Intramuros’ Cardinal Sin monument: then there are 3

Any occasion of some anniversary of some historic event or milestone is an opportunity to put up some statue or monument dedicated either to the event itself or to the person/s being commemorated during that particular event or milestone.

The commemoration of Corazon Aquino’s birthday last January 25, 2010 was an occasion for the City of Manila and its yellow-lovin’ mayor to unveil a monument dedicated to her, something we have covered here at the time. Since it was standing right next to the monument of her husband Sen. Ninoy Aquino, I’ve come to learn that this particular part of Intramuros is now called by some as Aquino park.

Funny though that when I find myself here in this park more than a year later, I noticed the depiction of Cory’s statue has changed. Not only was she wearing a different outfit here, but she’s now holding a small book, which I presume is a Bible, and a rosary, instead of the big book symbolizing the 1987 Philippine Constitution. I don’t know what warranted such a change but I thought the original monument looked better than the current one. I have to wonder what happened to the original one.

But other than that oddity I noticed, I found myself on that particular space on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the 1st People Power Revolution where the City of Manila and its yellow-lovin’ mayor (again) has unveiled a new monument there. This time it’s the monument of Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin, who played a significant role in the 1st People Power in 1986 in mobilizing the people to protect the defectors of a then-defiant Marcos regime that eventually led to its downfall 4 days later.

Maybe I’m too particular to details when it comes to monuments of persons or I have long preferred how master sculptors like Guillermo Tolentino do their works. Or maybe the sculptor of this monument is going for “abstract art,” but honestly speaking, this statue of Cardinal Sin is, sorry to say, atrocious that in no way it looks like the guy. Compare the photo above with this sculpture and see if you can see any similarities.

Then again, some may point out that what matters is the “spirit” the monument imparts in helping us remember the man it depicts and what he stood for. They have a point there. But with so many distortions we see and read in history, we cannot afford to have art that depicts a historic figure or event distort our history further. As a history-lover and one who appreciates art in some way, the least they can do is to keep art real.

Let’s just see if there will be any changes made to Cardinal Sin’s monument like what was done to Cory’s.

© The Urban Roamer