Deputy Consul General Jaime Ramon T. Ascalon leads the ribbon cutting at the Social Hall of the Philippine Center in San Francisco during the Andres Bonifacio Exhibit Launch. Joining him are (left to right) Philippine Folklife Museum President Dan de la Cruz, Operations and Development Chair Lydia de la Cruz and Dr. Soledad Manaay-Hayden.
In commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of the Philippine national hero Gat Andres Bonifacio, the Philippine Folklife Museum Foundation, in cooperation with the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco and the Philippine Center Management Board, launched a permanent exhibit on his life and accomplishments. The event was held on January 23, 2014 at the Social Hall of the Philippine Center in San Francisco.
Aimed at “capturing the intensifying spirit of Andres Bonifacio after the arrest and banishment of Dr. Jose Rizal in 1892 by forming an underground society called the Katipunan”, the exhibit was highlighted by the unveiling of a replica statue of the famous Balintawak Monument by one of the Philippines’ greatest sculptors, Anastacio Caedo. The exhibit likewise featured a black and white portrait of the Philippine hero beautifully framed in wood and glass, centered with his biography printed and mounted on a 14×24 inch foam board. Sponsors of the said exhibit pieces, Drs. John S. Hayden and Soledad Manaay-Hayden were present during the event.
L-R: Dr. John S. Hayden, Dr. Soledad Manaay-Hayden, Ms. Lydia de la Cruz, Mr. Dan de la Cruz, Consul Leah Rodriguez and Deputy Consul General Jaime Ramon T. Ascalon posing by the 18-inch replica of the Bonifacio Monument at Pugad Lawin . The statue is displayed on a 42-inch pedestal stand and enclosed in clear flexi glass. Also on display is a Katipunan flag bearing the symbol of the sun and the letters KKK, which stands for Kataas-taasang, Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan (Supreme and Venerable Society of the Children of the Nation).
Displays on The History of the Katipunan, The Initiation Rites of the the Katipunan, The Kartilya ng Katipunan (Primer of theKatipunan), Katipunan Recruitment methods, The Teachings of the Katipunan and the Katipunan Organizational Structure which were all individually printed and mounted on foam boards ,were also part of the exhibit. Completing the exhibit is a photo on canvass by Photographer David Fabros based on the original Bonifacio Mural more popularly known as the “Cry of Balintawak” or “Cry of Pugad Lawin”. It depicts the beginning of the Philippine Revolution led by Andres Bonifacio against Spain in 1896.
The original mural was done in 1964 by the famous Carlos “Botong” Francisco, Philippine National Artist for Visual Arts in 1973.
The Bonifacio exhibit is elegantly displayed on movable walls donated by Dan and Lydia de la Cruz. Other permanent exhibits in the museum include a series of 15 bas-relief wooden sculptures highlighting events throughout Philippine history. Also on display are pineapple (pina) cloth items, including 3 elegant gowns circa 1936 gifts by the first lady Aurora Quezon, wife of President Manuel L. Quezon to her friend, the late Mrs. Ann Schinazi.
As part of her closing remarks, the Museum Operations and Development Chair, Ms. Lydia dela Cruz, thanked and encouraged everyone to make the museum a destination with families and friends, as it is “an opportunity to view the work of arts by famous Philippine sculptors and painters, and learn the history of the Philippines right here in the City of San Francisco”. The museum is open Mondays through Fridays from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. Exhibits may be viewed at the Social Hall, on the 5th Floor of the Philippine Center on 447 Sutter Street in San Francisco.
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