12/10/2026
LIVING MUSEUM
The UNC Museum trooped to Libmanan once again to commence the celebration of Museum and Galleries Month!
This tour marked another milestone for our heritage initiative, as we welcomed a family for the first time - an intimate and meaningful journey through Libmanan’s rich history, cultural heritage, and everyday life.
This time, the journey went beyond the usual heritage stops, uncovering deeper stories and discovering sights that reveal the many layers of the town’s identity. We met the sandmen of the river - the hardworking townsfolk whose livelihood depends on quarrying sand from the Libmanan River. We also got a rare peek inside the magnificent 1875 Dilanco Warehouse, a storied structure in town whose fascinating past comes with its own share of ghostly tales.
Of course, no heritage tour would be complete without a food crawl! We savored local favorites, from steaming bowls of kinalas and loglog to the town’s beloved toasted siopao.
History also unfolded before our eyes as we examined a 1910 Land Certificate Title documenting a property in Palong, a riverside barangay - offering a glimpse into the history of land ownership and documentation more than a century ago.
To cap off the adventure, we took a boat ride along the river, passing by Handyong Island, where the landscape itself tells stories of place, people, and the enduring connection between the community and its waterways.
Every visit to Libmanan reminds us that heritage is more than ancestral houses, old documents, and historical landmarks. It lives in the livelihoods of ordinary people, the flavors of local cuisine, the stories whispered about old structures, and the rivers that continue to shape the town’s life.
This Museum and Galleries Month, we celebrate heritage not only by looking back, but by experiencing it, listening to its people, and discovering the stories that continue to live among us.
