Four museums in a day

MORE than 60 participants who attended the recent International Museum Day Conference in Davao City had more fun when they visited four museums in one day in three cities.

The first stopover was the Museo Dabawenyo located on Pichon Street (formerly known as Magallanes St.) in Davao City. Orly Escarrilla, the museum's administrator, was present to welcome the visitors.

Relics from the past, yellowed photographs, eye-catching sculptures, thought-provoking paintings (including the one made from leaves), creative dioramas, a list of former governors of undivided Davao, photographs of former and present mayors of the city, a replica of the controversial Datu Bago (and the recipients of the awards named after him), and the ten tribes inhabiting the city.

These are just some of the things they see while roaming around the two-story building, which used to house the Court of First Instance.

The building was restored and rehabilitated in 2006.

During the 71st Araw ng Dabaw, the museum was finally opened to the public.

"We have an average of about 800 visitors a week," Escarrilla said.

"Most of them are students and foreigners who want to know about our city."

Some few blocks away from the Museo Dabawenyo is the D'Bone Collectors Museum, touted to be the first not only in Davao but in Mindanao.

"The museum we have is some sort of a unique as visitors and guests can have a different view of the animals that is impossible to look at if they were alive," said Darrell D. Blatchley, the museum's curator and owner.

The museum is located in San Pedro Street Extension, specifically in Bucana. The building is three-story: the first floor is for orientation while the second floor is currently used as working area for other bone collections. The third floor is where the various collections of skeletons and bones are displayed.

"Dead animals, whose bones can be used to further enhance the education of the Filipinos, must be used instead of being wasted away," Blatchley explained on why he loves collecting bones.

"If we had not recovered the bones we are now displaying, they would be gone forever."

From Davao City, the participants travelled to Panabo City in Davao del Norte.

The former city hall was converted into a museum and is now known as Museo Panabo, which is being directed by Jan Mari Cafe.

"Though change is inevitable, the value of our past can mirror our dream to aim for a more progressive Panabo," states City Ordinance No. 32, series of 2008.

The museum has four halls: cultural hall (origins and myth of the city as told by its forefathers), agri-industrial hall (why the city is touted as the Banana Capital of the Philippines), political hall (revisiting the past administrations), and contemporary hall (venue for the changing exhibit of artworks by local artists). Some of the intriguing displays were the sculptures and paintings of Kublai Millan.

The final destination was the Museo de Ignacia at Saint Mary's College in Tagum City.

"This is the first of its kind in Tagum, Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley provinces," informed Maria Lalaine P. Chieng.

Inside the museum, guests and visitors go back to the glorious past of Tagum and the school that houses the museum.

One can also see how the school uniforms evolved from Holy Cross to St. Mary's.

But the most intriguing displays were the sculptures done by local artist Jun Porlares.

From garbage -- tin cans, soft drink covers, driftwoods, and plastic toys -- he created thought-provoking display of creativity.

Even the titles of his creations were equally unique: "Ugat ng Lahi," "Access to Knowledge," "The Journey," "Luha ng Isang Ina," and "Puno ng Basura."

The participants were members of the Mindanao Association of Museums, which was established in 1989. Some of those who came had to travel all the way from Zamboanga, General Santos, Malaybalay, Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Butuan, Malungon (Sarangani), and Lake Sebu (South Cotabato).