Filipinos celebrate 117th Independence day with awesome lighting, video mapping of Aguinaldo Shrine
By Leony R. Garcia
Residents of Kawit, Cavite, and members of the media including the PSR got a preview of the lighting and video mapping of Aguinaldo Shrine on Independence Day Eve, June 11, showcasing the lush, green Philippines; impressive views of the Banaue Rice Terraces as well as of Mt. Mayon; the history of the country from the discovery of Magellan, the bloody Philippine revolution, to the Day of Freedom; among others.
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More awe-inspiring scenes that will thrill and inspire spectators as they view a world-class show projected on the facade of the 14,000-square feet Aguinaldo mansion in Kawit, Cavite, awaits viewers until June 15.
The video-mapping presentation is part of the 117th Philippine Independence celebration that the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the local government of Kawit, Cavite have partnered to create.
The impressive visual spectacle aims to raise the standard of lighting and presentation of buildings in the country. Production has been implemented by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) Optimumshow Philippines, Inc., and is supported by the National Historic Commission of the Philippines.
The 20-minute show officially opens on June 12 through June 15. Show schedules are every7:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m., and 9:30 p.m. While waiting for the nightly amazing spectacle, the public can visit the Aguinaldo museum and view the newly installed permanent lighting of the historical house.
Video mapping technology, also known as “projection mapping” or “spatial augmented reality,” utilizes digitally-produced images based on the architectural lines of a structure to relay a story, creating the illusion of a structure coming to life.
“The lighting and video mapping show of the Aguinaldo Shrine is the first time where such a presentation will be displayed on a national heritage site in our country. An avant-garde show of our history, it will tell the story of who we are as a people in a single, fluid, audio-visual narrative,” DOT Region IV-A Director Rebecca V. Labit said.
The venue of the unique show is most fitting especially since the mansion, also known as the Aguinaldo Shrine, is the historic spot of the “Independence Balcony” that witnessed the end of the 300-year Spanish colonial rule in the country and the birth of the First Philippine Republic.
Constructed in 1849 and during the early 1920s, it is the ancestral residence of the Aguinaldos and the birthplace of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, the First Philippine president. The residence was declared a National Heritage Shrine shortly after Aguinaldo passed away in 1964.
A formal ceremony will be held on June 15, Monday, which is also the last public viewing of this Independence Day feature. Expected to attend are government officials, tourism stakeholders, members of the academic community, members of the diplomatic corps, historians, heritage experts, and other influential personalities.
According to the tourism department, there has been a growing interest in the country’s heritage structures and destinations, with more tourist including historical churches, ancestral houses, shrines and monuments in their travel itineraries. Through this Independence day initiative, the DOT aims to further enhance the touristic experience and make the country’s heritage destinations more fun for both foreign and domestic tourists.
Sec. Jimenez said: It is our hope to encourage the private sector and other stakeholders to work together in conserving both our intangible and non-intangible cultural heritage for the next generation of Filipinos to see and appreciate. It is our honor to lead this Independence Day celebration using a new technology such as video mapping to relive and re-imagine the beginning of our country’s independence.”
Experience the state-of-the-art audio-visual narrative of Philippine history as projected on the entire grand Aguinaldo Shrine.
