record. Marie Louise Antoinette Sioco presented last on a co-authored research on an examination of experiences in the archaeology of females and LGBTQIA+ in the Philippines, with recommendations and mitigating measures for a more gender-safe working environment.

An open forum was very lively and interactive and there was not enough time to entertain the questions from the attentive participants. Bobby Orillaneda, Senior Museum Researcher and Officer-in-Charge of the Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage Division provided an in-depth recap of the wonderful talks, which he described as enriching and an eye-opener. He hoped that the participants learned from the webinar and that this knowledge equips them when confronted with gender issues in the field. He expressed support for women’s endeavors and agreed that archaeology is for everyone interested, regardless of gender. 

The lecture was organized by the NMP-Archaeology Division, and the Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage Division, supported by the agency’s Gender and Development Focal Point System.

#MuseumFromHome #TrowelTuesday #PurpleYourIcon #PurpleTuesday #WeMakeChangeWorkForWomen #BabaeHindiBabaeLang #WomenCan

Text and photos by NMP-AD, NMP-MUCHD, and NMP-GFPS

© 2022 National Museum of the Philippines

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Part 3 of “The Basi Revolt by Esteban Villanueva”, National Cultural Treasures, in Know Your North

Posted on:  |  National Museum of the Philippines Posted in NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE PHILIPPINES, News and Events.

Another first for “The Basi Revolt”!

For the first time, we have a film on the early 19th century Ilocos uprising that has been popularly named as the Basi Revolt, and – its narrative is told utilizing images depicting the historic event that are found in the series of 14 oil paintings that have been attributed to Esteban Villanueva for two centuries now.

Award-winning documentary film-maker Gabriel Malvar masterfully weaves the story of the revolt by putting together images in a sequence that best portrays the circumstances around the uprising at its culmination on the 16th through the 29th of September in 1807, until the execution of rebel leaders thereafter. The meticulously composed imagery is shown, approximating that of a motion picture, with the voice-over effectively communicating the narrative that Director Malvar crafted from his reading of the few and little-known literature on the revolt and of the information conveyed by the scenes and text that come with the artworks.

Background sounds, including vocal reenactment, are moreover creatively employed to enhance the visual experience. Ilocana soprano Rosette Marie Aguinir of Vigan also renders the hauntingly toned Iloko love song “O, Naraniag a Bulan” (“Oh, Bright Moon”), taking the ballad to a level of meaning beyond that of romantic love, to rather capture a people’s fervor for freedom from colonial grip.

Overall, the film, which is titled “Ang Pag-aalsang Basi”, brings to light the potency of the artworks as media for historical interpretation, as well as advances the viewer’s appreciation of what Malvar describes as that “brief shining moment” when our ancestors in the north braved uncertainties and risked their lives to confront the superiorly armed colonial power. These ancestors’ “ultimate expression of sacrifice and selflessness” at that moment, along with many others across the archipelago in over three centuries, served as seeds for the movement that catalyzed into the Philippine Revolution at the end of the 19th century.

Done by Director Malvar with his outfit, The Extra Mile Productions, “Ang Pag-aalsang Basi” is a product of the collaboration between the National Museum of the Philippines and the bus company Victory Liner to make a documentary film on “The Basi Revolt” paintings. The project serves as part of the NMP’s commemoration of the bicentennial of the artworks in 2021, and on the other hand, as one of Victory Liner’s “Know Your North” series of documentary films. Instead of the originally planned one film, Malvar is creating a series of short videos, so inspired as he is about the wealth of potentials for approaching and presenting “The Basi Revolt”. This is well-tuned to the NMP’s goal of promoting understanding of the artworks and encouraging greater public participation in their interpretation.

“Ang Pag-aalsang Basi” is the third film so far completed and released in line with the project, and we can look forward to more features on the 200-year-old paintings and the life that they have taken as your #NationalMuseumPH and partners Victory Liner and Gabriel Malvar remain committed in bringing these art pieces and its history to the consciousness of the wider public.

Collectively declared by the NMP as National Cultural Treasure in 2009, “The Basi Revolt” panels are housed at the Old Carcel Museum of the NMP Ilocos Regional Museum Complex in the World Heritage City of Vigan.

***

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Ilocos Historical and Cultural Foundation;

Provincial Government of Ilocos Sur;

City Government of Vigan;

Soprano Rosette Marie Aguinir;

Corazon Taberna & Family;

Authors of “The Basi Revolt by Esteban Villanueva” (NMP 2020): Director-General Jeremy R. Barns;

Dr. Ana Maria Theresa P. Labrador; Dr. Jenny Ruth M. Cano, Maria Lourdes I. Ingel, Erika C. Robis, and Marites P. Tauro; Robert Balarbar, Ray Esguerra, and Dr. Nicole Tse; Phoebe Gallanosa and Dr. Maricor Soriano;

NMP Ilocos Regional Museum Team

#AngPagaalsangBasi     
#AklasangBasi
#TheBasiRevoltPaintingsAt200
#TheBasiRevoltPaintingsBicentennnial
#MuseumFromHome
#NMPIlocosRegionalMuseum
#KnowYourNorth
#TheExtraMileProductions

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

Updated Visitor Guidelines

Posted on:  |  National Museum of the Philippines Posted in News and Events.

