Museo Toledo sets record

CEBU, Philippines - Museo Toledo, which has recently opened, is the only museum in the entire Philippines to date with an outdoor exhibition area.

On its recent inauguration on the occasion of Toledo City's 53rd Charter Day, Professor Jose Eleazar "Jojo" Bersales boosted all the more the pride of Toledanos when he stressed that Museo Toledo is the only one in the whole country that has an open air gallery and a copper mining gallery having partnered with the Carmen Copper Corporation, a subsidiary of the Atlas Consolidated Mines and Development Corporation, the second largest copper mine in Asia in its heydays.

Exhibited outside are a locomotive once used by the underground mine operations, an RS loader, and a gigantic tire of a Haulpak by WABCO (Westinghouse Air Brake Company). Haulpaks are huge mining and quarry trucks used to transport crushed stones. An RS loader is a high-speed mechanical transloader used in underground mining to handle large-capacity mucking in tandem with a belt conveyor mine car.

The city museum is a dream of Vice Mayor Arlene "Daydee" Zambo over seven years ago. But she was herself hesitant at the beginning to pursue this program which is one of the thrusts of the Provincial Government, knowing that every museum is a continuing project.

"I admit I was afraid in the beginning; basin kulba, basin di namo makaya," Vice Mayor Zambo shared. "Gani, until now I can't seem to breathe. Kani bitawng feeling nga mora kag matuk-an. Today we are opening a home to our city's past, present and future; a home for our pride and treasure, a home for our culture and heritage. So many people to thank for: Governor Gwen, third district Rep. Pablo John Garcia, Mr. Adrian Ramos (CCC director and executive vice president), Mr. Rodrigo "Cocoy" Cal (CCC vice president and resident manager); our father Mayor Aurelio Espinosa, Professor Jojo (exhibition storyline and design consultant), Marvin Chito Natural (museum curator), among the many who really worked hard to pursue this, who toiled 24/7. Thank you nga gibuhi ninyo ang among mga damgo," she said in her speech.

Natural shared that they only had five months to prepare the museum for the inauguration. "It was easier for me as an artist because this is what I've always wanted to do for my city (he is a resident of Barangay Sangi). The tough challenge was on the paper works. You know what it is when you work for the government wherein documents await the signing of a long list of officers and officials. On the fourth month, I almost gave up. But CCC/Atlas really inspired us with its generosity. It shares actively in our mission and in our passion. The copper mine gallery speaks for so much," he said.

Museo Toledo has four galleries: Pre-Spanish with an Ethnographic Collection, Art Gallery and Lecture Hall, Historical, and the Copper Mine Gallery.

Prof. Bersales directed that to appreciate our fellows' past, one must climb up the second floor of the renovated building (what used to be the old city hall/fiscal's court) where a section features archaic items on loan highlighting material culture (fishing accessories, farming tools, cooking implements, wooden cotton gin of the 1920s, jute sack common among copra traders, musical instruments, stone mills, Martabana jar to store salt, crude tools for gathering coconut toddy, etc.).

Such leads to the Art Gallery where an exhibition by Qube Gallery is ongoing. This is dubbed "Thirteen" featuring the works of both renowned and budding Cebuano and Cebu-based artists: Josua Cabrera, Gigi Ocampo, Melver Mercado, Felix Catarata, John Dinglasa, Derek Cabatingan, Darby Alcoseba, Vidal Alcoseba, Jose Yap, Jr.; Nomer Miano, Ian Quiros, Bobby Guardiario and Marvin Chito Natural.

Showcased at the Historical Gallery are the artifacts significant to the history and culture of what used to be Ginulauan, also spelled Jinulauan. Etymology reads that it has something to do with "bulawan" or gold and that jinulauan means "fine, quality gold." This leads to the awesome Copper Mine Gallery down the stairs where layers of the earth are highlighted. Geologists refer to the rock formations as the Toledo Copper Complex. It is at this particular section that I relearned how we Toledanos have long been blessed, living on very rich grounds. Theory had it that about 108 million years ago, or during the Late Early Cretaceous, the Mananga Group (an old rock formation in Cebu) was intruded by the Lutopan diorite (an igneous rock). Such intrusion brought in copper mineralization.

The said gallery also gives us a feel of how it is to work underground. It created a mock of a typical mine timber-set support complete with a ventilation fan, a mannequin donning a miner's suit and holding a rock drilling machine. A section educates us on the cardinal tools of a miner, safety gadgets and coveralls, copper concentrates with percentages of other minerals, various uses of copper in industrial and household items, among others.

"You should watch Museo Toledo grow in collection because as always a museum is a work in progress. Gihilakan ra ba ni ni Marvin kay basin di mahuman, but here it is, one with already a large collection. Sa una nagproblema si Joshua (Honoridez, the museum acquisitions officer) kay hadlok ang mga tawo mopa-loan sa ilang karaang butang, today kami na ang mobalibad, di na mi modawat kay puno na. Aside from Museo Sugbo of the province, nganli ninyo ang lain pang museum nga ingon ani duna dayoy four galleries. Only in Toledo," Bersales stressed.

The building also houses the City Public Library.

As of this writing, a management board is still to be created. Fixed rates could not be published yet, as well as the viewing schedule. Museo Toledo is located at the Poblacion, across Days Hotel, or beside the public plaza. (FREEMAN)