A chance meeting between our out-going
(in both senses of the expression) MVP President Mrs.
Rose Wehrli and Mrs. Aranzazu Baņon (photo
right) Deputy
Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Spain in Manila during the MVP trip to the
rice terraces stemmed into an invitation to visit the Philippine National
Archives.
On 24 April just after 9 o'clock a group of 28 MVP members accepted the invitation and having been organised and marshaled by the ever efficient, cool and calm Mrs. Sony Ng into a mini bus and assorted cars we set off in the busy morning traffic. We arrived at The National Library Building TM Kalaw in Ermita at 10 o'clock.
We were all seated in
the Exhibition Hall and all given an extensive information
folder. 
The Director of the
National Archives Mrs. Rosalina A Concepcion (photo
left) bade us welcome.
She introduced Mrs. Arazazu Baņon Deputy Chief of Mission Embassy of
Spain who addressed us. She
explained the role that the Embassy of Spain had played in the refurbishing and
modernisation of the Archives. There are 15 million documents dating from the 15th
century dealing with all kinds of official matters including records of births
marriages and deaths, notarial acts, property, public administration, and trade
matters. In fact anything requiring official permission or recognition.
The majority of the documents are written in Spanish.
The National Archives receive technical advice on the management,
preservation, repair, cataloging and disposal of the Nation's documents from
visiting technical teams from Spain.
The Director addressed us again. From both speakers we learned that the preservation of the archives had been good, however the climate, fires, earthquakes, parasites, termites and the fact that there was not a permanent site for the archives had lead to their deterioration. It was hoped that in the future the Archives would be a self-sufficient office in preserving documents and providing a public service. The Archives are a wealth of information for researchers, historians, and academics. The restoration process was much more than microfilming documents. The up grading of the infrastructure, the installation of moveable shelves, and the training of archivists was also part of the programme.
We were then shown
two short informative videos on the history of the Archives.
After being invited to enjoy a welcomed merienda we proceeded round in various groups to observe the members of staff in their various sections of restoration, cataloging and storage duties.
There are over 250,000 bundles of documents in the Archives. Each document a piece of Filipino history. The earliest documents were written in the Spanish period. The Spaniards brought with them the tradition of keeping excellent written records. However despite being thoughtlessly treated in the past by some of their successors, many have survived. The modernisation of the Archives was formalised in 1999 in the signing of an agreement between the governments of the Philippines and Spain.
Part of the
files kept at the Records Office suffered from poor storage conditions, however
modern technology has come to the rescue. We were shown how documents were
repaired in an especially temperature controlled environment. First the paper is
cleaned with cotton wool and a soft brush to remove excess dirt. It is then
placed in the Leaf Casting machine A damaged cleaned sheet of paper is placed
flat in the large tank on draining support. A mixture of linen pulp in water
suspension is flooded into the tank and the water sucked downwards. On emptying
the holes and cracks are filled in from the residual fibers. Colour is added to
blend in with the shade of paper being repaired.
We saw the scanning of documents and its digitalisation project. We were allowed to look closely at documents and to observe the beautiful ornate handwriting of the day. Some of us were able to view coloured illustrations of official uniforms dating from the18th century We could note the change to the American cursive handwriting in later documents. Our "dead-eye " Vice President Mrs. Winnie Zarate spotted a bundle of documents relating to movements of Cemetarial contents. The Steel shelving consisted of large steel cabinets holding documents already cataloged. The deep rows of cabinets were on rollers so as to save pace. Should researchers require to view stored documents the cabinets are moved to clear a temporary access aisle
We returned to the
Exhibition Hall where our President offered a vote of thanks for the invitation
to such an interesting and informative morning.
We repaired to our respective modes of transport to enjoy an excellent
lunch in the Binondo Room at Ilustrado.
Perhaps overwhelming is the word best to describe our visit to the National Archives. The amount of original documentation was difficult to take on board in one morning. It is a must for all those interested in the History of life in the Philippines. The staff are an enthusiastic, dedicated team and with help from a constructive sympathetic advisors preserving their nation's heritage.
The National
Archives are open to the public from 0800 hrs to 1700 hrs Monday to Friday. On
showing a means of identity individuals are welcome to carry out research.
If a group wishes to visit it is advisable make an appointment. Tel no
5251407: 5251828 fax 5250021.