Category Archives: Museums

Museo ng Sapatos (Marikina City, Metro Manila)

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Museo ng Sapatos (Shoe Museum)

The Museo ng Sapatos (Shoe Museum), formerly known as the Footwear Museum of Marikina, is housed in an old stone building (bigasang bayan) built in 1880s by Dona Teresa de la Paz of the affluent Tuason family to store palay.   During the Philippine Revolution, it served as an armory of the Guardia Civil and, during the Philippine–American War, the building was used as a detention center.

Museum entrance

During the American era, it was then used as a motor pool and, during the Japanese Occupation, it served as a detention center for suspected guerillas.  After World War II, the structure was repurposed as a rice mill by the Tuason family but was later abandoned.

Museum interior

In 1998, Mayor Bayani F. Fernando conceived the idea to open a museum dedicated to Marikina‘s 110-year old shoe industry and, in 2000, he had it renovated and converted into a museum.

Column wrapped with shoe lasts

Opened as Marikina Footwear Museum on February 16, 2001, it aims to showcase the shoes worn by prominent figures and personalities in the Philippine history and to trace the history of the shoe industry.  Imelda R. Marcos herself led the museum’s opening.  When Typhoon Ondoy struck in 2009, water reached 4 ft. high inside the museum and many shoes were damaged.

Imelda Marcos Shoes Gallery. At the end are the Filipiniana dress of Imelda Marcos and the barong tagalog of Pres. Ferdinand E. Marcos

At the center of the hall is a column of old wooden shoe lasts. A stairway leads up to the mezzanine where 749 pairs (as of 2020) of size eight-and-a-half footwear (shoes, downy boudoir slippers, slick knee-length boots, open-toed linen espadrilles, alligator pumps, etc.)  of former First Lady Imelda R. Marcos, an active promoter of Marikina’s shoe industry, are displayed, occupying one long wall of cabinets.

Shoes of Pres. Ferdinand E. Marcos

Shoes of Pres. Manuel A. Roxas

Aside from shoes from local designers (she was gifted an average of 10 pairs a week), they include handcrafted designer pieces from brands such as Charles Jourdan, Beltrami, Christian Dior, Gucci and Oleg Cassini.  Also on display are a Filipiniana dress worn by her and a barong tagalog worn by the late Pres. Ferdinand E. Marcos.

Shoes of Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

Shoes of Pres. Fidel V. Ramos

Seized by the Presidential Commission on Good Government, they were formerly on display, for six years, at the Malacañang Palace Museum (now the Malacanang Museum and Library) during Corazon Aquino‘s presidential term.

Check out “Malacanang Museum and Library”

Celebrity Shoes

It was later placed in storage at the beginning of Fidel V. Ramos‘s presidency.  In 1996, a portion of Marcos’ shoe collection was requested to be transferred to the Marikina city government led by Mayor Bayani Fernando. Marcos did not object to the request in 1998.

Shoes of former Marikina City Mayor Bayani Fernando

Bowling shoes of six-time World bowling champion Paeng Nepomuceno

Also on display are shoes worn by the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos plus shoes donated by the late President Fidel V. Ramos, President Joseph Estrada (a size 10) and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and shoes donated by other politicians (Sen. Loren Legarda, Cong. Jose de Venecia, Bongbong Marcos, etc.) including a pair of shoes from Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago which she wore during the 1992 Presidential Campaign and during her visit to local shoe manufacturers in Marikina.

Evolution of Shoes

Circa 1930s to 1970s

There are also shoes from showbiz figures (Agot Isidro, Dolphy, Fernando Poe Jr., Christine Reyes, April Boy Regino, Angel Aquino, John Arcilla, Rosa Rosal, etc.) , athletes (Paeng Nepomuceno, Eugene Torre, etc.), beauty queens (Venus Raj, etc.) and other well-known personalities (Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, Jaime Cardinal Sin, First Lady Amelita Ramos, etc.).

Circa 1980s to 2000s

Circa 2001 to the Present

Aside from celebrity shoes, there is a display about footwear through the ages. Highlights include kinds of shoes icemen would have worn back in 3300 BC, Dutch clogs, Viking boots, Roman sandals and Indian moccasins.  Also on display are the products that made Marikina as the Shoe Capital of the Philippines.

Singer sewing machine

Men’s and Ladies’ Shoe Stands and Manual Delaster

On another corner are award-winning shoes, mostly fantasy footwear, from the city’s annual design competition.

A 3-foot high leather shoe

Also on display are actual cobbler’s tools, a sewing machine, shoe lasts, shoe components, men’s and ladies’ shoe stands and a manual delaster.  There’s also a huge, 3 ft. high leather shoe.

Shoe Components

Cobbler’s tools

On the sidewalk surrounding the Shoe Museum is the Shoe-perstar Alley, a walk-of-fame inaugurated on November 13, 2012 (Sapatos Festival).

Angel Locsin and Joel Lamangan

It features 49 famous personalities from different careers like politics, sports, arts, entertainment, music, philanthropy, business, news and current affairs, fashion and beauty, and religion who have greatly contributed to the upliftment of the shoe industry in Marikina.  Their names are placed on 60cm. x 60cm. tiles that have a 16cm. x 16cm. shoe design made of brass.

Monique Wilson and Brian Tenorio

Also outside the Shoe Museum is a century-old acacia tree, one of two Heritage Trees in Marikina which are enduring witnesses to city’s history, particularly the growth and struggles of its footwear industry. Now laying on its side, the trunk blocking J.P. Rizal Street and half of the roots unearthed and exposed, it was uprooted by a tornado spawned by Typhoon Ompong on September 14, 2018. First aid methods and bonsai techniques had been used to revive this acacia and it is now considered a symbol of the community’s own survival and resilience.

The still resilient Heritage Tree

Museo ng Sapatos:  J.P. Rizal St., San Roque, Marikina City (50 m. from the Sentrong Pangkultura ng Marikina), Metro Manila.  Open daily, 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM.  Admission: Php50.  Tel: (632) 696-6516.E-mail: marikinatourism@gmail.com.

How to Get There: take the LRT-2 to Santolan (its last stop) and then take a San Mateo-bound jeepney to City Hallon Central Shoe Ave.  From there, it is a short walk to the museum.

Quezon Heritage House (Quezon City, Metro Manila))

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Quezon Heritage House

The Quezon Heritage House, a historic house museum within the grounds of the Quezon Memorial Circle, is situated across the Quezon City Hall. It serves as a museum focusing on the personal life of former President Manuel Quezon, complementing the nearby Museo ni Manuel L. Quezon at the base of the Quezon Memorial Shrine which focuses on the former president’s political career.

Check out “Quezon Memorial Circle,” “Quezon Memorial Shrine” and “Museo ni Manuel L. Quezon”

Built in 1927, the house was originally located at 45 Gilmore Street in Hacienda Magdalena (now New Manila). The Quezons moved to the house in 1927 when it was offered to them after Manuel Quezon contracted tuberculosis as the Santol Sanitarium  was just nearby.  The Quezons acquired the house on installment and managed to acquire three adjacent properties near the house.

Until they were forced to flee to Corregidor in 1941 during the World War II, the house was used as a weekend home by the Quezons.  After Manuel Quezon died in 1944, his family moved back to the house the next year, making it again as their family weekend house.  Later, it was occupied by the family of Maria Zeneida Quezon-Avanceña but, due to health reasons, she later moved out of the house to reside in Alabang.

During the administration of then city mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr., plans to preserve the house were made. Belmonte approached the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and had talks on the city government’s prospects of acquiring the house, as well as the registration of the building as a heritage site.  However, the house did not meet all requirements for the designation.

The house was sold in 2012 and was about to be razed, when Mayor Herbert M. Bautista (born May 12, 1968) had the house disassembled and reconstructed in Quezon Memorial Circle. In April 2013, a new foundation was laid for the house and then the house in Gilmore was disassembled. About 60% of the parts of the house were removed with care and used for restoration. In June of the same year, the disassembling process was finished.

The total cost for the relocation was ₱10 million. The Quezon family also donated some furniture and fixtures for the house. In 2015, the Quezon Heritage House was designated as a Local Heritage Site of Quezon City by virtue of Ordinance No. SP-2428 passed by the Quezon City Council.

The two-storey Quezon Heritage House, painted in beige and white, did not follow strictly the Neo-Classical style theme as it underwent, in the span of more than 50 years, several modifications by the Quezon family.   Serving as the main entrance of the house are glass doors etched with bamboo with iron-wrought leaves, one of the non-Neo-Classical features of the heritage house.

Social Hall

An adjacent, single-storey rectangular social hall, present in the Quezon house complex, has round columns and features Fu Dog sculptures and two Caryatids as part of the support. A rectangular pool, between the social hall and the house building, was converted into a fountain when the building was transferred to the Quezon Memorial Circle.

The house’s living room, on the ground floor, was used by former First Lady Aurora Quezon as her office where she was establishing the Philippine National Red Cross.  Also on the same floor is a room used by Aurora as her age advances.   During the time the Quezon-Avanceñas were occupying the house, it was used as a guest room. A kitchen, each for the first and second floor, was also constructed.

The second floor, the primary attraction of the museum, is where the two bedrooms, with the original narra beds, of former president Quezon and his wife (the couple had separate rooms due to Manuel Quezon’s illness) are situated.  Both are linked by a comfort room. The original spiral staircase was retained upon its relocation to its current place. The cabinets and mirrors, doors, grills and some stained glass panels are all original.

Aside from featuring the interiors, furnishing and properties of the Quezón family, also on display are artworks by Guillermo Estrella Tolentino (1890 -1976), Miguel Geronimo Galvez (1912-1989), Loreto T. Racuya (born 1940), German M. Icarangal (1914-1984), R.F. Tapino, P. Żółcią, and E.P. Lim.

Beside the Quezon Heritage House is the Philippine-Israel Friendship Park, inaugurated in 2017, which commemorates Pres. Quezón’s opening the Philippines to Jewish refugees from the Nazi  persecution of World War II.

