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Debie Aponte BSHM 2A
Museum Experience Reaction Essay
THE WOODEN FIGURES OF THE SOCIETY

One of the, probably, my most memorable museum visit is when I visited the UPV
Museum of Art and Cultural Heritage along with my fellow classmates and fellow HM
students. The visit was conducted last 30th of March, in the year of 2023. As someone who
did not choose Hospitality Management as her first choice, I never predicted that someday I
would be inside of one of the most prestigious Universities in the whole island of the
Philippines. Yes of course, I dreamed of entering museums one day but not this soon. And I
am beyond grateful that I have got to experience these surreal experiences that helps me
foster my understanding about the various phenomenon in the Philippines, and to feed my
quenching thirst for knowledge about different forms of art because I, myself, is an avid fan
of art. As we dive deeper into this reflection about my experience in UPV Museum, we will be
able to understand on why did I entitled this reaction essay with "The Wooden Figures of the
Society". The UPV Museum is full of various artefacts collected from the different regions in
the Philippines. Before we entered the Museum, we were greeted by the infamous Oblation.
I have read from the article sometime a long ago, that the oblation represents the selfless
service and sacrifice for the country. In addition to this, the nude figure serves as a reminder
of UP's mission in which to produce socially aware and responsible graduates who will
contribute to the progress and development in the Philippines. So, by seeing the grandiose
monument I was mesmerized and I feel like it's very sacred that I should not stare for too
long. The museum's building is covered in a white paint, in the arch-like entrance there
stands two statues that I did not know about its significance and why is it there. The
establishment is small, but inside there are a couple of rooms that contains different
paintings, portraits, statues, modern art and various artefacts.
As we enter the museum, we were greeted by the forever delighted caretakers of the
museums. They are very accommodating that I'm not even conscious to watch every detail
of every artefact in the museum. There's a lot of works of art that has caught my attention.
Like the metal-made statue of a robot, which I am afraid to touch because its very delicate. A
comic book secluded in a transparent glass box that contains stories of aswangs and other
forms of folkloric monsters. And then there's this some sort of gayuma ingredients that is
putted inside a small cylinder glass. There's also the photographs of some places in Iloilo
during the Spanish colonization, and some portraits of Filipino socialites including Dr. Jose
Rizal. Also, I have enjoyed staring at the Filipinianas and Barong Tagalog’s which I have
dreamed of wearing it someday. I am also drawn into this one clothing that is called "Panyal"
or baptismal gowns, maybe because the thing is hundreds of years old. According to the
description, the Panyal is being worn by babies during christening. The Roman Catholic
baptismal gowns are very long, reaching way beyond the infant's legs. They are traditionally
white in colour, very ornate, and embellished with elaborate embroideries and trimmed with
laces. In one of the rooms inside the museum, there is a narrow and steep staircase leading
to another room full of paintings upstairs. I was surprised when the museum guide told us
about this one painting that is very expensive. I forgot about the price, but as far as I can
remember through the reactions of my classmates, it's probably a lot. Maybe the reason why
they placed it in the room upstairs that the only way is the narrow stairs, is because of its
expensive price.
Beside from those artefacts that I have mentioned, there is two things that really
caught my attention and interest. Supposed to be, I am only limited to feature one work of
art, but in my defense I think it is unfair to this one art work to be left out and not to be
described. These two sculptures are my favourite that even up until today I still wonder who
created it, and I admire who created it because they must be putted a lot of thoughts into it.
So moving on, these sculptures are made of wood. And somehow, I can relate them into the
society of the Philippines. I forgot the title of this one wooden sculpture, but it portrays an
arm that is being wrapped tightly with a chain. At first glance, you won't get what kind of thing
is that, unless you really stared at it and try to analyse it. Some of my classmates just walk
passed around the object but I remained standing in front of it. I walked circles around it,
trying to comprehend the real meaning behind the wooden sculpture. And at first I think that
it is some sort of revolutionary act, as the arm represents the Filipinos while the chains
represents the Spaniards. Based on the tight grip of the arm, it creates movement as if the
arm is trying to get away from the chain. And we already have knowledge about the Spanish
colonization, in which Filipinos are treated as slaves in their own country. However, the
museum guide told me that the sculpture represents the idea of "being not free" in terms of
freedom of speech. This is very common especially to those Filipinos who are not able to
address some certain problems because they were not given the opportunity to express their
opinions. Oppression is very common in today's society, even during the Spanish
colonization. Those people that's sitting at a high position uses their force to maintain control
and dominance over the others. This often results to suppression of rights, freedoms and
even dignity.
The second sculpture portrays a Tikbalang, a Filipino mythical creature that play
tricks on travellers and lead them astray, and a bottle of coke with coil wires as the hairs, the
hands and the feet. It's hard to put into words the exact position of the tikbalang and the
bottle of coke that is a woman by the way, because the two are making love but in a
malicious way. Honestly when I first saw the object I laughed at it, but after finding out the
true meaning behind the art work, I was left with thousands of whirling bubbles inside my
head. The museum guide told us that it represents the Philippines as the puppet of the other
country, specifically America. And since coke is the product of the Coca-Cola company that
originated in America, and tikbalang is the mythical creature from the Philippines, it
symbolizes the relationship between the Philippines and America. And the museum guide
told us that the America is just using the Philippines for its own benefit, to gain more profit by
exploiting its products in the country.
My museum journey at the UPV Museum is so enlightening, I have learned new

knowledge and a better understanding towards the society here in the Philippines. I have
discovered various art works that hold significant meanings that often relates to some
societal issues. Visiting museums offers numerous educational benefits and can greatly
enhance students' understanding of art, history, and culture. Museums provide a unique
opportunity for visual learning, allowing students like us to see artefacts, artworks, and
historical objects up close. This can deepen our understanding of various concepts and
historical events, making learning more engaging and memorable. Also, museums
encourage critical thinking skills by prompting students to analyse and interpret the objects
and artworks they encounter. Museums expose students to diverse cultures and
perspectives, fostering cultural awareness and empathy. By encountering artefacts and
artworks from different time periods and regions, students gain a broader appreciation for
the richness and diversity of human culture.

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Debie Aponte BSHM 2A

Museum Experience Reaction Essay

THE WOODEN FIGURES OF THE SOCIETY

My museum journey at the UPV Museum is so enlightening, I have learned new

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