National Museum board approves return of pulpit panels to Boljoon

Some replicas of the missing Boljoon pulpit panels.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The pulpit panels removed from the heritage church of Boljoon in southern Cebu in the late 1980s that ended up as a donation to the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) will be returned.

Members of the NMP Board of Trustees (BOT) met today, May 8, and discussed the four Boljoon pulpit panels removed from the Archdiocesan Shrine of Patrocinio de Maria Santisima.

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Don’t disregard heritage

The NMP issued this statement after the meeting:

“The Board of Trustees of the National Museum of the Philippines, in its regular meeting held today in Manila, approved a set of recommendations with the objective of returning the Panels to the pulpit of Boljoon Church subject to certain terms which are envisaged to form part of a comprehensive agreement between NMP and the Archdiocese of Cebu in support of the Boljoon Church Complex as a National Cultural Treasure and candidate for UNESCO World Heritage Inscription. The Board also instructed the Director-General to initiate discussions with the Archdiocese of Cebu immediately on the matter.”

During the meeting between Cebu Archbishop Jose S. Palma and NMP BOT Chair Andoni Aboitiz last April 16, they agreed to prioritize the conservation of the four pulpit panels. NMP presented Palma with a report on the condition of the wooden panels.

In an interview last April 27, Palma said that during the discussions, the archdiocese “claimed our right for the ownership of the panels.” He thanked the NMP for conserving the Boljoon pulpit panels and taking care of them but stressed that they should be returned.

“We also know that government money was spent for the repair. But the higher truth and the more important truth and reality is that it belongs to Boljoon because it is property of the church and we expect that to be returned soon,” Palma said.

“This is a triumph of the community and the stakeholders for not just claiming for the return of the pulpit panels to the church where they are from but this is a duly recognition of the voice of this community affirming and demanding its right for what truly belongs to their culture, faith, memory and the sense of their identity,” said Fr. Brian Brigoli, Chairperson of the Cebu Archdiocesan Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church.

“This is to show that the community is empowered already. This goes to show as well the competency of our Government Cultural Agencies entrusted to the care of our cultural assets,” Brigoli added.

The four Boljoon pulpit panels used to adorn the pulpit of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Patrocinio de Maria Santisima. Boljoon and heritage officials said there used to be six panels on the pulpit. Only one remains and it is now displayed at the parish museum. One panel is still missing.

The pulpit panels were long thought lost until the four resurfaced as a donation to the NMP by collectors Edwin and Aileen Bautista and put on exhibit lastFebruary 13, 2024.