Eduardo González
The city of Antipolo, capital of Rizal Province (in the center of Luzon Island), will soon have a new museum showcasing the private collection of European art belonging to the Philippine Ambassador to Spain, Philippe Jones Lhuillier.
According to the Manila Times, the center—which was inaugurated for the media on December 3—displays religious artifacts and other works of art acquired in Europe by the ambassador, housed in a four-story building. The museum will open to the public in early 2026.
The museum is divided into three sections: religious artifacts, furniture, and ivory and silver objects, with more than 500 pieces collected by the ambassador. Most of the pieces date from around the 17th century and were acquired over several decades from European flea markets and churches on the verge of closing. Separately, a gallery showcases the ambassador’s personal and professional journey through objects he accumulated throughout his life.
As Serene de Vera, from the Research Department of the Palace of Memory, explained during a guided tour for ‘The Sunday Times Magazine’, the museum’s religious imagery, including sculptures of the Virgin and Child and Saint Rose of Lima, the ambassador’s favorite saint, reflects Lhuillier’s strong Catholic faith.
The furniture section displays pieces in Victorian, Baroque, and Rococo styles, while the ivory and silver section features bargueños, versatile cabinets traditionally used to store religious items, jewelry, and herbal remedies. Many of these cabinets display ornate religious motifs.
Born on July 23, 1945, Philippe Jones Lhuillier is a seasoned diplomat who, before arriving at the Embassy in Spain in 2017 at the behest of then-Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, served as the Philippine Ambassador to the Italian Republic from 1999 to 2010, with concurrent jurisdiction over the Republic of San Marino and the Republic of Albania. He also served as our Ambassador to the Portuguese Republic from 2012 to 2016. In July 2022, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reappointed him as Ambassador to Spain.
Prior to joining the diplomatic service, he was president of the largest pawnshop chain in the Philippines, Cebuana Lhuillier Bookshop. In addition to being a diplomat and businessman, Ambassador Lhuillier is an avid art collector and philanthropist. Ambassador Lhuillier is married to Edna Villanueva Diago Lhuillier, daughter of sugar magnate Vicente Diago and Marina Pinili Villanueva, of Bais City, Negros Oriental.
In 2008, he was unanimously selected as one of the Twenty Outstanding Filipinos Abroad (TOFA) for promoting the image of Filipinos while serving as the Philippine ambassador to Rome. The University of the Philippines also honored Lhuillier by naming one of its classrooms the Ambassador Philippe J. Lhuillier Lecture Room.
