BSP releases book on numismatic and arts collection

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has launched the book “Kaban: 50 Years of Investing in Philippine Cultural Heritage” that reflects on the BSP’s role in the preservation and protection of our cultural heritage and the arts through a curated collection of representative pieces from its numismatic and arts collection — from the pre-colonial to the contemporary periods.

In his foreword, Governor Medalla wrote: “The BSP’s collections of historical artifacts, fine arts, and cultural treasures inform, inspire, and make us proud as Filipinos. May this book spark more interest in our country’s rich history and culture.”

The Governor said a strong sense of national identity and pride of country provide a stable foundation for sustained and inclusive growth.

Kaban also features a preface from multi-awarded writer Jose Y. Dalisay Jr., who declared that the book “highlights the value accorded by the BSP to the idea of wealth: its generation, propagation, and preservation, which is, after all, the core business of banks.”

“The BSP collection is imbued with historical and cultural value,” Mr. Dalisay explained, “and the objects in its catalogues—from ancient coinage and currency to contemporary art and furniture—are physical embodiments of the things and notions we hold dear, our sensibilities and aspirations as a people, the heritage and the legacy we want to pass down the generations.”

Kaban, a Filipino word for storage trunk, is traditionally used to secure family heirlooms and other valuable possessions for the next generations. The book contains essays from historians, scholars, and experts, offering context and fresh perspectives for a better appreciation of the BSP Numismatic and Arts Collection. It features essays for different periods by Portia C. Placino (Numismatic), Dr. Victor J. Paz (Pre-Colonial), Dino Carlo S. Santos (Colonial), Clarissa O. Chikiamco (Conservative and Modern), and Tessa Maria T. Guazon (Contemporary).

In his afterword, internationally renowned curator and art historian Dr. Patrick D. Flores expounded on the BSP’s efforts to strengthen public access to cultural reserves. He said: “Where before the pieces were mainly classified under medium-specific categories, here, in a more porous and proliferating ecology… they are entangled in a hectic history, woven with the wondrous phenomena whiling around them.”

Our book “Kaban: 50 Years of Investing in Philippine Cultural Heritage” will be available via the BSP Store at https://bspstore.bsp.gov.ph.