SOME museums in Cebu City are repositories of heritage items related to the revolution against the Spanish regime and the creation of the Autonomous Catholic Church in the Philippines, or the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI).
The Rizaliana Museum at the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Mabini campus houses the original Katipunan flag, while the IFI church has 100-year-old religious statues.
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The two museums were opened to the public last Friday night as part of the Gabii sa Kabilin (Night of Heritage), which is an annual activity aimed at promoting culture and heritage appreciation and preservation.
On display
The flag, which is over 100 years old, was mentioned in the book of Adrian Cristobal titled “The Tragedy of the Revolution.”
The book is about the life and death of Andres Bonifacio (1863-1897), founder of the Katipunan and father of the Philippine revolution.
Bonifacio, inspired by Dr. Jose Rizal’s love for country, organized the secret revolutionary society of Filipinos.
“In a private museum hangs a century-old Katipunan flag, faded with age but still bearing traces of blood spilled once upon a time for one’s beloved country,” Cristobal wrote.
The Katipunan flag, he says, contains all the elements of the different Katipunan flags weaved during the Philippine revolution against the Spanish regime.
The brownish flag bears a large multi-rayed sun with the ancient Tagalog symbol for “K” in the middle. The letters “KKK MANB” over the sun stand for Kataastassan Kagalanggalang Katipunan ng Mga Anak ng Bayan (Highest and Most Honorable Society of the Sons of the Nation). The label for the flag reads “Original KKK Flag-1896, donated by Teodora Agoncillo.”
The brochure distributed to visitors of the museum states that Rizal’s family is related to the owners of USPF. Rizal’s sister Doña Lucia married Mariano Herbosa whose granddaughter (Concepcion Herbosa) married Escolastico Duterte, the nephew of Agustin and Beatriz Jereza.
The museum also holds authentic clothes of Rizal, a complete set of memorabilia post cards, a sketchbook with Josephine Bracken as model, among others.
Old records
The IFI, or the Aglipay Church, in Cebu was established by Vicente Yap Sotto and his brother Felimon, said Rev. Fr. Josephus Salado.
Despite a fire that struck the century-old church, the congregation was able to set aside marriage, burial and baptismal records dating back to the 1920s.
Life-size religious images of Mater Dolorosa and the crucified Christ that are over 100 years old remain well-preserved.
Salado said IFI founder Fr. Gregorio Aglipay visited the church sometime in 1903 and, in the following year, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo also visited.
Salado also said the two men had close ties as the church was formed in the beginning of the 20th century as part of the struggle against Spanish and later American forces.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on May 27, 2012.
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