1 of 2

BELTS, necklaces, bangles, scale pans, and other golden items — 38 in all — from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) pre-colonial gold collection have been reunited with the Ayala Museum’s existing collection of gold. Forty-three years after being discovered in the same landfill, these objects can now be seen together again for the first time, at the exhibition “Reuniting the Surigao Treasure” which officially opened on May 16.

At the exhibit launch, guests were ushered upstairs to the museum’s 4^th floor in groups. Ayala Museum senior director Ma. Elizabeth “Mariles” Gustilo prefaced the visit by emphasizing the historical significance of the artifacts, and the exhibit’s timely opening for the museum’s 50^th anniversary.

“Ayala Museum was established 50 years ago by the Filipinas Foundation, now known as the Ayala Foundation, to empower Filipinos through a deeper understanding of our traditions, art, history, and culture,” said Ms. Gustilo.

“We mark this milestone expression of love of country with what is appropriately something old, something borrowed, and something blue.”

The Philippines’ two priceless gold collections were reunited thanks to curator Dr. Florina Capistrano-Baker. The 38 gold items loaned from the BSP fill in gaps in the precolonial picture painted by the 1,000 artifacts on permanent display at the Ayala Museum.

ORIGINS OF THE TREASURE
The gold objects in the exhibition were uncovered on April 27, 1981.

Edilberto “Berto” Morales, a heavy machinery operator working on an irrigation project in Sitio Magroyong, barrio San Miguel, Surigao del Sur, unexpectedly unearthed golden objects scattered along a 100-meter stretch of landfill quarried from a nearby mountaintop.

“This accidental discovery, along with others recovered by other treasure hunters who collectively swooped into Magroyong, are collectively known as the Surigao Treasure,” explained Ms. Capistrano-Baker, at a tour of the newly mounted exhibit.

Though a few gold items were hacked apart and melted down by treasure hunters, many were saved through the efforts of Dr. Jaime Laya, then BSP governor, and private collectors National Artist for Architecture Leandro Locsin and his wife Cecilia, whose collection eventually went to the Ayala Museum.

“The Surigao collections at BSP and Ayala were recovered from a single culture area associated with the ancient kingdom of Butuan. They are twins separated at birth, now reunited,” Ms. Capistrano-Baker said.

To emphasize which objects belong to which collections, the items from the Ayala collection are displayed with a white background, while those from the BSP are shown on a blue background. When items from both collections are shown together, the pieces from each are shown with the corresponding color.

ITEMS THAT GO TOGETHER
The exhibition finally gets to tell a fuller story of precolonial Butuan.

The most impressive object is a massive, four-kilogram gold chain believed to be a Hindu upavita, or sacred thread, a mainstay at the Ayala Museum. A pronged finial, or distinctive ornament, from the BSP’s collection now completes the chain at the waist.

“The finial was offered to Mrs. Locsin with the red gemstone, but she thought it looked like a bicycle bell and passed on it. But when she saw the chain, she realized they were meant to go together but couldn’t run after the finial anymore since it already went to BSP,” said Ms. Capistrano-Baker.

While now reunited, it unfortunately remains incomplete — the red gemstone has not been seen since it was offered to Mrs. Locsin.

Also paired together are intricately woven gold waistbands, seven of the belts from the BSP collection now joining multiple sashes and buckles from Ayala’s collection. They are solid proof of the power and opulence once found in ancient Butuan in northeastern Mindanao.

Other remarkable objects from BSP include a 4.5-meter long kamagi chain consisting of 12 necklaces connected end-to-end, weighing almost 1.5 kilograms, gold bangles set with semi-precious stones, and necklaces consisting of susô beads.

Ms. Capistrano-Baker pointed to a screen mounted in the exhibition, which shows a video documentary by Cheche Lazaro under Probe TV. There, she said, Mr. Laya recollects the journey of the treasure.

“When Mang Berto found the long kamagi chain, he wrapped it around his waist several times to hide it from coworkers, which ended up at the BSP. There’s also the gold bowl which he initially thought was a helmet, now part of the Ayala Museum’s collection,” she said.

Another interesting reunion is that of Ayala Museum’s gold balance scale that likely belonged to a rich merchant, and the BSP’s gold weighing scale pan. These are seen as evidence of the Butuan culture’s advanced trading with neighboring polities long before European contact.

“This extraordinary collaboration reunites in one exhibition for a limited time entwined treasures from the country’s two premiere gold collections, allowing us to lift the veil of collective amnesia and reclaim the contours of our half-forgotten precolonial past,” Ms. Capistrano-Baker said.

“Reuniting the Surigao Treasure” is now open to the public and will be on view at the Ayala Museum in Makati until 2027. — Brontë H. Lacsamana

FOLLOWING a big comeback in 2023 after the pandemic paused physical operations, the Big Bad Wolf Book Sale is set to return to Manila with 2 million books — this time at a bigger, newer venue. It will be held from May 24 to June 2 at Parqal Mall, Aseana City, in Parañaque City.

Like previous editions, this year’s aims to offer more bargains for bookworms of all ages, according to founder Jacqueline Ng.

