The city’s old city hall building has been designated as the site of the General Santos City Museum, as per a recent city council ordinance.
The designation will pave the way for the establishment of the city museum which will showcase the history, culture, myths and evolution of the southern frontier people, both original inhabitants (indigenous individuals) and migrant settlers, including their artifacts, tools, and infrastructures.
The museum will also become a repository of the dwindling antiquated treasures consisting of heirlooms and arts/crafts of the early dominant indigenous people, such as the Maguindanao Sultanate, Buayan Sultanate, Koronadal Sultanate, B’laan tribe and other cultural communities’ first dwellers of General Santos City.
It will also provide a place for cultural observation and dissemination to the city’s residents as well as visitors, including photographs, replicas and other images of the heritage sites of General Santos City, which include significant landmarks, original and created sites or structures.
To be put on display are old materials, equipment and other evidence of the evolution of the city’s industries (such as tuna), memorabilia of the founder, Gen. Paulino T. Santos, Sr. pioneering settlers and other well-known personalities of the city.
A museum responds to the expectation that a highly developed city shall have a sensitive character reflective of its high level of culture, even as it assumes the responsibility of identification, documentation, and publication of current and future cultural events of the city while providing a venue for the exhibit of art works/creations of local artists.
Sponsors of the ordinance were councilors Ronnel C. Rivera, Dominador S. Lagare III, Margareth Rose N. Santos and Virginia T. Llido. [cpio/ping aponesto]
