The wearing of our story: Our history

We have gazillion of good stories to tell about our rich past but we are poor in telling them at the present. So let me tell you a story, my story actually, which happened in the recent past.

I had a chance to visit the San Francisco Museum on Mission Street and Fifth Streets last year and it’s one of the best museums I have ever been to in the United States.  Also last year, the brief stop at Singapore’s National Museum at Stamford Road was not only a site to behold but also inspiringly telling how Singaporeans care and value their heritage. It is not my wish to demean the “lowly-ness” of our own museums because we all know that we are always short of budget since the beginning of history. But let me just point out our seeming lack of reverence in preserving our roots and our sense of history in this country.  

If I had the chance to re-arrange my past, one of them would be to forgo our most recent visit in Fort San Pedro and the Cebu Heritage Monument. A friend of mine, a Cebuana-balikbayan, phoned in that she would like to visit Cebu over the weekend and that I should take her to these historic sites as she had almost lost her memory of them having been away for almost three decades.  And so in a heartbeat, this trying hard tour guide wanna-be in me agreed with the thought that I could flaunt my history and my being a descendant of  Lapu-Lapu and blow her mind as to how Lapu-Lapu slew the wits out of the Spaniards with just a steak knife to sliver his steamed Lapu-Lapu.

Levity aside, I was embarrassed when I showed her around. The old photos that have been housed in the Fort at the second floor were left open and stuck on walls without frames. Damaged ceilings, broken windows and dusty floors seemed to indicate that the area was probably last attended at the time when those pictures were taken. My friend inquired with concern if the local or national government has ever thought of doing repairs and restoration initiatives. Having no bit of a clue to answer her, I just quipped in jest, “Don’t worry, they are intended to enhance the historic effect of the place.”

If you come to think of it, Fort San Pedro is a part of the National Museum. What’s more, they make a lot of money in entrance fees alone. I wonder where in the world did they spend the entrance fees of tourists that flock the area every day? Well, your guess is as good as mine!

If you haven’t been to the Cebu Heritage Monument at Parian Street lately, then heaven bless you. Litter and smell of human or animal waste linger therein. Some parts of the monument have also chipped off and I hope that we do something about it before Cebu Heritage Monument becomes Cebu Heritage Ruins. Or did they (city government) intend to just leave it dilapidated for historical effects?

Cebu Heritage Monument was built in 1997. Just right across is the Yap-Sandiego ancestral home dating back to the Spanish era yet unlike the Cebu Heritage Monument, history is well preserved here. And I am consoled to find at least a bit of redemption to see some of our old stories being told with care and assiduousness by people who care about who we are and where we come from.

History and tourism are like love and marriage. They go together like a horse and carriage or so goes the old song. It’s so heartbreaking to see the state of our historical landmarks specially those under government care wearing away in neglect. How else can we promote tourism, our culture? How else can we remember and pay respect to the people who fought and carved their names with their lives in the name of independence if we don’t even fight at least to preserve what is left of our past?

How else can we move forward as nation if we ignore the lessons of the past?   

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