Eminent historian and economist Dr. Benito J. Legarda Jr., former Deputy Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipininas (BSP), died at the age of 94 on Wednesday.
The National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) mourned the passing of the widely regarded World War II historian, who was also a founding Trustee of the NMP from 1999 to 2001.
Legarda was also a board member of the National Historical Institute from 2003 to 2010, and one of the members of the board of advisers at the Ayala Museum.
Known for his generous donations at the state-owned museum, Legarda sought help from some of his friends and colleagues to enrich the collections at the NMP.
One memorable instance is when he wrote to the former Board of Trustees chair Ramon del Rosario Jr. in September 2012 about his idea of donating two 1950s paintings by Romeo V. Tabuena that belonged to his good friends, former musical director of Manila Symphony Orchestra Dr. Herbert Zipper and his fiancee Viennese ballerina Trudl Dubsky, "Carabaos in Pink (1957)" and "Nipa Hut on Stilts (1952)."
“In his letter Legarda mentioned that Dr. Zipper had left behind the paintings, which he believed belonged in this country as part of its artistic heritage, when they returned to Europe. He gave his first person account as to how he came into possession of them, remarking how he thought it would be best to donate them to the National Museum so the Filipino public can enjoy them,” the NMP said.
The turnover ceremonies of The Herbert and Trudl Zipper Bequest took place during the visit of Zipper's niece, Lucy Horowitz on December 12, 2012.
The paintings are now exhibited at the National Museum of Fine Arts' Pillars of Modernism exhibition in Gallery 13.
“For his gesture of magnanimity, the nation will always be grateful to his gift to enhance their knowledge on Philippine art history,” the NMP said.
In a separate post, the Intramuros Administration (IA) also remembered the contributions of the highly regarded historian amid his passing.
“Apart from his career as deputy governor for research of the Central Bank of the Philippines and consultant to various international organizations, his written works truly made an impact, as he produced scholarly articles and books on Philippine history,” it said.
With his writings on Philippine history, economics, and finance, the IA said his books "After the Galleons (1999)," "The Hills of Sampaloc (2001)," "Occupation ‘42 (2003)," and "Occupation: The Later Years (2007)," and the "Eight Rizalian Miniatures (2011)" helped provide a better and deeper understanding of the Philippines and the Filipinos from the Spanish colonial period to the Japanese Occupation.
Legarda has also been a staunch advocate of educating the public through his participation in conferences and lectures.
In 2017, the IA and Friends of Intramuros organized a free lecture with Legarda as resource speaker.
"His passion in history that engaged and benefited present and future scholars is a legacy that all of us would cherish and be grateful for,” the IA added.
Also known for his critical views on the current administration, Legarda, in his last Facebook post dated August 7, stressed that no other country has any claim in the West Philippine Sea amid the maritime issues with the Chinese government.