To honor the memory of the late President Corazon Aquino, let’s virtually visit the Aquino Center in Tarlac City. This museum, which lies just a stone’s throw away from the previously featured Plaza Luisita, houses the legacy of Sen. Ninoy Aquino and Pres. Cory Aquino. The museum houses various memorabilia related to the political careers of husband and wife. This includes Ninoy’s mayoral stint in Concepcion Tarlac, his Senate position, his detention under Marcos’ martial law, his exile in the U.S., and his 1983 assassination at MIA. (Prominently displayed is Ninoy’s blood-stained clothes that he wore when he was gunned down.) On Cory’s side, the museum includes material from the 1986 snap elections and her whole presidency until 1992.

Photo by Jun Acullador. (CC)

The Aquino Center is not just a museum; it’s also a conference center and meeting venue. There is a ballroom that can seat up to 180 people with tables (or more than 300 in a theater arrangement). There are also three seminar rooms available for rent for smaller meetings, a chapel, A/V rooms, and a tower (which is the diamond-shaped object seen at the satellite image thumbnail).

The Center was inaugurated on August 21, 2001, on the 18th anniversary of Ninoy’s assassination, and was led by Cory. Present during the inauguration where various Tarlac officials, friends of the Aquinos, and several members of Cory’s cabinet.

Update: Here’s a nice recent article I’ve found about the Aquino Center if you want to know more.

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