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Project Bangkuan (officially in Kinaray-a: Project Bangkuan: Mga Manugbantay kag Manugtatap kang Kultura kag Kinaadman; lit. 'Guards and Caretakers of Culture and Knowledge') is a youth-led, non-profit, non-governmental organization based in the province of Antique, Philippines. Founded in 2025, the organization is dedicated to the safeguarding, preservation, and promotion of Antique's historically overlooked cultural heritage and traditions.^[1][2]

Project Bangkuan was co-founded in 2025 by two youth heritage advocates, John Lawrence Garrido and Carl Anthony Sto. Tomas. The organization was established to address the need for a localized, grassroots effort to protect the historical artifacts, archival documents, and heritage of Antique.

Operating on the foundational philosophy that the province is a "treasure trove" of forgotten histories waiting to be opened, Project Bangkuan continuously works to uncover and document unwritten local narratives. Because Antique's contributions to broader Philippine history have frequently been underrepresented in national discourse, the youth-oriented group actively collaborates with local academics, government officials, and historians—such as Prof. Edbert Jay Cabrillos and former Provincial Board Member Errol Santillan—to rewrite and institutionalize these historical accounts.^[1][3]

Project Bangkuan's inaugural and most prominent historical initiative was the search for and preservation of the original 1898 Philippine revolutionary flag. This tricolor banner was planted by General Leandro Fullon in Inyawan, Pandan during the Philippine Revolution, and had been kept hidden by the Abellon family for 127 years.^[1][4]

In mid-2025, working alongside former SP Member Errol Santillan, Project Bangkuan successfully traced the artifact to the ancestral house of Colonel Ruperto Abellon in San Jose de Buenavista. On June 22, 2025, members of the organization met with the flag's custodian, Norma Abellon, marking the first time the relic had been examined by heritage advocates in decades.^[1][5]

Recognizing the fragility and historical weight of the artifact, Project Bangkuan mobilized to secure state intervention for its protection:

• July 4, 2025: The organization submitted a formal letter to the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) requesting professional authentication of the flag. Concurrently, they submitted an appeal to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Board) of Antique urging the passage of a local ordinance to fund and mandate the flag's preservation.^[1]
• July 16, 2025: Project Bangkuan facilitated an NHCP examination of the flag at the Abellon residence, where state representatives collected thread samples for material analysis.^[1]

Following the sudden death of Norma Abellon on July 20, 2025, the flag's safety became a pressing concern as private collectors attempted to purchase the relic. On July 26, 2025, Project Bangkuan participated in emergency transitional meetings at the Legislative Building in San Jose with SP Member Dr. Zoilo Bernardo Tubianosa and the Abellon family's designated caretaker, Danilo Abellon-Elizalde, ensuring the flag was secured.^[1]

These preservation efforts directly culminated in the historic Pagtugyan (entrustment) ceremony on October 28, 2025, in Patnongon, where the artifact was formally turned over to the Provincial Government of Antique under the legal protections of Provincial Ordinance No. 2025–429.^[1][6]

To ensure the long-term survival of Antique's visual history, Project Bangkuan launched a province-wide digital archiving initiative. The youth volunteers have successfully tracked down and scanned over 1,000 historical photographs from across the province. These images are digitized in high resolution to prevent the permanent loss of visual data due to physical deterioration, natural disasters, or neglect, making them accessible for future research and public education.^[1][2]

In alignment with its mission to correct and expand upon unwritten provincial histories, the organization actively supports scholarly research into Antique's forgotten figures. One of their major narrative initiatives involves collaborating with and highlighting the research of Cecilia Pefianco, whose work focuses on rewriting and thoroughly documenting the historical narrative of Vicente Gella, a prominent yet historically under-documented figure in the region.^[1]

• 1898 Revolutionary Flag of Antique
• National Historical Commission of the Philippines