Summary List and Fast-facts on new entries in the inventory of Marinduque's Local Cultural Property.
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OPISYAL NA PANGALAN (Official Name): 29. BALANACAN PORT and
BALANACAN HARBOR |
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KARANIWANG PANGALAN (Common Name): Balanacan |
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LOKAL NA PANGALAN (Local name): Balanacan |
Balanacan
harbor has always been recognized as a place of refuge for shipping because of
its sheltered harbour by both the Spanish and first Americans.
According
to the 6th Annual Report of the Philippine Commission 1905,
development of this harbour, both for commercial purposes and as harbour of
refuge, and connecting it by means of a highway with Boac, was authorized by
the civil governor November 30, 1903. A survey party left Manila July 11, 1904,
and returned December 15, 1904.
The
primary purpose of the proposed improvements is to reduce the cost of
marketing products. It will also in time tend to the material development of
the most important part of the island. The road and harbour projects are
interdependent, and both should be constructed simultaneously.
Today, the Balanacan harbour is known as the Main Gateway to Marinduque. A gigantic statue of Marinduque’s patroness, Mahal na Ina ng Biglang Awa stands in this harbour to welcome visitors to this island-province.
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OPISYAL NA PANGALAN (Official Name): 30. MAHAL NA INA NG BIGLANG-AWA |
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KARANIWANG PANGALAN (Common Name): Ina ng Biglang Awa / Birhen ng
Biglang Awa |
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LOKAL NA PANGALAN (Local name): Ina ng Biglang Awa |
So began the people's devotion to the
image. It was a period when Moro pirates pillaged settlements along the coasts
and captured the natives. The Boac Cathedral was constructed with fortified
walls on top of a hill to protect the people from these pirates. A fortress to
serve as a lookout for approaching intruders was also built along the coast of
the barrio of Laylay.
In a raid considered the greatest one
staged by the Tulisang Dagat the pirates landed at the shore of Laylay. People
from the nearby barrios fled and took refuge inside the Boac church. Men
defended the surrounding walls of the church but many were wounded and some
were killed. On the third day of battle they ran out of food and the chance of
defeat was imminent.
The people through prayers sought the
Mother’s intercession. Heavy rains fell in torrent with lightning and thunder
and in the midst of the storm, people saw the apparition of a woman on top of
the wall facing east with arms outstretched as if driving the intruders
away.
Gripped with fear, the Moros fled in
their fast sailing boats. A grateful people named the old image as Ina ng
Biglang Awa (Prompt Succour), because of the miracle not doubting that the
venerated image interceded for them.
Marinduque Celadon Jar
OPISYAL NA PANGALAN (Official Name):
31. MARINDUQUE CELADON JAR
KARANIWANG PANGALAN (Common Name):
Marinduque Celadon Jar
LOKAL NA PANGALAN (Local name):
Marinduque Celadon Jar
The Marinduque Celadon Jar acquired by the NMP in the 1960s and declared as a National Cultural Treasure in 2010.
The
detailed provenance (or history of ownership) of the Marinduque Celadon Jar is
still subject to further research. Existing records, however, indicate that
this object was bought by Evangelista in 1965, along with a Sawankhalok
greenish-grey glazed plate, a ceramic ware produced by the Sukhothai kingdom of
central Thailand in the 13th to 15th century.
Four
years prior to purchasing the jar, Evangelista conducted systematic excavations
at Pilapil Cave in Marinduque, which yielded local artifacts and sherds
associated to Song (960–1279 CE) and Yuan (1279–1368 CE) periods. The dragon
motif of the Marinduque Celadon Jar suggests it is not an average object, but a
unique marker of prestige; thus, making it an important and rare acquisition of
the NMP.
As
far as known, there are only two known existing celadon jars of its sort. The
other two are part of the collections of the British Museum in London and of
Dr. Arturo de Santos, a Filipino ceramic enthusiast in the 1960s. Considering
its rarity, craftsmanship, and historical and cultural relevance, the
Marinduque Celadon Jar was declared an NCT in 2010. It is presently exhibited
at Palayok: The Ceramic Heritage of the Philippines gallery of the National
Museum of Anthropology. (Scheduled to be returned this year, 2022, to its place of origin and exhibited at NM Marinduque-Romblon Area Museum).
Text
by Gregg Alfonso Abbang, photo by Randy Episcope, and poster by Timothy James
Vitales / NMP Archaeology Division
©
National Museum of the Philippines (2021)
Location: Casa Real, Boac, Marinduque
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OPISYAL NA PANGALAN (Official Name): 32. ESTATWA NI QUEEN ISABELA II (o BIRHENG
MARIA?) |
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KARANIWANG PANGALAN (Common Name): Estatwa ni Queen Isabela /
Birheng Maria |
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LOKAL NA PANGALAN (Local name): Queen Isabela / Birheng Maria |
The late Konsehal
Miguel R. Magalang who also chaired the Boac Historical
Society at that time sponsored a municipal resolution recognizing the
importance of this statue, a wooden statue. The resolution (No. 2013-042 dated
August 19, 2013), stated thus:
“Whereas, an existing primary source document from
Intramuros Administration #295, which forms integral part of this Resolution as
Annex “A”, indicates that the wooden statue of Queen Isabella II was received
on June 9, 1836 by the Governadorcillo of Pueblo de Boac, Don Eugenio Bunag…”
It was therefore resolved by the 8th Sangguniang Bayan to declare “the 1836 wooden statue of Queen Isabella II as a municipal protected historical artifact and treasure”.
