(From right to left) Dra. Teresa Morna, Director for Culture of Museo de São Roque; Dra. Margarida Montenegro, Director for Culture of Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa; Mr. Francisco Capelo, Portuguese private collector; Her Excellency Celia Anna M. Feria, Philippine Ambassador to Portugal; Dra. Filipa Klut, Administrator of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa; and Ms. Leonor Veiga, art curator took a photo opportunity at the photo of the exhibition, Sto. Niño de Cebu: An Icon of Philippine Culture and History.
14 December 2021, LISBON - On 09 December 2021, The Philippine Embassy in Portugal, in partnership with the Museo de São Roque, launched the 2-month long exhibition entitled “Sto. Niño de Cebu: An Icon of Philippine Culture and History”, at the temporary art exhibition space of Museo de São Roque in Lisbon, located inside Lisbon’s iconic Igreja de São Roque.
The exhibition is the Philippine Embassy’s closing activity in the three-year long commemoration of the 500 years of the Victory at Mactan; the Introduction of Christianity in the Philippines; and the 500 years of the First Circumnavigation of the World by the Magellan-Elcano expedition and the part the Philippines played in this epic circumnavigation voyage. This exhibit was made possible with the support of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), the National Quincentennial Committee of the Philippines, Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño de Cebu, and the City Government of Cebu.
In her opening remarks, Philippine Ambassador to Portugal Celia Anna M. Feria explained that this Sto. Niño de Cebu exhibition in Lisbon was a fitting close to the quincentennial activities of the Philippine Embassy as it focuses on the historical connection between Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan (Fernão de Magalhães), then sailing for Spain, and the image of the Santo Niño de Cebu. She said, “this exhibition is another way of telling our story. A story of how two civilizations met each other for the first time 500 years ago, and how 500 years later, the story changes focus and talks about the faith of a people and their undying belief in a Supreme Being”.
Ambassador Celia Anna M. Feria, Philippine Ambassador to Portugal, delivers her speech at the Opening of the Exhibition inside the Igreja de São Roque.
Present at the opening were delegations from the Philippines headed by Chairman Rene R. Escalante of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP); Reverend Fathers Nestor R. Bandalan Jr, OSA. and Basilio Sugata-on, OSA, of the Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino de Cebu; and by Atty. Jocelyn G. Pesquera, Chairperson of the Cebu City Tourism Commission, who represented Cebu City Mayor Michael L. Rama.
Guests were seated with social distancing during the opening program of the exhibition inside Igreja de São Roque.
The guests were then given an annotated tour of the exhibit by Mr. Gerwill Cruz, NHCP’s Historic Sites Development Officer, who narrated the early beginnings of the image of the Sto. Niño de Cebu, which was the baptismal gift of Ferdinand Magellan to the wife of Rajah Humabon of Cebu, who was christened Reyna Juana.
Two 19th century original regalias of Sto. Nino de Cebu from the collection of the Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino de Cebu
Special pieces that were highlights of the exhibition from the Philippines were the two 19th century regalias, the capa magna and vest, of Sto. Niño de Cebu which are part of the collection of the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño de Cebu; an 18th and another 19th-century wooden images of the Santo Niño and 3 ancient Bulol statues, all from the collection of Mr. Floy Quintos. This was the first time that the relics, and other related artifacts, of the Philippines’ most revered religious image has been brought to Portugal. The inclusion of these artifacts in the exhibition imparted a profound impression to the audience on the narrative and significance of the Sto. Nino and how it is deeply rooted in the daily lives of the Filipinos. A replica of the Santo Niño de Cebu is also on display in this exhibit.
Bulul statues, from the collection of Director Floy Quintos, were also displayed in the exhibition.
Apart from the original artifacts from the Philippines, the exhibition also showcased unique pieces from the Museu de São Roque’s collection of the “Menino Jesus” (as the Santo Niño is known in Portuguese) and an important piece from the vast Asian art collection of Mr. Francisco Capelo, a Portuguese private collector, whose collection of artworks date from the 4th century BC to the beginning of the 20th century. Mr. Capelo loaned to Museo de São Roque for this exhibition the figure in ivory of the standing Menino Jesus from the 17th century, and is known to have originated from the Philippines.
One of the guests attentively observes the figure of the standing Infant Jesus known as the Savior of the World, from the art collection of Mr. Francisco Capelo.
As part of the exhibit, the Philippine Embassy included an immersive gallery by incorporating additional panels of life-sized photographic images depicting the Cebuanos devotion to the Sto. Niño de Cebu, the celebrations of the Feast of the Santo Niño de Cebu and Sinulog presentations, as well as the daily scenes in and around the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu. These images were accompanied by looped audio recordings of the famous chants, Batobalani sa Gugma (Magnet of Love) and Viva Pit Senyor (Long Live the Christ Child).
One side of the immersive gallery featuring the famous Magellan’s cross where the devotees of the Sto. Niño de Cebu throw several colorful candles that symbolize their prayer intentions
Through this exhibit, the Philippine Embassy hopes to effectively promote Philippine culture, heritage and values among the Portuguese people through the historical narrative of the Sto. Niño de Cebu, and the role that Portuguese explorer Fernão de Magalhães played in introducing the image of the Santo Niño in Cebu 500 years ago.
The Sto. Niño Exhibition is one of the many cultural projects organized by the Philippine Embassy in Portugal in commemoration of the 500 years of the Victory at Mactan and the 500 years of the First Circumnavigation of the World by the Magellan-Elcano expedition.
This three-month long Sto. Niño exhibition will be open to the public for free, until 6 February 2022. END.