Quezon Heritage House: Quezon Memorial Shrine, Quezon Memorial Circle, Elliptical Road, Diliman,  Quezon City, Metro Manila.  Admission is free.  Coordinates: 14°38′58.4″N 121°03′01.1″E

Presidential Car Museum (Quezon City, Metro Manila)

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Presidential Car Museum

The Presidential Automobile Museum (Filipino: Museo ng Pampangulong Sasakyan), within the Quezon Memorial Circle, houses the largest collection of state cars in the country.  It displays the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) collection of 12 interesting and unique cars used by 13 former Presidents of the Philippines during their term of office.

As early as 2013, the NHCP was planning to open a museum to house the presidential cars of former Philippine Presidents and, when it signed a memorandum of agreement with the local government of Quezon City, the NHCP secured a location for the museum.

Prior to the opening of the museum, the vehicles were housed in a private warehouse in Pampanga handled by the Presidential Security Group (PSG) while others were left in display in the garages of these former president’s homes.  They were restored to their original condition by Quezon City resident Alfred Perez, whose atelier Alfred Motor Works (established in 1993), located at the corner of 11th Jamboree Street and Kamuning Road, specializes in the restoration of classic cars.

On land within the Quezon Memorial Circle (formerly occupied by basketball and volleyball courts which was moved to another part of the park at the NHCP’s expense), the city provided at least 3,000 sq. m. (32,000 sq. ft.) of space for the museum. On August 19, 2018, the triangular museum was formally inaugurated.

Each display includes the car’s history and specifications as well as the profile of its user. . Beside the cars are busts of the presidents that were created by Juan Sajid de Leon Imao (born 1971), son of the first Muslim National Artist for the Visual Arts Abdulmari Imao.

The display includes the car’s history and specifications as well as the profile and bust (created by Juan Sajid de Leon Imao) of its user.

By the entrance of the museum is parol-inspired National Costume of 2018 Miss Universe Catriona Gray.

2018 Miss Universe Catriona Gray’s National Costume

The presidential car of Carlos P. Garcia (1896 – 1971) was never recovered. Presidents Benigno C. Aquino III (1960 – 2021) and Rodrigo R. Duterte (born 1945), who both used the more utilitarian Toyota Land Cruisers, do not have their cars in the museum as they are still being used.

The Packard Single Six Touring Model 233 Series 1924, the “retirement” (he rode a horse-drawn carriage during his presidency) car of Emilio Aguinaldo (1869-1964) from 1924–1964, is considered as one of the earliest US vehicles that were being exported worldwide for use as state transportation, it was used by the Russian Imperial family back then.

The car, originally displayed in Fort Santiago in Manila and the Aguinaldo Shrine in  Kawit, Cavite, has wood and vinyl interiors. Its car plate, issued in 1936, bears the figures 1-1896, “1”” reserved as plate number of presidents, and “1896” the year the Philippine Revolution began.

The Packard Single Six Touring Model 233 Series 1924 used by Pres. Emilio Aguinaldo

The 1937 Chrysler Airflow Custom Imperial CW Limousine, the presidential car used by President Manuel L. Quezon from 1937-1941, came with a price tag, back then, of US$1,610.  It was exclusively produced in 1937 to 1937 by the Chrysler Corporation.  This car, one of the rarest automobiles in the world (there are only 10 or less in the world), is the only one in the Philippines.  The most aerodynamic car of its era, was powered by an inline 8-cylinder engine producing 130 horsepower and designed with a 3-speed manual floor shift transmission

The 1937 Chrysler Airflow Custom Imperial CW Limousine used by Commonwealth Pres. Manuel L. Quezon

The 1942 Packard Customer Super 818 Limousine, the presidential car used by President José P. Laurel and his successor President Sergio Osmeña from 1941–1946, had the best fabrics, leather and carpeting, plus a wool ceiling, It also has a glass partition that can be lowered so anytime the president wants to drive on his own, then he can do so.  Osmena’s own car, a 1941 Cadillac Series 1, is currently on exhibit at the Osmena Museum in Cebu.

The 1942 Packard Customer Super 818 Limousine used by Pres. Jose P. Laurel and his successor Sergio Osmena

The 1947 Cadillac Fleetwood Series 75,  the presidential car used by President Manuel Róxas from 1946–1948, is an Imperial 7-seater limousine, considered as the ultimate luxury automotive vehicle back then.  It boasts Fleetwood coachwork, with a very imposing appearance and an impressive and detailed interior.  This car is distinguished by a massive vertical grille that stretch out to the fenders in a large hood.  Because of its engine, this Cadillac was considered one of the most powerful cars of its era.

The 1947 Cadillac Fleetwood Series 75 used by Pres. Manuel A. Roxas

The 1953 Chrysler Crown Imperial Limousine, the 8-seater presidential car used by President Elpidio Quirino from 1948–1953, is an innovative, 2-ton vehicle that had a long wheelbase and partition windows inside, power-assisted disc brakes (one of the first cars to offer them) and an electrical system with 12 volts power.

The 1953 Chrysler Crown Imperial Limousine used by Pres. Elpidio Quirino

The 1955 Cadillac Series 75-23 Fleetwood, the presidential car used by President Ramón Magsaysay from 1953–1957 (he rode a 1953 Ford Crestline Convertible during his inauguration), was considered, back then, as the most expensive Cadillac, this car was a favorite choice to transport VIPs and world leaders. It was used until the early presidential term of President Fidel V. Ramos.

The 1955 Cadillac Series 75-23 Fleetwood used by Pres. Ramon Magsaysay

The 1959 Cadillac Sedan de Ville, not the actual unit but similar to the one used by President Diosdado Macapagal from 1961–1965, is considered as a rare asset as there were only 20,000 (of which less than 100 units officially earmarked for export) of this huge, extremely sharp, very much remembered  and intimidating car model that was made available worldwide.

The 1959 Cadillac Sedan de Ville used by Pres. Diosdado Macapagal

The 1980 Lincoln Continental Mark VI Signature Series, the elegant presidential car used by President Ferdinand Marcos from 1980–1986, is Lincoln’s flagship car due to sleek design, high quality and secure car features, boasts highly advanced features.  It could be expanded to accommodate a spacious interior and had high-tech features such as keyless entry plus a more ‘digitized’ gauge cluster showing a trip computer which would let the driver and the passenger know the current status of ‘miles to empty’ and the ETA for every road trip.

1980 Lincoln Continental Mark VI Signature Series used by Pres. Ferdinand E. Marcos

The Mercedes-Benz 500 SEL is the relatively simple and understated looking presidential car used by President Corazon Aquino from 1986–1992. As safety has always been a concern for this president being in the center of a country revolution, this car had bulletproof panels and 2-inch thick glass windows.

The relatively simple Mercedes-Benz 500 SEL used by Pres. Corazon C. Aquino

The Mercedes-Benz 500 SEL Guard, the presidential car used by President Fidel V. Ramos from 1986–1992, had thinner panels and  a built-in specific switchboard that gives control to the lights and the sirens plus buttons specifically for controlling compartments and fuses.

The Mercedes-Benz 500 SEL Guard used by Pres. Fidel V. Ramoso

The Mercedes-Benz S600, the presidential car, initially assigned to Vice-President Salvador Laurel, was used by President Joseph Estrada from 1993–2001. Said to be one of the safest presidential cars due to its features, it boasts a self-sealing fuel tank, doors with thick steel plates and Kevlar used in bulletproof vests plus protection from detonating devices and a unique alarm system.  A television set and a telephone system was also installed.

The Mercedes-Benz S600, initially assigned to Vice-Pres. Salvador Laurel, and used by Pres. Joseph E. Estrada

The 1993 Mercedes-Benz S600 (LWB) S600 V140 Limousine, the presidential car used by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (born 1947) from 1993–2001,is a stretch limousine said to be the country’s longest and largest state vehicle.  It was heavily armored and had run-flat tires with engine block protective covering against any sharpshooters.

The Mercedes-Benz S600 (LWB) S600 V140 Limousine used by Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

Four cars in the collection are classified as “other vehicles of historical value.” The 1935 Cadillac V-16, a transformable town Cabriolet used by President Manuel Quezon as his presidential car, from 1935–1936, was the first car with a Philippine flag.  It had a steel roof and a grilled fender. The car was soon turned over to General Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964) in 1937 to honor him as the new Field Marshal of the Philippines.

The 1935 Cadillac V-16 first used by Pres. Manuel L. Quezon and, later, by Gen. Douglas MacArthur

The 1943 Willy’s Jeep, donated by General Douglas MacArthur, was used by Ramón Magsaysay during his tenure as Secretary of National Defense, during the term of President Elpidio Quirino, as his service vehicle from 1950–1953.  Resembling its military counterpart, it had a dependable shovel, gas tank and collapsible radio antenna.

The1943 Willy’s Jeep, donated by Gen. Douglas MacArthur, and used by Sec. of National Defense (and later president) Ramon Magsaysay

The 1960 Rolls-Royce Phantom V, used by Imelda R. Marcos (born 1929) from 1965–1986. was one of only 516 models that exist and were produced worldwide.

Te 1960 Rolls-Royce Phantom V used by former First Lady Imelda R. Marcos

Its interiors had a storage for wine and champagne bottles at the back, a set of four-crystal champagne flutes and a built-in humidor for Cuban cigars.  Other famous celebrities who owned this kind of car include Queen Elizabeth II, Shah Reza Pahlavi (the last shah of Iran) and John Lennon of The Beatles.

Interior of the 1960 Rolls-Royce Phantom V

A kalesa, used until 1940, was owned by the family of judge and revolutionary  León Castillo  Apacible(1861-1901), a member of the commission that drafted the Malolos Constitution.

The Leon Apacible Kalesa

The museum also has an audio-visual room, a resource center, a multi-purpose area, a souvenir shop and an interactive Wall Alive feature.  The museum also showcases a special section on political figures that also shaped the country’s history.

Presidential Car Museum: Quezon Memorial Circle, Elliptical Rd., Quezon City, Metro Manila.  Mobile number: (0945) 470-0436, (0905) 435-339 and (0920) 698-1954. E-mail: pcm@nhcp.gov.ph and presidentialcarmuseum@gmail.com.  Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 9 AM to 4 PM. Admission is free. Coordinates: 14°39′0.7″N 121°03′3.8″E.

