History so fair: Third GSIS Historians’ Fair makes the past hip and vibrant
More than a celebration of the past, the fair affirmed history as a living force that shapes Filipino identity, memory and nationhood.
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More than a celebration of the past, the fair affirmed history as a living force that shapes Filipino identity, memory and nationhood.
Genealogist Mona Magno-Veluz, popularly known as Mighty Magulang, discusses Filipino identity, ancestry and citizenship.
National Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario signs his book, ‘Lemlunay,’ for a reader during the fair.
The Bataan booth showcases books, artworks, souvenirs and memorabilia inspired by the province’s wartime history.
Historian Ambeth Ocampo meets readers and signs books at the Third GSIS Historians’ Fair.
Despite the monsoon rain, about 500 historians, artists, writers, researchers, students, educators, cultural workers, heritage advocates and enthusiasts of Philippine history and culture gathered on 7 August for the Third GSIS Historians’ Fair at the Museo ng Sining in the GSIS Headquarters in Pasay City.
Held in celebration of History Month, the event was organized by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), the country’s state-run social insurance institution, through the Corporate Social Advocacies and Public Relations Facilities Department under its Corporate Communications Office. The fair formed part of the agency’s commitment to preserving and promoting Philippine history and culture through meaningful public engagement.
Featuring booth exhibits, publication sales, membership applications, lectures, book signings and a documentary screening, the fair offered visitors a lively opportunity to deepen their knowledge of Philippine history and culture and connect with historians and historical organizations.
More than 30 booths represented national cultural agencies; national and local historical associations; research and studies centers; heritage and cultural organizations; book publishers; schools; museums; and local governments, among others. Exhibitors included Anvil Publishing; Vibal Foundation; Balangay Books; the University of the Philippines Manila’s Manila Studies Program and Area Studies Program; the University of the Philippines Asian Center; the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA); the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP); Nilad Community; Project Saysay; the Philippine Historical Association; Asosasyon ng mga Dalubhasa, May-Hilig at Interes sa Kasaysayan, Inc.; Kapisanan ng mga Bahay-Saliksikan sa Bansa, Inc.; FamilySearch; the Cordillera Studies Center of UP Baguio; the Cavite Historical Society; the Cavite Studies Center; Museo ni Dr. Pio Valenzuela; the Pasig City Museum; the Municipality of Silang, Cavite; the Caloocan Historical and Cultural Studies Association; the Silang Historical Society; the Center for Marikina Valley Studies; the Santa Rosa Studies Center; the City Government of San Pedro; the Center for Bulacan Studies of Bulacan State University; Goryong Bataan; and the Leon Arcilla Gallery.
The booths introduced the public to the exhibitors’ products, services, advocacies and programs while offering books, artworks, informational materials, souvenirs and other items.
The lecture program brought history beyond the confines of textbooks, connecting the past with questions of citizenship, identity and national responsibility. Featured presentations included “Tapat sa Watawat” by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines; “Juan Luna’s Parisian Life” by Dr. Eric Zerrudo, chairman of the NCCA; “RA 1425@70: Rescuing Rizal from the Rizal Course” by historian Ambeth Ocampo; and “Sukat ng Pagka-Pilipino: Pinanggalingan o Pagkamamamayan” by genealogist and social media personality Mona Magno-Veluz, popularly known as Mighty Magulang.
Through “Tapat sa Watawat,” the NHCP discussed the history and proper treatment of the Philippine flag, the development of the national anthem, “Lupang Hinirang,” and the provisions of Republic Act No. 8491, or the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines. Part of a continuing series of workshops and educational campaigns conducted across the country, the program underscored both the symbolic and legal dimensions of the national emblem. It also encouraged civic responsibility, particularly among young Filipinos, by promoting the proper use, display, and veneration of the flag as a unifying symbol of the nation.
Magno-Veluz, meanwhile, examined the evolving meaning of Filipino identity in “Sukat ng Pagka-Pilipino: Pinanggalingan o Pagkamamamayan.” Asking whether being Filipino is defined primarily by ancestry or citizenship, she moved the discussion beyond bloodlines to questions of belonging, loyalty and commitment. Her lecture recounted the stories of foreigners who embraced the Philippines as their own, fought for its freedom, and ultimately became part of the national narrative. Their lives showed how identity can be shaped not only by inherited origins but also by choice, participation and love of country.
The program broadened its historical scope further through Zerrudo’s discussion of Juan Luna’s life in Paris and Ocampo’s reassessment of the Rizal Law seven decades after its enactment.
The fair also screened Honor: The Legacy of Jose Abad Santos, a documentary on the life, patriotism, and sacrifice of wartime Chief Justice José Abad Santos. Drawing on interviews with his descendants, insights from World War II historians, official documents and the writings of his son Pepito — who accompanied him during his final days — the film illuminated Abad Santos’ refusal to collaborate with the Japanese occupation forces and the ultimate price he paid for his loyalty to the Philippines. Together, the lectures and documentary presented history not as a distant collection of dates and personalities but as a continuing conversation about memory, nationhood and the responsibilities of being Filipino.
National Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario graced the fair and participated in a book signing. Heritage worker and journalist Edgar Allan M. Sembrano, meanwhile, presented his latest book, Presa: The History and Heritage of Spanish Colonial Dam Building in the Philippines, 1699–1898, in a book talk and signing.
Events such as the GSIS Historians’ Fair dispel the widespread notion that history is boring. Here, history emerges as something alive and vibrant — embedded in everyday life, essential to understanding the present, and a light toward the future. To live fully is also to remember.
