As a worker in the cultural sector, I have always been proud of my roots. My mother, Marivic Agbayani, was born in Lopez, Quezon and she was very instrumental in arousing my curiosity in Philippine history.
It was therefore my joy when I found colleagues in the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) who are from Quezon. Please allow me to introduce two of them.
Mark Anthony Glorioso of Tayabas City currently serves as curator of the NHCP Museo ni Jesse Robredo in Naga City. Despite being detailed in Bicol, he continues fostering his interest in the history of Quezon province. Last November, he presented his research on the liberation of Tayabas on 13 August 1898 by Filipinos led by Miguel Malvar. He is also an amateur numismatist and our go-to guy on the history of coins and currency in the office.
Albert Vincent F. Barretto of Gumaca works as a history researcher and is currently detailed in the NHCP Museo ni Jose Rizal Dapitan. Quezonins might remember him for helping establish the Museo ng Gumaca which continues to teach the town of its rich history. He seemed to have the Rizal exile experience, having to endure being away from family and friends and making new ones to cultivate his desire for history. Despite being afar, he presented his research on American-period infrastructure projects in a conference last August. He also published an article on the NHCP website explaining that there were two separate waterworks associated with Rizal in Dapitan.
Their assignments remind me of aspects of Quezon province's history.
A Quezonin in a Naga City museum reminds us that the Archdiocese of Caceres used to have eclessiastical jurisdiction over our province.
A Quezonin in Dapitan also reminds us how Quezon welcomed migrants from throughout the country, enriching its culture and economy. After all, Lopez Mayor Rachel Ubana herself was born in Dapitan City and my mother was the daughter of migrants from Manaoag, Pangasinan and Paombong, Bulacan.
We, in the NHCP, are just among the numerous historians, cultural workers, and heritage enthusiasts in and from Quezon. (I personally know of two in a sister agency, the National Museum of the Philippines: Arch. Benjamin Empleo of Lucban and Bryan Ferrer of Catanauan.)
This year's Rizal Day emphasizes the value of truth and history with the theme, "Rizal: Alaalang Iningatan, Yaman Ngayon ng Bayan."
May we all be heirs of Jose Rizal's love for history which he showed by tracing the history of his family, his community, and his people.