Museo ni Manuel L. Quezon (Quezon City, Metro Manila)

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Museo ni Manuel L. Quezon

The Museo ni Manuel L. Quezón (lit. ’Museum of Manuel L. Quezon’), a museum at the base of the Quezon Memorial Shrine, has a collection of art works, relics and memorabilia related to former President Manuel L. Quezon as well as his wife, First Lady Aurora Aragon Quezon.  It is one of three museums within the Quezon Memorial Circle (the others are the Quezon Heritage House and the Presidential Car Museum).

Check out “Quezon Memorial Shrine,” “Quezon Heritage House” and the “Presidential Car Museum“

Gallery I (Kabtaan ni Manuel)

Opened on August 18, 1978, the museum underwent a renovation by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and was reopened on August 19, 2015.

Maj. Manuel Quezon (Bataan, 1901)

Certification of Completion (University of Sto. Tomas)

Gallery 1 (Kabataan ni Manuel) features the late president’s life in Baler, and Tayabas (now Aurora), where he was born on August 19, 1878; his education at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran and the University of Sto. Tomas, where he earned a law degree; revolution days; and civilian life.

Portrait of Don Francisco Ortigas and a souvenir frame from the Thomasites

Salakots and Hats of Quezon

Large imprint of Pres. Quezon’s right hand

On display here are the following:

  • Quezon’s February 19, 1894 University of Sto. Tomas diploma for Bachelor of Arts
  • A large imprint of Quezon’s right hand, artist unknown
  • A souvenir frame from the Thomasites
  • Portrait of Don Francisco Ortigas
  • A 1901 photo of Maj. Manuel L. Quezon in Bataan (during the Philippine-American War, where he served as aide-de-camp to Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo)
  • His hat collection (including several salakot” or native hats which he would often wear during his sorties in the provinces).

Gallery II (Unang Taon sa Serbisyo Publiko)

Gallery 2 (Unang Taon sa Serbisyo Publiko) shows his post-war endeavors as a lawyer, governor of Tayabas in 1906; National Assembly representative (1907); Resident Commissioner to Washington D.C. (1909); and Senate President (1916).

Ink dish

Calendar holder

A number of the memorabilia displayed are gifts given to Quezon by local dignitaries and organizations, some of them given during his birthday.  They include:

  • A calendar holder and a Senate crystal glass ink dish,(on opaline base with initials MLQ) given to Quezón on January 1, 1925, in appreciation of Quezón in leading the Independence Mission to Washington DC, in 1924.
  • A sterling silver inkwell given, on August 19, 1917, to Quezón as a birthday gift by Teodoro Rafael Yangco (1861-1939), who was Quezón’s replacement as the Resident Commissioner to the US Congress in Washington.
  • Two sterling silver vases given to Pres. Quezón by the Los Senadores (The Senators) and the Functionarios Y Empleados de Senado (Officials and Employees of the Senate) on January 1, 1924.
  • A July 1935 a decorative plaque, one of the oldest in the collection, was dedicated to Senate President Manuel Quezon from the Spanish cities of Alicante, Castellon de la Plana and Valencia.
  • A short 1916 obelisk, with silver plaques dedicated to Quezon, awarded by the Freemason Nilad Lodge 144 on September 23, 1916 (just a few days before he would win the 5th District senatorial seat on October 3, 1916), honoring Quezón for his work as the Resident Commissioner in Washington, D. C. from 1909 to 1916.

Obelisk plaque

Ink well set with globe

One of two sterling silver vases

There are also a number of historical photos from that era displayed such as:

Letter of endorsement

Other memorabilia on display include the following:

  • Masonic plaque issued on April 9, 1917 by Lodge of Regeneration No. 36 (Tarlac) in honor of Quezon
  • A Comprovincianos Plaque of the Province of Tayabas, a plaque of honor presented on January 1, 1918, to Quezon by Gov. Maximo Rodriguez and the Las Mas Alta Gloria de la Provincia de Tayabas y Legitimo Orgullo de la Raza Filipina (The Highest Glory of the Province of Tayabas and Legitimate Pride of the Philippine Race) to honor their native son.
  • A 1922 bust of Don Crispulo Zamora by Guillermo E. Tolentino.
  • Musical Piece (Anti Hare-Hawes-Cutting), by Hilario F. Rubio and published by Marcelino Masangkay (copyright 1934), dedicated to Senate Pres. Quezon.
  • Letter of Senate Pres. Quezon to Jose Vitug (of Lubao, Pampanga) endorsing him as Nationalista candidate.

Musical Piece (Anti Hare-Hawes-Cutting)

Gallery 3 (Pamahalang Komonwelt) features Quezon’s Commonwealth presidency, his supposed re-election in 1941 — interrupted by the war caused by Japan’s invasion and occupation — and his exile to the United States (US) from 1942 to 1944.

Gallery III (Pamahalang Komonwelt

Again, also on display here are a number of gifts given to Pres. Quezon by local and foreign dignitaries and organizations, especially on his birthday.  They include the following:

  • A hand-lettered song sheet, by Matias, containing the lyrics of a song entitled Mabuhay, Presidente Quezón Mabuhay! (Long Live, President Quezón, Long Live), which was composed in the Ilocano language by Gil delos Santos Raval (1880-1949) and Laoag postmaster Proceso Coloma, between 1938 and 1941, upon the request of Gov. Roque Blanco Ablan, Sr. (1896 – 1943) and Laoag Mayor Agripino Palting Santos (1897 – 1952). It was translated to English by Fiscal (and future congressman) Pedro Albano (born 1907).
  • A sculpture of Pres. Quezón planting rice, given to him by the National Commission of Peasants, on his 61st birthday on August 19, 1939. The sculpture is based on the famous photograph of the president when he was planting rice in celebration of the First National Rice Planting Day, on July 9, 1939.
  • A 1938 Handog ng Taliba caricature, by cartoonist Liborio “Gat” Talag Gatbonton (1914-1976), of Pres. Manuel Quezon in a tuxedo, presented to Quezon on August 19, 1938 (his 60th birthday).
  • A 1936 caricature, on ink on paper, of Manuel L. Quezon by Alfredo Gabriel
  • A 1936 caricature, on persil, of Pres. Manuel L. Quezon by Filipino-Spanish artist Luis León Lasa (1890–1986).
  • Vase in the shape of a traditional Japanese basket, given by Japanese Imperial Army Gen. Baron G. Tanaka to Pres. Quezon.
  • Coconut shell trophy, with decorative silver-plated leaves and stand, gifted by Manileno silversmith engraver Crispulo Zamora (1871 – 1922).
  • A 1939 relief of a farming scene given to Pres. Quezón, with replicas of native hats that the president enjoyed wearing.
  • Globular jars, with various Chinese deities in black and gold, from Chinese Consul-Gen. Kwangsen Young and Alfonso Z. Sycip (1888 – 1978).
  • Satzuma ware potpourri bowl.
  • President Quezon March (music by M.P. Velez, words in Spanish by J. Hernandez Gavira), dedicated to Quezon on August 19, 1939 (his 61st birthday).
  • A 3 rpm record containing Marcha Socialismo Quezoniana, performed and recorded at KZRH, presented to Quezon on August 19, 1941 (his 63rd birthday).

Pres. Quezon Planting Rice

Coconut Shell Trophy

Globular jars

Vase given by Japanese Imperial Army Gen. Baron G. Tanaka

Japanese Satzuma ware

Pres. Quezon March

Historical photos on display include:

  • A 1939 photo of Pres Quezon inspecting a soldier’s rifle, on their way to inspect the Diliman Estate with future-QC Mayor Tomas Morato and Major General Basilio J. Valdes (1892-1970), Armed Forces of Philippines
  • Photo of Pres. Quezon presenting degrees at the University of Sto. Tomas (where Aurora Aragon Quezon received her honorary Doctor of Pedagogy ) on March 23, 1940
  • Photo of Pres. Quezon signing the Suffrage Law on September 15, 1937 at Malacanang Palace.

The Signing of the Suffrage Law

A lot of the displays deal with artifacts from the Philippine Commonwealth Period.

Repository of 1935 Constitution

One very important artifact occupying a place of honor is a 1935 Damascene gold inlaid chest Philippine Constitution repository, created by Jose Vicente “Mantxon” Iriondo y Ezaguirre (1893 – 1973) and Tomas Guisasola y Guisasola, the students of famed Spanish sculptor and metalworker Placido Maria Martin Zoloaga ( 1834 – 1910) from Eibar, Spain; and sold by Beristain of Barcelona, Spain.

On the left are 1936 Philippine Commonwealth coins while on the right are Franklin Mint silver coins, issued by the Central Bank of the Philippines, commemorating Manuel Quezon’s centenary.

Banner of Honor Bearing the Commonwealth Seal

1936 Calendar and Cartridge Shells

Other Philippine Commonwealth memorabilia include:

  • A 1936 Birth of the Commonwealth Calendar, which celebrates the next major step to Philippine Independence.
  • Three pieces of cartridge cases used for the first gun salute in honor of Pres. Quezon, fired on June 3, 1936.
  • An honor banner bearing the Commonwealth seal of the Philippines.
  • Quezon March (a printed musical composition by Julian Silverio)
  • The 1938 painting The Commonwealth by Antonio Gonzales Dumlao (1912-1983)
  • November 25, 1935 issue of Time Magazine with Pres. Quezon gracing the cover in commemoration of the inauguration of the Commonwealth.
  • 1936 Commonwealth coins
  • 1935 Commonwealth dry seal
  • Dinnerware with Commonwealth seal

Dinnerware Set with Commonwealth Seal

Quezon featured in cover of Time Magazine (November 25, 1935)

Commonwealth Dry Seal

Some artifacts deal with the Quezon Institute, a medical complex named after the president (who suffered and died from tuberculosis) who was its benefactor.  They include:

  • A copy of the Quezon Institute Plaque created by the sons of Crispulo de Guzman-Mendoza Zamora (1871-1922), in 1938.
  • A relief of Pres. Quezón’s head in profile on the 1938 commemorative plaque of the Quezon Institute, which was created by the family of Crispulo Zamora.

