In a heartfelt act of cultural generosity, Mrs. Ma. Luisa Jesena-Santa Maria, a College of Business alumna, formally donated rare and priceless religious artifacts to the Archives and Museum through a solemn signing of the Deed of Donation. The collection includes breathtaking sculptures of the Santo Niño bearing distinctive Chinese features, the Baby Jesus, and the Virgin Mary, all believed to have been crafted by skilled local Filipino artisans. The remarkable collection traces its origins to her mother, Leticia Javellana Jesena, a passionate and dedicated collector who spent her lifetime gathering wooden religious relics, fine porcelains, jewelry, and antique furniture, turning the family home into a cultural destination where tourists and enthusiasts would visit— a passion she also cultivated into a modest business. Through this generous donation, Mrs. Santa Maria not only honors her mother’s lifelong devotion but ensures that these irreplaceable pieces of Philippine faith and artisanship will be preserved, studied, and celebrated by generations to come.
