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ABRAENIANA INSTITUTE AND RESEARCH CENTER
lifted and written by Angelito Romano in the ILOCOS REVIEW VOL.32 2009 (pp.60-62;73-74)
THE MUSEUM
After his term as the president of DWCB in 1985, Fr. Ponce, SVD stayed on to establish the Abraeniana Institute and Museum. The Institute was approved by the DWCB Board of Trustees on November 5, 1985 with the the following objectives:
(a) to foster local ethnic studies (Ilocano, Tingguian, Chinese and Negrito studies);
(b) to provide materials and studies for the indigenization of the local Church of Bangued in particular and the Northern Luzon Church in general; and,
(c) to seek the participation of the SVD administered institutions in Northern Luzon for the promotion and preservation of the local culture.(61)
As director, Fr. Ponce, SVD slowly built the collection of the museum. His advocacy for putting up of a museum resulted in the initial contribution of seven antique jars from the bishop’s collection and another five from the SVD district. Glass cabinets around the northeastern side of the museum were built in by the SVD carpentry shop for the artifacts.(62)
The college president, on the other hand, was instrumental in getting funds from the SVD Generalate for the continuous acquisition of artifacts for the Abraeniana Museum. He urgently instated the project because many artifacts were slowly being brought out of Abra and sold to Baguio and Manila by the owners to finance the studies of their children and other family needs. With the approval and sufficient funds from the SVD Generalate, Fr. Alagao, SVD and Fr. Ponce, SVD started the acquisition of artifacts like antique jars, jarlets, urns, plates, bowls and beads, mostly from the upland towns of Malibcong, Baay-Licuan, Lacub, Tineg, Luba, Tubo and Sallapadan. They also collected religious antiques, vestments and memorabilia of Augustinian and SVD missionaries. Prayer books such as ‘Dalan ti Langit’ and ‘Ancora de Salvacion’, which were authored by Fr. Miguel Hergesheimer, SVD, and diocesan publications like the ‘Amigo del Pueblo’ and ‘Silnag’ were also acquired. The complete volume of the Ilocos Review was also taken for the Institute’s research materials.(63)
With the growing museum collections of the Institute, Fr. Alagao, SVD, the college president, and Fr. Ponce, SVD, the Abraeniana Institute director, had the artifacts authenticated by Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Tantoco of the National Museum in 1986.
Fr. Alberto Figueras, SVD succeeded Fr. Ponce, SVD as the director of Abraeniana Institute in 1987. That same year, the Ilocos Review was entrusted to the Institute when Fr. Scharpf, SVD was transferred to Davao. Fr. Dante Venus, SVD, the PHN provincial superior, made the Ilocos Review as the common publication of the SVD administered colleges and schools in Northern Luzon.(64) Thus, Fr. Figueras, SVD published in the SVD journal extensive researches on the history of the province of Abra, the works of early religious congregations and establishment of churches in Abra. In 1988, the editorial board of the publication approved the official residence and center of communication at the Abraeniana Institute.(65)
The Abraeniana director asked his brother, an engineer, and his architect friends to design and construct the office of the Institute at the ground floor of the gymnasium. The newly established office was elegantly finished with narra walls and ceiling, built-in narra cabinets and was fully air-conditioned to make research activities more conducive for the DWCB research staff and SVD confreres. Fr. Figueras, SVD also designed the center of the museum as the display section for the church memorabilia. He commissioned Vladimir Dimaandal, the school artist, to paint a mural of the ancient trade between the Tingguians living along the seashore and the Chinese merchants. The painting provided a historical background for the antique Chinese jars on display at the southern side of the museum.