Plaque of Appreciation from Quezon Institute

Other items on display are Pres. Manuel L. Quezon’s personal belongings such as:

  • Statuette of Pres. Quezon with his swagger stick
  • Quezon’s tailcoat
  • Quezon’s sword collection
  • Quezon’s bastonero (walking stick holder)

Quezon’s bastonero (walking stick holder)

Statuette of Quezon holding his swagger stick.  At the foot of the statue is Quezon’s swagger stick

Quezon’s tailcoat

Quezon Sword Collection

Gallery 4 (Ikalawang Digmaang Pandaidig sa Pilipinas) feature’s Quezon’s leadership during World War II and his exile to the United States.

Gallery IV (Ikalawang Digmaang Pandaidig sa Pilipinas

It tells the story of the rescuing of the Jews by Quezon; important events during World War II; life during the war; and the Guerilla Movement in the Philippines, 1942 – 1944.

Quezon’s Rifle Collection

As a soldier, Quezón was familiar with different weapons and on display here are some of the firearms in his collection:

  • A 1895 Winchester caliber 405 center fire hunting rifle (serial number 79418)
  • A 1913-1914 Parker Brothers double barrel 16 gauge shotgun (serial number 167904)
  • A 1937 Fábrica Nacional de Armas México 30 caliber Medoza Model C automatic rifle (serial number 2664)
  • A 1938 Fábrica Nacional de Armas México 30 caliber model 1934 carbine (serial number 22196).
  • A Moro lantaka(native cannon) which Pres. Quezón had picked up from his many visits to the island of Mindanao

Photos of Manila’s Ruins during the Second World War

Also on display are photos of Manila’s ruins during the World War II and a collection of World War II memorabilia such as a leather holster; an aluminum water flask; a military helmet; and a telegram Morse Code buzzer.

Military helmet

Haversack bag

Telegram Morse Code buzzer

Also on display are the military peak cap, shoulder bag (1945 US Navy combat field pack) and uniform of Gen. Carlos P. Rómulo (1899-1985) and the World War II shoulder bag used by Brig.-Gen. and future President Manuel Róxas (1892-1948).

Peaked Cap of Carlos P. Romulo

Military shoulder bag owned by Carlos P. Romulo

Military shoulder bags owned by Manuel Roxas

Gallery 5 (Pamana) relates the story on Quezon’s death due to tuberculosis on Aug. 1, 1944 in the US. From Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, his remains were transferred to Manila North Cemetery in 1946 before it was moved to the Quezon Memorial Shrine on Aug. 1, 1979.

Gallery V (Pamana)

On display here are the following:

  • Philippine flag draped over the casket of Pres. Quezon when he died in 1944
  • Scroll with the photo of the Old City of Jerusalem
  • Token of Appreciation given by the Israel Defense Forces in gratitude for Quezon

Philippine flag that was draped over Quezon’s casket

Token of Appreciation and Scroll

The Galeria ni Doña Aurora Quezón, a dedicated gallery to Quezon’s wife, First Lady Aurora Aragon Quezon, is a replica of her bed room.

Galeriya ni Dona Aurora Quezon

This showroom displays Doña Aurora’s Atay bed (with squash decoration on every corner post) and sewing machine, her formal Filipiniana terno gowns, memorabilia of her travels abroad, hats, jewelry, several photographs, a painting of Doña Aurora and Pres. Quezón, and two busts by Isabelo L. Tampinco (1850-1933) and Eduardo De Los Santos Castrillo (1942-2016).

Tanggapan Ng Pangulong Quezon

The Tanggapan ng Pangulong Quezón has a replica of Manuel L. Quezon‘s presidential office (with Quezón’s actual desk and chairs from his office, as well as a display of the president’s golf clubs, hats, awards, briefcases, playing cards, and two sculptures of Quezón.  There is also a replica of his room in the Malinta Tunnel in the fortress island of Corregidor, where Pres. Quezón moved his cabinet and their families on the December 24, 1941, onboard the SS Mayon.

Malinta Tunnel

An audio-visual room presents a short documentary on the life of Pres. Manuel L. Quezon and the creation of the museum. The museum also features a hologram of Quezon delivering his inaugural speech as president;  interactive booths and terminals which edifies visitors regarding the Commonwealth era.

Audio-Visual Room

The museum also displays a number of paintings.  They include:

  • A 1939 portrait of Pres. Quezón and Vice-president Osmeña, with Inang Bayan promising hope to the Filipino people in the background. The artist of the painting was part of the “Insular Prisoners,” most likely those part of the prisoners being transferred to the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa.
  • The 1938 painting The Commonwealth by Antonio Gonzales Dumlao (1912-1983)
  • A 1939 portrait, by cartoonist and painter Rodolfo Fernando Dayao (1920-1991), of President Manuel Quezon based on his visit to the Philippine Military Academy (Camp Henry T. Allen, Baguio) in 1937.
  • A 1994 painting of the Quezon Memorial Shrine by Mardonio Aurora Cempron (born 1941). 
  • Jose T. Juco, Sr. painting of Pres. Quezón awarding the Philippine Army Medal of Valor to Major-Dr. Emigdio “Meding” Castor Cruz (1898-1978), who had volunteered to return to the Philippines via Australia and gather intelligence on Japanese positions in the country, from the May 3,1943 to February 28,1944.
  • A 1935 portrait, by Eduardo Arandia Salgado (born 1910), of Pres. Manuel L. Quezon wearing a barong tagalog (traditional shirt) and holding a salakot (native hat), while the figure of the Inang Bayan (motherland) floats behind him with the Philippine Flag

The Commonwealth (Antonio Gonzales Dumlao, 1938)

Portrait of Pres. Quezón and Vice-Pres. Osmeña

Quezon presents the Congressional Medal of Valor to Major Emigdio Cruz (Jose T. Juico, Sr., 1947)

Museo ni Manuel L. Quezon : Quezon Memorial Shrine, Quezon Memorial Circle, Elliptical Road, Diliman,  Quezon City, Metro Manila. Tel: (632) 8225-1861.  Mobile number: (0949) 568-5918.  E-mail: mmq@nhcp.gov.ph and museonimanuelquezon18@gmail.com.  Open Tuesdays to Saturdays, 8 AM to 4 PM.  Admission is free.  Coordinates: 14°39′05.1″N 121°02′57″E.

Metropolitan Museum of Manila (Taguig City, Metro Manila)

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Metropolitan Museum of Manila

One of my regrets was I never got to visit the old Metropolitan Museum of Manila, an art museum that exhibits local and international contemporary art, that was formerly located in a building designed by Gabriel Formoso.  Located within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Complex along Roxas Boulevard in the Malate district of Manila, it billed itself as the country’s premier museum for modern and contemporary visual arts by local and international artists.

Old Metropolitan Museum of Manila

The Met first opened its doors in 1976 with an initial exhibit of international artists to expose Filipinos to contemporary visual works in other cultures.  The first exhibit showcased 105 artworks, in various media, from the Brooklyn Museum and other American museums and galleries. Partly subsidized by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the museum’s administration was entrusted, in 1979, to the Metropolitan Museum of Manila Foundation.

The Mariano K. Tan Centre

By 1986, its focus shifted to local works, extending its reach to more common people by offering bilingual exhibition texts and developing several outreach educational programs like workshops and symposia, thereby promoting local pride and identity. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic.

Museum Lobby

During the pandemic, the museum quickly transitioned its exhibitions and workshops online, with successful virtual exhibition openings and live conferences. At the same time, the famed institution was also gearing for another transition, arranged and made possible by the Chairman of its Board of Trustees, Joselito Y. Campos, Jr.

In the last few decades, the nearby important galleries and hangouts have closed down, moving to Makati and, later, to Taguig, plus the original home of 45 years (now permanently closed) was deemed inaccessible by many.

Plazas in the Philippines: Places of Memory, Places of the Heart

Thus, they decided to leave and move to its new location in Bonifacio Global City, an emerging cultural hub in Taguig City, as an integral part of the office and commercial building of the Mariano K. Tan Center.   The venue is near the sports park Track 30th and the High Street commercial center.

Points of Origin

Opened to the public in February 2023, it also got a new nickname – the short, catchy, and easily recognizable The M, plus a new logo to better herald the beginning of a new era for the institution.

Prior to its opening, it launched a preview of the new spaces with three exhibitions – “Ronald Ventura: Quick Turns on Hyper Highways,””Korea: A Land of Hats (presented in partnership with the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines and the Coreana Cosmetics Museum) and “The Hat of the Matter” (supported by Bench, a global clothing brand).

Quick Turns on Hyper Highways

The purpose of my visit was to cover the recent opening of “Plazas in the Philippines:- Places of Memory, Places of the Heart” Exhibit which was curated by fellow architect and U.P. College of Architecture alumnus Paulo G. Alcazaren (also my boss when I was working with Mas Othman Associates).  Aside from this exhibit, there were also three other ongoing exhibits which I also visited.

Check out “Plazas in the Philippines:- Places of Memory, Places of the Heart,” “Jefre: Points of Origin,” “Ronald Ventura: Quick Turns on Hyper Highways” and “Sounds of Blackness”

Sounds of Blackness (6)

The museum’s three floors of galleries house a collection of art and historical artifacts loaned by the BSP.  They include pre-Hispanic gold work and pottery; religious artwork and some artworks by Félix Resurrección Hidalgo. The rest of the museum is dedicated to Philippine contemporary works by various Filipino artists.

Anito (Arturo Luz, aluminum in rust finish, undated)

Upon entering the third floor, you are greeted by “Anito,” a towering 8-ft. high aluminum artwork, in rust finish, by the late Arturo Luz that took 8 people to transport into the space where it stands.  There are three ongoing exhibits there.

The M Collection

Its brand new, state—of-the-art 3,000-sq. m. space,plus an outdoor area for installations, was designed by the Manila-born, Brooklyn-based Filipino-Columbian architect Carlos Arnaiz.

