Museo San Agustin SHINES ANEW
SOME FOUR CENTURIES ago in the island of Luzon, eager Spanish missionaries planted a seed – a quaint chapel of bamboo and nipa, the very first in the region.
Today, that seed has grown and flourished into the imposing San Agustin Church which towers over much of Intramuros. Beside, the convento and the newly-renovated Museo San Agustin shines in its full form and glory, with striking façade, reinforced brick walls and highly ornate interiors, providing a glimpse of the past – a snapshot of faith and fraternity, history and heritage, culture and customs.
My first stop – through a 17th century-carved molave door – was the Antesala, which highlighted the arrival of the
conquistadores on our shores. A replica of the Sto. Niño de Cebu, presented by Ferdinand Magellan to Queen Juana, wife of the island’s chieftain Rajah Humabon, a selection of Spanish coins that date back to the introduction of Christianity in our country, together with some antique paintings surround a scale model of La Nuestra Señora del Pilar, a ship from the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade era.
Behind was the cozy 50-seat mini theater which featured a 12-minute audio-visual presentation on the various contributions of the Augustinians.
The ground floor cloistered hallway bannered the “Friar’s Love for Life as Pilgrimage” with paintings depicting saints, with detailed information on the illustrious saga of this 400-plus-year-old structure.
The Sacristia fortified the Order’s love for the glory of God for it displayed true-to-life sculptures of El Señor Captivo, the Sto. Niño of Cebu, Mater Dolorosa and Sta. Rita de Casia. These meticulous carvings of ivory and wood were draped with finely embroidered silk using golden threads.
The Refectory reflected the gathering place of the abbots with The Last Supper – with a partial recreation of a table at the convent with plates, mugs, and even bread – where they shared the word of the Lord and their meals. An 18th-century baroque altar looms over the chamber, with distinct tabernacles and varied santos sourced from Laguna, Pampanga and Bataan, donations of Luis Ma. Araneta. Old-fashioned portraits of the Apostles of Christ may remind onlookers of the sacrifices of the Savior’s followers.
Several passageways led to The Inner Garden, a-bloom with fresh flowers, tweeting birds, fluttering butterfl and the soothing murmurs of the water fountain. It reconfirmed the clergymen’s love for silence, where they communed with the Creator during their moments of peace and meditation.
The grand Escalera led to the second floor, where a myriad of landscapes of Augustinian churches from all over the nation are displayed on the freshly-painted brick framework.
Faith and reason harmoniously blended together at the Sala of Flora Filipina, which housed decades worth of methodical inquiry on our vegetation. Fr. Manuel Blanco was certainly in love with nature, and he believed contemplation and the study of plants’ medicinal qualities was a form of prayer that brought him closer to God. His experiments were so extensive and engaging that the nearby community decided to set up and cultivate a botanical backyard to further assist Father Blanco with his research.
As a result of his countless years of tireless and dedicated work, Flora de Filipinas, an 887-page book about herbs, shoots and shrubs and their medicinal qualities, was published in 1837. The original printing of the book is on display inside an impenetrable glass showcase.
From the 16th century onwards, based on the writings of Fr. Agustin Ma. de Castro, the convent likewise had a well-utilized botica of drugs and even medical instruments. Some products were sold to ailing Manileños who came to seek temporal remedies. Over a hundred processed medicinal plants are presently kept in carefully labelled jars.
The Biblioteca – library to you and me – is a dark room divided by a sturdy glass barrier, designed to protect thousands of manuals and texts, some sadly moth-eaten but have since been safeguarded.
I then found my way to the Oriental Ceramics Room – formerly the archives – where a wealth of unknown history presented itself. I soon learned that Christianity spread to China via the efforts of Fr. Martin de Rada and Jeronimo Marin in 1575. Macao was where it all started, but soon expanded to the southern provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi and Hunan. Several precious porcelain wares from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) were exhibited. What really caught my attention were the ancient Zhangzhou ceramics unearthed within the vicinity of the friary.
The last room on our tour was, without doubt, one of the most memorable – masterfully illustrated Stations of the Cross, skilfully crafted statues of guardian angels, popular saints and clergymen filled one of the largest spaces, demonstrating their immense love for the arts.
The Celda Prioral consisted of worn-out but reliable furniture and fixtures of bygone eras and rare vestiges.
Though I gladly spent hours captivated by the expanse of the huge House of God and its richness inside the old Walled City of Manila, there was still so much to discover and experience. But I guess that’s what happens when every corner is filled with 450 years of love and faith.
The Museo San Agustin Church and Convent, at General Luna Street, Intramuros, Manila, is open daily from 9 a.m. to noon, 1-6 p.m. Contact the museum at tel 527 4060.