Touchdown Palawan!

The afternoon was gloomy when we arrived at Puerto Princesa International Airport. I expected the airport to be busy but it wasn't too crowded. We went outside to find a tricycle to take us to the World War II Museum. We haggled and finally, one driver offered to take us to every place in our itinerary for 400 Php. :D 

We were greeted by an American Jeep at the entrance when we arrived at the World War II Museum.The museum featured World War II memorabilia - photos, ammunition, books, newspaper clippings and military uniforms from countries that fought in the Philippines during World War II. Taking photos was not allowed inside the museum (but you can take unlimited photos with the Jeep :D) so we just listened to the guide as she toured us around. The guide was very knowledgeable of the events that took place in Palawan during World War II and readily answered our questions. There were lists of people who fought during the war and these weren't short. It made me think of the families of these men and the grief they must have felt. Just like the men who fought, those left behind are also brave - they have to deal with loss and at the same time they have to carry on and live. 

Our next stop was the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center (or Crocodile Farm to some). This is not originally part of today's itinerary (we scheduled it on our fifth day) but kuya Lowel, the tricycle driver, said that we can still catch the last guided tour. Admission charge is at 40 Php. The conservation center mainly focuses on the conservation of two crocodile species in the Philippines: The Philippine Freshwater Crocodile (Crocodylus mindorensis) and the Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus). They propagate them in captivity and once their old enough, they're introduced back to the wild. Aside from crocodiles, there are also different species of birds, reptiles and other mammals. 

Since we still have time, kuya Lowel took us to Mitra Ranch. This was not part of our itinerary at all and I am glad that we found a driver who was very enthusiastic about showing us around his city. The view was scenic on the way to the top of the hill. Once we got there, we roamed around a bit and took in the view of Puerto Princesa from the top. There was a horse that you can ride around for a fee and a zip line too but we didn't try any of those. 

Near Mitra Ranch is the famous Baker's Hill where you get to buy pasalubong.  Since we are still heading for El Nido, we decided to just roam around and check the prices and come back to Baker's Hill before flying back to Cebu. Baker's Hill is like a park with its colorful statues, animals and flowers. There are lots of corners at Baker's Hill that were good for photo opportunities but since it was late in the afternoon and this was the last stop where most city tours end, the place was crowded with people taking selfies. There was also a booth there where you can take a photo with a baby crocodile for a fee.

We went downhill to go to our next destination, Plaza Cuartel. Plaza Cuartel has a grim past. This was where the Japanese burned American prisoners of war on December 14, 1944. After ordering them to go to the underground air raid shelters, the Japanese poured gasoline and set them on fire. Those that didn't die immediately were gunned down, decapitated and beaten to their deaths. Those that were able to survive swam towards the Iwahig. The monument of the burning man reminds visitors of the horrors that occurred on this place.

Our city tour ended at the Puerto Princesa Baywalk. We were looking for dinner options there but decided to just take photos and eat at Robinson's Mall since we still need to buy a few toiletries before heading to El Nido.

Casa Gorordo

What was once the residence of Juan Isidro de Gorordo is what is now
Casa Gorordo, a museum that showcases how a typical residence during the Spanish occupation looks like. The house was built in the mid-19th century by Alejandro Reynes Y Rosales. Bought by Gorordo in 1863, the house was home to four generations of the Gorordo family. Acquired in 1980 by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation in 1980, the house was restored and opened as a public museum. Casa Gorordo has been declared a national historical landmark by virtue of National Historical Board Resolution no. 4 dated September 24, 1991.

Evaluation

When one enters the museum, one cannot help but be awed and mesmerized by its serenity and peacefulness. The landscape outside was well-maintained and it felt like a small park with the green grass. Entrance fees to the museum would vary, depending on whether you are a local or a foreigner. Locals are charged 40 Php for adults, 15 for college students and 10 for high school and elementary students. Foreigners are charged 70 Php for adults, 50 Php for adults with a DOT-accredited tour guide and 25 Php for students and children. It is located near colon which makes it quite accessible by public transportation although if taken by jeepney, one might need to walk a few feet.

The reception isn’t that great, they seem to be more concerned that we pay the entrance fee before we can even take a peek inside. Inside, they were more open to answer our questions.

The appeal of the museum was exceptional. The house is well preserved that even upon entering the first room, it felt like you stepped into a different dimension, one that brought you back to the time of Padre Damaso and step into the shoes of Maria Clara or Don Crisostomo Ibarra. It was exciting and scary at the same time. The rooms were ornamented as if someone still lives there, very authentic. You can recreate and imagine what they would have done in each room. Although there’s not much space for a big crowd to walk together; it was very easy to walk through the entire house as the rooms were lined on one side of the house.The Casa Gorordo is relevant to history because the museum allows you to see the day-to-day lives of the middle class in the Spanish era. The museum serves as a reminder of how reserved the women were and of how influential the friars were, as evidenced by the prayer room. The museum reminds us of how our ancestors used to lived and make us relive the culture of the Filipinos.

