Malacañang Museum gets a face-lift

IS IT not sad that many Filipinos know more about the accomplishments, beliefs and even speeches of American presidents like Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy than Filipino leaders?

Is it not also unfortunate that we know more about the history of countries like the United States, France, United Kingdom and Spain, and more familiar about their works of art, rather than our own?

It is a sad reality but Presidential Adviser Cesar Sarino said the refurbished Malacañang Presidential Museum at the Kalayaan Hall would hopefully bring the rich Filipino culture closer to the Filipino people.

"We envision a museum that would showcase our struggle for political freedom from the time of the datus and the sultans to our current fight for economic freedom," Sarino told the Inquirer.

"The fight for freedom would just lie into waste without it being recollected. It is therefore a good judgment that we ourselves make a record and documentation of all the archives that the past presidents had in their conquest for true democracy," he added.

Sarino, who was also appointed MHF chairman, initiated the reconstruction of the Malacañang Museum with the aid of a private group of curators, architects and researches.

Members of the board of trustees include former Finance secretary Roberto de Ocampo, who is vice chairman, and Napoleon Abueva, Jaime Laya and Cid Reyes. Executive director is Mae Gaffud.

The MHF has been managing the Malacañang Museum since the time of former President Fidel V. Ramos, under whose watch the MHF completely changed the museum format.

Sarino said the Malacañang Museum under Ramos’ time featured the ostentatious lifestyle of a president, which was changed immediately under former Presidents Corazon Aquino and Fidel V. Ramos

"What we want now is to showcase how the Presidents work and live, a little like the White House. We will have 12 rooms and we will recreate the original presidential room. We will have a short biography, memorabilia and the list of accomplishments," Sarino explained.

Sarino said they would need at least P150 million to put their dream into reality and they are calling on the help of private individuals and corporations to donate funds.

"We are also asking for the families of the former presidents to donate some memorabilia for the proposed rooms," he added.

The museum currently has a lot of photographs of life in the Philippines, riding boots of President Ramon Magsaysay, a chess set of President Carlos P. Garcia, necklaces of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, people power paraphernalia of Corazon Aquino and different memorabilia from Fidel V. Ramos.

"We should highlight our accomplishments and when people go to the museum, we want the Filipinos to leave feeling and experiencing the process of struggle with our heroes. We should highlight what we have accomplished. We must be proud of ourselves," Sarino added.