Updated Visitor Guidelines

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Following the recent announcement of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Infectious Diseases (IATF) placing the National Capital Region under Alert Level 1 until April 30, 2022, the National Museum Complex in Manila shall still accept walk-in visitors; advance booking through https://reservation.nationalmuseum.gov.ph/ shall be only required for groups of 20-30 persons.

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Mobile Museum Boxes Exhibit

Posted on:  |  National Museum of the Philippines Posted in News and Events, Uncategorized.

Mobile Museum Boxes Exhibit launched at the Santa Barbara Centennial Museum in Santa Barbara, Iloilo

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Discover the richness of Visayas biodiversity by visiting the Mobile Museum Boxes traveling exhibition “Conserving the Natural History of the Visayas Region” at the Santa Barbara Centennial Museum in Santa Barbara, Iloilo.

The exhibit was opened to the public on February 14. Santa Barbara LGU officials led by Mayor Rema Somo, together with representatives from the Departments of Education and Tourism, the academe, and cultural workers from Iloilo, graced the opening ceremonies.

The Mobile Museum Boxes is a joint project of the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) – Botany and Herbarium Division, the Western Visayas Association of Museums, Inc. (WVMI), and the Forest Foundation of the Philippines (FFP).

The 12 museum boxes were brought and launched in Eastern Samar State University in Borongan, Eastern Samar in 2019 and were transferred to the University of Eastern Philippines in Catarman, Northern Samar. It was brought to the University of the Philippines Visayas Tacloban and Visayas State University in Baybay, all in Leyte province. Samar and Leyte have forest-protected areas supported by the Forest Foundation of the Philippines. After almost two (2) years of no mobility in Baybay because of the pandemic, the Mobile Museum Boxes were again resumed their travel to National Museum Bohol in Tagbilaran in October 2021.

Forester John Rey Callado, Museum Researcher II of the Botany and National Herbarium Division, stressed the importance of conserving Visayas forests as they host unique flora and fauna in his walk-through tour of the exhibition. He called on the educators to utilize the exhibition as a learning tool to raise public awareness on the importance of preserving and protecting the environment to biodiversity.

Santa Barbara Tourism Officer Irene Magallon invites the public to visit the museum from Mondays to Fridays, 9 AM to 4 PM following local health protocols. The Mobile Museum Boxes will be in Santa Barbara until April 13, 2022.

Text from National Museum Western Visayas

© 2022 National Museum of the Philippines

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Part 2 of “The Basi Revolt by Esteban Villanueva”, National Cultural Treasures, in Know Your North

Posted on:  |  National Museum of the Philippines Posted in NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE PHILIPPINES, News and Events, Uncategorized.

The beauty of art is that it can be interpreted in diverse ways.

Your #NationalMuseumPH continues to celebrate the National Arts Month with the rest of the country by now sharing with you the second short feature film on the 200-year-old “The Basi Revolt” paintings that were declared collectively as National Cultural Treasure in 2009.

A part of the video documentary project on the historic artworks, this short film focuses on the wealth of images found in all of the 14 oil on canvas comprising “The Basi Revolt” series that, as National Museum Director-General Jeremy Barns points out in this feature, have “elements that are really appealing, or arouse curiosity, or focus your attention”.

The film thus draws us into some of the panels, and up close, we get a sample of the images and how they are perceived, inviting us to also look deeper as well as challenging us to delve back into history and have our own take at the illustrations.

At the filming in September 2021, Deputy Director-General for Museums Dr. Ana Labrador talked about the NMP’s aim to open up the narratives on the paintings, for people to “develop their visual eye, and look at them from their own histories, their own ideas, their own kind of responses”. Without a very prescriptive approach into interpretation, the agency rather engages viewers of “The Basi Revolt” into deciphering the details and contributing to the making of narratives on the artworks.

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’ 200th year in 2021. Conceptualized during the pandemic together with a new publication featuring contemporary Ilokanos’ views of them, the video was seen to contribute to the NMP’s campaign as well as continue its online presence while museums were closed last year or open on a restricted basis due to the continued threat of COVID-19.

The video documentary project is a product of the collaboration between the NMP and the transportation company Victory Liner, Inc. (VLI), with award-winning documentary filmmaker Gabriel Malvar at the helm. Under the parties’ Memorandum of Agreement signed in July 2021, the film on the “The Basi Revolt” is part of the VLI’s “Know Your North” series of documentary films that took off in 2017. Malvar, who produces the “Know Your North” with his outfit The Extra Miles Productions, envisions developing several short features on “The Basi Revolt” as a way to continue celebrating the paintings’ bicentennial.

We hope you again enjoy this one while we await the release of the main documentary! So, don’t forget to regularly check this page for more on “The Basi Revolt”!

#TheBasiRevoltPaintingsAt200  
#TheBasiRevoltPaintingsBicentennial
#KnowYourNorth
#TheExtraMileProductions           

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

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

Posted on:  |  National Museum of the Philippines Posted in News and Events.

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.