National Museum assures return of Boljoon panels
The National Museum of the Philippines received a series of early 19th-century panels depicting the founder of the Augustinian Order as a gift from private collectors on Feb. 13. | NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE PHILIPPINES
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) assured local officials here that the pulpit panels of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Patrocinio de Maria Santisima in Boljoon town in southern Cebu, which resurfaced after decades of being missing, will be returned.
“We will keep our word,” said Jeremy Barns, director at the NMP, during the sidelines at the ceremonial unveiling of National Artist Kidlat Tahimik’s installation at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA).
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Barns was responding to the recent speech from Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia who, during her State of the Province Address (Sopa), where she called out NMP for being mum on the panels’ return.
For their part, Barns assured the governor that they would keep their word to have the historic panels returned to Boljoon as part of their agreement.
However, the NMP official revealed that it might take months before the panels would be taken back to its home, adding that they needed to restore them to its original state.
The restoration of the four panels, which depicted Saint Augustine of Hippo, will begin this October. The whole process, in addition, may take up to 12 weeks, Barns added.
Aside from the panels themselves, the National Museum planned to restore the entire Archdiocesan Shrine of Patrocinio de Maria Santissima, which holds a National Cultural Treasure status.
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Barns said they requested a total of P30 million as budget for the restoration of the centuries-old church. Once completed, the national government also planned to have a ‘fiesta-like’ homecoming for the panels.“Well, so a lot of things are happening and it’s all moving in the direction na mareturn yung (for the return of the) panels,” he said.
The four pulpit panels of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Patrocinio de Maria Santissima had been missing for years until last February when the NMP announced them as part of the latest collection for the National Museum of Fine Arts.
The unveiling was marred by controversies, especially after reports that the panels had been stolen from the church and might have ended up in the black market.
The Archdiocese of Cebu, the rightful owner of the artifacts, urged the government to have the panels returned to Boljoon. Local officials, including Garcia, also backed the church.
In her SOPA, the governor stressed that they were among ‘the first and strongest voices’ to take back the panels, and called the attention of the NMP to honor their agreement.
“We do hope that they will stand by their word that these panels be returned to the Shrine of Patrocinio de Maria Santisima church, considered a national cultural treasure,” she added.
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