Philippine National Treasures need not be romanticized

It was almost a year since the permanent exhibit of Gold of Ancestors had opened. I have been meaning to go ever since.

I saw the tv feature, Gintong Pamana, on abs-cbn. I can vaguely remember a resource interviewee saying "we have been searching for what is the Filipino identity... this is it."

What?! I was expecting they could enlighten us by sharing some archaeology-related insights. I think they should not gear towards deifying the objects.

Shouldn't there be a technical-yet-narrative documentary for these treasures? Reconstruction could do a lot to uncover things. Archaeologists, artisans, designers, lateros, engineers and anthropologists should jump in.

What kind of tools, materials and equipment were available to our ancestors during those times? How did they develop techniques out of these resources? What are the typical professions (artisans, craftsmen, alchemists) during those times? Why were they making such exquisite designs? What were they really for?

Well, this might be going too far... wishful thinking. I should just accept the verdict that we will never get past viewing national treasures as static objects on a pedestal.

More than the oooohs and the aaaahhs, we need the whys, hows, whats, whos.