The Nurturing of a Rare Legacy
by Felice Sta. Maria

The Lopez Memorial Museum is the oldest privately owned and managed museum and library specializing in Philippine material. Its rariori reach back to books and maps of the sixteenth century, works by the first internationally acclaimed duo of Filipino painters, Juan N. Luna (1857-1899) and Felix P. Resurreccion Hidalgo (1855-1913), plus priceless personal effects of Philippine National Hero José Rizal (1861-1896). With over 500 works in its growing museum collection and over 20,000 titles in its expanding library catalogue, the museum cares for holdings covering 600 years of scholarship and artistry.

After its inauguration in 1960, the museum established the Eugenio Lopez Foundation to ensure its future; institutionalized a curatorial management system and committed team; strengthened its conservation facilities; and increased audience development services. The Lopez Memorial Museum cultivates a legacy of exemplary quality, timeless relevance, persistent awakening of wisdom and knowledge, dynamic reaching out to multiplying users, and purposeful accessibility to the richness and dynamism of Philippine culture.

Filipiniana Stewardship

At four o'clock on the shower-threatened afternoon of Saturday, February 13, 1960, eminent publisher and entrepreneur Eugenio H. López, Sr. dedicated the Lopez Memorial Museum to the memory of his parents, Presentacion Hofileña and Benito López, twice governor of Iloilo. His brother, the well-loved senator Fernando, stood as witness by his side. The Museum was Eugenio's dream and his personal collection, the seed of an enriching legacy.

In his address, Philippine President Carlos P. Garcia praised the founder's noble act of preserving Filipino heritage. There were only a handful of cultural institutions at the time and government had prioritized socio-economic strategies for itself. Garcia cited the "moral obligation" of those with wealth to "help uplift the race... and place within reach the means... to satisfy the natural longing... for what is good and beautiful." It was an endorsement of private support for culture.

In his speech that followed delivered in elegant Spanish, erudite Senator Claro M. Recto lauded Eugenio H. López, Sr. for his sensitivity towards a "history of nationalism and Filipino philanthropy." The Museum—what Recto called a "university without professors"—opened an "arsenal of the country's cultural treasures" to empower the Filipino people's spirit with an awareness of historical continuity, patriotism, national ideals and commitment to shape a common glorious and grand destiny.

Distinguished architect and city planner Angel E. Nakpil designed the new building to showcase the nucleus of the museum's holdings. Located in Pasay City, on Lancaster Avenue and near the founder's residence, the edifice offered a stunning view of Manila Bay and stood out with its modernism. Marquita Perez, columnist of The Manila Times, the largest circulated daily at the time, called the triangular building a "pace-setting force" with an "overpowering first-impression." Three cantilevered stories sprung out from a comparatively smaller but massive podium of reinforced concrete. One floor up were the library and staff rooms. The 211 works of art by Luna and Resurreccion Hidalgo were spread over the remaining floors: rare books and the Resurreccion Hidalgos filling the third floor; and archaeological artifacts, the Lunas, and Rizal's letters on the fourth level. The Lopez Memorial Museum gifted the public with an irrefutable endorsement of scholarship and championed the importance of Filipiniana in the fields of arts and letters.

Transcending Generations

The museum's first director was nationalist historian Renato Constantino. He headed an initial staff of six who set the pace to cultivate the museum's chosen legacy: exemplifying the best in Filipino cultural and intellectual heritage. Before his term ended in June 1972, the foundation published its first salvo: The Philippine Insurrection Against the United States by John R. M. Taylor. Prominent historians agreed that the five-volume compilation, issued from 1970 to 1979, was a major contribution to social sciences and the Filipino scholars' cache of primary documents by which to analyze and re-write the national narrative.

The museum roots its legacy in ideals valued by its namesake: a fundamental faith in the advancement of scholarship and learning, a search for the truth, and a desire to render the greatest service to students and the scholarly community. The Eugenio H. Lopez, Sr. collection is of great research value. To ensure its transition through epochs, the Eugenio Lopez Foundation was incorporated on June 17, 1968. The not-for-profit, non-stock corporation serves the general public principally through operation of the museum and library, although it also engages in projects with long-term investment in the national interest. Inaugurated on December 9, 1969, for instance, was the Asian Institute of Management building in Makati donated by the foundation.

