More Gifts to the Nation for the National Fine Arts Collection!

Yesterday, we welcomed patrons, friends, and guests to the reception and ceremonial turnover of two art pieces from the Tambunting Family at the Spoliarium Hall of the National Museum of Fine Arts. 

Added to our growing collections are The Bust of Antonio L. Tambunting (2009, bronze) by National Artist Abdulmari Asia Imao, donated by Ambassador Jesus P. Tambunting and Family, and “The Portrait of Aurora P. Tambunting, (1956, oil on canvas) by National Artist Fernando C. Amorsolo donated by the Family of Antonio L. and Aurora P. Tambunting. 

The Bust of Antonio L. Tambunting is exhibited at the Antonio and Aurora Tambunting Gallery entrance at the National Museum of Anthropology. The donor of the bust, Ambassador Jesus Tambunting, has supported the NMP through his endowment of a gallery honoring his parents and where this bronze bust of his father is now exhibited. 

Antonio Lauengco Tambunting was born in Binondo, Manila on June 1, 1908.  He was educated at Letran College. Mr. Tambunting joined his father’s pawnshop business in 1932, opening the first chain of pawnshop branches in the city of San Juan.  During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, amid the war and crisis of inflation in the country, Mr. Tambunting continued to provide financial support to the residents of Manila through his pawnshops.  After the war, Tambunting Pawnshop expanded to other cities around the country.  In 2010, Ambassador Jesus P. Tambuning commissioned National Artist Abdulmari Asia Imao to create a bust for his father, Antonio. The bust used to be displayed in the Head Office of Planters Development Bank where Mr. Tambunting served as the board’s first chairman. 

National Artist Abdulmari Asia Imao (1936-2014) was a sculptor, painter, photographer, ceramist, filmmaker, researcher, and writer.  He was born in Siasi, Sulu. He earned his fine arts degree at the University of the Philippines, and pursued graduate studies at Kansas University, Rhode Island School of Design, and at the Columbia University in the USA. He produced several photojournalistic and research works about the people of Mindanao. He also studied and promoted indigenous brass casting techniques. His works displayed the indigenous okir or ukkil, sarimanok, and other motifs from Southern Philippines. In 2006, Imao was declared as National Artist for Visual Arts, and was considered the first Muslim artist to be conferred with such distinction.

Aurora Paraiso Tambunting was born in Lumbang, Laguna on March 8, 1910. She was educated at St. Scholastica’s College. Mrs. Tambunting married Antonio L. Tambunting on June 12, 1926.  They had seven children and 22 grandchildren. She was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother with innate business acumen.  She was a generous woman who supported charity and church causes.  She was one of the main benefactors of the Ina Ng Laging Saklolo Parish in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City, and Elsie Gaches Village in Muntinlupa. The Portrait of Aurora P. Tambunting may be viewed inside The Early 20^th Century Philippine Portrait Hall, Gallery IX, of the National Museum of Fine Arts. 

The artist, Fernando Amorsolo y Cueto, the first National Artist, was born in Paco, Manila on May 30, 1892. He studied at the Liceo de Manila and the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts (UPSFA). Entrepreneur Enrique Zobel de Ayala assisted him in securing a scholarship to study art at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid, Spain in 1916.  After the war, his career went so well that his works portraying Philippine landscapes, everyday scenes (genre), and portraits were very in-demand. Commissions from institutions and prominent families poured in, such as this Portrait of Aurora Tambunting.

The #NationalMuseumPH, on behalf of a grateful nation, expresses our sincere appreciation and gratitude to the Tambunting Family for their invaluable gifts to the Nation.

Article by NMP Fine Arts Division. With contributions from Ms. Victoria Tambunting Alfonso 

Photos by NMP Museum Services Division

© National Museum of the Philippines (2022)

Did you know that scientists can reconstruct the Earth’s past climates thousands to millions of years ago? 

As we celebrate Global Warming and Climate Change Consciousness Week (Nov 19-25), let us learn how fossils are used in determining ancient climates and how they teach us about climate change. 

The study of past climate is known as Paleoclimatology. While we can’t go back to the past to see what the ancient climates were, luckily, nature has provided us with climate proxies. These proxies are imprints from our past that preserve our climatic history. Some proxies that we use in paleoclimate studies include shelled organisms and plant fossils. 

One standard method for determining ancient climates is by analyzing the chemical composition of shells of fossilized marine animals like forams (shelled microorganisms). The oxygen isotopes in shells give an indication of the temperature changes in the ocean over the last millions of years. Their abundance may also indicate ancient environmental conditions, wherein they typically proliferate in warmer weather.  Clamshells also have annual growth bands. The space between each band depends on the environmental conditions during the time when the growth bands were forming. 

