On January 11, 2023, the fifth Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the National Museum of the Philippines, Mr. Andoni M. Aboitiz, was inducted into office by Senator Nancy Binay.
Previous Chairpersons since the Board of Trustees of the National Museum of the Philippines was established under Republic Acts No. 8492 and 11333 were Antonio O. Cojuangco, Jr. (1999-2010), Hilarion M. Henares, Jr. (2010), Ramon R. del Rosario, Jr. (2010-2018), and Evangelina M. Arroyo-Bernas (2018-2022).
Already a member of the Board of Trustees since 2019, appointed thereto as a representative of the private sector by President Rodrigo Duterte, Mr. Aboitiz was formally designated as Chairperson by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. in an appointment dated last December 23, 2022, to succeed Ms. Evangelina “Luli” Macapagal Arroyo-Bernas, who is the new Philippine ambassador to the Republic of Austria.
Former Chairperson Arroyo-Bernas was on hand to witness the induction of her successor, and she was accompanied by several trustees and officers of the National Museum of the Philippines led by Director-General Jeremy Barns.
Mr. Aboitiz, a known supporter of heritage, culture and the arts, also gave a brief greeting and self-introduction to the officers and staff of the National Museum of the Philippines in a general assembly, during which he articulated his commitment to supporting further strides for the institution as well as his vision for open leadership and enhanced relevance of the work of the National Museum to the Filipino people and our friends from all around the world.
The value of rice in the Philippines goes beyond its role as a staple food in the country and other neighboring countries in Asia. In its many forms and state, rice is deeply embedded in the daily routines as well as in rituals and festivities among several ethnolinguistic groups in the Philippines. As we end the celebration of National Rice Awareness Month, we highlight today the socio-cultural significance of rice by featuring the most popular effigy associated with it – the bulul/bulol of the Ifugao in northern Philippines.
Bulul/bulol are carved anthropomorphic figures serving as granary idols believed to protect against pests and assure good harvest for the Ifugaos in the Cordillera. They are effigies of one’s ancestors and guardian spirits. Once they are given proper rituals by the descendant community, their status becomes bulul, transcending beyond being tag-tagu or human figures devoid of any social constructs or signification.
Christian missions in Ifugao in the 19th century, though sporadic, resulted in the scarcity of the bulul as some families began to discard them; its production was reduced if not halted, making it difficult to obtain them starting from the 20th century. Among the tradition-bound Ifugaos, only wealthy families could afford to commission and maintain a bulul since the required rituals are often lavish. This situation led some locals to re-appropriate tourist art from the market by performing new libations of blood and grease for ritual use. Various opinions on what makes a bulul “authentic” have surfaced, primarily due to its different production methods, yet some of these may have become conceptually “authentic,” having been superseded by the ritual performance and the ascribed value given by the descendant community.
The rise in demand for the currently limited number of original bulul (i.e. those that underwent ritual and were actually used by the community for their intended purpose) in antique shops from the early 1960s to late 1970s triggered the production of imitations and replicas. Some of the newly carved figures were buried in mud or ground to achieve the old and dark color of the wood. These bulul are often prized possessions as these have been passed down from generations. Acquiring them often required owners to spend for costly rituals to sort of remove their attachment to the divine. Moreover, retiring a bulul also obliges them to build and ritually cleanse another statue to serve as the deity’s new dwelling place.
This level of importance that we accord to the bulul/bulol has been the motivation for us at the National Museum of the Philippines to include them in our National Ethnographic Collection, along with hipag (war deities) and other anthropomorphic figures. While continuing debates on the authenticity of a bulul and expertise on Ifugao culture abound, what remains clear is the unceasing respect of our indigenous people for our ancestors, for nature, and for their sense of community. The bulul/bulol will forever be a testimony to the artistry and craftsmanship of the Ifugaos which we hope is still being passed on to the younger generations.
Learn more about the Philippines’ rice culture by visiting the newly upgraded Pakhey, Humay, Palay: Rice, Biodiversity and Climate Change gallery at the 4F, National Museum of Anthropology.
The #NationalMuseumPH celebrates the 93rd birthday of modernist painter Juvenal Sansó.
Born in 1929, Sansó is a Spanish artist who has lived all his life in Manila. He is a multi-faceted artist who has worked with various media such as oil, acrylic, ink and dry brush, textile, printmaking, and photography. Aside from being a visual artist, he has also ventured into production design by creating set and costume designs for operas in France and the Philippines. Immediately after World War II, his art was affected mainly by his traumatic experience resulting in his Black Period. It is characterized by works representing surreal bouquets of faces and heads in black and white. This period was later replaced by his colorful and genuine bloom series which gained popularity and admiration.
One of these bloom series is an acrylic on canvas created in 1965 entitled “Blue Floral.” It shows an arrangement of bright red flowers nestled in leaves of various sizes and shades of green and blue against a soft blue background. The painting, which is on loan from the Government Service Insurance System collection, can be viewed at the National Museum of Fine Arts, Gallery XIV, as part of the “Pillars of Modernism I ” exhibition. This exhibition features works created between the 1920s to 1970s by modernist painters such as National Artist Victorio Edades (1895-1985), Manuel Rodriguez, Sr. (1912-2017), Galo Ocampo (1913-1985), Diosdado Lorenzo (1906-1984) and Juvenal Sansó (b. 1929).
Sansó was born on November 23, 1929, in Reus, Catalonia, Spain. His family moved to Manila when he was five years old, where they started their wrought-iron business. However, this business fell through during World War II when his father refused to work for the Japanese war effort. After the war, he enrolled as a special student at the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts from 1948 to 1951 where he was taught by National Artist Fernando Amorsolo (1892-1972) as well as by Dominador Castañeda (1904-1967) and Ireneo Miranda (1896-1964). Aside from this, he also took special classes at the University of Santo Tomas.
In 1950, he was awarded first prize in the watercolor category of the Art Association of the Philippines Annual Art Competition for his work entitled “Incubus.” He won the first prize again in 1951 but this time in the oil category for his work “Sorcerer.” The same year, Sansó went to Rome to study at the Academia di Belle Arti. It was followed by further studies in Paris at L’Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux Arts from 1953 to 1961. He held his first solo exhibition in Paris in 1956 and then his first solo exhibition in Manila in 1957 at the Philippine Art Gallery. These exhibitions were followed by more solo exhibitions in Italy, the United States, England, and Mexico. In 1964, his work entitled “Leuers” was awarded the Print of the Year award by the Cleveland Museum of Art, sharing the distinction with previous winners like Henri Matisse and Salvador Dali.
Sansó was awarded the Presidential Medal of Merit on May 20, 2006, for his significant contributions to Philippine art. As a way of giving back to the Philippine art community, he has found ways to encourage young Filipino artists by serving as an artist in residence for the Art Interaction program of the Shell National Students Art Competition from 2008 to 2009 and through his museum, Fundacion Sansó, which was launched in 2015.
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 20th 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
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
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
