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| Light and Sound Museum |
One of my son Jandy’s subjects in Asia Pacific College was “Rizal Life and Works” and one of the subject’s requirements was a scheduled visit, with his classmates, to the Light and Sound Museum in Intramuros. I decide to accompany him there. This 2-storey, 1,800-sq. m. museum used to be the Beateria de San Ignacio, the first nunnery established in the Philippines.
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| Execution of Gomburza |
Inaugurated last 30 November 2002, this museum, a tourism project of Sen. Richard Gordon, chronicles the Filipino’s pursuit for freedom under the leadership of National Hero Dr. JoseRizal, and other revolutionary leaders such as Cebuano warrior Lapu-Lapu, RajahSoliman and Andres Bonifacio. It features, in dramatic, historical tableaux, up to 140 moving mannequins dressed in life-like costumes, its overall presentation showing the Filipinos’ resiliency, intelligence and self-worth throughout its history.
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| Rizal in Europe |
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| Characters in Rizal’s novels |
The sets and other effects took us through a 45-min. tour, with voice-over script, of Philippine history: from prehistoric times, the arrival of the Spaniards and Christianity, the shaping of Filipino culture under the friars and the brewing revolutionary movement, up to Rizal’s execution in 1896.
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| Jandy at Printing Press of La Solidaridad |
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| Rizal writing his novel Noli me Tangere |
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| Rizal in Dapitan |
The entire ground floor focuses to the Spanish annexation of the Philippines as a province. The second floor recounts Dr Jose Rizal’s saga and describes his prolific days as a student at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila as well as his trip to Europe where his burning desire for Filipinos to be treated fairly by the colonizers was ignited. It also features his two books Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo which exposed the ills of the Spanish society.
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| Trial of Rizal |
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| Rizal visited by his mother |
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| Rizal walking to his execution |
There was also a huge room tracing Rizal’s martyrdom. The room replicates the scenario at Bagumbayan where Rizal tried to face the executioners to prove his innocence. Another area shows details of Filipino uprisings steered by Andres Bonifacio. Bonifacio and his followers tear up their cedulas or residence certificates, a symbol of Spanish dominance during that time.
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| Execution of Rizal |
In addition, there is the Bagumbayan exhibit with its symbolically collapsed walls depicting a prelude to something new for Filipinos. Towards the end of our tour, we all walked along a dim corridor leading through the exit made of heavy wooden doors facing the set up of the new Intramuros overlooking the well-lighted city golf course in the perimeter of the walls.
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| Death of Rizal |
Light and Sound Museum: Sta. Lucia cor. Victoria St. (near Baluartillo de San Diego), Intramuros, Manila. Admission: PhP100 per person for a group of ten. First show starts at 10 AM and last show starts at 6 PM. Tel: (632) 524-2827. Fax: (632) 524-0823.