In celebration of Nutrition Month, we feature the diet of Philippine populations in the past as revealed by isotope analysis. What can we learn from these isotopes?
Food plays a major role in understanding how humans utilize environmental resources. The plant and meat resources in people’s diet tell about accessibility, subsistence strategies and techniques, seasonality of food sources, and also paint a picture of the past environment wherein these were available.
Though substantive in providing baseline information on the paleo diet, analysis of faunal and botanical remains from the archaeological context may be limited by preservation conditions. A study using stable isotopes (ẟ) was applied to select human remains recovered in Philippine archaeological sites to obtain direct information from the consumer and determine food resources in the past.
The protein component of the diet and the ecosystem from which their food belonged are reflected in the δ13C (Carbon 13 isotope) value, while the δ15N (Nitrogen 15 isotope) value is an indicator for trophic level (or the number of steps in the food chain relative to the plant/producer) at which food is positioned in the ecosystem.
The δ13C and δ15N analyses on 81 human skeletal remains from 6 burial sites revealed a largely terrestrial plant-based diet. Both terrestrial and aquatic proteins from either marine or riverine sources were consumed. Results from Batanes Site showed a diet more reliant on terrestrial meat and C3 plants (like potato, purple yam, garlic, yellow ginger, and beans) than marine resources. The protein resources in Lal-lo Site in Cagayan were more from a terrestrial-based ecosystem, while values from Santa Ana Site in Manila showed a heavy reliance on marine-based sources. Considering the topography of the Kabayan Site in Benguet, animals from the rivers and streams were the possible sources of protein and C3 plants. In the Romblon Site, results reflect a diet dependence on both terrestrial resources and marine ecosystems. On the other hand, values in Cebu Site show a significant difference with a heavy reliance on marine resources diets, probably due to accessibility.
Text by Ame Garong, and posters by Timothy James Vitales | NMP Archaeology Division
For this week’s #ArtStrollSunday featuring the National Fine Arts Collection, we present “Hulat Sweldo” (1994), a painting by Negrense social realist painter Nunelucio Alvarado.
“Hulat Sweldo”, a Hiligaynon phrase for delayed wages, is Alvarado’s two-panel oil on canvas painting made in 1994 to represent the plight and struggle of the sakadas or migrant farmworkers. Coming from a region that thrives on the sugar industry, this work reflects his life of living with the sakadas who are depicted with stocky and muscular bodies, their pallid face in stark contrast to their weather-beaten skin, and their curiously big eyes give a powerful and moving gaze that tells their stories of hardship.
Alvarado is one of the social realists who took the lead in protest art in the 1970s, presenting sociopolitical themes in their works of various styles and media to campaign for issues such as workers’ rights, women’s rights, land reform, and the struggle of cultural communities, among others.
This painting is exhibited at the National Museum of Fine Arts at the Northeast Hallway Gallery on the third floor. It is part of the “Social and Political Commentary After The 1970’s” exhibition. It features works by social realist painters such as Nunelucio Alvarado (b. 1950), Papo de Asis (1949-2005), Orlando Castillo (b. 1947), Antipas Delotavo (b. 1954), Imelda Cajipe-Endaya (b. 1949), Edgar Talusan Fernandez (b. 1955), Gene de Loyola (1956-2018), Red Mansueto (b. 1944), Pablo Baens Santos (b. 1943), and Roy Veneracion (b. 1947).
Alvarado was born in 1950 and currently lives in Sagay City, Negros Occidental, where he has helped establish several artist collectives. These include the Black Artists in Asia, Pamilya Pintura, Pintor Kulapol, and Concerned Artists of Negros. He also runs a café and art space called Kape Albarako and acts as art director of Syano Artlink. Alvarado has participated in exhibitions locally and internationally, such as in Singapore (1996 and 2004), Japan (1997), and the U.S.A. (1998). He also represented the country in the first Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art held in Australia in 1992.
Alvarado was awarded the Cultural Center of the Philippines Thirteen Artist Award in 1992 for his art which serves as a platform for voicing the struggles of the marginalized sectors and his active participation in supporting the creative community in Negros region.
Contrary to what the movies tell us, sharks are not terrifying giants out to get us underwater. The #SharkAwarenessDay is created to bust myths about this group of fishes and regard them in a new light.
