Abstract:
Manaoag, a town 4 00 years old, is truly a place wealthy with the arts, culture and tradition. The town is a destination for religious pilgrimage.
Our Lady of Manaoag Museum is the only ecclesiastical
museum under the supervision and care of the Dominicans in the
whole town and in the entire Pangasinan. The Manaoag church has
succeeded in putting up a museum for their collections.
The collections of the museum consist of religious objects
that were used in early times during celebrations and functions
by priests, and al so objects given by devotees of the Blessed
Virgin of Manaoag as their way of showing their love for Her.
Some of the objects, most especially the instruments used by the
priests and their assistants in masses, benediction, Holy
Sacrament, baptism, etc., such as the priests' vestments, a re
four centuries old. Part of the recent collections like the
per fumes, and accessories such as jewelry and rosaries of the
Blessed Mother are greater in number than the religious objects
of the church.
This study is on the Manaoag museum collections, focusing
on the policies and pr act ices of Our Lady of Manaoaq Museum.
There are no written policies for the museum, especially for
their collections. Collections management policy is very
essential for the collections to be well preserved and
maintained. Policies on collecting, documenting and research
should be made by the museum for its development, and co guide
them when the opportunity comes for museum expansion.
Due to the fact that the Our Lady of Manaoag museum lacks
collections management policies, the researcher proposed one for
them. The proposal will consist of the purpose or the objective
of the museum, its goals, and will also serve as a guide for
them in performing the aspects and functions of collections
management acquiring, documenting, research, conservation,
security, and exhibit ion. It will best describe the museum and
help them perform these functions well.
Now as the museum turns two in May 2002, the church should
feel the need to be systematic in managing the museum, most
especially with regards to its collections.
