On the Wings of love

"If you build it, they will come." These seven words are the unforgettable and very quotable wisdom from the movie Field of Dreams. In Basak-Pardo, in the outskirts of Cebu, this philosophy is once again being proven true.

For over three decades now, butterflies have found a sanctuary there. Julian N. Jumalon turned his modest 1,460 square meter compound into a natural habitat of 54 butterfly species and scores of moths and assorted flora. He nurtured over a hundred plant species, which serve as a life support system for butterflies in their larval and adult stages. Butterflies are naturally drawn to different plants and trees. The sweet scents of certain floral and citrus plants lure them to this place. But since the 70s, tourists from all over the world are likewise attracted to this suburban home and sanctuary.

Curious, I took a 20-minute cab ride from my hotel in Cebu City to the outskirts to see The Jumalon Butterfly Sanctuary and Art Gallery. Even the cab driver had never been to this gallery. But many devotees of the Lonely Planet Guide have been intrigued enough to come and visit.

It is a typical middle class home at the end of the small street just beyond Basak Elementary School. It is almost three in the afternoon. Various icons of butterflies greet you as you enter the gate. Even the concrete wall had butterfly patterns.

In the living room, a lecture is ongoing. Rene Jumalon, a chemical engineer, is giving a lecture to five high school students and their parent-chaperones. Better than any science teacher I had in elementary, he keeps his students glued to their monoblock stools. They laugh and listen intently to his every word.

He shows samples of butterflies preserved in boxed glass frames from Cebu, Bohol and Leyte. He also shows them moths even more vibrant in color than the butterflies. Not lacking in visual aids, he has posters showing numeric and alphabet patterns found in butterfly wings all over the world.

The group giggles as he explains the food chain using a duck puppet quacking, a toy frog eliciting a croak when it senses light, and other representations of animals. Even this adult learned much from this friendly science class. The process of metamorphosis from an egg to a larva to a pupa to a stunning adult butterfly is easy to understand when you see the insects at different stages in the Jumalon compound. Even the abstract principle of parsimony–when one must not spend more than necessary–becomes crystal clear to me.

With my own eyes, I see how beautiful the rare Madagacar Butterfly is–it is considered the "Ms. Universe" of the butterfly kingdom. There are about a dozen framed butterflies hanging on the walls, and even more stored in cabinets. After all, Rene’s father, Professor Julian N. Jumalon, had the oldest and perhaps most extensive butterfly collection in the country.

A UP Fine Arts graduate, his professors Fernando Amorsolo and Guillermo Tolentino saw his talent in college. They voted and awarded him first prize for the coveted 1936 UP Annual Philippinesian Cover Design, an addition to the three medals he earned in the Annual UP Art Exhibitions.

Born in Binondo, the young Julian found himself moving to the South with his family. It was his adolescent years in the hinterlands of Zamboanga that attracted him to butterflies, and he started collecting in the 1930s. Professor Jumalon’s extensive knowledge of butterflies garnered him an unprecedented Master of Science degree Honoris Causa from the University of San Carlos. In addition, three new Philippine butterflies have been named in his honor by German, English and Japanese lepidopterists.

This painter and sculptor’s art culminated in the marriage of his loves for the winged insects and painting in what is known as lepido mosaics. Using damaged wings of butterflies for color, he created gorgeous mosaics. Unlike the use of watercolor, the wings provide pigment and structural natural color, creating vibrant hues.

Making one painting is a laborious process that may take months to complete. The artist cannot touch the butterfly’s wing as doing so will damage its delicate texture. He can only use a scalpel and the tip of a stencil knife to gently cut the wings to the needed size and shape.

Butterflies have a plethora of hues, with natural luminous coloration. It creates an unusual sheen and gives life to the painting. Looking at "Sa Kabukiran" done in watercolor and lepido mosaic in the gallery, one can better appreciate how butterfly wings add depth and color to the art.

Sourcing out colored wings is difficult, but butterfly collectors abroad helped Julian by sending him their discarded damaged wings. With the image already formed in his mind, this gifted artist used carpenter’s glue to stick each wing portion to paper, slowly piecing together his obra maestra. His art often communicated themes of nature and historical icons such as Old Colon Street, Rizal, Sultan Kudarat and Lapu-lapu.

Through the years, many had enticed the professor to move to Manila, but he insisted on staying in the Queen City of the South. Despite his passing away three years ago, three of the professor’s eight children–Rene, Osman and Jumaida–continue their father’s legacy. They keep their house, gallery and garden open to all who care to learn, touch and be wowed by the beauty of butterflies.

Professor Julian Jumalon had insisted, "Let the people come to Cebu." Indeed, just as the butterflies keep finding their way to the the Jumalon garden, so will people from all over the world continue to find their way to the house for a most interesting encounter with these winged wonders.