Marianito Luspo: Scholar who brought Bohol’s history to life
The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) has described him as one of the most prominent historians of Bohol, who fused art and intensive research to engage the public in the appreciation of history.
Marianito Luspo (1959-2025) was not only a historian, as he was widely known, but a playwright, theater actor, educator, and cultural worker.
Luspo, said the NHCP, is going to be “remembered for his rich contributions to Boholano history and heritage, placing them at their rightful place in national and world history through the performing arts.”
The National Museum of the Philippines-Bohol also hailed him for his contributions to the National Museum, which are significant in the promotion of Bohol’s rich heritage.
“Through exhibitions, research, and community engagements, he played a pivotal role in bridging the past and the present, making cultural preservation a shared responsibility.” Also, “his work in cultural sustainability ensured that Bohol’s traditions, stories, and artistic expressions remained alive and thriving.”
Luspo was involved in many important heritage projects in Bohol, such as the reconstruction and restoration of the churches of the province damaged or destroyed by the 2013 earthquake, and the research for the NHCP Museo ng Pamana at Kasaysayang Boholano in Loay town.
He likewise contributed to the 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines by creating cultural shows, the topics of which went beyond his beloved province.
Scholarly work
He also authored publications on Bohol history and heritage such as the one he cowrote with Sherwin Tutor on the visual motifs of pre-Hispanic pottery in Bohol in 2010, and “Sukaran: The Domestic Architecture of the Towns of Loay and Loboc in Bohol,” which he co-wrote with now National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) chair Ino Manalo two years prior.
Luspo also contributed essays to the book “Tubod: The Heart of Bohol,” published by NCCA in 2003.
He was the head a number of times of the pioneering provincial heritage office in the country, the Bohol Arts and Cultural Heritage Council, and consultant of the province’s Center for Culture and Arts
Development.
He was a longtime educator at the Holy Name University in Tagbilaran, where he served as the head of its cultural affairs and development office. He also collaborated with local dance and theater groups such as the distinguished Kasing Sining led by Lutgardo Labad.
Perhaps his last scholarly work is the essay on Tagbilaran Poblacion he wrote for the architecture volume of the Cultural Center of the Philippines Encyclopedia of Philippine Art-Digital.
In the essay, to be published soon, he dispelled the longstanding belief that Sitio Ubos was the original site of Tagbilaran’s poblacion. The seaside area, which became a prime trading post, was only populated by the elite after 1829 when pirate raids ceased.
For his invaluable work on Bohol history and heritage, the provincial government bestowed on Luspo the Carlos P. Garcia Award for Culture and Arts in 2024. —CONTRIBUTED
