Museum of first Filipino printer to rise in Abucay

Recently, a simple groundbreaking ceremony at the site located near the popular Amanda’s Resort was held and attended by officials and faculty members of the University of Santo Tomas and priests from the Dominican Order led by Fr. Fidel Villaruel.

Former Congressman and Bases Conversion Development Authority Chairman Felicito Payumo was the guest of honor at the groundbreaking rites.

Fr. Villaruel, on the other hand, is the Spanish priest that defended San Lorenzo Ruiz’s beatification and canonization at the Vatican’s council of cardinals.

Lorenzo Ruiz, a contemporary of Pinpin, who became the first Filipino saint, was believed to have served in Bataan before boarding a ship with the Dominican priests going to Japan where he was martyred during the persecution of Christians under the Tokugawa Shogunate in the 17th century, Villaruel said.

Meanwhile, in the year 1610, Pinpin printed the book “Arte y Reglas de la Lengua Tagala”, by his mentor Father Francisco Blancas de San Jose, and in the same year his famous “Librong Pag-aaralan nang manga Tagalog nang Uicang Castilla” was printed by his assistant, Diego Talaghay.

The book which contained 119 pages was divided into five parts and was meant to help Filipinos learn the Spanish language.

The museum will be the home of this book and other history books printed by Pinpin and other printers tackling the Spanish period, the wars, including the United States period in the history of the Philippines.

A classic printing machine used by Pinpin will also be featured at the museum.