The San Agustin Museum

       The Intramuros is one of the historical places to visit in Manila.  The wall itself is indeed a tourist attraction which tells a profound history contributed by the Spanish when it colonized the Philippines.  Within the ancient walls of Intramuros lies a rich and colorful history and culture of the early people of both Filipinos and Spanish who once lived in it though it has been modernized.  Once you roam the streets of the walled city, you'll feel like you are going back in time.  There are many tourist attraction that can be found in Intramuros and one of the most popular and the oldest is the San Agustin Museum of the San Agustin Church.

     The San Agustin Museum is Adjucent to the San Agustin Church.  It is one of the oldest churches in the Philippines. It was built in 1586 using  adobe blocks and completed in 1607.   The museum it self was once the monastery  and sleeping quarters of the Augustian seminarians and friars. The monastery was  built in 1604.  The San Agustin church was destroyed three times but was rebuilt. The first was during the  British invasion of Manila.  The church sustained heavy damage and British soldiers looted the church.  The second was when a strong earthquake hit Manila in July 18-20 of 1880.  The third was during the WWII.  Now the San Agustin is designated as a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1993.

     The once monastery of San Agustin church is now a museum. It was converted in 1973.   The museum houses wonderful collections of religious artifacts, sculptures and paintings from around the globe like Spain, Mexico and China that dated as early as the 15th century.   Though quite similar to the collection of artifacts of the Philippine National Museum Of fine arts,  the exhibits of the  San Agustin museum  have their own story to tell to the visitors. It's all about  preserving the story of the Augustian friars and their amazing contribution to country's evolution of christianity among the early Filipinos through catholism and this is being lost in the chaotic and tangled narrative past.

The corridors of the museum of the first floor

Liturgical vestments in the Antigua Sacrista

Exquisite crafted 19th century-gold chalice in the Antigua Sacrista

       The corridors of the museum reveals an astonishing past.  The walls made of adobe stones are filled with old paintings of prominent friars who once served the church.  There are also religious figures and altars that were crafted in a very intricate manner. It was an eerie like feeling as you walk along the old corridors. It was like traveling back in time.  You can also see some of the few displays that are indeed very valuable: golden chalice, trays and cup made of gold adorned with gemstones, icons made of Ivory and many more.

The tomb that serves as a burial place of some of the friars who served
the San Agustin church and other prominent individuals. Here
also lies few of country's well historical figures like Juan Luna,
Guido de Lavezarus, Miguel Lopez De Legazpi and Juan De Salcedo.

       The San Agustin museum also has a tomb in one of it's section on the first floor that serves as a final resting place of some of the friars and prominent individuals.  Here also lies  few of the well known figures that had contributions  to the Philippine history: Juan Luna, Guido de Lavezarus, Miguel Lopez De Legazpi and Juan de Salcedo.

The  stairway to the second floor

The Interior of the San Agustin Church

An antique pipe organ from the 15th century

      The second floor museum has a passage that would lead to the so called  " coro "  or the place of the choir.  From here, visitors can see the amazing interior of the San Agustin church that reveals the captivating structure inspired by the old Spanish architectural design. The ceiling of the church is a bit intriguing. It looks carved but it's actually a ' trompe - l' ceil - a painting on a float surface.

     Indeed the San Agustin museum tells a profound history of the early convertion  of early  Filipinos to Christianity through catholism but on the present time regardless of one religious beliefs, one can simply appreciate the creativity of artists  of the past that made these amazing artifacts found in San Agustin museum and they are kept intact after so many centuries for the modern people to see.  The museum is an ideal place for those who are facinated by art and history.

Location: General Luna st., Intramuros Manila
Meseum hours: Daily 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Sources

yle-inquirer-net.cdn.ampproject.org
www.lonely.com
www.travelloka.com




   

Museo De Intramuros: The Collection of Ecclesiastical Arts

     Intramuros - the walled city of Manila is one of the most frequently visited tourist spot.  It is an old walled city built by the Spanish colonizers in the 1571 by the Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez De Legazpi.  Here, you can visit ancient Catholic churches like the Manila Cathedral, San Agustin church and others. Indeed the walled  has alot to offer to all travelers from around the world. Adding to list of tourist spot of Intramuros is the Museo De Intramuros.

    The Intramuros administration opened the Museo De Intramuros in May 2, 2019.  It is located in corner Arzobispo, Andar St., just a few meters away from the San Agustin church.  The Museo De Intramuros is a collection of ecclesiastical artifacts brought about by the colonization of the Philippines by Spain.  This also shows the merging of the east and west cultures that depicts how the westerners had strongly influenced the Filipinos when it comes to arts and culture.  The Intramuros administration has around 500 artifacts kept but only 30 percent are actually displayed and mostly are sculptures of catholic saint, graven images, paintings and old vessels and altars used by clergy that reflect and dated back since the conversion of Filipinos to Christianity around the 16th century.