Meanwhile, we know that plants cannot root in an inhospitable environment.  In each environment, they develop specific characteristics to help them adapt and survive.  These make them a reliable indicator of their climate and ecology. Typically, plants in tropical regions have smoother and larger edges, while plants that live in cooler regions are more jagged and have smaller leaves. When these are fossilized, we can get an idea of what climate they lived in. 

The Earth’s climate changes over the past millions of years are due to several factors operating together. The changes in the position of continents may close off or open up new routes of ocean currents, which can then change the distribution of temperature over the Earth’s surface.  Sea-level changes in response to mountain building and continental drift may have also caused paleoclimate changes. Generally, the sea level is high in times of warmth. Other factors that contribute to climate change include variations in atmospheric chemistry and the Earth’s orbital position to the Sun. 

The Earth’s climate has undergone extreme changes over its geologic history. And by studying past climates through fossils, we can better understand how climate will change in the future. 

Text and image by the NMP Geology and Paleontology Division

© National Museum of the Philippines (2022)

At school, we were taught that the most significant contribution of the Spaniards to the country is religion, thus tangible representations of this are seen in the vast number of Catholic churches in the country. Often when we talk of heritage structures, Spanish colonial structures such as churches and Bahay na Bato comes to mind. Structures built during the American colonial period were often unrecognized. Hence, for today’s #builttraditionthursday we will showcase the Benitez Hall of the U.P. College of Education, one of the first academic buildings constructed in the University of the Philippines- Diliman campus.

Also known as the twin building of the Malcolm Hall of the U.P. College of Law, the Benitez Hall was constructed in anticipation of the official transfer of the University of the Philippines from its original location at Calle Isaac Peral, which is now known as the United Nations Avenue in downtown Manila, to the present-day Quezon City campus.

Named after Francisco Benitez, the College’s first dean and one of the pillars of Philippine education, the design of the Benitez Hall is credited to the brilliance of Filipino architect Juan M. Arellano, whose professional career exhibited a wide range of architectural styles. During the time when he designed the Benitez Hall, Arellano was keen on creating architecture that exemplifies the culture of Filipinos which was best showcased in his design of the indigenized Art deco style of the Metropolitan Theatre. 

In his early works, however, like the Benitez Hall in U.P. Diliman, Arellano’s preference leaned towards adapting the Spanish mission-revival style which served as a transitional style that orchestrated the fusion of locally derived architectural forms, and neo-classical idioms dramatizing the encounter and existence of two cultures. 

As with any other colonial architecture, the style of the three-story Benitez Hall leans towards some degree of eclecticism wherein Neo-classical and Palladian elements such as the column capitals, equilateral arches, pedimented central façade, and configuration of spaces were combined. 

Historical accounts suggest that when Juan Arellano was commissioned to design the building, the axial arrangement of the Neo-Baroque served as its model, and the location of the Benitez Hall was thoughtfully selected considering the natural valley on the site which is now known as the ‘Sunken Garden’. 

Over time, the land use plan for the campus was developed, changes were made, and more structures were built. Today, the U.P. Diliman campus is characterized by the diversity of its architectural styles, an indication of the many layers of its history as an academic institution. From being surrounded by vast lands, the classical form of the Benitez Hall is now bordered by post-war and modern-style buildings such as the Vinzons Hall, the Lagmay Hall, and the Gonzalez Hall.

The 6,430 square meter structure is now geographically located at 14°39’13.1″N 121°04’19.7″E, and stands on a relatively flat soil, that is bounded by Roxas Avenue on the North; Quirino Avenue on the South; A. Ma. Regidor Street on the East; and Africa Street on the West. 

Under the Republic Act of 10066, or the National Cultural Heritage Act, the Benitez Hall is a Presumed Important Cultural Property and is protected by law from any form of alteration, modification, or destruction.  

Article by Architect Marvin Belgica. Illustrations and photos by Ar. M. Belgica, Ar. G. Aycardo & Ar. M. Luna

References

Aycardo, G., Belgica, M., Luna, M. (2022) Preserving an Icon: Conservation Management Plan (CMP) for the Benitez Hall

Aquino, B., (1991). The University Experience: Essays on the 82nd Anniversary of the University of the Philippines. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press Diliman

Klassen, W. (2010). Architecture in the Philippines: Filipino Building in a Cross-Cultural Context Revised Edition. Cebu City: University of San Carlos Press

The #NationalMuseumPH celebrates the 110th birth anniversary of National Artist for Painting Carlos Villaluz Francisco (1912-1969), also known as ‘Botong.’ Born #OnThisDay in Angono, Rizal, Botong is famous for his large-scale historical paintings. 

Today we feature an oil painting of Carlos ‘Botong’ Francisco entitled “The First Mass in Limasawa.” In 1965, the Philippine Government commissioned Francisco to create this work of art to commemorate the 400th year of the introduction of Christianity in the country. It is currently on exhibit at the Pillars of Philippine Modernism Hall at the National Museum of Fine Arts.