But since the source of the document did not provide a translation of what looks like a “Certifico”, it would be wise to have the sculptural image inspected and authenticated by authorities concerned, such as the National Museum.
The 'primary
source document from Intramuros Administration #295".
Titled “Valga para el Reynado de S.M. la Sra. D. Ysabel II I para los anos de mil ochocientos treinta iseis i treinta i siete”
Location: Boac Cathedral, Boac, Marinduque
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OPISYAL NA PANGALAN (Official Name): 33. LUMANG
KAMPANA NG SIMBAHAN |
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KARANIWANG PANGALAN (Common Name): Lumang Kampana |
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LOKAL NA PANGALAN (Local name): Lumang Kampana |
This centuries-old bronze bell according to tradition was brought to Marinduque by Jesuit missionaries in the 1620's serving the faithful in the locality and has always been a part of the religious life of the community.
Location: Casa Real, Boac, Marinduque
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OPISYAL NA PANGALAN (Official Name): 34. MGA KANYON NG BOAC |
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KARANIWANG PANGALAN (Common Name): Mga Kanyon ng Boac |
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LOKAL NA PANGALAN (Local name): Mga Kanyon |
NHCP Chair, Dr. Maria Serena I. Diokno, confirmed the accuracy of the historical data posted on this blog and used it in addition to its own research as basis for declaring them important municipal artefacts and treasures. The March 13, 2014 NHCP letter reads in part:
“Based on our research, "IEC" cannons were manufactured
in the 17th to 18th centuries. A key source is the study conducted by the US
Department of the Interior Minerals-Management Service (1989) on the
archaeological site at the Gulf of Mexico where three cast iron cannons with
fabrication marks "IEC" on their right trunnions were recovered. A similar study of the Society of Historical
Archaeology (1990) recovered 2 more IEC cannons in the same area. Analyses of
the various data suggest that the site was either the location of a possible
grounding of a vessel with subsequent lightening by intentional discard of
unnecessary ballast, or a plain shipwreck site. But these studies arrived at a
consensus that the cannons were of Swedish origin. The gunfounder marks
"IEC" belonged to Jesper (Eliaeson) Ehrencreutz (1648-1722) who
founded the Eherendals Bruk Foundry (1690-1722).
“In light of these sources, we confirm the accuracy of the historical data in the Resolution as the basis for declaring 1751 cannons as important municipal artefacts and treasures. We also support your action of securing a place inside the Municipal Building, the original site of the Casa Real, for these cannons."
Boac SB Resolution adopted on Aug. 5, 2013:
“Whereas, currently the three Spanish-period cannons which were used by the Spaniards during their colonization of the Municipality of Boac were left abandoned in front of the Casa Real for almost a decade already, exposed to various elements, unprotected and needing proper preservation;
“Whereas, the biggest of the three cannons has the letters “IEC” on its right trunnion which, according to a research by Mr. Eliseo Obligacion, is the master founder’s mark which can also be seen in cannons found in shipwrecks around the world. In a report according to Obligacion, the marking on the right trunnion of the cannon can be attributed to the following:
“Jesper Eliaeson started the Ehrendal foundry as early as 1689 and was master founder until his death in 1722. Thomas Roth, head of research at the Army Museum in Stockholm, Sweden states, “As far as we know the mark “IE” (for Jasper Eliaeson) was used on one of the trunnions from 1689 to 1695 but it is possible that the mark could have been altered after that year until 1722 when his son Olof, began using “OEC” (Roth 2004). The addition of the “C” to Jesper’s mark may have coincided with his 1695 ennoblement by the Swedish monarchy, and subsequent surname change from Eliaeson to Ehrencreutz (Jobling 1990). A sixty pounder mortar in the Tojhusmuseet in Copenhagen has IEC on the right trunnion and 1721 on the left, indicating its manufacture one year before Jesper Ehrencreutz’s death (Brown 2005)."
“Whereas, the letters on the right trunnion of the vintage cannon were properly recorded in a picture by Obligacion as shown below: (Image)
“Whereas, the left trunnion of the cannon was also marked with
numbers most likely identified as “1751” which may be indicated as the casting
date. After cleaning the left trunnion of the cannon, the following picture
taken by Obligacion clearly displayed the casting date: (Image)
“Whereas, according to the same research by Obligacion, on how did the cannons get to Boac, can be explained in this information:
“The two largest producers of cast iron artillery in the last half of the 17th century and throughout the 18th century were England and Sweden. (Frantzen 2004). Ordnance exports from both countries were prevalent throughout Europe and anywhere Europeans traded. The reality is that the international ordnance trade was so complex that once guns left the foundry they could end up on ships of any nationality”…
(To be continued)