The college president, on the other hand, was instrumental in getting funds from the SVD Generalate for the continuous acquisition of artifacts for the Abraeniana Museum. He urgently instated the project because many artifacts were slowly being brought out of Abra and sold to Baguio and Manila by the owners to finance the studies of their children and other family needs. With the approval and sufficient funds from the SVD Generalate, Fr. Alagao, SVD and Fr. Ponce, SVD started the acquisition of artifacts like antique jars, jarlets, urns, plates, bowls and beads, mostly from the upland towns of Malibcong, Baay-Licuan, Lacub, Tineg, Luba, Tubo and Sallapadan. They also collected religious antiques, vestments and memorabilia of Augustinian and SVD missionaries. Prayer books such as ‘Dalan ti Langit’ and ‘Ancora de Salvacion’, which were authored by Fr. Miguel Hergesheimer, SVD, and diocesan publications like the ‘Amigo del Pueblo’ and ‘Silnag’ were also acquired. The complete volume of the Ilocos Review was also taken for the Institute’s research materials.(63)
With the growing museum collections of the Institute, Fr. Alagao, SVD, the college president, and Fr. Ponce, SVD, the Abraeniana Institute director, had the artifacts authenticated by Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Tantoco of the National Museum in 1986.
Fr. Alberto Figueras, SVD succeeded Fr. Ponce, SVD as the director of Abraeniana Institute in 1987. That same year, the Ilocos Review was entrusted to the Institute when Fr. Scharpf, SVD was transferred to Davao. Fr. Dante Venus, SVD, the PHN provincial superior, made the Ilocos Review as the common publication of the SVD administered colleges and schools in Northern Luzon.(64) Thus, Fr. Figueras, SVD published in the SVD journal extensive researches on the history of the province of Abra, the works of early religious congregations and establishment of churches in Abra. In 1988, the editorial board of the publication approved the official residence and center of communication at the Abraeniana Institute.(65)
The Abraeniana director asked his brother, an engineer, and his architect friends to design and construct the office of the Institute at the ground floor of the gymnasium. The newly established office was elegantly finished with narra walls and ceiling, built-in narra cabinets and was fully air-conditioned to make research activities more conducive for the DWCB research staff and SVD confreres. Fr. Figueras, SVD also designed the center of the museum as the display section for the church memorabilia. He commissioned Vladimir Dimaandal, the school artist, to paint a mural of the ancient trade between the Tingguians living along the seashore and the Chinese merchants. The painting provided a historical background for the antique Chinese jars on display at the southern side of the museum.
THE RESEARCH CENTER (77)
Fr. Jerome A. Adriatico ,SVD took office as the college president replacing Fr, Vergara, SVD in 1999. During his term, the research center was established to upgrade the research program of DWCB and to implement the PAASCU recommendation to open a research center. The creation of the center was approved by the Board on October 30, 2000. It was attached to the Abraeniana Institute with Ms. Pura Sumangil as the Research Director. The Institute was named Abraeniana Institute and Research Center.(78)
As the first Research Director, Ms. Sumangil showed valuable interest in promoting and preserving the Tingguian culture, which in turn, enriched the college department with local ethno-linguistic reference materials for researches; and acquired more Tingguian artifacts for the museum collections. Policy and academic researches were also conducted and published annually in the Abraeniana Research Journal.
ENDNOTES:
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61 Fr. Ambrosio Ponce SVD, Memorandum: Concept/ Rationale of the Abraeniana Institute, noted approved by the Board of Trustees, November 05, 1985.
62 Fr. Alagao, Abraeniana Institute and Museum, Witnessing to the Word, p.164.
63 Ibid. pp.164-165.
64 Fr. Alberto Figueras SVD, ‘Foreword’, Ilocos Review, Divine Word College of Bangued, Vol 19, 1987.
65 Meeting of the Editorial Board of THE ILOCOS REVIEW. Vigan Ilocos Sur, June 8, 1988.
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77 In 1991, the Planning and Research Office function was entrusted to Ms. Delia Pascua, however, without an official appointment. Ms. Pascua facilitated the institutional evaluation and planning during the incumbency of Fr. Vergara SVD. The PAASCU accrediting team reported that the Research Center was not yet implemented, though incorporated in the Institutional Development Plan 1991-95. Preliminary Survey of the PAASCU Accrediting Team on DWCB programs: Liberal Arts, Education and Commerce, October 7-8, 1987. See Also President’s Annual Report for the SY1990-1991, pp. 81-84.
78 Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees of Divine Word College of Bangued, DWCB Conference Room, October 25, 1999, No. 4 Section A, p. 1. Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees of Divine Word College of Bangued, DWCB Conference Room, October 30, 2000: D. On other Matters Section 2 Research p.5.
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