The first-ever Handumanan sa Dumaguete photo exhibit to launch the celebration of the National Heritage Month formally opened to the public on May 7 at the Robinsons Place Main Atrium attended by government officials, dignitaries, guests and, above all, representatives of the various families who graciously agreed to share old photos and other mementoes that best depicted their respective lineage.
As many of the photos revealed, some of which were reproduced from the original because of its delicate state, these were the so-called buena familia of yore whose descendants today have continued the legacy handed down to them by their pedigreed forebears.
The photo exhibit, spearheaded by the city government of Dumaguete, the City Tourism Office, and the City Tourism Council, is also part of the month-long Santacruzan Festival whose theme this year is “A Celebration of Virtues.”
As Mayor Manuel “Chiquiting” Sagarbarria expressed when he welcomed everyone during the opening, “This year, we have gone back to the original name of this May festival. If you may all remember in the previous years, the festival was called the Kabulakan Festival. This year, we have decided, once and for all, to return to the name many people have been used to, which is the Santacruzan Festival and to rightfully partner with the Church in the celebration.”
According to Penn Larena, chairperson of the Heritage Exhibit Committee, it is hoped that through the photos on exhibit until next week, people will learn to appreciate the glories of the past, as well as emulate the historical figures and personages who have helped develop Dumaguete to become what it is today, making a mark in public service, arts and culture, good governance, civic involvement, religiosity, academe, tourism and hospitality, entertainment, business, and community endeavors.
Adapted from the Visayan word handumanan which means sweet remembrance, the vintage photos in the exhibit also include a commemoration of 25 years of the Salesian Fathers of Don Bosco who run the St. Louis School-Don Bosco in Dumaguete, the Negros Revolution of 1898, past mayors of Dumaguete, and the centennial anniversary of the History and Political Science Department of Silliman University this year.
What spurred the realization of this milestone of a photo exhibit is the action plan of the Dumaguete Tourism Council as a result of its Lakbay-Aral this year.
“In our visit to four historic towns in Southern Cebu — Boljoon, Santander, Samboan, and Oslob — it was such an amazing feat for their people to be able to preserve their age-old heritage through theirbuildings and churches, and other landmarks. To top it all, for such a small, obscure town like Samboan, it has a museum that is being maintained by private citizens whose passion for culture and history is something we can all learn from,” shared Board Member Erwin Macias, chairperson of the City Tourism Council and Sangguniang Panglungsod Committee on Tourism, and himself a descendant of one of the influential families in the City and Negros Oriental, being the grandson of former Cong. Lamberto Lajato Macias, and son of former Gov. Emilio C. Macias II.
Although it may be quite ambitious to put up a museum soon in the city, Larena — another descendant of illustrious families in Dumaguete — said he hopes that legislators would sponsor an ordinance towards heritage conservation and preservation of our history. “A heritage and historical council in the city government to look into these concerns would likewise inspire our youth to get to know more about the city’s glorious past,” Larena added.
This sentiment was shared by Woodrow Maquiling Jr., city tourism officer and Santacruzan Festival director, who intoned that his office intends to do a follow-up exhibit by next year with the support and cooperation of the other pioneering families of achievers in the city. Maquiling observed, “This exhibit is yet the first. Through this initial venture, we are praying that we would be able to feature many more families because truly, Dumaguete is such a rich source of cultural heritage as proven by the many Dumaguetenos who have become well-known in their fields not only here, but also abroad.”
The families featured in the exhibit are: Absin, Aldecoa, Alfabeto, Arrieta, Bejar, Flores, Larena, Locsin, Macias, Pastor, Perdices, Pinili, Romero, Teves, and Uymatiao.
Doing their share, too, in contributing to the success of the exhibit, aside from the major stakeholders, were the Provincial Tourism Office, City General Services Office, Foundation University, Silliman University, Negros Oriental State University, Saint Paul University Dumaguete, and Asian College.