Quick Turns on Hyper Highways outdoor exhibit

The entrance of the museum is accessed through an open pedestrian walkway that leads to the bustling and often busy Bonifacio High Street area of shops and dining places.  Now with access to more foot traffic, the museum will now be introduced to a new audience, thus reinforcing its philosophy of “Art for All.”.

Points of Origin outdoor exhibit

Metropolitan Museum of Manila: Mariano K. Tan Centre, 30th St. cor. 9th Ave., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, Metro Manila. Mobile number:: (0917) 160-9667. E-mail: info@metmuseummanila.org. Open Tuesdays to Saturdays (except on public holidays and other special notices). Pre-register a day before your visit. The museum offers free admission on Tuesdays.

Memorial Visitor’s Center (Taguig City, Metro Manila)

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Memorial Visitor’s Center

The 11,000 sq. ft., nearly US$5,000,000, 2-level,interpretative  Memorial Visitor’s Center, nestled and partially built into a hillside,  was designed by Corpus Christi, Texas–based Richter Architects to complement and enhance the experience of visiting the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.

Opened last October 20, 2019, the 75th anniversary of the return of Gen. Douglas MacArthur in the Philippines, it provides historic orientation to visitors from all over the world and amplifies the powerful message implicit in the largest American military cemetery on foreign soil.

Check out “Manila American Cemetery and Memorial”

The visitor center was planned so that, from the monument atop the hill, its roof line would be at eye level, with most of the building extending down and beyond view. Its low-key design minimized the mass of the new cast-in-place concrete structure and did not compete with the memorial or cemetery and detract from the serene landscape.

Scaled Model of Manila American Cemetery and Memorial

Much of the center’s exterior is high-performance thermal glass, designed to withstand typhoons, while the rest was clad in horizontal panels of Italian travertine, to appear more “of the earth as well as contrast with the similar sand-colored vertical slabs of the stone used for the chapel and the monument. Other exterior materials include white-painted steel, aluminum, and plaster.

Flat, concrete slab floors and roof and its shallow steel framing aim to keep the structure as transparent and unobtrusive as possible. Its expanse of glass connects the interior with the surrounding landscape while elements of limestone on its façade reference the existing monument and gravestones.

I entered the center, directly across from the chapel, from ground level, before descending from the lobby to the lower level through an open staircase, which preserves the sight line to the chapel outside. Teak, a traditional material in Southeast Asia, was used for the ceilings, stairs and as wall cladding throughout the interior.   The lower-level windows are screened with louvers, allowing diffused daylight inside while focusing attention toward the crosses in the landscape outside.

Visual aids depicting the American Era

Main exhibit hall

Downstairs, it houses the main gallery which explains, in great detail, the many battles (Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Peleliu, Bismarck Archipelago, Guam, Wake Island,Tarawa Island, Leyte, etc.) within the Western Pacific during World War II via powerful, graphic and searing photos accompanied by clear, hard hitting descriptions that show the extent of the true horror that was caused.

Peleliu (The Forgotten Island Assault) and Devastation (Manila in Ruins)

Tarawa Island Assault and Bataan Death March

Through letters and artifacts, it also shares the stories of several fallen soldiers (Pvt. Bernard Steenwyk, Lt. George H. Freed, 1st Lt. Alexander R. Nininger Jr., Ens. Frank E. Cook and T. Sgt. Charles Steiskal), prisoners-of-war (Pvt. Anthony Smith, PFC Jack Brady, PFC Domingo Balod and Lt. Robert Fulton), soldiers missing in action (Brig.-Gen. Vicente Lim, TM2-C. Andrew J. Kirskey and 2nd Lt. Earl R. Stone), soldiers missing in action and later identified (Pvt. Bud Kelder) and the Navajo Code Talkers of the US Marine Corps.

Alexander Nininger Jr. (1st Lt., US Army) – killed in action near Abucay, Bataan on January 12, 1942. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for leading an assault on Japanese positions. He was the first American army soldier to be so honored in the Second World War

Brig.-Gen. Vicente Lim (Bataan Survivor and Patriot) – a World War II hero, Lim was the first Filipino graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point (Class of 1914).

Visual aids also illustrate life and events during the American Era (Under Foreign Rule, Americans in the Philippines, Economic Independence, Philippine Commonwealth, Peacetime Draft), the preparation for war (American Reinforcements, Mobilizing the Military, Recruiting and Training), the Japanese Invasion (Battle of the Philippines, Manila Under Attack, the Bataan Death March, POWs) and the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines (Society Under Siege, the Civilian Internees of Santo Tomas, the Resistance  Movement, Resistance Networks) and the Liberation of the Philippines (Leyte Landing, the Liberation of Manila, Rescue the POW Camps).

Battle of the Philippines (Initial Landing and Main Attack)

Bataan Death March

Also illustrated are the burial and identification process of remains (Emergency Battlefield Burials, Grave Markers, Temporary Cemeteries, Graves Registration, Identification of Remains); the  American Battle Monuments Commission (History and Mission, List of Cemeteries and Memorials around the world) and the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (The Site, A Respectful Setting, Construction, The Memorial, The Memorials and Mosaic Maps, Honors to the Fallen).

Temporary Cemeteries (Morale on the Battlefield and A Permanent Burial Site (A Family Tradition)

Quartermaster General letter to the next of kin of deceased

Artifacts on display include Coke bottles and various calibers of World War II ordnance recovered on the Memorial site; a personal effects bag used by the Graves Commission to collect deceased personal belongings; a Quartermaster General’s letter to the next of kin of deceased, standard ration toilet paper and water purification tablet; an M1 Garand rifle, a standard issue aluminum canteen used by US Forces; a KA-BAR Fighting Utility Knife; the decorated mess kit used by Pvt. Anthony Smith during his time as a Japanese POW, medals (Philippine Defense Medal, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, Philippine Liberation Medal and Philippine Independence Medal), a US War Ration Book and money used by Filipinos during the Japanese Occupation.

KA-BAR Fighting Utility Knife

M1 Garand Rifle

Also on display is a scaled model of the USS Bayfield attack transport and the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.

Medals

Standard issue aluminum canteen used by US Forces

The 50-seat theater features a short, 17-min, thought-provoking. documentary film which focuses on the sacrifices of American and Filipino soldiers during World War II in the country and in the whole Pacific.  The center also houses an administration and reception area and support functions.

Theater

Memorial Visitor’s Center: American Memorial Cemetery and Memorial, 1634 McKinley Rd, Taguig City 1634, Metro Manila. Tel: (02) 8844-0212, (02) 8813-2521 and (02) 8894-3963. Fax: (02) 8812-4717.  E-mail: supt@abmc-ar.org. Website:  www.abmc.gov/Manila. Open daily (except December 25 and January 1), 9 AM to 5 PM..  Coordinates: 14.541°N 121.050°E. Admission is free but a valid photo ID is required for entrance to the cemetery.

How to Get There: The American Memorial Cemetery is located at the junction between McKinley Road and Nichols Field Road, about 11 kms.  southeast of the center of Manila.  It can be reached most easily from the city via EDSA to McKinley Road, then to McKinley Parkway inside the Bonifacio Global City. The Nichols Field Road is the easiest access from Manila International Airport to the cemetery. The entrance to the cemetery is at the far (east) side of the large grassed circle just beyond the military sentinel’s post which is at the junction of Rizal Drive and Eighth Ave..

Museo Sorsogon (Sorsogon City, Sorsogon)

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Museo Sorsogon

Part of Sorsogon Countryside Tour

After our Whale Shark Interaction in Donsol, we again boarded our coaster for the 66.7-km. (1.5-hr.) drive to Sorsogon City, making a stopover at the relatively new, two-storey, Neo-Classical-style Museo Sorsogon within the Provincial Capitol Complex.

Check out “Whale Shark Interaction“

The now glass-paneled cell doors

A brainchild of Gov. Francis Joseph “Chiz” G. Escudero, this two-storey museum is housed at the Old Sorsogon Provincial Jail. Built in 1916, the jail also hosted the Court of First Instance.

Historical Marker

When a new penitentiary was built and the inmates were transferred in 2019, Escudero saw the potential of the vacated building and decided to showcase the province’s history, culture and heritage. The property was restored by the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Restoration Marker

The museum displays significant historical and cultural artifacts and memorabilia of the province, highlighting its early settlers and settlement, participation in the 1896 Philippine Revolution, status during the American Occupation and locally-made products. Relevant artifacts are still continuously collected.

Garita (guardhouse)

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) managed the curatorial development of this new museum and also facilitated the loans of important artifacts from the National Museum of the Philippines.

Museum foyer

The NHCP formally turned over the museum to the Sorsogon Provincial Government on March 12, 2021, during its inauguration and blessing. NHCP Chairman Rene R. Escalante presented the Certificate of Turn-over to Gov. Francis Joseph “Chiz” G. Escudero, and the latter spearheaded the unveiling ceremonies.The museum was blessed by Sorsogon Bishop Jose Alan V. Dialogo.

Iron anchor from Donsol astillero

The inauguration was also attended by Deputy Speaker Evelina G. Escudero, National Museum of the Philippines Director-General Jeremy R. Barns, Sorsogon Vice Governor Manuel L. Fortes, Jr., Sorsogon City Mayor Ma. Ester E. Hamor, and other local government officials. Museo Sorsogon opened to the public on March 15, 2021

Decreto Real

Map of Sorsogon

The museum houses ten galleries housed in what was once a prison cell, with the cell doors now glass paneled.  The total area per floor is about 830 sq. m. Galleries 1 to 5 are located on the first floor of the building while Galleries 6 to 10 are located on the second floor.

Replica of the San Diego cannon (National Museum of the Philippines)

At the museum foyer, we were welcomed by a sizable, wall-hung political map showing Sorsogon’s towns and two legislative districts.

Hallway with sequential portraits of past provincial governors

Also on display in this area are the glass-framed copy of the Discreto Real (the document that established the province in 1894), a replica of a cannon recovered from the San Diego wreck site and a huge iron ship anchor recovered from the Donsol astillero.