To bequeath the nation a dynamic, living institution that offers a wide range of educational and cultural opportunities is the foundation's vision. Its complementary mission is to support, promote, and enrich library holdings and art collections thereby contributing meaningfully to the educational needs of readers and the cultural fulfillment of art viewers.

As the 1960s came to a close, the Lopez Memorial Museum increasingly became a tourism mustsee. The service entrance and backdoor for personnel at the Sheraton-Philippines Hotel (later the Hyatt Hotel) was the insider's short-cut to the museum's secret treasures.

Sustainable Significance

Despite instability ushered in by Martial Law in 1972, the museum continued to be relevant in the 1970s. Its founder went into self-imposed exile in San Francisco, California, passing away there in 1975. His eldest son Eugenio Jr., jailed by President Ferdinand Marcos, managed to escape five years later in 1977 to the United States. Until the Marcos regime was toppled in 1986, Oscar M. Lopez, the next oldest sibling, was left in charge of all Lopez companies and assets. He started to actively head the foundation in 1973. Journalist Celso Cabrera served as Museum Director from 1972 until 1979.

As the decade closed, the museum prepared to publish several titles. Santiago A. Pilar, well on his career as a professor of Philippine colonial art history, wrote Juan Luna: The Filipino as Painter. Released in 1980, it was the museum's first art book and the first full-length biography on the controversial artist. The Lopez Family book that appeared in 1982 stimulated interest in family genealogy. As a gesture of its high regard and appreciation, the board dedicated Philippine Rariora: A Descriptive Catalogue of 17th Century Imprints in the Lopez Memorial Museum to its author, the foremost Filipino bibliographer Mauro Garcia who died before its launch in 1983 (p. 168).

The museum quietly expanded its endeavors in the natural sciences. Manolo M. Lopez, Oscar's younger brother, would serve the Philippine Orchid Society as president. The museum gave the University of the Philippines a grant to create an orchid gene bank when it set up its own nurseries to upgrade native varieties and enhance their world appreciation. Those projects set the stage for The Complete Writings of Dr. Eduardo Quisumbing (published in 1981) and the salute to Philippine endemic orchids by Helen I. Valmayor, Orchidiana Philippiniana (released in 1984).

Although it had halted acquisitions, the museum purchased the library of The Manila Times that was forcibly closed during martial law. The Times library possessed the most complete collection of the newspaper starting from the American colonial period onwards and is one of the biggest additions to the printed collection. By then the annual monsoon flooding in the Lancaster street area was rising and identified as a major threat to the collection. The distance from schools and flooding eventually saw the entire collection packed and moved to safer grounds on 1985.

Mindful Missions

People Power of 1986 electrified the decade with hopefulness. On April 19, 1986 the museum opened at its new address on the ground floor of the Benpres Building in Pasig City's Ortigas Center (title pages). Seven members from the small staff that had kept the collections intact and the services alive through critical times were on hand to awaken new programs for new times.

That same year, Roberto M. Lopez, the founder's youngest son, became active with the foundation and expanded its modern art collection. Aside from nineteenth-century treasures, his father had owned modern art by Fernando Amorsolo (declared the first Philippine National Artist in 1972), Vicente S. Manansala (made a National Artist for Painting in 1981), Anita Magsaysay-Ho, Nena Saguil, and other painters of merit. Roberto added works including those by three painters who would later be declared National Artists: Benedicto Cabrera, Ang Kiukok, and Arturo Luz. Selections were determined with art consultant Rod. Paras Perez.

It was a decade of adjusting to the new and slightly smaller location. The Benpres Building offered improved accessibility for library and museum users and a conservation environment better than the saline, sea breeze-constrained and flood-threatened Lancaster address.

During the 1980s, seeds were sown for the museum to review its role. Stakeholders clamored for government to support the national patrimony, honor freedom of expression, and encourage creativity. The museum awakened to a complex culture scene that catalyzed the growth of public and private museums, libraries, art galleries, art contests, and publishing ventures in need of new and larger audiences as well as vigorous sponsorships. Established cultural institutions prepared for a competitive future.