National Museum

The National museum of Cebu is located inside the forts of another landmark relevant to Cebu’s
history—Fort San Pedro. This museum is home to artifacts from the archaeological times as well as the Spanish times.

Evaluation

The national museum is just inside the walls of Fort San Pedro, beside the wishing well. There are two floors. The first floor showcases artifacts from archaeological times. The second floor shows artifacts and antiques from the Spanish occupation. Entry to the museum is easy, you just have to pay 21 Php to the ones at the front desk of the Fort San Pedro. It may seem expensive, but your 21 Php is your pass to the Fort as well as the museum.

The reception wasn’t really nice, they were a bit rude about asking payment from us but nevertheless, we got to enter the Fort. We guess they lacked museum staff, since the guard at the second floor also served asthe receptionist at the second floor and the tour guide, explaining the historical background of each exhibit.

The museum’s exterior makes you curious about what is inside but once inside, the museum loses its appeal. This is mainly due to the exhibits which weren’t really that many and most of the exhibits can also be found in other museums. There is ease in movement, since the exhibits are mostly on shelves mounted on the walls.

The museum’s relevance is it tells the history of the Cebuanos during the Pre-colonial times as well as the Spanish times through the exhibits and artifacts.

Sto. Niño Museum

Home to artifacts, texts, paintings and photographs that gives proof of the Cebuanos’ devotion to the child Jesus is the Sto. Niño Museum. Opened in 1995, the museum bears witness to the faith that Cebuanos have on the Sto. Niño.

The museum shows different vestments of the Sto. Niño through the years in different sizes and designs, ranging from the elaborately ornamented ones to the simple ones. Paintings showing the Sto. Niño and scenes of devotion and worship of the Sto. Niño by various local artists such as Celso Pepito are also featured here.

Devotional literature, such as books of prayer and books of acts can also be seen here. Old books, which account the meetings by the members of the Cofradia of Sra. Dela Consolacion can also be seen here. These old books are covered in animal skin, mostly from cows and pigs. The layout of the building plans for the Cathedral can also be seen here.

Church pieces used in liturgical services and vestments worn by priests in performing sacraments and rites are also displayed in the museum. Chalices from the 1900’s, cruets from the 17th century, ciboriums, patenas are some of the church pieces on display. Dalmatics and capes from different times and worn by holy figures on significant occasions are also on display.

Evaluation

The Basilica Del Sto. Niño Museum is open on Tuesdays until Sundays. For a fee of 10 Php for adults and 5 Php for students and children, locals and tourists alike can enter the museum which is located at the basement of the Pilgrim’s Center of the Basilica del Sto. Niño Cathedral in Osmeña boulevard. Attending to us that time was Mrs. Maribel S. Emenido, the museum registrar. She wasn’t really that helpful, but she was nice. Photography is not allowed inside the museum.

The museum’s appeal comes from the ambience of the lighting outside the museum. The soft lighting gives one a feeling of otherworldliness and draws one to take a peek inside the museum. However, improvement is needed as to the arrangement of the display cabinets and counters since the place is quite small and movement isn’t easy when there are lots of people.

The Cathedral Museum of Cebu

The Cathedral Museum of Cebu was first established by the late Msgr. Virgilio “Nene” Yap. In response to the challenge by the late Pope John Paul II, the Cebu Archdiocesan Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church was formed. The commission was tasked to reestablish the museum.

The Cathedral Museum of Cebu used to be an old rectory. The rectory is made of stone the lower level and a combination of hardwood and other lighter materials on the upper level. The inner walls are made of “tabique pampango,” a thin wall of interlaced pieces of bamboo which is coated with lime mixed with sand. The convent roof is made of clay tiles (teja). Now, it houses the collections depicting the evolution of Christianity in Cebu in six galleries.

The Cathedral Museum has a reconstruction of a chapel which contain the Carmen
collection of a tabernacle, gradas and altar panels made of wood encased in silver from the parish of Carmen, Cebu.

Cuna del Cristianismo: The Ecclesiastical Treasures of the Archdiocese of Cebu

The Museum showcases how Catholicism flourished in Cebu in six galleries.

The first gallery showcases the early beginnings of the Catholic faith through illustrations, texts and photographs. It traces the spread of Catholicism throughout the islands and the role of the diocese in establishing settlements centered on the Church.

The second gallery shows memorabilia of the third Archbishop of Cebu, Ricardo Cardinal Vidal. This gallery traces the life of the archbishop through text, artifacts and vestments.

The third gallery focuses on how churches were built during the Spanish period. This gallery features blue prints, construction plans, photographs and actual building materials and techniques that are no longer used today. The highlight of this gallery is the period documentation of the materials used in constructing the church of Liloan, Cebu.

The fourth gallery is an exhibit of Spanish era relics and statues of saints from different parishes. Some of the statues are made of ivory and wood that because of security reasons, are only displayed on special occasions or when permits to see them are obtained.