This painting depicts the first mass celebrated in Limasawa Island in present day-Southern Leyte, officiated by Fr. Pedro Valderrama, the official chaplain of the Magellan expedition. He led the first mass as requested by Ferdinand Magellan in an improvised altar and a platform made of bamboo. Fr. Valderrama is depicted in this painting raising his hands in prayer. Magellan, in the foreground with a sword or a saber, piously bows his head. With Magellan is Antonio Pigafetta, his official chronicler, kneeling in prayer and adoration. The chieftain of the Island, Rajah Kolambo, and his brother, Rajah Siagu also joined in the mass. 

National Artist for Painting Carlos ‘Botong’ Francisco made some of the most significant large-scale paintings in the Philippines for nearly three decades. As a scenographer for a major film studio in the Philippines, he was well-acquainted with rendering Philippine festivals, customs and traditions, and important historical events. In 1973, the government conferred him the National Artist for Painting.

Some of Carlos Francisco’s works may be viewed at Gallery XIX, Pillars of Modernism, and at the Old Senate Session Hall of the National Museum of Fine Arts.  The #NationalMuseumPH is open to the public for free.  You may also visit the link for the 360-degrees virtual tour of the select nine galleries at the National Museum of Fine Arts: http://pamana.ph/ncr/manila/NMFA360.html

#BotongFrancisco
#CarlosFrancisco
#PH500
#FirstMassInLimasawa
#MuseumFromHome
#VictoryAndHumanity

Article by NMP Fine Arts Division. Photo by Bengy Toda

© National Museum of the Philippines (2022)

As we come to the close of our celebration of Museum and Galleries Month, we also commemorate the 60th anniversary of archaeological research at the Tabon Cave Complex in Quezon, Palawan. 

The Tabon Cave Complex (or simply Tabon Caves) was discovered by Robert Fox and the National Museum team during their exploration of the limestone formations in the municipality of Quezon. Interviews with the Pala’wan informants led them to explore Lipuun Point, where they discovered several caves rich with archaeological materials scattered on the floor. 

Among these caves is the magnificent Tabon Cave, where the earliest direct evidence of modern humans (Homo sapiens sapiens) in the Philippines was recovered. The fossilized skull cap and the tibia (leg bone) fragment were among the remains found in Tabon Cave, which were declared as National Cultural Treasures (or NCTs). Other outstanding artifacts recovered from the Tabon Caves were the Manunggul Secondary Burial Jar, jade lingling-o ornaments, and the Duyong shell adze – all of which were also declared as NCTs.

To mark the commemoration of this landmark exploration, our Archaeology Division, will open an exhibition titled Stories of Origins: The Beginnings of Archaeology at the Tabon Caves at the NMP-Tabon Caves Site Museum in Quezon, Palawan. The Stories of Origins exhibit will take you back to the early stages of the Tabon cave excavations through a series of photographs from the archives of the Archaeology Division, taken from 1962 to 1970. It will also showcase selected archaeological objects recovered from early archaeological investigations conducted. 

The Stories of Origins opens on October 28, 2022.

#MGM2022
#TabonCavesArchaeology60thAnniversary
#StoriesOfOriginsExhibit

Article, photo, and posters by Timothy James Vitales | NMP Archaeology Division

© 2022 National Museum of the Philippines

The Arroceros Forest Park Site, given its proximity to the Pasig River, is believed to have served as a loading and unloading area for various commodities transported along the river with minimal trading activities taking place. It could have been used intermittently as a talipapa (makeshift market) until a permanent parian (marketplace) would have been moved elsewhere in the vicinity.

The term “arroceros” (literally “rice farmers”) originates from the early Spanish Period. Its root word “arroz” means rice suggesting that it was a place where rice was delivered via riverine routes, and eventually sold to consumers and retailers. The Arroceros Forest Park Site is the former location of Parian de Arroceros (1595–1639; 1645–1792), Fabrica de Cigarillos (2nd half of the 19th century to early 20th century), and compound of the then Department of Education, Culture and Sports or DECS (postwar to 1993), to name a few.

Thousands of archaeological materials systematically recovered at the site include ceramics (Chinese and European porcelain sherds, earthenware and stoneware sherds, Manila ware sherds, tiles), adobe and clay bricks, glass beads, bottle shards, metal fragments, various buttons, iron nails, metal crucifix, Spanish and Chinese coins, bone needle, and animal bones and teeth. Judging from the quantity and nature of archaeological materials recovered during the investigation, the heaviest occupation period appears to be the 19th century. All these items add up to the richness of our museums and serve as our tangible links not only to our ancestors but also to nature as it once was.

Article by Giovanni G. Bautista and poster by Randy M. Episcope | NMP Archaeology Division

© 2022 National Museum of the Philippines