CEBU CITY – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday, July 28, led the inauguration of the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP)-Cebu, also known as the Central Visayas Regional Museum, at the Old Customs House in Plaza Independencia here.
The President led the ribbon-cutting ceremony and unveiling of marker before touring the various exhibitions displayed in the museum featuring the rich artistic, cultural, and natural heritage of Cebu province.
First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, and Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia joined the President during the ceremony,
In his speech, Marcos lauded the NMP, the local government units of Cebu City and Cebu province, for opening the museum that will enable visitors to “get a glimpse of the past, understand the present, and illuminate the way to the future.”
Marcos said there were setbacks such as the Covid-19 pandemic and typhoon “Odette” in the construction of the NMP-Cebu.
PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. leads the ribbon-cutting ceremony during the inauguration of the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP)-Cebu at Plaza Independencia in Cebu City on Friday, July 28. (Calvin D. Cordova)
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But through “shared commitment and dedication,” the establishing of a national museum “in one of the country’s top tourist destinations” went through.
“We are finally here today, opening its door to the public. The inauguration is a true testament that when we pursue a united approach to any task, we can accomplish projects that will benefit generations of Filipinos,” Marcos added.
The President emphasized that establishing a museum is important in establishing the country’s identity.
“Why museum is still important. Every country has to find its identity. And we need to answer the question if we are to unite together, we need to answer the question what does it mean to be Filipino,” Marcos said.
The President said the museum is an illustration of the cultural heritage that the Filipinos share.
“And that is why it is important that we have and celebrate these historical artifacts that shine a very, very strong light on where Filipinos came from and what we have done since, what is the trend, where we headed,” Marcos said.
The museum has five galleries highlighting Cebu’s unique geological features and publicly unfamiliar plant and animal species endemic to the place; significant archaeological finds about the Cebuanos and Filipinos’ history and prehistory; and sustained ethnographic traditions inculcated in maritime history and industry.
Gallery 4 is a special part of the inaugural exhibitions, bringing the collection of the Philippine Center in New York to Cebu to share the artworks of leading Filipino artists in the early 1970s.
Former First Lady Imelda Marcos requested for the acquisition and curation of the collection of the Philippine Center in New York, thus, bringing 120 artworks from Manila to New York. These masterpieces are an embodiment in art of the Filipino identity as a nation.
Meanwhile, Gallery 5 features a selection of Martino “Tinong” Abellana’s works, recognized as the “Dean of Cebuano Painters,” such as his creative rendering of sketches, portraits, abstract paintings, and landscapes.
Originally established as the Cebu Customs House in 1910 to facilitate trade between Cebu Island and other neighboring communities, it was converted into the Malacañan sa Sugbo in 2004 to bring the presidency closer to the Visayas.
In October 2013, it was affected by the 7.1-magnitude earthquake and had to be closed.
Last December 2019, the Cebu Port Authority and NMP signed a usufruct agreement giving the NMP the right to use the Old Customs House and former Malacañan sa Sugbo as NMP Cebu for 25 years.
From 2020 to 2023, the building was restored and adaptively converted to museum purposes through funding support from the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA).
The museum will be partially opened to the public from Tuesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting August 1. Admission is free.