Artifact used as a doormat and other 'horror stories' about PHL cultural treasures

Four years after they were discovered, the Monreal Stone remains a mystery for academics.

The flat tablet with baybayin inscriptions made headlines in 2011 when it was discovered in Ticao Island, Masbate and while other experts have doubts about its authenticity, its origin story is the perfect summary of what usually happens with potential cultural artifacts.

 The stone was initially referred to as the "Rizal Stones" — named after the school where it was used as a doormat for about 10 years. 

In a forum held at the National Anthropology Museum on Friday, Dr. Ramon Guillermo of the University of the Philippines Filipino and Filipino Literature shared an update on the study of the inscriptions of the stone.

Dr Guillermo has been running the baybayin script through a decryption program, but the tablet's contents remain a mystery. Aside from the limitation of the corpus he is using as a reference, Dr Guillermo admitted that there's a chance that 10 years of shoe scrapping against it could've erased a few pertinent marks.

Giovanni Bautista from the National Museum added that the stone was also removed from its original place and the environment could have revealed more about the stone.

"May mga buto bang nasa paligid? Malapit ba ito sa burial site?" Bautista enumerated. "Marami sanang malalaman sa mga kasama nito pero hindi na siya nakita sa tamang environment."

This cavalier response to artifacts is the primary concern of the National Museum and academics now that another potential cultural discovery has been made in Monreal, Masbate.

The Local Tourism Office has alerted the proper authorities after finding drawings on the wall of Ednagen Cave and while the possibility of a hoax isn't being ruled out, representatives of the National Museum are appealing to the public to preserve the art.

"Mahirap kasi, nakita nilang nabalita, tapos baka pagdating namin doon may nakasulat ng 'I was here!' sa tabi," Bautista said.

Aside from vandalism, Ana Carolina Del Mundo of Monreal's Local Tourism Office shared that some people are not aware that they are holding cultural artifacts.

For instance, a pre-Hispanic jar was broken and disposed by homeowners who didn't understand what it was.

Others would find bones in their yard with other ancient items and, for fear of experiencing a haunting, would bury it all again.

The other stones that might have had inscriptions? They were used to make the highway in Masbate.

"Hindi po nila alam 'yung value noong nakukuha nila," Del Mundo added.

"Actually, 2014 pa [nakita 'yung cave paintings], pero hindi naireport sa kinauukulan."

On the other side of the spectrum are "treasure hunters" who dig in caves for gold bars.

Del Mundo shared posters from her town warning people against foreigners supposedly getting away with the loot.

The speakers of the forum did not discount the contribution of treasure hunters and collectors — and even kids accidentally unearthing artifacts — in finding important historical relics but they warned against placing higher monetary value on these items that have invaluable cultural worth.

"Ang problema kapag 'yung artifacts na lamang ang nakukuha namin, wala na itong context," National Museum's Bautista argued.

In the parlance of today's #hugot culture, it's the same old issue of not understanding the value of what's right in front of you and taking it for granted.

Unknowingly, people damage something really important and under-appreciate its significance. They literally treat it like a doormat.

Hoax or not, the National Museum and academics urged the public to respect the cave paintings in Ednagen Cave and to treat other discoveries with care.

If you happen to chance upon something that might be of historical significance, the right thing to do is contact your local museum or tourism office. Do the right thing. — VVP, GMA News