The author at Gallery 9

Lining the ground floor hallway leading to the galleries are sequential portraits of former provincial governors of Sorsogon.

Gallery 1: Ang Pinagmulan ng Pangalan ng Sorsogon

Gallery 1, called “Ang Lalawigan ng Sorsogon: Ang mga Bayan at Lungsod Nito” (The Province of Sorsogon: Its Municipalities and City), contains 5 displays.:

  • Ang Pinagmula ng Pangalan ng Sorsogon (The Origin of the Name of Sorsogon)
  • Heograpiya ng Sorsogon (The Geography of Sorsogon)
  • Ang Klima at mga Importanteng Producto ng Sorsogon (Climate and Important Sorsogon Products)
  • Populasyon ng Sorsogon (The Population of Sorsogon)
  • Mga Wika ng Sorsogon (Sorsogon Languages) – the dialects the people speak

Gallery 1: Heograpiya ng Sorsogon

Gallery 2: Ang mga Kuweba ng Bato (The Caves of Bato)

Gallery 2, called “Panahong Prehistoriko at Pagsisimula ng mga Pamayanan” (The Prehistoric Period and the Beginning of Communities), contains 4 displays:

  • Ang mga Kuweba ng Bato (The Caves of Bato)
  • Ang Libingan sa Pilar (The Cemetery of Pilar)
  • Ang Pagsisimula ng mga Sinaunang Pamayanan (The Beginning of Early Settlements)
  • Mga Alamat ng Lawa ng Bulusan (Legends of Lake Bulusan)

Gallery 3: Ang Misa sa Gibal-ong (Gibalon) Magallanes

Gallery 3: Pag-aalsa sa Sorsogon (Uprising in Sorsogon)

Gallery 3, called “Sorsogon noong Panahon ng mga Espanyol” (Sorsogon during the Spanish Period), contains 10 displays that narrates how the Spanish regime shaped Sorsgon:

  • Ang Misa sa Gibal-ong (Gibalon) Magallanes (The Mass of Gibalon, Magallanes)
  • Ang Misyon ng mga Pransiskano sa Sorsogon (The Franciscan Mission in Sorsogon)
  • Erecciones de Pueblos y Parroquias: Pagtatatag ng mga Bayan noong ika-17 Daantaon (The Establishment of Towns and Parishes During the 17th Century)
  • Pag-aalsa sa Sorsogon (Uprising in Sorsogon)
  • Astilleros: Ang Halaga ng Sorsogon sa Kalakhang Galyon (The Importance of Sorsogon in the Galleon Trade)
  • Ang mga Pagsalakay ng mga Pirata sa Sorsogon (The Pirate Attacks in Sorsogon)
  • Baluartes, Estacadas y Castillos: Ang mga Tanggulan at Moog sa Sorsogon (Bastions, Stockades and Castles: The Forts and Towers in Sorsogon)
  • Ang mga Bahay-na-Bato ng Sorsogon (The Stone Houses of Sorsogon)
  • Mga Tradisyong Relihiyoso sa ibat-ibang Bayan ng Sorsogon (Religious Traditions in the Different Towns of Sorsogon)
  • Ang Espesyal na Debosyon kay Ina, Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia sa Sorsogon (The Special Devotion to our Mother, Our Lady of Peñafrancia of Sorsogon).

Ang Espesyal na Debosyon kay Ina, Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia10 sa Sorsogon

Astilleros Ang Halaga ng Sorsogon sa Kalakhang Galyon

Gallery 4, called “Rebolusyon sa Sorsogon” (Sorsogon Revolution), contains 3 displays that narrates the Philippine Revolution that unfolded at the province at the tail end of their 333 year rule:

  • Kronolohiya ng mga Kaganapan (Chronology of Events)
  • Si Obispo Jorge Barlin sa Sorsogon (Bishop Jorge Barlin of Sorsogon)
  • Ang mga “Pulahanes” sa Sorsogon (The “Pulahanes” of Sorsogon).

Gallery 4: Si Obispo Jorge Barlin sa Sorsogon

Gallery 4: Ang mga “Pulahanes” sa Sorsogon

Gallery 5, called “Sorsogon sa Pananakop ng mga Amerikano” (Sorsogon During the American Occupation), contains 8 displays that narrates the early armed resistance against the Americans and the progress brought about by these eventual colonizers up to the time of the Philippine Commonwealth Government:

  • Pagdating ng mga Amerikano (The Arrival of the Americans)
  • Ang mga “Amerikanistas” at mga Anti-Amerikano; Ang Pagkilos ni Lt. Col. Emeterio Funes (The “Amerikanistas” and the Anti-Americans: The Action of Lt. Col. Emeterio Funes)
  • Pagtatanggol ng Donsol Laban sa mga Amerikano (Donsol’s Defense Against the Americans)
  • Mga Gurong Amerikano (Thomasites) at ang Pampublikong Edukasyon sa Sorsogon (The American Teachers (Thomasites) and Public Education in Sorsogon)
  • Larawan ng Bagong Kaayusan (A Portrait of the New Order)
  • Pampublikong Istraktura (Public Structures)
  • Pagsupil sa Kolera (Cholera Control)
  • Sa Ilalim ng Pamahalaang Komonwelt (Under the Commonwealth Government)

Gallery 5: Pagsupil sa Kolera

Gallery 5: Pagdating ng mga Amerikano

Gallery 6, called “Sorsogon sa Pananakop ng mga Hapon” (Sorsogon During the Japanese Occupation), contains 7 displays:  Here, we learn about Bicolano heroes such as Wenceslao Vinzons (of Camarines Norte) and Salvador Escudero who both commanded guerilla units.

  • Ang Ikalawang Digmaang Pandaigdig at ang Pananakop ng Sorsogon (The Second World War and the Conquest of Sorsogon)
  • Mga Gerilla ng Sorsogon: Ang Gerilla Yunit ni Lapus (Sorsogon Guerillas: The Guerilla Unit of Lapus)
  • Mga Gerilla ng Sorsogon: Ang Gerilla Yunit ni Escudero (Sorsogon Guerillas: The Guerilla Unit of Escudero)
  • Ang mga War Tunnel ng Bulan (The War Tunnels of Bulan)
  • Ang Masaker ng mga Tsino ng Bulan (The Massacre of the Chinese of Bulan)
  • Ang Pagtatapos ng Digmaan (The End of the War)
  • Mga Bayaning Gerilya ng Sorsogon (Guerilla Heroes of Sorsogon)

Ang Ikalawang Digmaang Pandaigdig at ang Pananakop ng Sorsogon

Gallery 6: Ang Masaker ng mga Tsino ng Bulan

Here, a bartolina (solitary confinement cell) displays some restored weapons used during the guerilla period

Gallery 6: Restored weapons at the bartolina (solitary confinement cell)

Gallery 6: Battle Dressing

Gallery 7, called “Pagbangon at Pag-unlad” (Rise and Development), contains 3 displays that narrates Sorsogon’s road to recovery from damages during the war, the disasters that Sorsogon had to endure (catstrophic storms, eruptions of Mount Bulusan) and famous Sorsoganons who displayed their heroic mettle during the Martial Law years including Lilosa Hilao, the 23-year old student journalist who was arrested, raped and viciously tortured then killed (the first detainee to be killed during that time):

  • Mga Anak ng Sorsogon sa Panahon ng Batas Militar hanggang sa People Power (Sorsogueños During Martial Law Until People Power)
  • Mga Mapaminsalang Bagyo (Destructive Typhoons)
  • Mga Aktibidad bg Bulkang Bulusan (The Activities of Mount Bulusan)

Gallery 7: Mga Anak ng Sorsogon sa Panahon ng Batas Militar hanggang sa People Power

Gallery 7: Mga Aktibidad bg Bulkang Bulusan

Gallery 8, called “Mga Industriya ng Sorsogon” (Sorsogon Industries), showcases Sorsogon’s main industries.  On display are decorative and utilitarian items made  from niyog (mature coconut),  pili (pili nut) and abaka (abaca) plus some tools produced by the blacksmiths (panday),of Sorsogon.

Gallery 8: Pagpapanday (Blacksmithing)

Gallery 8: Abaka (Abaca)

The gallery also displays the mural of Lady Justice (Justitia),  painted by a certain V. L. Jesalva, and restored by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).

Gallery 8: Lady Justice (Justitia) by V.L. Jesalva

Gallery 8: Pili (Pili Nut)

Gallery 9, called “Pantomina sa Tinampo (Sorsogon’s traditional love and courtship dance), exhibits 2 events:

  • Kasanggayahan Festival
  • Pantomina sa Tinampo (Traditional Courtship Folk Dance, Guinness World Record Title Holder 2019)

Gallery 9: Kasanggayahan Festival

Gallery 9: Pantomina sa Tinampo

During the province’s 125th anniversary celebration on October 31, 2019, Sorsogon bagged the Guinness World Record for the “Largest Filipino Folk Dance” when 7,127 participants from all over the province performed the Pantomina along the Rompeoplas Baywalk.

Gallery 9: Guinness World Record Certificate

Gallery 10, called “Mga Pook Pasyalan sa Sorsogon,” contains 4 displays that feature replicas and stories behind Sorsogon’s natural and historical tourist gems:

  • Isla, Dagat, Dalampasigan (Island, Sea, and Beach)
  • Anyaya ng Inang Kalikasan (Invitation of Mother Nature)
  • Paglalakbay na Makasaysayan (Historical Journey)
  • Mayamang Kultura at Pananampalataya (Rich Culture and Faith)

Gallery 10: Gubat

Gallery 10

The yard, at the back of the museum, was converted into an 875-sq.m. open-air amphitheater.  Now a venue for events and stage performances, it has a six-tier seating area.

Open-air Amphitheater.  At both ends are Kape-Terya and Kape-Tolyo

At the back of the museum, within the corners of the amphitheater, are the Kape-Terya (Cafeteria) and the Kape-Tolyo (coffee shop). The former offers local snacks while the latter offers both hot and cold coffee to museum visitors.

The Souvenir Shop, located at the entrance of the museum, displays “made in Sorsogon” products of micro, small and medium enterprises such as snacks, beauty products made from pili, handicrafts and accessories, all sold with no price mark-up.

