The Cebu City Museum

Heard about this place being re-done and eventually re-opened just recently. So, I thought it was but necessary that I go check the place out...

Its nothing much of a museum if I compare it to others in the city especially the very extensive collections inside the Museo Sugbo (yep, the old provincial jail). This Cebu City Museum looks more like a painting and old photograph gallery than a repository of artifacts or a collection of our forebears’ farm implements and utensils. I am not even bent to calling those paintings artifacts since they are almost all circa 1991~1992. BUT, I did learn some things from those few paintings lining the walls. I know I would find them in books or other media, but seeing them via paintings was a new, if not, interesting experience. So, to each his own, really. Who has a singular list of requirements on what should be in a museum anyway, right? Thus, I respect it as The Cebu City Museum.


What I liked circling around the room was, in fact, the space. Yes, the ‘nothingness’ in the surroundings as I looked over those paintings captioning historical information about Cebu. As I stood and strolled, I had this little awkward feeling that I should have worn something more appropriate than my usual ‘Korean Tourist’ look hehe. You know, my usual walking shorts and t-shirt! Being in there gave me a nostalgic sense that I was inside the Musée du Louvre, the British Museum or the Met. And how I wished I should have worn something else than my usual low-cut chuck tailors. I still have this vivid memory that when mom and I were roaming the 2nd floor paintings at the Louvre, most that I could hear were the click-clack of peoples shoes on the floor. Would have been possible at this Cebu City Museum if I wore leather shoes. With my porontong shorts? Awk! Anyway, photo above is how this museum looks from the entrance door.


What did I like most? The intriguero in me got hooked to "The Demolition Of The Pari-an Church". Hmm, so controversies are not new in our society after all. That’s the above painting and below is the caption. Now I have something new to dig through! What happened there? Does anyone know? What were the issues? Whaahehe, parang today!


Oh well...

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