A majority of sharks found in Philippine waters are harmless and feed on smaller organisms like fishes, crustaceans, and octopus, among many other species. According to LAMAVEph (Large Marine Vertebrates Project), the country hosts approximately 200 shark and ray species, with resident and migratory populations.
The presence of sharks and rays are good indicators of healthy marine life. As top predators, seeing them means there is plenty of food in the sea, from which they prey on the weaker and most abundant ones. Unfortunately, many of our known sharks and rays are threatened due to targeted hunting, finning, by-catch, and habitat degradation. Their numbers plummeted by 90% in the last half-century.
There are groups and government offices who appeal to establish science-based policies in the management and creation of more Marine Protected Areas, and corridors to connect these networks, for the protection of resident species and safe passage of migratory ones.
Sharks were here first. They’ve been in our oceans for millions of years and swam our oceans even before dinosaurs existed. Awareness is the first step to understanding and eventually caring and advocating for this often-misjudged marine species. Let us treat each living creature with kindness and respect, whether they look enchanting or unsightly. After all, we only have this only one planet to share.
Today, the #NationalMuseumPH joins our Muslim brothers and sisters in celebrating the Feast of Sacrifice or Eid al-Adha which is considered the most important feast for Islam. This occasion celebrates the completion of the pilgrimage to Mecca during the last month of the Islamic lunar calendar and commemorates Prophet Ibrahim’s faith in his willingness to sacrifice his only son, Ishmael, a manifestation of his complete submission to the will of Allah. Prophet Ibrahim and Ishmael’s willingness to obey Allah’s command was rewarded by sparing Ishmael’s life and the birth of a second son, Is-haag.
Like other Muslim feasting and fasting traditions, Eid al-Adha also involves communal prayers, recitation of selected passages from the Koran, consumption, and sharing of local delicacies and beverages, adornment of feasting spaces, and use of highly decorated prestige items and utilitarian goods. It is also a time for Muslims to wear their finest clothes as they visit other households and gather for a feast.
Available on our website is a 360° virtual tour of “Faith, Tradition, and Place: Bangsamoro Art from the National Ethnographic Collection” exhibition at the National Museum of Anthropology in Manila. You may visit it at: https://tinyurl.com/BangsamoroArt360.
The material culture displayed in this gallery shows the vitality of interactions among these groups, particularly in the region’s varied religious, artistic, and feasting traditions. The gallery also includes a small prayer room for NMP personnel and visitors that they can freely use to practice their faith. Through this self-guided tour, you can explore and learn more about the culture of Muslim ethnolinguistic groups in the Southern Philippines without leaving the comforts of your home.
We are open this Eid al-Adha from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM! Admission is FREE and walk-in visitors are accepted. Come and visit our galleries and learn more about our rich culture and traditions!
The #NationalMuseumPH is one with the nation in the observance of a month-long National Disaster Consciousness Month (NDCM) this July.
This year’s theme “Sambayanang Pilipino, Nagkakaisa tungo sa Katatagan at Maunlad na Kinabukasan” advocates for unity towards resilience and sustainable development. For today’s #DignayanBiyernes feature, let us talk about a landform that can have devastating consequences when triggered for collapsed – sinkholes.
Sinkholes are cavities in the ground that are common in areas underlain by limestone and other rocks that can naturally be dissolved by percolating groundwater. When rainfall interacts with the atmosphere, and as well as when it seeps through the soil, it absorbs carbon dioxide creating slightly acidic water. This acidic water moves through the voids and cracks underground, slowly dissolving the limestone and creating a network of cavities. Over thousands of years, these cavities become larger forming cave systems.
Sinkholes are formed when the land above collapses or sinks into these cavities or when the surface materials are carried down into the cavities. Many natural sinkholes cannot be prevented. The land usually stays intact for a while until the cavities get too big. If there is not enough support for the overlying land, then a sudden collapse usually happens.
The October 2013, 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Bohol triggered the collapse of close to 100 sinkholes on the island. Following this event, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) expanded its geohazard assessment mapping to include subsidence susceptibility assessment due to sinkhole collapse in areas underlain by limestone.
Sinkhole collapse is unpredictable and rarely happens, but when it does, may lead to damages to infrastructure, cause high economic losses, evacuation, and displacement of residents, and loss of lives.
Text and image by the NMP Geology and Paleontology Division
Establishment of permanent communities has been the legacy of Spanish colonization in the country. To connect these towns, roads and bridges were constructed. Currently, there are several stone bridges that still exist and for our #BuiltTraditionThursday of the #MuseumFromHome series, we feature the existing Spanish-Era Colonial Bridges of Tayabas City in the Province of Quezon.
