MANILA – Tolerance, Goodwill, Love: these are the values upheld by President Elpidio Quirino, and which are the focus of the recently opened exhibit, “Defining Quirino”, at the Ayala Museum in Makati City. Open to the public from November 7 to 28, 2015 at the second floor gallery for free, the presentation is curated by the President Elpidio Quirino Foundation, Ayala Museum and Filipinas Heritage Library.
“The exhibit highlights words relevant to President Quirino’s life. Defining Quirino combines static and interactive displays that highlight his core values and how he lived these out during his presidency and beyond. By showing significant moments of his journey from teacher to president, we hope to tell how President Quirino embodied a true spirit of patriotism, and to inspire visitors to be compassionate Filipinos themselves,” said Atty. Allele Angela “Lila” Quirino, President of the Quirino Foundation.
A main component of the exhibition is a wall of 125 portraits of the former leader, to coincide with his 125th birth anniversary. The portraits were created by various artists, friends and family members during a recently concluded painting session hosted by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and Ayala Museum’s “Inspire Everyday!” program.
“It’s quite interesting to see how different people have created different representations of the same person. Symbolically, this could speak of the many things he stood for —both as a public figure and a private person,” Ms. Quirino shared.
Interactive displays and features of the exhibit have been furnished by leading technology brand Samsung. Taking center stage in this portion is the Digital Guest Book, where visitors can digitally color the Mga Kwentong Quirino Comics and post their personal pledges to contribute as a better citizen of the Philippines.
Other interactive learning components include Samsung Smart TVs and mobile devices where visitors can flip through albums of old photographs and watch President Quirino’s 5th State of the Nation Address and other documentaries on his life and legacy.
“We are also very pleased to be partnering with Samsung for this exhibit. The interactive displays help create a meaningful and lasting impression among today’s audiences, especially the tech-savvy youth. This exhibit is primarily for them, to educate them of an important chapter in Philippine history and how much of what we can learn from it still needs to be applied today,” added Quirino.
Complementing the interactive digital presentations are the static displays that show presidential papers, memorabilia and photographs largely drawn from the collection of the President Elpidio Quirino Foundation and Filipinas Heritage Library. Quotes of famous people and other influential figures about President Quirino are included.
Defining Quirino further showcases a portrait and sculpture created by National Artists Fernando Amorsolo and Guillermo Tolentino, respectively.
One section of the gallery features documentaries that relate to key events during President Quirino’s incumbency from 1948 to 1953. These include “March of The Valiant,” a video on the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea, and “Tubabao Odyssey”, a film on the white Russian refugees in the Philippines.
“Defining Quirino aims to immerse a viewer into a significant part of our history. Experiencing and exploring past, we can see how the underlying concerns and aspirations, such as integrity and love for fellowmen in the face of difficult times, remain the same. The way we act or speak, how we do things may have changed but President Quirino’s life and legacy still tell us what we should expect from our leaders and from ourselves,” Ms. Quirino elaborated.
Defining Quirino is part of a year-long commemoration of President Quirino’s 125th birth anniversary this year. The series of events includes lectures, school tours, and fun activities for teachers, students and the general public.
Note: This is a press release from the President Elpidio Quirino Foundation.