New Bounty

The museum benefits from the personal involvement of Lopez family members. The 1990s opened with Eugenio Jr. and his brother, Manolo, in the foundation. In1992, the museum's art holdings significantly increased with the untimely passing of Roberto and the generous bequest of his collection to the institution. With an acquisitions policy still evolving, the foundation decided to fill in gaps so that twentieth-century Philippine paintings would be fully represented.

Professional trends in museology, archiving, library science, and conservation were reviewed to prepare for the design and management of a large new museum space that could reach out to audiences using updated services with contemporary appeal and technology for the increasing holdings. Other major Philippine museums were considering their futures too. With them, the Lopez Memorial Museum recruited Lord Cultural Resources, Planning and Management to assess conservation and exhibition requirements into the new millennium. A building design was commissioned for future construction.

Mariles Ebro Matias, then one of two residents in the country holding a university degree in museology, became Museum Director and served from 1994 to 2001. The museum joined the Committee of Museums set up by the newly legislated National Commission for Culture and the Arts. The Committee, as the Philippine branch of International Council of Museums, promoted a global Code of Ethics, recommended standards, and provided a network for museums and museologues. As the museum tilled new professional ground, it continued publishing art books that included in 1998, Eugenio H. López, Sr.: Pioneering Entrepreneur and Business Leader, a tribute to its founder who that year received the Cultural Center of the Philippines Centennial Award given to 100 persons from 1898 to 1998 who made a difference in Philippine arts and letters.

Perennial Improvements

The first decade of the new millennium ushered in efforts to hone the museum's culture of quality. Operations adhered to a management style rooted in customer satisfaction and in the institution's accessibility to its audiences. Mercedes Lopez Vargas, granddaughter of the museum's namesake, became director in 2002. That year, the museum received its ESH (Environment, Safety and Health) rating from the Lopez Group of Companies. This effectively acknowledged the maintenance of high standards to sustain an environment that was safe and healthy for collections, visitors, and staff. In July 2003 the museum earned the coveted ISO 9001 rating that committed to continual improvement and optimizing performance.

Since its budding years, the museum staff has maintained a fine reputation for personalized service. Librarians, in particular, have been assisting scholars nationwide and overseas while networking with universities and other libraries. As the museum's programs expanded in the early years of the twenty-first century, so did its staff roster that currently totals eighteen.

Historian Serafin D. Quiason became a consultant for the library, Crispina Reyes for digitization, and Mary Ann Pernia for education programs. Joselina Cruz initiated changing exhibitions as Curatorial Consultant. When Joselina moved to Singapore Art Museum in 2004, Eileen Legaspi-Ramirez took over her position and Ricky Francisco joined as Collections Management Consultant. Maita Reyes came in 1999 as Conservation Consultant.

Galleries were given a fresh look and improved flexibility. A new, robust curatorial perspective for cultural properties influenced changing exhibitions, education programs, research services, audience development, museum shop product lines, and institutional marketing. The Roberto M. Lopez Conservation Center opened in 2002 to service the museum, the Lopez Group of Companies, and a selection of other projects. To facilitate conservation and enable online access, a digitization project started in 2007 to complement microfilming of the library holdings.

A Noble Harvest

The globalization of ever advancing technology for scholarship and entertainment offers the museum an exponential public in the new millennium. The museum's management of cultural objects from Philippine heritage merits a continuing and deepening passion for knowledge that spans a lifetime, powerful exhibitions, inventive media collaborations, and contemporary interpretation.

Unflinching dedication to its cause of heritage advocacy strengthens and enriches the saplings and seeds of creativity and fancy, the bulbs and rhizomes of rationality and innovation that find their way to the Lopez Memorial Museum's cultural sanctuary. The museum and library are the boon from tending a carefully planted field of patriotic dreams and civic spirit, beckoning curiosity and tenacious learning. The Lopez Memorial Museum awakens each generation to its inheritance of some of the best products in the field of humanities and the timeless promise that if one sows nobleness and excellence, that shall it reap.