The City of Tayabas has several Spanish-era colonial bridges including the well-preserved Puente de Malagonlong. But Malagonlong Bridge isn’t the only surviving Spanish old infrastructure in the province, there are ten other which were collectively declared as National Cultural Treasure (NCT) by the National Museum of the Philippines in 2011. These are Puente de Lakawan, Puente de Mate, Puente de Don Francisco de Asis, Puente de Gibanga, Puente de la Ese, Puente de la Princesa, Puente de Alitao, Puente de Isabel II, Puente de las Despedidas, and Puente de Tumuloy o Bai. The bridges were built adopting the arched construction with materials such as adobe stone, limestone, and molasses. Arch bridges are among the oldest types of bridges dating back to ancient Rome. The simplest shape of an arch bridge is a semicircular design with abutments on each end distributing the load from the deck to the sides. This kind of bridges do not need additional supports of reinforced steel and considered among the strongest in the world. Evidently seen on the bridges of Tayabas which have the same design and structure.
Puente de Isabel II in Barangay Baguio
The Tayabas bridges span the rivers, streams, and creeks connecting the former town to the neighboring municipalities of Pagbilao, Sariaya, and Lucban as well as to the community within. The infrastructures are locally called puente and puentecito. The puentes usually stands above one-storey high with some having more than one arch. An example of this is Puente de Alitao, which was originally constructed in 1823 with four arches. Only two arches still exist today together with the parapet, spandrel, pier, and abutments. The bridge was built over Alitao River connecting the old town to the población and is still passable to vehicles. Another bridge with more than one arch is Puente de Isabel II in Barangay Baguio. Built with two arches along Tayabas-Sariaya road over Iyam River. The bridge was finished in 1853 and named after Queen Isabel II of Spain. The bridge is still intact and passable but restricted to light weight vehicles. Only one arch can be accessed by the public since the other arch is inside a private resort.
Puente de Bai in Barangay Dapdap
Other bridges such as Puente de Bai and Puente de las Despedidas have only one arch. Puente de Bai, also known as Puente de Tumuloy in Barangay Dapdap was part of an old road going to Palola, Lucban. The one arch stone bridge crosses the Bai Creek and served as the boundary of Tayabas and Lucban. It stands 7-meters high and 7-meters wide. Concrete road was built along the carriageway and is still passable to pedestrians and light weight vehicles. The lands on the vicinity of the bridge are privately owned. Puente de las Despedidas known as the “Farewell Bridge”, was the end road of Tayabas and the old route going to Manila or Laguna. It was built with one arch over Bigger Ibia River in Barangay Lalo. Only the spandrel wall, arch barrel, and abutments still exist. Concrete bridge was later constructed above the spandrel and is passable to all type of vehicles. Both sides of the vicinity of the bridge are maintained as open spaces and can be accessed by the public. Another one arch bridge is Puente de la Princesa, named after the Princess of Asturias of Northern Spain. Unfortunately, the bridge was bombed during World War II and only the stone abutments remains. A deck made of reinforced concrete was built over the ruins.
Puente de Alitao, Poblacion
These arch bridges are easy to be missed. Concrete roads were built over the pavements covering the old carriageway while some have been widened with reinforced concrete constructions as part of a new parallel bridge structure. Most of the bridges have retained their width as defined by the existing stone masonry parapets and can be viewed from the riverbanks. The deterioration of these heritage properties is mainly caused by negligence, lack of awareness, and undesirable man-made interventions. It’s a good thing that the Local Government Unit of Tayabas City is actively preserving their Spanish-Era Colonial Bridges with the annual removal and treatment of vegetation as well as the masonry cleaning of these bridges.
Puente de las Despedidas in Barangay Lalo
The initiative of the LGU and the community of Tayabas to familiarize themselves and protect these heritage properties is very commendable and should be an inspiration for the public. These bridges are evidences of the ingenious engineering and construction styles that was used by our ancestors. Preserving them is keeping our rich history, culture, and identity. Tayabas isn’t the only place with existing Spanish-Era Colonial bridges on our country, if you visit an old town, you might see some. If you do, share it with us!
Text by Ar. K. Sepidoza Daysa
Illustrations and Photos by NMP Architectural Arts and Built Heritage Division
