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Arts in Philippines

The Manunggul Jar is a secondary burial jar excavated from a Neolithic burial site in the Manunggul cave of the Tabon Caves at Lipuun Point in Palawan. It dates from 890–710 B.C.[2] and the two prominent figures at the top handle of its cover represent the journey of the soul to the afterlife.

The Manunggul Jar was found by Dr. Robert B. Fox and Miguel Antonio in 1962. It was found alongside the remains of Tabon Man. It was recovered by Dr. Fox in Chamber A of Manunggul Cave in Southwestern Palawan.[4][5] Manunggul Cave is one of the Tabon Caves in Lipuun Point. The Tabon Caves are known to be a site of jar burials with artefacts dating in a range from 2300 to 50 B.C. (4250-2000 BP).[4] Chamber A dates as a Late Neolithic burial site (890-710 BC).[4][6] Seventy-eight jars and earthenwares, including the Manunggul Jar, were discovered on the subsurface and surface of Chamber A. Each artefact varied in design and form but was evidently a type of funerary pottery.[7]

The Manunggul Jar shows that the Filipinos' maritime culture is paramount that it reflected its ancestors' religious beliefs. Many epics around the Philippines would tell how souls go to the next life, aboard boats, pass through the rivers and seas. This belief is connected with the Austronesian belief of the anito. The fine lines and intricate designs of the Manunggul Jar reflect the artistry of early Filipinos. These designs are proof of the Filipinos' common heritage from the Austronesian-speaking ancestors despite the diversity of the cultures of the Filipinos.[10]The upper part of the Manunggul jar, as well as the cover, is carved with curvilinear scroll designs which are painted with hematite.[6]

Early Filipinos believed that a man is composed of a body, a life force called ginhawa, and a kaluluwa.[11] This explains why the design of the cover of the Manunggul Jar features three faces - the soul, the boatman, and the boat itself. The faces of the figures and on the prow of the boat have eyes and mouth rendered in the same style as other artifacts of Southeast Asia of that period. The two human figures in a boat represent a voyage to the afterlife. The boatman is holding a steering paddle while the one on his front shows hands crossed on his chest. The steersman's oar is missing its paddle, as is the mast in the center of the boat, against which the steersman would have braced his feet. The manner in which the hands of the front figure are folded across the chest is a widespread practice in the Philippines when arranging the corpse.[12]

The cover of Manunggul Jar provides a clear example of a cultural link between the archeological past and the ethnographic present. It also signifies the belief of ancient Filipinos in life after death.

The Doctrina Christiana was an early book on the Roman Catholic Catechism, written in 1593 by Fray Juan de Plasencia, and is believed to be one of the earliest printed books in the Philippines.[1]

Doctrina Christiana en Lengua Espanola Y Tagala corregida Reglos por Los Religiosos de las Ordenes Impressa con Licencia en (San) Gabriel de las Orden de (Santo) Domingo. En Manila, 1593.

There is some controversy about which of the versions is the first printed book in Spanish Philippines, with some scholars believing that the Chinese-language version titled Doctrina Christiana en letra y lengua China, compuesta por los madres ministros de los Sangleyes, de la Orden de Sancto Domingo. Con licencia, por Keng Yong, China, en el Parian de Manila(Chinese: 新刻僧師高母羡撰無極天主正教真傳實錄; pinyin: Xīnkè Sēngshī Gāomǔ Xiàn-zhuàn Wújí Tiānzhǔ Zhèngjiào Zhēnchuán Shílù; Wade–Giles: Hsin1k'o4 Seng1shih1 Kao1mu3Hsien4-chuan4 Wu2chi2 T'ien1chu3Cheng4chiao4 Chen1ch'uan2 Shih2lu4; literally: "A Printed Edition of The True Faith in The Infinite God, by Fr. Juan Cobo, O.P.[2]") by Fray Miguel de Benavides, OP, was printed between 1590 and 1592 by the Chinese printer Keng Yong in Manila before the Spanish and Tagalog versions.

One of the earliest references to both versions comes from Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas, the seventh Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines, who wrote a letter to Philip II of Spain on 20 June 1593, that read:

“

“Sire, in the name of Your Majesty, I have for this once, because of the existing great need, granted a license for the printing of the Doctrinas Christianas, herewith enclosed—one in the Tagalog language, which is the native and best of these islands, and the other in Chinese—from which I hope great benefits will result in the conversion and instruction of the peoples of both nations; and because the lands of the Indies are on a larger scale in everything and things more expensive, I have set the price of them at four reales a piece, until Your Majesty is pleased to decree in full what is to be done.”[3]

”

Missionary fathers placed the Doctrina among the books necessary to have in print in foreign lands. As such, the Filipino book is similar to one printed in Mexico in 1539 in Spanish and local Mexican vernacular, followed by Saint Francis Xavier’s Doutrina Christão in Malayprinted by the Jesuit press at Goa in 1557. Another Doctrina was printed in Spanish and the native languages at Lima in 1584.

The Maranao korsi is a carved wooden chair with a carved niaga (fern) motif in front and an eagle on top of the backrest. This chair was collected by Datu Natancup in Lanao del Sur in August 28, 1962 and is considered as a cultural treasure because of its unique traditional Maranao okir designs. The korsi is rarely manufactured today and is basically used as a seat for the kulingtangan player.

Together with the korsi the kulingtang (xylophone) is also a cultural treasure. It is a Maranao musical instrument with 8 graduated gongs. One end has three red and orange niaga motif while the other end has the sarimanok motif. These motifs symbolize Maranao traditional designs that are combined to produce intricate abstract motif in the form of animals, plant part or any common object. These motifs are referred to as okir, which literally means to carve.

The 8 graduated gongs made of brass are laid on top of a wooden carving. They are strategically arranged to produce eight ascending pitches. The kulingtang is played during festivities among the Maranao, especially of wedding occasions, house warming, and receiving important guests.

The kulingtang exhibited at the Museum of the Filipino People was a gift from the Malacanang Palace in November 9, 1956.

The Miagao Church also known as the Santo Tomas de Villanueva Parish Church is a Roman Catholic church located in Miagao, Iloilo, Philippines. The church was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on December 11, 1993 together with San Agustin Church in Manila; Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion Churchin Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur; and San Agustin Church in Paoay, Ilocos Norte under the collective title Baroque Churches of the Philippines, a collection of four BaroqueSpanish-era churches.[1]

Miagao was formerly a visita of Oton until 1580, Tigbauan until 1592, San Joaquin until 1703 and Guimbal until 1731.[2] It became an independent parish of the Augustinians in 1731 under the advocacy of Saint Thomas of Villanova.[1] With the establishment of the parish, a church and convento was built in a land near the sea called Ubos. Father Fernando Camporredondo served as the town's first parish priest in 1734. When the town experienced frequent Moro invasion in 1741 and 1754, the town moved to a more secure place. From there, a new church was constructed in 1787 through forced labor under the supervision of Fray Francisco Gonzales, parish priest and Spanish gobernadorcillo Domingo Libo-on.[3] It was built on the highest point of the town to guard from invaders called Tacas. After ten years, the church was completed in 1797. It was designed to have thick walls to serve as protection from invaders. It was severely damaged during the Spanish revolution in 1898 but was later rebuilt, fire in 1910, the second World War and earthquake in 1948.[3]The present day Miagao church is the third church built since its establishment in 1731.[4]To preserve the church, it underwent restoration in 1960 and completed in 1962. It was declared a national shrine by Presidential Decree No. 260.

Source: Wikipedia

-Melissa Pontejos

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