MUSEO NG KALINANGANG PILIPINO
At first, what I expected to see at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Museum were exhibits of abstract paintings, since CCP has this whole vibe of sophistication. What I saw in the CCP Museum were not only abstract paintings. I was able to appreciate practices of our culture more that I haven’t even heard about before in the first place and it makes me surprised that I wasn’t bored of seeing these practices of our culture. It made me more curious! It made me realize that Philippine culture is indeed diverse.
Like in the case of the artworks in the Philippine National Museum, artworks in the CCP Museum also reflect the Filipino culture being immersed in different cultures. However, the museum also holds a lot of exhibits that truly capture Filipino practices, not just portrayed through paintings.
Like in the case of the artworks in the Philippine National Museum, artworks in the CCP Museum also reflect the Filipino culture being immersed in different cultures. However, the museum also holds a lot of exhibits that truly capture Filipino practices, not just portrayed through paintings.
All exhibits that are here have existed for 26 years, since 1988. Their exhibit of Asian Traditional Musical Instruments showcases traditional instruments coming from China, Japan, India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Korea. Philippine instruments are also exhibited in the museum, which were donated by Dr. Lucrecia R. Kasilag of the National Artists for Music. Somehow, this exhibit of traditional instruments reflect our pakikisalamuha to people from the Ibang Tao group. Pakikisalamuha espouses our ability to adapt. Thus, it shows that we can adapt to totally different cultures in the context of musical instruments. The museum does not only exhibit musical instruments from our country yet we still find it interesting to see instruments that are not from us.
The mini-museum also holds the “Diwa: Buhay, Ritwal, at Sining” exhibit, which showcases different rituals and art across Philippine regions. The exhibit’s themes include Bayan (Nation), Buhay at Kamatayan (Life and Death), Kamag-anakan at Pamayanan (Kin and Community), Lupa (Land), and Kaluwalhatian (Divinity).
Bayan (Nation) reflects the struggle for sovereignty and independence of the natives during the colonization period. Central to this are the manuscripts of Noli me Tangere and El Fili; Tres Personas Solo Dios – representation of Hermano Pule’s religious confraternity Cofradia de San Jose and the merging of nationalist sentiments with that of Christian beliefs; and a set up of a Pasyon altar that has been there since 1988.
Buhay at Kamatayan (Life and Death) revolves around the folk’s journey from birth to death. The objects, rites of passage, and rituals exhibited here represent the folk’s metaphor of death as not an end but rather a beginning marked by a change of form. The exhibit includes Sunduk – Badjao gravemakers; Tausug gravemakers depicting the Tausug epic Parang Sabil that tells the story about how a horse stood beside a dying warrior lamented by his son, the horse believed to kiss both the living and the dead; Awang – Maranao vessel used for their offerings down in Lake Lanao when there is a new birth in the community; the Itneg handwoven blanket used in rituals for the dead; the Kundug ritual – Palawanon game played on the night of a new moon accompanied by music played on pagang and kusyapi and is believed to clarify questions on love and marriage, health, life and death, and hunting after chanting prayers; and a handmade paper backdrop – portraying death not as an end but a passage towards the afterlife. The backdrop shows the figure of the boatman and the passenger from the Manunggul burial jar.
Kamag-anakan at Pamayanan (Kin and Community) depicts colourful and vibrant villages and interaction between family and community. The exhibits here represent the integrity of community life. Central to the exhibit are the weapons and instruments used in the performance of the Bodong Peace Pact (an agreement made between warring groups in the Cordillera to settle disputes) involving the exchange of spears, drinking of wine, and playing the gangsa; the Maranao kulintangan played during weddings and festivities; Hagabi – Ifugao ceremonial bench entailing one ritual after another: from choosing the right tree to its cutting down, up to the delivery of the bench to the house of its owner; Tabi – tubular garment worn by the datu or the head of community; and the tableau of Komedya – introduced during the Spanish colonial period to tell stories of saints and portray the conversion of non-Christians to the Catholic faith.
Lupa (Land) represents the native consciousness of the folk and the meanings they attach with land. Folk arts represented here are based on concepts of the earth and of nature as mother, and these concepts were portrayed through dance rituals and art objects. Some of the central artworks here include the Bul’ul – a granary god ensuring a stable supply of rice; musical instruments that were used to accompany planting and harvest rites; the representation of the Bagobo myth through etched glass; and tableus of Pinaing – ritual performed by the Itneg for soild fertility and good harvest, of Samba ritual – a harvest and healing ritual performed by the Kinaray-a of Panay Island, of the Abong-abong shrine – set-up during Holy Week in Ilocos (the fruits of which symbolize the seed that is Christ, who died, rose to new life), and Lanati – Ibanag thanksgiving dance accompanied by harp music for expressing bountiful harvest.
Kaluwalhatian (Divinity) reflects the folk’s consciousness of divinity expressed in rituals, dance, and artistic objects. Central artifacts from this are amulets used to drive evil spirits and to protect oneself from attacks of enemies (Akusan and Talian); the Tambara – Bagobo vessel used in ritual offerings; and the rituals Mak-kamang – performed by Gaddang for healing and divination; Pamalugu – a healing and purification rite to celebrate gods, appease evil spirits, cure the sick, and ward off danger; Mag-jinn – Badjao ritual of dance and chanting for healing; Bpagapel – Maguindanaoan healing ritual through dance accompanied by playing the kulintang; and Osana – blessing of palm fronds during the Christian commemoration of Palm Sunday believed to ward off evil spirits.
All in all, the exhibits from all these mini-museums converge at one common theme: Filipino identity. In the process of portraying Filipino identity, some artworks have exemplified pakikipagkapwa, such as the tableaus of the different rituals. The concept of pakikipagkapwa was not reflected only at the level of pakikisangkot or joining others during rituals. They reflect the concept of pakikipagkaisa or being one with others who are in the Hindi Ibang Tao group – being one with others in terms of beliefs and perceptions about the nation, divinity, life and death, sense of community, and nature.