Can you name the Basque sailor who found the image of the Sto. Nino? How about the President of the Philippines during the time when Governor Sotero Cabahug was requesting for funds to build the Capitol building? Or the son of Senator Rama who died with President Magsaysay during the unfortunate plane crash at Mt. Manunggal, Balamban? Who cares anyway? Aren’t these insignificant details of the past? They don’t have any relevance to the present. These can’t answer the problems of today with regards to traffic, poverty, war on drugs, not even the dilemma you get to face every day; so, why bother?
On its tenth year and as part of Cebu Province Charter Day celebration, Museo Sugbo organized a Heritage Race “Lumba’g Pangita” last August 6. The history hunt was made open to all ages wherein interested individuals are to group themselves into four. Each group needs to locate the answers on the artifacts and information presented on the museum displays. The first three groups to finish the race wins a night stay at Cebu’s first Heritage Hotel, Palm Grass Hotel.
It all started with curiosity, followed by the desire to hang out together and get a refresher on the long-forgotten lessons learned on history. After gathering a member of four, we decided to register and join the event. Honestly, upon reading the mechanics we already had a hint what the final question would be. I mean, completing all 10 questions which would then lead to a ten-letter-word answer to the final question. Wouldn’t MUSEO SUGBO be the best word to answer that? And indeed it was! No wonder, we won first price. HAHA. The initial plan was just to, at least do our best in order to, be part of the top three winning group, but we ended up answering all the questions first. However, more than just winning, I believe the experience paved of more importance than the price. Wandering around the displays – from Pre-colonial to the present administration – and answering questions that we’ve never given much importance in class before made me realize that there are so much that we have to learn about our own province. Learnings that would help us better understand the current situation of our country; information that would somehow explain how and why the society works. Probably the reason why the questions are often taken for granted is because we don’t see its importance; but if we give time to truly understand its ‘real story’ maybe we’ll learn more from our history, maybe we’ll begin to understand why societal problems occur, maybe we’ll be able to strategize better programs to answer the need of the country. Come to think of it, those who don’t know their history are doomed to repeat it, aren’t they?
We are the products of the past and in turn, a history in the making. Should we make things that are worth telling? Or should we end up like those details which are forgotten, never mentioned of, and never learned from? Your choice.
