Bamboo Flag Museum: ‘Routes of a Nation’

MANILA, Philippines – To celebrate the Philippines’ 115th year as an independent naton standing proud, Makati City presents a giant Bamboo Flag Museum featuring chapters of our country’s history.

The structure, made completely out of bamboo, houses a gallery entitled “Grass: Routes of a Nation,” where visitors can appreciate images rendering the Filipino’s struggles and triumphs.

The structure was designed by American Creatives Inc., in collaboration with other institutions—the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and the Filipinas Heritage Library—that aim to promote the Philippines’ culture and heritage.

At the unveiling ceremony on June 11, the chairwoman of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, Dr. Ma. Serena Diokno, talked about the bamboo’s sturdiness and strength, along with the Filipino people’s resilience in shaping the pivotal events in their history.

The museum’s welcome message conveys the same theme: “The Filipino is praised for bending with the wind, but never breaking.”

From the revolution of 1896 to the more contemporary tragedy of Ondoy, the nation somehow pulled through, said Diokno.

Yet within our rich narrative lies the question of whether we have learned from this history.

Proverbs about the bamboo’s strength and adaptability are posted around the gallery. Perhaps what the structure seeks to remind the people is not entirely about how we survived the past but how to prepare for what’s to come.

The Bamboo Flag Gallery stands at the Ayala Triangle where it will be available for viewing up to July 31.

Here are more photos from inside the Bamboo Flag Museum:

The program that accompanied the unveiling highlighted the diversity of our country’s culture, including an intense balagtasan that enlivened the crowd and dance presentations of the tinikling, singkil and palo sebo, as performed by Banda Kawayan of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and by Palihang Hagonoy. Michael, a member of Banda Kawayan, said promoting Filipino culture should be a collaborative effort between the government and the schools. The night was capped by a splendid treat of Filipino food. – Rappler.com