The fifth gallery displays items that are used during the Liturgy and in instituting the sacraments. Here,we find a collection of chalices, cruets, ciboriums and sacras as well as the vestments of the priests and portraits of former bishops.

The sixth and last gallery gives viewers a glimpse of a typical bedroom of a priest in the diocese.Displayed here are furniture, books, and some archaeological material that were unearthed during the restoration of the convent.

Evaluation

The rates are 50 Php for adults and 25 Php for students and children. The museum is open from 8 AM to 12 NN and 1 PM until 6 PM. The Receptionist, Mrs.Erlinda Arnoco, is warm and welcoming. She gave us a short talk about where the different artifacts came from,their names and how they were used.

The museum is across the Cebu Cathedral and is just along the corner of Manalili Street and P. Gomez Street. It is accessible by taxi or by jeepney. The convent’s house-like exterior mixed with a bit of modern day architecture provides its appeal. The spaciousness, the arrangement of the gallery at the second floor and the chapel and lobby in the first floor gives ease in entering and exiting the place.

Although still in an ongoing process of restoration and reestablishment, the museum is relevant becauseit safeguards the collections of ecclesiastical tradition. It also helps locals and foreigners alike to understand the importance of the past.

Museo Sugbo

Museo Sugbo is housed in what was once the provincial jail of Cebu, Carcel de Cebu. Designed in 1869 by Domingo de Escondrillas, the prison was originally proposed as the main prison of the Visayas district, which accounts for its large size. The Carcel changed its name twice, first during the American to the post-war periods when it was called the Cebu Provincial Jail. In the 1980’s, the name was changed to Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center.

The transfer of the provincial jail to a larger prison in 2007 ushered the conversion of the provincial jail into what is now the Museo Sugbo, the repository of Cebuano heritage.

The Galleries
There are four galleries open to the public as of the moment: the pre-colonial gallery, the Spanish gallery, the Spanish withdrawal from Cebu gallery and the American gallery.

Artifacts from the archaeological times can be seen in the pre-colonial gallery. These artifacts are loaned to the museum from the collections of the University of San Carlos and from private collectors such as Mr. Vince Escario and Mr. Roderick Poca, who is a also a faculty member of the University of San Carlos. This gallery also featured artifacts from the Chinese, since the Cebuanos were also active in trading with them, even before the Spaniards came. Pots, clay jars and plates from the Sung, Yuan and Ming Dynasty are proofs that trade with the Chinese did occur in Cebu. Artifacts from Thailand and Vietnam can also be seen in this gallery. It was recently
asserted that the Thai and Vietnamese once engaged in trade with the Cebuanos. Handmade celadonwares from Thailand (formerly called Siam) which resemble Chinese porcelain were found in some parts of Cebu.

The Spanish gallery gives a glimpse of how Cebu was when the Spaniards arrived on Cebuano shores on March 16, 1521. After a week, Raja Humabon and his wife, Amihan, got baptized and were given the Catholic names of Carlos and Juana. The Spaniards gave Juana a statue of the Sto. Niño. All the other Cebuanos in the island of Cebu also got converted. However, the Spaniards weren’t received nicely by the people of Lapu-Lapu.There, Magellan died in a battle where the Spanish forces were outnumbered by the natives. The gallery also featured items from the Galleon Trade, the Encomienda System and the two oldest books on Cebuano grammar in Spanish can also be seen here: Arte de la Lengua Zebuana and the Diccionario Bisaya Español.

We weren’t allowed to take photos of the artifacts. But we can take photos of the walls...=)

The third gallery shows the Spanish withdrawal from Cebu. It showcases pictures, news items, post cards and other memorabilia from that time in history. Here you can find original copies of Ang Suga, the first newspaper of Cebu. Old copies of The Freeman can also be seen. News about the death of Leon Kilat was the in the headlines at that time.

The American gallery also contains items from the short-lived Japanese occupation. Shells of bombs dropped in Colon Street can be found here. Boxes which contain rations from the Americans
can be seen here. Old currencies from Japan and America can be found here, as well as emergency money which was printed to be used only in specific places during wartime.

Evaluation

Entry to the museum is easy. However, as with all museums, a fee is required. Rates start at 5 Php for students and children, 10 Php for adults and 50 Php for foreigners. The curator, Mr. Radcliff Estrada, personally attended to us and gave us a talk about the items in the different galleries. The staff is friendly and helpful.

The museum’s appeal comes from the building’s old-world feel, its spaciousness and arrangement of the galleries provides ease of movement which other museums severely lack. As to Accesibility, it’s just along the road of MJ Cuenco so, one can just ride a jeepney or a taxi. There was no gift/book shop around, since the museum’s construction isn’t finished yet.

Some museums in Cebu specialize in specific areas of interest and times in history. The museum’s
relevance comes from the fact that it gives a glimpse of the history of Cebu in general, making locals and tourists appreciate and understand the past and give them a sense of belongingness and familiarity with history.