By Eva C. Visperas

 

IN a time when noise often drowns out truth, it becomes necessary to see things with our own eyes. And that is exactly what we did  —a quiet, unannounced inspection of the Edades-Bernal Museum site in Dagupan City on October 7, 2025.

What we found was not the “ghost project” maliciously peddled by some restless political voices, but real, ongoing construction. Steel, machines, and men at work — all signs of visible progress. Beneath the surface, quite literally, the truth is taking shape.

This project is more than just a building. It is the fulfillment of a long-held dream to give a proper home in Dagupan to two of its most illustrious sons: Victorio Edades, the Father of Modern Philippine Art, and Salvador Bernal, a National Artist for Theater Design.

The effort to honor two Dagupeño National Artists began when former Fourth District Representative Christopher “Toff” de Venecia pushed a House resolution recognizing them. But beyond the titles, he envisioned a lasting tribute in their homecity  —a museum celebrating Dagupan’s art, heritage, and spirit.

Planning the project was no easy task. Securing a site took months of negotiation, followed by the challenge of finding funds — convincing national leaders to back a project built not just of concrete, but of cultural identity.

After years of preparation, the Edades and Bernal Cultural Center and  Museum finally broke ground, with the Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH), National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and the Dagupan City government working together to bring it to life.

DPWH engineers said the ₱50 million fund from Senator Pia Cayetano covers Phase 1, which focuses on the bored pile foundation. Because the area’s soil is soft, piles must reach up to 43 meters deep  —about a 14-story building — to ensure stability.

This kind of foundation work, though not easily visible to the public eye, is the most critical phase of any construction. It’s tedious, slow, and costly, but necessary. Without it, no museum could ever stand.

We saw it ourselves: the drilling machines, the cement trucks, the workers, the steel piles driven deep into the ground. This is not an illusion. It is not a project of empty promises. It is progress — quiet, steady, and real.

Yet amid all these efforts, there is always that one political figure — a wild political animal, I would call it –  who thrives on noise and negativity. Instead of celebrating Dagupan’s progress, he chooses to cast doubt, to malign, to poison public perception with baseless accusations.

Such behavior is not only distasteful but dangerous. It distracts from the genuine work being done and undermines public trust. It is the kind of crab mentality that has long plagued local politics: If I cannot build, I will destroy; If I cannot rise, I will pull others down.

This particular critic, a perennial political loser, should know better. If he truly believes wrongdoing has occurred, he has the legal tools to pursue it in court. But absent of evidence, his words amount to mere political theater — noise meant to discredit rather than to enlighten.

Let us not forget what the Edades-Bernal Museum represents. It is more than a building; it is a home for art, a testament to Filipino creativity, and a legacy for future generations. It will serve as a cultural landmark for Pangasinan  —a place where young Dagupeños can learn about their own icons and be inspired to dream bigger.

Projects like this demand vision, patience, and integrity — and protection from those who view progress as a threat. The De Venecia family, long identified with development in the Fourth District, has endured baseless attacks, yet their work speaks louder: the roads, bridges, cultural landmarks, and now, the museum rising from the ground.

The truth doesn’t need to shout. It’s already in the soil, cement, and steel. Each bored pile driven deep into the ground bears a silent message: this is real, this is happening, this is for Dagupan.

While others waste their energy in destroying, there are those who continue building — brick by brick, dream by dream.

The Edades-Bernal Museum stands as proof that art, like truth, can withstand the noise of politics. Because when the dust settles, only one thing remains standing: the work of those who build.