With reverence to 125 years of Philippine Independence, we pay tribute to the past and shed light on the present through a visit to Aguinaldo’s home in Kawit, Cavite.
This is an excerpt from Lifestyle Asia’s June 2023 Issue.
It was on June 12, 1898 when Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed Philippine Independence from the middle window of his Kawit, Cavite home. In an exclusive interview with Paulette M. Bedruz, Senior Shrine Curator of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines Museo ni Emilio Aguinaldo, she shares with Lifestyle Asia: “Today, this part of the house has been converted to a balcony to highlight the significance of that historic event. The architectural details of the house, incorporated by Emilio Aguinaldo during renovations in the 1920s speak of his vision for the house to become a testament of the Filipino’s fight for freedom.”
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She adds, “Nationalistic symbols, both carved and embossed, can be found all over the mansion. The Philippine flags and the elements like the stars and the sun are found in columns, ceiling, cabinets, and even on roof eaves and the tower spires.” According to Bedruz, these symbols are “visual reminders of the struggles and persistence of our revolutionary Filipino forefathers to attain freedom. This collective memory allows us to go forward as a nation.”
On how the museum upholds the essence of Filipino independence, Bedruz elaborates on the declaration of the Aguinaldo House as a national shrine and the installation of several markers that indicate its importance to independence. She states, “The museum as an educational institution continues to educate visitors of the story of the Filipinos’ struggles towards attaining independence from Spain. The house as the locus of the event that transpired on June 12, 1898 is a built heritage that communicates to us the importance of this event in our national narrative.”
The Emilio Aguinaldo Shrine or Museo ni Emilio Aguinaldo is located in Kawit, Cavite. For inquiries, call (046) 484 7643.
Read more by purchasing a copy of the Lifestyle Asia June 2023 magazine via SariSari.shopping or select newsstands in National Bookstore and Fully Booked. Subscribe to the E-Magazine via Readly, Magzter, and Press Reader.
Photos by Ed Simon of Kliq, Inc.
