It may have been weeks since “Pinoy Big Brother’s” (PBB) “MaJoHa” fiasco lit up the internet, but it’s still a hot topic under the glaring concerns on the state of our education system. The PBB teens, however, did get a history 101 boost thanks to a museum field trip—toured by none other than historian Ambeth Ocampo.
Last week, the esteemed professor shared photos of the trip on Facebook, which featured Ocampo, along with PBB housemates Dustine, Luke, Gabb, Maxine, and Tiff, touring the Ayala Museum. The group visited exhibits like “Intertwined: Transpacific, Transcultural Philippines”—which houses 240 objects from the country’s pre- and post-colonial past—as well as the museum’s diorama series.
“The Diorama Experience of Philippine History” lays out different events in local history, spanning from the B.C. era till the post-Japanese occupation. During the visit, the PBB housemates listened in as Ocampo detailed the story behind Gregorio del Pilar’s death and a 101 on agricultural terraces.
For those who need a bit of a PBB refresher, last month’s history debacle came after the show’s quiz bee segment, where the housemates had dubbed the martyred priests Mariano Gomez, Jose Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora as “MaJoHa” instead of “GomBurZa.”
But the situation has flipped, it seems, according to Ocampo. “They got 8/9 of the Philippine History quiz correctly not so much because I am a good teacher, but because they were immersed in a museum experience.”
He continues in his article: “Proper historical education will ensure that our present will stop reading like the past.”
It’s a happy ending for the PBB housemates, but of course, there’s still a big need for all students across the country to receive quality—and accessible—education. While we’re hoping for a long-term solution soon, we can turn to verified history sources amid everything else.
Read more:
Read these free PH history books before your next quiz bee
This browser game lets you sort world history in order (if you dare)
How were we not taught these stories in Philippine history class?
Photos from “Pinoy Big Brother’s” official Facebook account