ANGELES CITY – There’s a treasure hunt in this city.
This, after silver parts of local invaluable artifacts-commissioned by the founder of this city in the early 19th century to be built as a religious float for St. Mary Magdalene- has remained missing since last September.
The artifacts consist of an ornately designed rectangular float, locally known as “carro” made of thick brass dipped in silver, and four silver posts.
Members of the local academe and artists have appealed to this entire city to help find the missing artifacts.
Artist Josie Henson, whose family owns the artifact used for citywide processions every Good Friday and on the annual feast of Apung Makalulu or God of Mercy, said the carro was commissioned to be built by this city’s founder, her ancestor Don Angel Pantaleon de Miranda sometime in 1832.
It was later bequeathed to Dr. Mariano Henson who in turn handed it down to his son Don Jose Henson. The carro was later given to Josie’s mother Ines Henson Dizon.
“Together with the statue of St. Mary Magdalene, the carro has been with my family for about 200 years,” Ms. Henson noted.
She could not immediately say how much the stolen artifact cost, as she never had it apprised, but described it as “invaluable” for its historical and artistic significance alone.
“Handcrafted of thick brass sheets and then dipped in silver, it is a magnificent work of art. Ever since I was a little girl, I used to watch my mother lovingly dress-up our Santa Maria Magdalena for the afternoon procession every Feast of Apung Mamakalulu and on Good Fridays,” she said.
She also said that the theft was discovered last September, when her nephew inspected the warehouse where the carro had been kept in the family compound in Barangay Sapang Balen. The culprits had stripped the carro of its thick brass and silver covering and also took the four silver posts.
Police later cornered the so-called “rugby boys” after rugby bottles were found near the warehouse’s fence. The suspects admitted to their crime and led probers to a local junk shop which bought the stolen items allegedly only for P3,000.
Ms. Henson, however, noted that the silver and brass plates had already been chopped into pieces and only a few pieces were recovered.
The four silver posts, she lamented, have remained missing as the junk shop owner has already apparently sold them in Valenzuela, Metro Manila.
Local academicians and artists joined Ms. Henson in appealing to the public to help find the missing pieces, particularly the four silver posts. They noted that since the missing pieces have “obvious” historical value, they would be preserved if they had been bought by any antique collector.
Ms. Henson considered the “worst possible scenario” that all the missing pieces might have already been chopped and melted for other purposes.
She appealed to the city council to pass laws to put more teeth into the Anti-Fencing law, particularly in the trade conduct of junk shops.
This, after silver parts of local invaluable artifacts-commissioned by the founder of this city in the early 19th century to be built as a religious float for St. Mary Magdalene- has remained missing since last September.
The artifacts consist of an ornately designed rectangular float, locally known as “carro” made of thick brass dipped in silver, and four silver posts.
Members of the local academe and artists have appealed to this entire city to help find the missing artifacts.
Artist Josie Henson, whose family owns the artifact used for citywide processions every Good Friday and on the annual feast of Apung Makalulu or God of Mercy, said the carro was commissioned to be built by this city’s founder, her ancestor Don Angel Pantaleon de Miranda sometime in 1832.
It was later bequeathed to Dr. Mariano Henson who in turn handed it down to his son Don Jose Henson. The carro was later given to Josie’s mother Ines Henson Dizon.
“Together with the statue of St. Mary Magdalene, the carro has been with my family for about 200 years,” Ms. Henson noted.
She could not immediately say how much the stolen artifact cost, as she never had it apprised, but described it as “invaluable” for its historical and artistic significance alone.
“Handcrafted of thick brass sheets and then dipped in silver, it is a magnificent work of art. Ever since I was a little girl, I used to watch my mother lovingly dress-up our Santa Maria Magdalena for the afternoon procession every Feast of Apung Mamakalulu and on Good Fridays,” she said.
She also said that the theft was discovered last September, when her nephew inspected the warehouse where the carro had been kept in the family compound in Barangay Sapang Balen. The culprits had stripped the carro of its thick brass and silver covering and also took the four silver posts.
Police later cornered the so-called “rugby boys” after rugby bottles were found near the warehouse’s fence. The suspects admitted to their crime and led probers to a local junk shop which bought the stolen items allegedly only for P3,000.
Ms. Henson, however, noted that the silver and brass plates had already been chopped into pieces and only a few pieces were recovered.
The four silver posts, she lamented, have remained missing as the junk shop owner has already apparently sold them in Valenzuela, Metro Manila.
Local academicians and artists joined Ms. Henson in appealing to the public to help find the missing pieces, particularly the four silver posts. They noted that since the missing pieces have “obvious” historical value, they would be preserved if they had been bought by any antique collector.
Ms. Henson considered the “worst possible scenario” that all the missing pieces might have already been chopped and melted for other purposes.
She appealed to the city council to pass laws to put more teeth into the Anti-Fencing law, particularly in the trade conduct of junk shops.
