(SPOT.ph) On July 27, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake shook Northern Luzon, causing severe damage to famous tourist and cultural spots in Vigan and Baguio. Not known to many, the incident also caused destruction to the province of Abra—the earthquake's epicenter.
Abra is a relatively unknown land-locked province. It can be best described by those lucky enough to have been there as a picturesque landscape of rolling hills, scenic mountain views, and lush waterfalls. But tucked away in this natural wonderland is the Gabriela Cariño Silang Gallery of Fine Arts—which unfortunately for us has declared its permanent closure following irreparable damages brought about by the earthquake.
Gabriela Silang Gallery of Fine Arts Following the Abra earthquake
The museum shared the sad news with the public via their social media page, including photos of the devastation the quake caused to the gallery.
In the pictures, it can be seen that several of the museum’s porcelain and pottery collections have been greatly damaged beyond repair while some paintings have been dislodged from their mounts and frames. Aside from damage to the exhibit pieces, the gallery also cited that the main building housing the artifacts has to be assessed for its structural integrity as there are visible hairline cracks on its walls.
Earlier in the month, the gallery already declared a temporary closure to repair, restore, and renovate the exhibits. It’s such a shame we’d never get to see the treasure trove of artifacts it once housed again.
Gabriela Silang Gallery of Fine Arts as a Cultural Landmark in Abra
Located some 12 minutes from Bangued—Abra's capital, the Gabriela Cariño Silang Gallery of Fine Arts is the ancestral home of Gabriela Silang’s paternal uncle Nicolas Cariño. It is the residence of the former Philippine Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Rosario Cariño.
It was the place Gabriela Silang took refuge following the assassination of her husband, Diego Silang. It was her base of operations in the north where she strategized and reorganized her husband’s remaining loyal troops in their battle against Spanish colonizers.
In the early '90s, the ancestral home was converted into a museum that housed not only the Gabriela Silang room. It featured not only furniture and clothes used by the heroine, but also innumerable paintings and artifacts acquired by Ambassador Cariño during his time as a diplomat. Aside from that, some of the most valuable pieces in Cariño’s collection included a Picasso, a Juan Luna, and a Ghirlandaio. Many Chinese and Japanese porcelain collections, Burmese bronzes, and local church antique sculptures can also be found at the gallery.
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