“Big Bad Wolf is expanding. Of course, we took a step back during the pandemic when events were not allowed, but now we are back,” said Ms. Ng at the media launch on May 16.

“The mission of adding 1 million new readers never changed from when we started in 2009. It began with the goal to increase readership in Malaysia, but now we bring children’s books at a low price worldwide so that kids all over will read,” she added.

On the move to Parqal, the Big Bad Wolf team explained that the brand-new mall (a stone’s throw away from SM Mall of Asia and Ayala Malls Manila Bay) has a vast, sweeping space that many have yet to discover. It also boasts over 1,500 free parking slots.

The book sale aims to nurture literacy, enhance reading comprehension, and instilling a love of reading among Filipinos of all ages. It will go to six cities in the Philippines this year, though the exact locations are not yet final.

Fatima Aliah Dimaporo, the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s legislative affairs undersecretary, who attended the event, emphasized the correlation of poverty and literacy in the Philippines.

“There is a clear correlation between education and poverty reduction. Studies around the world showed that increasing access to education can lead to better opportunities,” she said.

“This is why we have implemented programs to aid the members of underprivileged communities through education, in collaboration with Big Bad Wolf and the Malaysian embassy.”

Like last year’s comeback edition, the book sale will no longer be open for 24 hours like it used to be pre-pandemic. Now it will run from 10 a.m. to midnight and there will be meet-and-greets with authors, storytelling sessions, and interactive events peppered throughout the day.

Ms. Ng told BusinessWorld that, despite digitalization, the overwhelming social media landscape, and post-pandemic economic upheavals, they are optimistic that Filipinos will remain big readers.

“So far, Filipinos really like to read, so we have no issue with any category. This market reads wide, and every genre is well-received, from fiction to non-fiction to children’s books,” she said.

Compared to the other five cities that the Big Bad Tour will go to this year, Manila also has the largest volume of books since it is the capital city. Major cities like Cebu and Davao are a close second.

Big Bad Wolf is also not concerned with the threat of e-books. Ms. Ng explained that big readers and curious readers will still prefer paper: “Customers who use e-books still have physical books as well. E-books are more for convenience, but they will have physical copies at home.”

She concluded with the effect that reading has on children.

“It’s not just about knowledge; it’s so much beyond that. For a child, reading really opens up their minds and teaches them creativity, passion, confidence. They start to ask questions, and that transforms their lives,” said Ms. Ng.

The book sale is collaborating with Metrobank, which offers a 0% three-month installment promo for purchases worth at least P3,000 for Metrobank cardholders.

The book sale takes place May 24 to June 2 at Parqal Mall in Parañaque. — Brontë H. Lacsamana

ARTIST Araceli Limcaco Dans, the Presidential Medal of Merit Awardee known for her paintings of intricate calado embroidery, died on May 18 at the age of 95. Her son Benjo confirmed the news in a Facebook post.

“Early on Saturday morning, my mom finally earned her angel wings and passed away. She leaves a void in our hearts that are also overflowing with so much love,” he said.

The wake is being held at the Arlington Memorial Chapel, Araneta Ave., Quezon City, with the inurnment scheduled for May 22 in the morning.

“It is true that our collective hearts have broken into a thousand pieces over you, but we don’t want to feel any other way because it is a small price for the experience of your love,” her son continued.

Born in 1929, Mrs. Dans was known for her realistic art. Her work caught the eye of National Artist Fernando Amorsolo, who became her mentor and allowed her to enroll at the University of the Philippines’ Fine Arts Department. There, she was among eminent artists like professor and sculptor Guillermo Tolentino (a National Artist for Sculpture) and classmates Napoleon Abueva (later designated a National Artist for Sculpture), Larry Alcala (National Artist for Visual Arts), and Juvenal Sansô, among others.

Her acclaimed works were the calado still life series in watercolor and oil featuring embroidered pineapple- or banana-fiber textiles, flowers, and household objects. Some of her paintings are displayed at the National Museum of Fine Arts.

Mrs. Dans was also a renowned art educator.

In 1950 she founded the Philippine Women’s University’s (PWU) Department of Fine Arts, which she headed for 13 years. In 1963, she moved to the Ateneo de Manila University, where she reorganized the grade school art program.

In 1968, she founded the Philippine Art Educators Association with her colleague Brenda Fajardo. She even developed a television series on art education targeting grade school children.

In a social media tribute, Leon Gallery described her as having “a unique affinity for capturing the human soul.” The gallery cited her diverse personal experiences during World War II as a driving force behind the themes in her art, spanning “deep emotions such as nostalgia, love, longing, and loss.

“Her effervescent style tugs at the heartstrings, silently narrating an ode that can melt even the hardest hearts,” said Leon Gallery.

Fellow artist Imelda Cajipe-Endaya gave her own Facebook tribute to Mrs. Dans. Referring to Mrs. Dans by her nickname “Cheloy,” Ms. Cajipe-Endaya said she was an “artist, teacher, mother, grandmother, friend to many, and an amazing leader in art and education.” — Brontë H. Lacsamana