 Visitors can see the captivating exhibits in all six sections of the museum: (1) The Roman catholic immaculate conception. (2) The Roman catholic religious order. (3) The Patronato real and establishment of parishes. (4) Religious colonial paintings. (5) The establishment of parishes and sacred vessels. (6) The Indio response.

   The establishment of the museum and the revival of the precious artifacts began in 2013 and went on up to the early 2019 after decades of being kept.  Completion of the exhibits are still in progress but spectators can now see at least 30 percent of the collected artifacts. Visitors are allowed to take photos of the religious exhibits except the religious colonial paintings that can be found on section 4 of the museum for some reason.

 

        The exhibits of artifacts and arts are the Filipino treasures from the past.  This shows how the rich the culture that came to be and how it was greatly influenced by the western colonizers but still remarkably distinguished as a Filipino work of art.  It is highly commendable how the people behind  the establishment of the Museo De Intramuros that made this legacy  available to be seen by the modern people.

Sources

www.manilatimes.net>museo de intramuros
www.tripzilla.ph

Museum hours

Tuesday to Sunday
9:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Aokigahara: Japan's Suicide Forest

         Aokigahara forest is one of the most famous places in Japan not for it's scenic natural beauty of the forest but by the dark story behind it.  Before, Aokigahara was best known for having a good reputation of  " Sea of trees " due to the vastness of Aokigahara trees but as decades went by it earned an odd reputation of  " Suicide Forest " of Japan.

      On the foot of Mt. Fufi ( Fujiyama: Japan's highest peak volcano ) lies a vast forest called the Aokigahara.  It is said to be a 30 square kilometer of vast forest.  Before the WWII, it was famous for bring a tourist destination in Japan but the bad reputation began when 500 business men went into the forest but never came out.  Reports by local said that that they might have gotten lost into the vastness of the dark forest not knowing their way back.  Up to now, no one knew what happened to the 500 businessmen and there was no proof of life that were ever found.  Decades following the mysterious incident, volunteers who were assigned to maintain the cleanliness of the forest found remains of humans.  The remains that were found were believed to be non from the 500 businessmen who were first reported as missing but were different wanderers who had the same fate.

     As the years went by, volunteers kept discovering dead human remains. At first local authorities thought that they were victims of henious crimes and were left to the forest to rot. But such allegation were debunked and it was concluded that the human remains that discovered by the volunteers were infact people who came into the forest to commit suicide.  About 10 to 30 of reported cases of suicide in a year but numbers kept on increasing as time went on.  In 2002, 78 cases of suicide was reported and in 2003 a total of number of 108 dead bodies were discovered.  It is very puzzling why the numbers kept on increasing and authorities were completely clueless on to what factors that would cause individuals to end up theirs precious lives and why it was only occuring in Aokigahara.

Photos of the remains of those
who committed suicide in the
Aokigahara forest

    Local spiritualists have theorized that there was a paranormal factor happening with in the dark forest.  They believed that the Aokigahara trees emit some kind of negative energy to make people who wander into the dept of the forest to become depress and lose their sanities ending up taking their own lives and hanging themselves with ropes was the common form of suicide. Local authorities have encouraged media to refrain from reporting the horrendous and mysterious incidence of suicide to avoid giving the forest a horrible reputation but I guess it was futile.  The popularity of Aokigahara have reached international.  International YouTuber made a paranormal documentary about the forest.  It was said that in the dept of night, a ghastling scream and cries of agony echoes The forest. This was believed to be the ghost ( Yuri ) of those who committed suicide. Thus the forest aside from earning the reputation of suicide forest, it was also considered to be as one of the most haunted places on earth.  Well, such theory were not taken seriously because superstition doesn't fall into any warrant.  Well many believe that a book is to be blamed for such horrible resurgence in the forest's  macabre popularity.  In 1960, Seicho Matsumoto published his famous novel Kuroi Jukai - The Black Sea of Trees.  The novel was about two lovers who committed suicide in the forest of Aokigahara.

Kuroi Jukai
The novel published by Seicho Matsumoto in 1960
It was a book many believe is to be blamed for
the resurgence in the forest's macabre

     Despite of earning an eerie reputation, tourists of both foreign and local still visit the forest.  Police would remind visitors to take precautionary measures by placing post of warnings in almost every area in the forest.  There are four kinds of tourists who would be brave enough to wander within the vastness of the forest.  They are trekkers of Mt. Fuji, those who are curious of the macabre and the suicidal ones.  In 2010, there were 247 individuals attempted commiting suicide.  54 were completed.  Those who were caught by authorities were severely intoxicated either by alcohol or illegal drugs.  After 2010, reported cases of suicide were no longer available.  The government of Japan had ordered to stop publishing cases of suicide in Aokigahara in the fear of others might follow the steps of their demised love ones.  Patrols would regularly scout the area hoping to gently redirect visitors who look like that they might not considering returning from their journey.

Police have placed this sign boards almost everywhere in the forest to
remind visitors not to end their lives.
" Your life is a precious gift from your parents," and
 " please consult the police before you decide to die!"

Sources
allthatsinteresting.com
www.atlasobscura.com