“Pasts Revisited: An Exhibit on a Usable History and the Romance of Renato Constantino and Letizia Roxas Constantino” opens at 3 p.m. on June 11 at Y Space, the main area of the Yuchengco Museum in RCBC Plaza, Makati City.
Presented by the Constantino Foundation, the exhibit will run until July 11. The Yuchengco Museum is one of the country’s premier cultural institutions dedicated to fostering appreciation for Philippine art, history, and heritage.
The opening day and the following day, June 12, a holiday, will be open and free to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The exhibit showcases letters, never-before-seen book manuscripts, and other rare artifacts that provide a glimpse into the efforts of Renato Constantino and Letizia Roxas Constantino to decolonize the nation.
On public display for the first time are works of art given to the couple by National Artist Vicente Manansala and renowned painters Malang and Araceli Dans, together with photos of them with good friends such as Senators Claro M. Recto and Lorenzo Tañada, alongside handwritten notes from historians such as William Henry Scott, Doreen Fernandez, and Edilberto Alegre.
Also featured is “Alas ng Bayan,” a collaborative project with 350Pilipinas that highlights the lives of five Filipino women who resisted national oppression and social injustice at different junctures of Philippine history, and that explores the intersections of women, memory, climate change, and citizenship.
A highlight is fascinating new art — contemporary expressions of a usable history, the concept advanced by the couple to encourage Filipinos to use lessons from the past to shape their present and realize a sustainable and fair future.
The presentations offer rich material for classroom discussion and critical engagement with Philippine history and national identity. CONTRIBUTED
Students, teachers, and other interested parties are welcome to arrange group visits. For inquiries and scheduling requests, contact info@constantinofoundation.org and 09985309247.
There are discounts in the museum admission fees for students, PWDs, and senior citizens.
RCBC Plaza has a bike parking area at Basement Level 1. For car parking needs, wheelchair access, and related details, log on to the museum’s website at https://yuchengcomuseum.org/visit/visitor-information/
