POZORRUBIO CENTER OF HISTORICAL & CULTURAL STUDIES

POZORRUBIO CENTER OF HISTORICAL & CULTURAL STUDIES

By: RODRIGO P. DE VERA, JR., Ed.D.

            Municipal Mayor Ernesto T. Go, guest of honor and speaker, together with Education Program Supervisor I, In-Charge of Araling Panlipunan and IPEd, Dr. Jerome S. Paras, and Mr. Mel V. Jovellanos, President of Pozorrubio Historical & Cultural Society (PHCS), cut the ribbon for the opening of Pozorrubio Center of  Historical and Cultural Studies (PCHCS)  held last October 28 at Gerardo A. Buada E-Library.

Inspired by the creation of Center for Pangasinan Studies (CPS) which serves as a repository of documents, researches, artifacts, printed materials, and media materials by the Provincial Government of Pangasinan  during the celebration of the Agew na Pangasinan on April 5, 2016, the Pozorrubio Center of Historical & Cultural Studies (PCHCS) was born in response to the municipal version  of CPS.

With the permission from the Municipal Mayor who signed the establishment of PCHCS at BNHS on September 27, 2017 and upon the recommending approval of Ms. Flordelisa Eroles, Principal IV of BNHS, Dr. Rodrigo P. de Vera, Jr, SHS Coordinator who is a historian and collector, initiated the putting up of PCHCS.

            Aside from its function as a repository of related materials concerning Pozorrubio, the Pozorrubio Center of Historical & Cultural Studies is aimed to: 1). collect and organize data from various sources featuring the history and culture of the Municipality of Pozorrubio from the past up to the present; 2). preserve historical documents, audio-visual documentaries, vintage photos, books written by Pozorrubians and artifacts that are donated/ lent to the Center; 3). write and publish articles relative to the history  and culture of Pozorrubio in general, history and development of our 34 barangays, cultural heritage, industry (commercial establishments included), successful personalities (educators, political and civic leaders, athletes, entrepreneurs, military personnel, etc.), tourist spots, delicacies/products, Pozorrubian-Chinese merchants, indigenous peoples, other migrants of Pozorrubio,  and other issues and etc.; 4). come up with a journal called the Red Well Journal which will be published semestral and provide a copy to the Center of Pangasinan Studies, Provincial Library, Pozorrubio Municipal Library, etc.; 5). solicit/ buy magazines, newspapers, journals and books that deal  with  articles about Pozorrubio   or books authored by Pozorrubians; and 6). engage in research studies on various topics featuring cultural practices, language, history, pedagogy, anthropology, etc.  as part of our research outputs of our Senior High School students and SHS faculty as part of their professional growth.

            PCHCS features the second copy of the original manuscript of Awaran dated October 10, 1940, the only historical document of the founding of Pozorrubio and was written by Atty. Filomeno Magno, who was a writer and the first attorney-at-law produced by the Municipality of Pozorrubio; vintage magazines and newspapers donated by Mr. Mel V. Jovellanos featuring the Sunday Tribune (November-December 1940 issues; PM Daily of Times Square, New York City covering the Philippine Invasion of Japan in 1944 and other related issues; Licnaan na Pozorrubio, a community newspaper issued from 1988-1989; souvenir programs of  Pozorrubio Town Fiesta since 1968 to the present, and the family documents of Dr. de Vera since 1893 up to post WWII. You can also see and read  century old books of the Jovellanos-Venezuela family and novenas as early as 1902.

ABS CBN reporter, John Germono, who is also a Pozorrubian,  covered the ribbon cutting ceremony.