A staircase wall also features the original artworks of the provincial jail inmates including a Sigue-Sigue Sputnik gang’s rendition of the portrait of Cuban revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara.

Museo Sorsogon: Brgy. 1, Burabod, Provincial Capitol Compound, Sorsogon City. Mobile number: (0912)-236-6422.  E-mail: museo@sorsogon.gov.ph. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MuseoSorsogon. Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 8:30 AM -12 noon and 1:00-5:30 PM.

How to Get There: Sorsogon City is located 517.5 kms. (a 12–hr. drive) from Manila via the Pan-Philippine Highway/AH26. 

Sorsogon Provincial Tourism Culture and Arts Office: Ground Floor, Capitol Building, 4700 Sorsogon City. Mobile number: (0968) 624-6279. E-mail: tourism@sorsogon.gov.ph

Ur Place Travel & Tours: OLV Pangpang, Sorsogon City, Sorsogon.  Mobile number (Viber): (0927) 950-3927 (Ms. Annie Gueb).  Facebook: www.facebook.com/urplacetravel

Isabela Museum and Library (City of Ilagan, Isabela)

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Isabela Museum and Library

On our third day in Isabela, a break in the Bambanti Festival proceedings brought us to the Isabela Museum and Library. Upon arrival, we were welcomed by Mr. Jesus Fernandez Ordonez, Museum Researcher II who was to tour us around the museum.

The Neo-Classical facade

The two-storey museum showcases Isabela’s history and cultural heritage. Among the museum’s collections are antique furniture, fossils, ethnographic items, heirloom pieces, visual arts (photographs, paintings, sculpture, and graphic arts), artworks, historical and cultural dioramas and miniature models of provincial landmarks, among others.

Display at museum lobby

The building where the museum is located, built in 1946, once housed the province’s old capitol until 1991.  When a provincial capitol buiding was built in Brgy. Alibagu, Gov. Benjamin G. Dy decided to convert the old building into a museum and library.

Bambantii Festival Exhibit

Architect Baltazar Gigantone was commissioned to redesign the building into a museum.  On May 11, 1991, the new museum was inaugurated during the 143rd founding anniversary of the province.  In 2019, the museum was rehabilitated by Gov. Faustino G. Dy III.

Diorama of the Capture of Emilio Aguinaldo

Upon entry, one of the first exhibit we noticed was the diorama of the March 23, 1901 capture of Pres. Emilio Aguinaldo in Palanan by American Gen. Frederick Funston. One by one, we toured the museum’s numerous galleries.

Farming Implements

The Cultural Heritage/Antiques Gallery, on the right wing, is the first gallery we visited.  It displays, as its name implies, antique furniture, religious artifacts (monstrances, statuary, chalices, candle holders, etc.), relics from old structures (St. Matthias Church, Bungad Bridge, San Vicente Ferrer Chapel, San Pablo Church Ruins, Casa Real, etc.), burnay pottery, ceramic water filter (ca. 1930 – 1960), World War II memorabilia (M1 helmets, canteens, mess kits, Japanese rifle, nesting cups, etc.)and Scouting Jamboree memorabilia.

Check out “Church of St.Matthias“

Sewing machines, typewriters, etc.

Old appliances, office equipment and everyday items on display include typewriters (Underwood, Royal, etc.), gas-operated flat irons, single-burner mini gas stoves, Singer sewing machines, prinsa (old style metal pan filled with hot coals), Gramophone records, an abacus, ash trays, case gin bottles (cuatro cantos), a Mansfield automatic film projector, Canon cameras, an  Olympia adding machine,  Paymaster check writer/printer, Gramophone, farming implements and a dadapilan (sugar cane crusher) and old wooden storage chests.

Cooking Implements and Wooden Chests

Burnay Pottery

The adjoining gallery houses the memorabilia of the late Sen. Heherson Alvarez (clothes, books, photos, etc.), the Governors’ Memorabilia and the Portraits of Power Gallery.

Portraits of Power Gallery

Memorabilia of Sen. Heherson Alvarez

On the left wing are the Awards and Bambanti Festival Gallery (gowns, photos, etc.), the Selyo Gallery (displays first day of issue Philippine stamps), Revolving Exhibit Gallery and Numismatics Gallery (displays coins and paper currency).

Selyo Gallery (Philippine stamps, first day of issue)

Numismatics Gallery (coins and paper currency)

Awards and Bambanti Festival Gallery

Another room houses the Contemporary Arts Gallery (Art Capital of the North Gallery, Visual Arts and Scaled Models).

Contemporary Arts Gallery

Scaled models

The Tilamsik ng Liwanag (Splash of Light”) Gallery displays replicas of Katipunan flags and photos of historical events (the Propaganda Movement, Katipunan Movement, Philippine Revolution, the Malolos Constitution, Philippine-American War, World War II, the Japanese Occupation, Martial Law years, People Power Revolution, etc.) and personalities (Jose Rizal, Emilio Aguinaldo, Manuel L. Quezon, etc.).

Tilamsik ng Liwanag (Splash of Light”) Gallery

The library has 21,793 books (including the minutes of session of the Provincial Board, from 1909 to 2011, the oldest in the country).

Library

Minutes of Session of the Provincial Board, the oldest in the country

Isabela Museum and Library: Arranz St., Brgy. Osmena, City of Ilagan, Isabela.  Tel: (078) 307-3004 and (078) 323-3146.  E-mail: isabelamuseumandlibrary@gmail.com and isabelatourismoffice@gmail.com. Open Mondays to Fridays, 8 AM – 5PM.

Beaty Biodiversity Museum (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)

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Beaty Biodiversity Museum

The Beaty Biodiversity Museum, a natural history museum located on the campus of the University of British Columbia (UBC), lies parallel to one of the main walking routes of the university campus.  This C$50-million museum, as well as the Biodiversity Research Centre, are located in the Beaty Biodiversity Centre housed in a 11,520 sq. m. (124,000 sq. ft.), four-storey building designed by Patkau Architects in 2009 and built by Scott Construction.

It formed the final side of a landscaped quadrangle created by the 2006 construction of the Aquatic Ecosystems Research Laboratory.  The museum has a theater and 1,900 sq. m. (20,000 sq. ft.) of collections and exhibit space.  First opened to the public on October 16, 2010, it has since received over 35,000 visitors per year.The museum was selected by Georgia Straight as among the “Best of Vancouver” for 2013.

Its collections, divided into six main sub-collections (the Cowan Tetrapod Collection, the Marine Invertebrate Collection, the Fossil Collection, the Herbarium, the Spencer Entomological Collection and the Fish Collection) and over 500 permanent exhibits, are mostly displayed in cabinet windows and shadow boxes, although a few are shown through alternative displays like in-ground “excavations” that under glass that visitors can walk on. Most items are accompanied by a description card which briefly outlines details like the species and provenance information.

Djavad Mowafaghian Atrium

The collections, including over two million specimens collected between the 1910s and the present, focus, in particular on the species of British Columbia, Yukon, and the Pacific Coast.The space also includes a “family zone,” with juvenile reading materials and a teaching collection in a Discovery Lab.

Skeleton of Blue Whale

The museum was named after Ross and Trisha Beaty, UBC alumni who donated C$8 million in funding to support its creation. The Biodiversity Centre also received C$16.5 million from each of the BC Knowledge Development Fund and the Canadian Foundation for Innovation, C$3 million from the Djavad Mowafaghian Foundation, and C$6 million from the university.Dr. Wayne Maddison was the founding director was and the current director is Dr. Quentin Cronk of the Department of Botany.

Grace and Kyle checking out the Taxidermy Exhibit

Designed in the interests of sustainability, the building has a green roof and a reed water garden to reduce pollutants and improve drainage of storm water from the building. Except in some of its laboratories, the centre does not have air conditioning.  Instead, through the facility’s concrete walls and by the use of sunshades on the outside of the building, the temperature level is mediated by natural ventilation.

To reduce the building’s use of electricity (which also assists in the preservation of some light-sensitive collections), natural lighting is also optimized. The centre also includes several “recycling hubs” and facilities for the composting of organic waste material.

We entered the museum through the glass-walled, two storey high Mowafaghian Atrium which, in addition to the museum’s gift shop and the Niche Cafe, houses the museum’s signature piece and most prominent display – a magnificent 26-m. (85-ft.) long skeleton of a female blue whale. Canada’s largest, it was found buried in Tignish, Prince Edward Island.  Suspended over a descending ramp by which the main collections are accessed, the display is a “see-through box” whose façade windows have “steel mesh brises-soleils.”

The largest skeleton exhibit in the world suspended without external framework for support, it is one of only 21 blue whale skeletons on public display worldwide. A Discovery Channel documentary, called Raising Big Blue, was first aired in Canada on June 5, 2011 and is frequently screened at the museum’s Allan Yap Theater. It featured the process of recovering, transporting and displaying the whale.  Scout Magazine included the museum’s blue whale exhibit in  list of “1,000 Cool Things about Vancouver.”

Allan Yap Theater

The Cowan Tetrapod Collection, founded in 1943, was named after Dr. Ian McTaggart-Cowan (its first curator).  Originally named the “Cowan Vertebrate Museum,” it is the second largest collection of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians in British Columbia.

Taxidermy Exhibit

Combining several pre-existing collections including the K. Racey Collection (over 4,200 birds and mammals), the zoological collections of W.S. Maguire and J. Wynne and the HR Macmillan ornithological collection, it contains over 40,000 items,over 39,000 items of which have been indexed in VertNet, a “collaborative project funded by the National Science Foundation that aims to make biodiversity data free and openly accessible on the web from publishers worldwide.”

They represent over 2,500 species of vertebrates – 18,000 mammals from 540 species, 17,500 birds and 7,000 bird eggs, and 1,600 reptiles and amphibians. The collection holds extensive, representative samples of nearly all species and most subspecies of British Columbia‘s terrestrial vertebrates and marine mammals.

