OTHER than books, movies, and television, the museum is the one place where people can learn much about a country?s history, culture, traditions, and even its current interests.

Which explains why the city of Marikina is determined to build as many museums as it can to educate young Filipinos on things past and on how the present shapes the future. To date, the city maintains four museums?the Doll Museum, the Belen Museum, the Miniature Museum, and the Shoe Museum, which are located in different government buildings. Also in the works are the Health Zone and Disaster Preparedness and the Education Centers. In fact, the city intends to put up at least two more museums in one building, reveals curator Dolly Enriquez-Borlongan.

Not surprisingly, the most visited among these museums is the Shoe Museum?and not only because the city is known to be the shoe capital of the Philippines. The museum features around 800 of the 3,000 pairs of shoes previously owned by former First Lady Imelda Marcos.

The Marcos shoe collection, explains Borlongan, is not meant to show extravagance but to honor the ingenuity of Filipinos. ?We want to use Imelda?s shoes as an example of design and creativity, and to highlight the use of her shoes for different occasions.?

Brands like Charles Jourdan, Maro (by Mario Katigbak, now general manager of Bulgari Philippines), Lady Rustans, and others are on display at the Shoe Museum located in an old building on J.P. Rizal Street, Barangay San Roque. The museum was conceived by then mayor and now chair of the Metro Manila Development Authority, Bayani Fernando, and wife Marides, the present city mayor.

The Doll Museum, temporarily housed at the Marikina Sports Center, is inspired by a similar concept. Borlongan relates that when Mayor Marides Fernando, renowned Filipino designer Patis Tesoro, and former beauty queen Guia Gomez were having a meeting, the idea of putting a doll museum or diorama came up.

The dolls made of resin, a material of solid or semi-solid natural organic substances, are designed by Tesoro herself. The designer dressed about 500 papiér maché dolls using Filipino materials like piña. The dolls tell the history of Marikina from its Christianization to industrialization. On prominent display are the migrants and clans who shaped the city to what it is now, and the shoemaking industry. The museum was opened in 2003 at the famous Kapitan Moy building, also known as the Sentrong Pangkultura ng Marikina. Kapitan Moy is Don Laureano Guevarra, the father of the shoemaking industry in Marikina.

Aside from narrating a compact history of the city, the Doll Museum looks back at old Filipino social customs and traditions: the bayanihan, mano po, harana, pamanhikan, and kasalan. It also showcases fiesta celebrations as well as common Holy Week practices like the pabasa and senakulo. The museum pays tribute as well to indigenous peoples, peddlers, and different Filipino dances.

The most endearing parts of the exhibit, however, are the Past Times and Entertainment and the Traditional Filipino Games.

Way before the influx of interactive video games, Filipinos got ?interactive? with such entertainment as the musikong bumbong, where musicians make use of improvised musical instruments like drums and bamboo poles; kantahan or a communal version of today?s karaoke; duplo or public debate in rhythmic, poetic form, and Lerion, a proudly and uniquely Marikeño activity. Lerion is the official folk dance of Marikina and is said to have been found in Parang by the late National Artist for Dance, Francisca Reyes Aquino, and resident artist Simeona Chanyungco.

The Traditional Filipino Games bring back memories of absolute fun and ?real-time? interaction with playmates in the flesh. Games like tumbang preso, luksong tinik, basagan ng palayok, piko, sipa, sungak, palo sebo, patintero, and taguan are hardly a familiar activity to the youth of today save for the efforts of some organizations to reintroduce them.

Then there are the Belen Museum and the Miniature Museum which not only share the same building located on V. Gomez Street, but are also loaned by private individuals to the city. Opened in November 2006, the Belen Museum was loaned by retired businesswoman and private collector Carmen ?Gigi? Carlos. The varied depictions of the Holy Family use different materials like fiber glass, Philippine wood, Baguio silver, Pinatubo ash, bamboo, and so on. Another eye-catching belen is that made from keys as designed by artist Fernando Sena. Although the museum tells of a Christmas event, it is open year-round.

Just beside the Belen Museum is the very elaborate Miniature Museum. One is immediately struck by the patience and perseverance needed to come up with this collection, which was loaned by the daughter of its owner, the late Aleli Lourdes Salinas Vengua, an interior decorator and businesswoman.

Borlogan said collecting miniatures started as a hobby for Vengua, who eventually turned it into a business as requests poured in. There are about 60,000 miniature pieces, ranging from chairs to an auto mechanic?s tools like screwdriver, pliers, etc. The 24 miniature rooms mirror Vengua?s artistic flair, as her designs create an Oriental room, an artist?s studio complete with sample paintings on the wall, a food shop, and a toy store. There?s even a living room with pictures of Hollywood actor James Dean.
With all of Marikina?s museums within reach, residents and visitors alike have no more excuse not to drop by. To encourage more visits and field trips, the city has partnered with the tourism department and schools, and has extended museum visiting hours to include weekends. Borlongan has also helped set up a foundation to take care of the museums? upkeep to keep the entrance fee at a very reasonable P25 to P30. Now those fees are what you can best describe as a blast from the past! ?

For more information, call 430-9735 or visit the Marikina City website www.marikina.gov.ph.