UST Sociology student Jayson U. Dela Cruz presented his paper on the Franciscan Family of Intramuros during the 4th Annual Young Scholars Conference (AYSC) organized by the Center for Intramuros Studies(CIS) on December 12, 2022.
His paper, “The Case of the Franciscan Diaspora from Post-War Intramuros: Narratives of Departures, Settlements, and Continuities” was among the six papers presented. It provides an examination of the post-World War II Intramuros using the case of the Franciscan Family (i.e. Order of Friars Minor, Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, Order of Saint Clare, Secular Franciscan Order) surrounding the conceptual notions of diaspora vis-à-vis public response on Intramuros.
Drawing from various materials retrieved by physical visits to local archives and virtual correspondence with two Franciscan archives in Spain, the paper presents four historical narratives which demarcate succeeding events from the War and how their institutions eventually settled extramuros as influenced by relevant social trends and pragmatic arrangements relative to the conditions of post-War Philippines. Finally, it presents what can be called a “Diaspora Period”for Intramuros’ post-War years which provides a foundational context to contemporary Intramuros Studies, to which the paper contributes.
The conference, with the theme, “Intramuros Through the Ages: Downfall, Revival, Sustainability, Adaptability”, focuses on the difficulties, challenges, and lost stories of the Walled City as a whole, its residents and institutions, which provides an opportunity to for a rediscovery of the intangible but valuable heritage that Intramuros had and has throughout the years.
