A Seminar on “Doing Family History”
Family history is an important aspect that needs to be studied in order to fully understand the role of a family vis-à-vis the society. It is also a key in knowing who one’s ancestors are and helps one understand his/her bloodline and other interesting information that could help unlock mysteries that have long been forgotten in the collective memory of a family.
Learn the secrets in doing a research about your family’s history through a seminar-workshop to be facilitated by Dr. Michael Cullinane and Dr. Resil Mojares. The facilitators are both respected scholars in Cebuano history and society.
The facilitators will teach participants about the sources where to cull information about one’s family and how to do a genealogy or a systematized recording of data about one’s family which is vital in understanding the role of our family in society and ourselves.
This seminar-workshop, organized by the heritage-advocacy group Hamiling Binilin (Hambin), which is based at the Cebuano Studies Center, University of San Carlos, is slated on Saturday, 16 August 2008, from 8 am to 5 pm at the Cathedral Museum of Cebu.
Workshop fee of Two Thousand Five Hundred Pesos (P2,500) is inclusive of kit, lunch and snacks. There are limited seats available. An early registration of Two Thousand Pesos (Php2,000) is acceptable until August 8, 2008. Please contact the USC History Department for details at phone no. 253-1000 local 161 and look for the undersigned.
Tentative Parts of the Seminar:
I. Doing Genealogical Research
II. Using Non-Genealogical Sources
III. Constructing Family HistoryResource persons would include: Dr. Resil Mojares, Dr. Michael Cullinane & Mr. Todd Sales
Time: Aug 16, 2008 8 am to 4 pm
Venue: The Cathedral Museum of Cebu
Registration Fee: Php 2,500 inclusive of a.m. & p.m. snacks, lunch and seminar kit
Early Registration: Php2,000 (until August 8, 2008 only)(Note: The usual HAMBIN forum will follow at 4:30pm, same venue & admission is already free. Topic will be “The Myth of Portuguese Ancestor: the Velosos of Cebu, 1800-1900” by Dr. Michael Cullinane)
Life from the Ashes
Here are some photos from the lecture by Architect Melva-Rodriguez Java of the University of San Carlos held just a while ago at the Cathedral Museum of Cebu. Entitled “Life from the Ashes,” the lecture talked about the church of Oslob which was recently gutted by fire on March 26, 2008. The structural condition of the church was presented along with some plans for reconstruction.
The lecture is part of the monthly Hambin Lecture Series that has been going on at the museum since last year.
Ancient Cebuano Sexual Contraptions
By Trizer D. Mansueto
Observant pedestrians taking the alley along Colon street on the way to the basilica will never fail to notice the circular hairy contraptions packed inside a clear plastic being peddled by a gaunt old man.
Men who have used this contraption swear to their efficacy in bringing their partners to the climax of carnal pleasure.
Known as the goat’s eye, this sexual gadget made of goat’s skin and eyelash (pilok sa kanding) is probably the modern day version of the sagra, palang or better yet the penis pin wheels that King Humabon’s men used more than four centuries passed. Read more
Rizal’s Thoughts on Education and Freedom
By Trizer D. Mansueto
“The country will bless your memory, Sir, if you bring to fulfillment your late father’s beautiful projects,” said the school teacher. “Do you want to know the obstacles to education?” the teacher pressed Ibarra when the latter asked what caused his countrymen’s ignorance. “So then – in the circumstances we are in, without powerful assistance, learning can never be a reality: first because in the children there is no stimulus or encouragement; and second, because even if there were, they are vanquished by the lack of means and by many preoccupations…”
With the opening of classes, I am once again reminded of our national hero Jose Rizal and the problems of the educational system during his time. Some things have changed since then but some have remained the same. Read more
The Value of our Ecclesiastical Archives
By Trizer D. Mansueto
For old parishes which were established during the Spanish era, one good source of information regarding the history of the church in the particular locality would be the available church documents. A visit to the ecclesiastical archives of a local old parish could lead one to reconstruct the history of the parish with the use of such documents as the canonical books (libros canonicos) which includes baptismal (bautismos), marriage (casamientos), confirmation (confirmaciones) and death records (entierros), as well as parish inventories (inventarios), account books (libro de cuentas or libro de cargo y data), parish census (plan de almas) and circulars (ordenes). Read more
The modernization of old churches
By Trizer D. Mansueto
Each single day, a heritage site is being threatened either by complete or partial destruction. In Cebu alone, we see a few of these heritage sites being torn down to make way for new structures or these are being renovated in such a manner that, as a result, it would lose not only its identity as a local landmark but also its own sense of history because of its function in the community and for having been part of a people’s psyche for many years. Our old stone churches and its conventos are some of the structures that have a high risk of threat.
In the book Spanish Churches in the Philippines, author Alice Coseteng highlighted the longevity of these structures: “The spirit of the Spanish era in the Philippines has survived in religious architecture. Now a sparse collection of obscure structures, Spanish colonial architecture in the Philippines is a curious contradiction of the timeless and the impermanent in a place where artifacts crumble and eventually disappear. But time has given Philippine churches and conventos an arcane charm and a quality of permanence.” Read more
A Centenary of Jubilation
By Trizer D. Mansueto
“Angay nga igasulat ug igamantala
Ang usa ka panghitabong bulahan
Sa tanang mga letra nga bulawan
Sa historia nga walay pagcapala.
Busa, o ciudad nga sugbuanon,
Maglipay og maghimaya ca;
Cay caron dinhi nimo anaa
Usa sa mga hamiling Filipinhon
Quini mao si Monseñor Gorordo
Usa sa mga anac mong hamili,
Sa Roma siya mao ang pinili
Sa pagcatacus uyamut nga Obispo.
Siya mao ang sugbuanon nga una;
Nga sa Papa guituboy sa itaas,
Sa cahimtang nga labing hataas
Ug mahal sa pagca-Obispo niya,
Ang virtud ug pamatasan niyang maayo
Dao bulac nga labing maamyon
Sa cahumut nagpangalimyon
Nga didto sa trono Pontificio…”
Rediscovering Argao’s old mortuary
By Trizer D. Mansueto
Despite the appalling destruction or mutilation of the various parts of the beautiful ancient church of Argao brought about by ignorant individuals, there is, however, a cause for joy. Upon the orders of the governor, the authorities in that town had taken down an obstruction that finally revealed to the public a beautiful stone chapel that lay hidden for many years. Read more
Presentation of the Archaeological Findings in Boljoon at the Cathedral Museum of Cebu
Some photos from the presentation of the archaeological findings in Boljoon held at the Cathedral Museum of Cebu.
Dating Boljoon
Today a small group of heritage advocates and church workers will catch a glimpse of the wealth of artifacts that were uncovered in Boljoon during three excavation seasons that were carried out in front of the nearly 250-year-old church and convent there. This will be held at the Cathedral Museum of Cebu (where else but beside the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, of course) from 1 to 3 o’clock in the afternoon. Guest of honor is His Eminence, Ricardo J. Cardinal Vidal. Only about 50 have been invited to this private event but a much larger exhibition for the general public will be carried out at the University of San Carlos Museum by middle of June. Consider today’s event then as an opening salvo of sorts that will eventually lead to the artifacts being displayed in Boljoon where they rightfully belong. Read more
