The Golden Tara of Agusan

One of GMA's winningest documentaries hosted by Mel Tiangco, The Philippine Treasures, features the Golden Tara of Agusan del Sur. The Golden Tara is a 21-carat golden figure of a female Hindu deity. It is said to have been found by a Manobo woman along the muddy banks of the Wawa River and was first thought to be some kind of a doll. Now, the Golden Tara's home is the Fields Museum of Natural History in Chicago, Illinois. It solemnly sits in a delicate glass case and is counted among the most precious in the collection of pre-historic artefacts from Asia. In Butuan, Golden Tara replicas of different sizes may be purchased by tourists and locals in souvenir shops and pasalubong centers. As I see the image dangling in keychains, emblazoned on t-shirts and molded in plaster of Paris table ornaments, I cannot help but wonder how it would have felt if personally, I can see the original image in the Balanghay Museum instead. There is one giant marker though declaring that the Golden Tara was discovered in the Caraga region. It stands as a proud reminder that yes, there is so much history left to be unearthed, so many stories to be told, so many questions to be answered. If only we can all make an effort to take one small step to understanding our country's colorful history, we may well be on the path to more lasting peace, harmony and of course, progress. (CARosales)