Nativity scenes were unveiled in the annual Belen exhibit that opened last Nov. 20 at the UST Miguel de Benavides Library.
Themed “Tara, Pasko Na,” the exhibit featured 17 of Gloria Ocampo-Reyes’ Belen collections, each made of a certain type of material from different parts of the world.
Most of the resin statuettes came from the United States. Ceramic and porcelain figures were imported from Spain and Italy.
Some were locally made, including an Ifugao-inspired wood carving and an ivory-white piece molded from Mt. Pinatubo ashes.
The Belen collections from China, Korea and Japan donned traditional costumes like the kimono and hanbok garments.
“To think that the real reason for celebrating Christmas is to remember the birth of our Lord, Jesus, it is a sad realization that in many houses, a Belen is not always part of the preparation for the season,” Chief Librarian Estrella Majuelo said in her opening remarks.
“It is a noble idea for Fr. Angel Aparicio, O.P. (Prefect of Libraries) to think of mounting an exhibit of the Belen so that even in the library’s own small way, we can make people, especially our students, become aware of the real meaning of Christmas through these images of the Holy Family,” she added.
The Belen exhibit runs until Dec. 27.
