Columban College Olongapo City

Rationalizing the Establishment of Zambales Studies and Museum in Columban College

 Eva Montemayor - Cruz *

History and the writing of history seemed to have taken a new course of direction. New historiography is no longer confined to national history with all its generalizations, thus confining the past from stereotyped events, people and places. As Prof. Serafin D. Quiason in his paper, "Reflections on our Historical Legacies and Provincial Historical Committees" stated, thus: "The overall process of our national history is determined by the innumerable small local histories. It is the sum total of all ethnic groups histories expressed in their various lifestyles, beliefs, techniques, traits, institutions, struggles, sufferings and achievements making up the Filipino people." Indeed, our national history had its very roots in the variety of ethnic soils and barangays where our ancient and illustrious forebears originally came from.

 Scholars continue to form movements and associations to complete the yet many puzzles that will truly enrich our national history via the local history. It was in 1970 when the National Historical Commission (NHC) launched the first provincial historical committee under the chairmanship of a noted historian, Carmen Guerrero-Nakpil who is a descendant of our national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal. This event was followed by a proliferation of cultural agencies until the need to streamline the diverse functions of these agencies led to the creation of the National Historical Institute through Presidential Decree #1 on September 24, 1972.

* Coordinator, Social Sciences Department, College of Arts and Sciences and Education/Museum Curator/Assistant Researcher

 The Birth of Zambales Studies and Museum

 Re-writing Philippine history via local history is a very noble academic endeavor. This is especially true for Zambales Province which has multiple ethnic denominations - the Aetas, the Zambals and the Ilocanos where each has long, persistent and enduring cultural patterns. Some are still in practice and some are buried in the past but remains interesting topic to unearth.

The task of rewriting history not only needs a vision and an academic training, but also intense passion and dedicated pursuit to link the present with the past. Columban College joined the many Provincial Historical Committees in the Philippines in attempting to link the present with the past via local history thru the initiative of Rev. Fr. Danilo O. Presto, former President of the College, and through the Research, Planning and Development Office headed then by Dr. Marcelino M. Damaso Jr.

Activities done were mapping of Zambales for historical concerns; collection, cataloguing, verification, classification and organization of different artifacts of the province; and interviews of Aetas and Zambals as baseline data for analysis of Zambales history and cultural patterns. At present, studies of Zambal culture have been included as part of the Research Agenda of the College which include the protection of the Aetas and their culture and the documentation and analysis of various Zambales culture and arts: music, dances, festivals, churches, paintings, etc. Faculty members are being challenged to explore on these topics.

The establishment of the Zambales Museum has been one of the best features of the College. The Cambridge Dictionary Online defined museums as "places of study, buildings where objects of historical, scientific or artistic interest are kept, preserved and exhibited". To The Museums Association, a museum is "an institution which collects documents, preserves, exhibits and interprets material evidence and associated information for the public benefit". Museums now enable the public to explore collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment. They are institutions that collect, safeguard and make accessible artifacts and specimens, which they hold in trust for society. As viewed by Mike Wallace (1996), the importance of museums lies in their role as a nation’s memory bank.

On a personal note, what matters most about museums is that they are the only source of "living history" and perhaps an insight to the future world that lies before us. History should be displayed for study not only because it is essential to individuals and to society, but also because it harbors beauty. Museums provide an ideal learning environment, whether it is formal or informal learning, active hands-on participation or passive observation (Hein, 1998). Museums offer a storehouse of information about how people and societies behave through the ages. We would not be able to understand the influence of technological innovations, or the role that beliefs play in shaping family life, if we do not know about the experiences in the past. This, fundamentally, is the reason why museums are so important: it offers the only extensive evidential base for the contemplation and analysis of how societies function, and people need to have some sense of how societies function simply to run our own lives (Hudson, 1987).

The Zambales Museum displays evidential historical data through artifacts collection about how families, groups, institutions and the whole of Zambales were formed and about how they have evolved while retaining cohesion. This provides a sense of identity for the visitors. Through the museum, the history and culture of Zambales shall be preserved and it could serve as the window of the past.