Mayor promotes leveled up museum
Mayor Benjamin Magalong encouraged people to promote the Baguio Museum which had undergone refurbishment through the rehabilitation project of the US Embassy’s 2017 Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation.
“Our museum is the ‘heart and soul’ of our city and its significance in showcasing the Cordillera region’s rich history, struggles and traditions for residents and tourists to learn about and learn from must be nurtured,” the mayor said.
“I encourage you to visit it, go around, take it all and pass the word around so others can partake of its significance.”
The newly rehabilitated museum was relaunched through a grand program keynoted by Her Excellency US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson which coincided with the Baguio Day celebration last Sept. 1.
Carlson expressed amazement at how rich and distinct the Cordilleran culture is and said the US embassy is honored to be part of efforts to preserve the heritage.
She said however that the challenge lies in keeping the museum relevant in this age of aggressive digital transformation so that future generations would continue turning to museums not only to remember their past but also understand it and make it a guide for their choices and actions.
Rep. Marquez Go said the relaunching of the museum is timely as face-to-face classes had reopened and it can serve as students’ avenue for learning and appreciation of the region’s heritage and socio-cultural development.
He said the museum embodies the ABCs of Baguio City’s attributes: alive, brave and creative.
National Artist Kidlat Tahimik, a member of the Baguio Museum museum board of trustees who welcomed the guests said the museum is a “bastion” that fosters appreciation of the Cordillera’s “great wealth” of indigenous knowledge proving that “its people have a lot to share with the world” about life and its nuances.
“That if we had listened to its people, probably we would not be having climate change and environmental problems at present,” he said.
Board of Trustees President Councilor Fred Bagbagen on behalf of Executive Director Estella De Guia thanked the US Embassy for its significant support in upgrading the museum.
Also present during the program were Councilors Betty Lourdes Tabana, Leandro Yangot Jr., and Vladimir Cayabas, Arch. Michael Astudillo, Pasakalye Group of Artists led by Maricar Docyogen, woodcarver Ernesto Dul-and and other local artists. – Aileen P. Refuerzo
