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Curators of Love

CULTURE

The reopened San Agustin Museum retraces a centuries-old story of

 passion for knowledge and service. By JOANNE VILLANUEVA

Photos by RYAN KABIGTING 

The exhibition grew even more through collections from art-loving sponsors and donations from

other churches and historic sites.

Cinnamon from Mindanao was

Philippines’ exotic product at the

onset of the galleon. Trade also

brought Mexican chili to Southeast

Asia. Filipinos were accustomed to

black pepper and ginger, thus not

adapting a chili-rich cuisine.

DURING THE APEC SUMMIT 2015, it was

the first in Chile President Michelle

Bachelet’s itinerary, and the last in Russian

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev’s. In

1993, UNESCO recognized it as a World

Heritage Site. In 1953, it played host to

the first Philippine Plenary Council. Since

its completion in 1607, countless couples

exchange vows inside its walls. Situated at the

historic district of Intramuros, it is a pricedpossession for the Filipinos—the San Agustin

Church, Convent, and Museum.

Te church is a museum on its own. In case you

were wondering, the seemingly sculpted patterns

in the ceiling are not embossed, but rather parts

of a huge painting following rompe l’oeil , a

technique requiring meticulous brushwork to

give the illusion of 3-dimentionality. Architecture

is styled in dramatic Baroque. Te entrance is

guarded by two Fu Dragon sculptures, recalling

the large number of Chinese artisans employed

during the Spanish Period.

But at the right side of the church facade is

the entrance to the museum proper, where

 you can get your Religion and History 101

while pacing through a diverse selection

of Art. When it started in 1964, San

Agustin Museum only showcased photos

of buildings built by the religious order of

Augustinians. It later became a first-class

bodega or storage to preserve artworks. It

was open for everyone to see, but unlike theexhibitions we know of today, the space did

not follow any direction, and pieces were just

categorized by their form or material. After

a semi-hiatus reserved for renovations, the

San Agustin Museum is back with a new

face.

RETRACING A 450-YEAR-OLD LEGACY

Te new museum gets its direction from the

start of their journey. In 1565, members of

the Legazpi Expedition found themselves

on the shores of Cebu. Brought in were five

Augustinians, who would spread Christ’s

Museum Di r ect or

F r. Ri cky  Vill ar w ill

 gl adly  tour you

around  the hal ls.

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Lines of encased ivory statues resemble a historian’s dream toy store. Porcelain wasthe most lucrative cargo of the Manila Galleon.

Temporary exhibitions

are in tune with the

liturgical calendar.

January’s was for the

Immaculate Conception.

27 www.philippineairlines.com

love through schools, bridges, and churches,

including San Agustin. Te Augustinians

were lovers of a lot of things, not just

Philanthrophy. Tis now serves as the

theme that partitions and gives direction

to the rebranded museum. For example,

by the entrance you’ll find a hall themed

“Messengers of Love”, showing artifacts

and artworks on the Manila Galleon, thetrading ships that sailed from Manila to

Acapulco and back. On the second floor

is a room titled “Flora de Filipinas: Love

for Science”, dedicated to the first Filipino

botanist, Fr. Ignacio de Mercado, who

documented his botanical findings with

sketches and paintings. If you’re fond of

 vintage watercolor art, then this collection

is for you. Te foxing of the framed papers

will bring back memories of old books,

aged-wood-scented with sweet hints of

 vanilla or grass. A recreation of the friars’

room is also located on the second floor,

themed “Governing with Love”. Noticeable

are two large tables, one where they decide

on important matters of the church, and

another, where they perform activities of

the mundane, like reading the newspaper.

Te museum is a huge safe containing

Philippines’ most priced artworks. Tere is

“Te Seven Archangels”, the oldest recordedpainting in the country. Santos  (sculptures

of saints) are adorned with  Lagang , now

a lost art form. “Chambered nautilus” in

Cebuano, this motif arranges mollusk shells

into flowers. Also displayed are numerous

status symbols such as the  Manton de

 Manila, a silk shawl embroidered in China

and crocheted in the Philippines.

Post-WWII, it was the only building left

intact in Intramuros. It was restructured

after two instances of fire prior to the war.

San Agustin has preserved 450 years of

marriage between art and science, as well as

culture and religion. Given a new direction,

the institution reassures an absolute gem forthe Filipinos, for more years to come.

Te San Agustin Church, Convent, and

 Museum is located at Intramuros, General

 Luna Street, Manila. Open daily from 8AM-

12NN and 1PM-6PM. Admission rates are

 Php200 for adult and Php160 for students

and seniors. For group tours with the

museum director and seminarians, contact

(+632) 7146889 or 7147470.

Qualit y  is 

 pr e ser v ed  thr ou gh 

the mu seum’  s 

con ser v ation lab.