The collection includes older specimens dating back to 1849, as well as rare specimens such as the red panda, the endangered Vancouver Island marmot, and even extinct species such as the passenger pigeon. Although mainly used for research, the collection also holds teaching specimens used by educators, artists, and others throughout the Lower Mainland.

The Marine Invertebrate Collection, started in the 1940s with alcohol-preserved specimens collected by Dr. C. McLean Fraser and Dr. Ian McTaggart Cowan, was primarily used for teaching purposes and eventually grew to several thousand specimens encompassing the major lineages of invertebrate animals.

Marine Invertebrate Collection

In 2006, due to the donation of the Alice Stein collection (consisting of thousands of shells and corals) by Kelly Norton, the collection was expanded and, in the following year, was further expanded with a large donation of shells from Evelyn Hebb Killiam.

Both donations, representing mostly tropical species, include some spectacular examples of global marine biodiversity, such as giant clams and some rare species of cowries.  Items in the collection, not yet been fully catalogued, represent the “major lineages of animals” and include cnidarians, mollusks, annelids, echinoderms, crustaceans, and sponges.

Burgess Shale

The Fossil Collection, part of the Pacific Museum of Earth, Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, UBC,was began by Dr. Merton Yarwood Williams (co-founder of the UBC Department of Geology) in 1924.  An initial acquisition of specimens from local mining engineer William John Sutton was exhibited in the Geological Sciences Centre beginning in 1971 and was curated by Joe Nagel (curator from 1971 to 1995).

Permian Period

However, due to financial constraints, the exhibit was closed in 1995. In 2003, the collection became part of the holdings of the Pacific Museum of the Earth but, during its recataloguing process, is being housed in the Beaty Biodiversity Museum.

Comprising over 20,000 items, the Fossil Collection, is highlighted by its stromatolites (rock formations consisting of blue-green algae dating back 500 million years, some of the oldest extant fossils) and examples of the Burgess Shale. In 2018, the museum added, to its permanent exhibitions, 3 casts of early Cretaceous Period  dinosaur trackways from Peace Region area of British Columbia.

The Herbarium, the largest in Canada west of Ottawa, contains more than 650,000 specimens which are used to help researchers identify the plants, describe new species, and track changes in diversity over time. Among the Herbarium’s holdings are 498 type specimens.

In ground “excavation” where visitors can walk on at the Herbarium

Among the oldest collections at UBC, it was established in 1912 by John Davidson (at that time the BC provincial botanist) whose collection of mostly vascular plants was housed in downtown Vancouver at the Botanical Offices on West Pender Street (relocated to the university campus in 1925). This collection is critical to the identification, monitoring, and conservation of plant biodiversity in British Columbia, and is an important resource for scientific research and education.

It has five major collections.  The first, vascular plants of British Columbia (flowering plants, conifers, ferns, and their relatives) as well as Hawaiian plants, tropical prayer plants, and cyanolichens, comprises 223,000 vascular plants and their relatives. Two-thirds of the vascular plants collection is Canadian (45% from British Columbia and 22% from other provinces and territories) while 16% are American (9% from Hawaii and the Pacific coast and 7% from the other states) and 17% from other countries.

The second collection, the most comprehensive of any herbarium, particularly in its coverage of the northeast Pacific Ocean species, consists of 85,000 macroscopic algae (mostly seaweeds).  The third collection, of 242,000 internationally recognized bryophytes (mosses, liverworts and hornworts), is the largest in Canada.

The fourth collection, of 16,000 fungi, includes the largest research collection of macrofungi of British Columbia.  The last collection, of 40,000 lichens , is among the largest in western North America.

 

The Spencer Entomological Collection, the second-largest entomological collection in western Canada, was begun by Dr. George Spencer  (1888-1966) in the 1920s.  Including specimens from as early as the 1830s, it was not a university-recognized collection at the time of its creation but, by the time of Spencer’s retirement in 1958, it comprised over 300,000 items.

In 1953, it was officially founded as a university collection. In 1958, Dr. G.G.E. Scudder assumed the curatorship of the collection and, in his 40 years in that role (from 1958 to 1999), doubled the size of the collection.

Now comprising over 600,000 items (over 500,000 pinned insects, 25,000 on slides, and 75,000 in alcohol), the collection, a number of which have not yet been indexed, focuses on the spectacular insect diversity of British Columbia and Yukon.  In 2003, Dr. Wayne Maddison became the collection’s director and he enlarged the collection of jumping spiders into one of the world’s best through field work in tropical and temperate regions.

The collection has “particularly strong holdings of Hemiptera (true bugs), Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies), Siphonaptera (fleas) and Anoplura and Mallophaga (lice).” It also includes 350 books and other printed materials relevant to the study of entomology.

There are also numerous holotype specimens, such as the plant hopper Achrotile distincta, which Dr. Scudder discovered in 1959 in the Cariboo-Chilcotin and described as a new species in 1963. It also holds historical specimens of species that have disappeared from the province, such as the Limenitis archippus (viceroy butterfly), last collected in Lillooet in 1930.

Fish Collection

The Fish Collection, begun by Dr. C. McLean Fraser, the first head of UBC’s Department of Zoology, the third largest fish collection in Canada.  It holds over 850,000 specimens, over 2,300 of which are included in FishBase, a web-based global fish relational database containing information on practically all fish known to science. The first to index the museum’s collection, FishBase is supported by a research consortium that includes the UBC Fisheries Centre.

They include whole fish stored in alcohol, skeletons, cleared and stained fish, fish X-rays and over 50,000 DNA and tissue samples, with particular strengths in freshwater and nearshore marine species. Locations covered include Canada, the Aleutians, the Malay Archipelago, Mexico, the Galapagos Islands, Panama, and the Amazon River Basin.

Some specimens date back as far as 1904, but cataloguing didn’t begin until 1945. Used in conservation efforts, environmental assessments, and numerous research projects, particularly by the Native Fishes Research Group, the collection has also served as an educational resource in training some of Canada’s leading fish biologists. Dr. Murray Newman was the collection’s first curator and Dr. Wilbur Clemens, G.V. Wilby, Dr. Casimir Lindsey, Dr. Norman Wilimovsky, and Dr. J. Donald McPhail each, over the decades, greatly expanded the collections.

The collection holds 11 holotype specimens (original specimens that were used to describe new species) as well as representatives of pairs of stickleback species, what may be the youngest fish species on Earth, that evolved only recently in British Columbia’s lakes.  The collection has been used in environmental assessments, conservation efforts, and numerous research projects, as well as in educating and training some of Canada’s leading fish biologists. Its specimens have also been used to document regime shifts in the Bering Sea, the formation of new species, and the extinction of others.

The Allan Yap Discovery Lab

Beaty Biodiversity Museum:  2212 Main Mall, Point Grey, University of British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Vancouver, British Columbia.  Tel: 604-827-4955. Fax: 604-822-0686.  Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 10 AM – 5 PM.  Admission: C$14 (regular), C$30-45 (Family)  and free (students, staff and faculty).  E-mail: info@beatymuseum.ubc.ca.  Website:
www.beatymuseum.ubc.ca.   Coordinates: 49.2636°N 123.2514°W

 

Port of Vancouver Discovery Centre (British Columbia, Canada)

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Port of Vancouver Discovery Center

The exciting, high tech Port of Vancouver Discovery Centre, serving multiple arms of the Port Authority, offers a space that converts from visitor Discovery Centre to education centre, to town hall meeting space, to event venue, and at times, all in the same 24 hours.

Entrance

Located on the waterfront at Canada Place, below Fly Over Canada, at the north end of the pier, it is one of the facility most used spaces and a great place to learn about Canada’s largest and busiest port in a fun and interactive wayas well as engage in the stories and ideas that have shaped the port city.

Through the integration of interactive panels, projection mapping surfaces, digital informational kiosks, and broadcast-quality equipment, Eos Lightmedia helped transform the Port of Vancouver Discovery Centre into a highly flexible space, working with the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority as well as designers Waddell & Conder, content producers Burnkit, Resolve Design for the history wall, and fabricators Three Dimensional Services to design, supply and integrate the layers of lighting, audiovisual, software and controls technology.

It features interactive touch screens; animated graphics and informative videos; historical artifacts and ship models; west-facing views of Vancouver harbor and access to the Canada Place promenade.

The stunning historical display case spanning the length of the facility

The Discovery Centre is also the venue for a school program designed especially for local elementary students in grades four to six, who use interactive, projection driven benches with embedded touch sensors that provide hands on education about the busy goings on of Canada’s largest port. Eos Lightmedia’s custom control software allows facilitators of the space to change the vocabulary and content to make it suitable for both younger and more mature student groups.

With hundreds of square feet of projection mapped surfaces for interaction and digital informational kiosks, here you can experience the sights and sounds of a busy harbor while learning about Canada’s largest and most diversified port.

St. Roch

You can also learn about early port development; trade, innovation and shipbuilding; harbor operations today; working on the waterfront; environmental programs; and facts and statistics.  In contrast to the cutting edge technology, there’s also stunning historical display case, spanning the length of the facility, that is replete with artifacts from the ports long history in the city.

A Regal Heritage

The entire atmosphere of the room can also change, from its public setting, to a sleek professional meeting room setting with just a click of a button on the facility’s sophisticated control system.

SS Beaver

The interactive touch panels break apart into bench seating for over 100 and, for the Port Authority’s many meetings, announcements, and group functions, the large digital map wall becomes the presentation screen for keynote speakers.

Pacific Gateway

Broadcast quality lighting and audio equipment also allows for events to be live-streamed, in high definition, with professional results without the need for off-site equipment rentals.

Shipbuilding for the Wars

Within the center, every function has its own custom lighting look controlled by DMX over the dedicated exhibit network within the space. The central control system links the benches, their projectors, and the audio systems, automatically turning on and off with a preset, adjustable schedule. The facilities operations team can also instantly recall the various ‘scenes’ within the center.

The Container Revolution

Port of Vancouver Discovery Centre: 100 The Pointe, 999 Canada Place, Vancouver, British Columbia. Admission is free. Open daily, 8 AM to 8 PM. Download the Port of Vancouver community map to follow along during the virtual harbout tour.