Sunday, May 25, 2008 The Tuburan town museum By Rosa Marichu Mascarinas Echica
INAUGURATED only last April 12, with no less than the Governor of Cebu, Gwendolyn Garcia doing the honors of cutting the ribbon, the Tuburan Museum showcases a townspeople’s “over a thousand years of prehistory, and their life and times.”
Originally conceived by the previous mayor and now Vice Mayor, Rose Marie Suezo, wife of the present mayor, Constancio Suezo III, as part of her cultural heritage preservation program, the museum fitted in nicely with the Capitol’s own cultural and historical heritage preservation efforts.
The museum slowly became a reality with the help of the province and their anthropologist consultant, Prof. Jose Eleazar , “Jobers” Bersales, chairman of the University of San Carlos (USC) Anthropology Department. Not leave out is the cooperation of the Tuburan Town Council with Councilor Marie Tabotabo, donors and the townspeople themselves, who turned over their heirloom pieces and priceless relics to help fill up the museum.
Marie was tasked by the mayor to head the committee on tourism (the museum construction was part of it and Necel Yamson, the mayor’s press information officer and jack-of-all trades).
Special mention must be made of Paul Vega, USC Fine Arts department chairman, who helped in the setting up of the display so the pieces will be shown to its best advantage.
Remarkable is the word to describe the display. There were the usual plates, glasses, bottles, kitchen accoutrements, santos (icons) of wood and ivory, broken bits or sherds of pottery.
According to Prof. Jobers, this is the anthropologic term rather than the word, “shards.” There were also jars from diggings around the town, old copies of news items and historical papers dating to the 1800s. This is the remarkable part: the displays, though very old, have been so well-preserved.
Part of the museum is a section named after Tuburan’s hero, the Arcadio Maxilom: the Arcadio Maxilom Memorial Library.
The history of Tuburan, and of Cebu itself, would not be complete without a chapter on this man, who not only fought for our freedom during the Spanish times but was also one of our first governors.
Aptly enough, the museum is located on the second floor of the old municipal building which was originally constructed as the residential house of Don Fausto Tabotabo in 1889. Fausto Tabotabowas the mayor of Tuburan in 1869-71 and in 1879-85. It was his father, Don Diego Tabotabo, who had acquired large tracts of land in Tuburan, and moved the town site where it is now, when he became mayor in 1853. He initiated the town planning and engineered the road network of the town. Diego Tabotabo also served as mayor in 1864-66. Although the building had undergone two minor renovations and one major one, it still retains its Spanish influence as can be gleaned from its alternate dark and light flooring of hardwood, its curlicued and lace-like wood partitions near the ceiling, the placement of its stairs and banisters, and its wide and airy windows.
The opening of the town museum may seem just like a small ripple in the cultural pond. But it should be a big splash when you consider that it is the first museum (of the 42 municipalities) that has been initiated by the municipal government itself, unlike the towns of Argao and Bantayan, which are both parish-based.
Prof. Bersales, we hear, is currently helping Boljoon. Medellin has also asked for his help. For the writers who are currently on assignment in Capitol’s town history writing project, the setting up of museums in each town would be a big help. The preservation of our heritage and culture is no less an important task as the economic well-being of our people.
Incidentally, the Tuburan Town Hymn, composed by former Mayor Petronilo Mendoza, was also launched during the museum inauguration. Like some of the other towns that already have their own hymns, the song is also a source of pride for the town and part and parcel of their town heritage.
