via Rappler, 22 November 2021: An editorial by Dr. Stephen Acabado on how Philippine archaeology is helping to understand the past, including those of traditionally excluded communities.
However, recent works by some of our colleagues at the University of the Philippines and the University of San Carlos have underscored the need to focus on the archaeology of our recent history and environmental change. Dr. Grace Barretto-Tesoro of the Archaeological Studies Program at the University of the Philippines-Diliman, for instance, forces us to look at how Spanish colonial policies facilitated urban designs in the country. Barretto-Tesoro argues that even though contemporary cities and municipalities have maintained the plaza complex (the church, administrative buildings, and the plaza as the center of towns and cities), local Filipino groups co-opted this design to craft new identities and institutions as response to the colonial status quo. In essence, she highlights the fact that many Filipinos did not just embrace the Spanish-imposed landscape, they made it their own. The archaeology of Spanish colonialism, thus, has a lot to tell us about our identities.
Source: [OPINION] Beyond Indiana Jones: An inclusive Philippine archaeology
