Celebrating the World Scout Day | Feat. the Bust of Filipino Scout Roberto Corpus Castor

Bust of First Class Scout Roberto Corpus Castor (1949-1963) of the Quezon City Boy Scout Council on loan from the collection of Frederick Y. Dy

World Scout Day is being observed today by all world scout associations to commemorate the birthday of Lord Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell (1857-1941), founder of the Scouting Movement together with his wife, Olave Baden-Powell. The movement was first founded in England in 1907 then brought to America until its eventual spread around the world. The Boy Scouts of the Philippines had its first Filipino troop of 26 boys formed on November 15, 1914 in Zamboanga City by United States Navy Lieutenant Sherman L. Kiser. 

Today we feature the bust of First Class Scout Roberto Corpus Castor (1949-1963) of the Quezon City Boy Scout Council on loan from the collection of Frederick Y. Dy. This undated polychrome plaster of Paris sculpture by National Artist Guillermo Estrella Tolentino (1890-1976) is on display at the Security Bank Hall of the National Museum of Fine Arts.

Castor was part of the Philippine delegation comprising of 24 Filipino scouts and scoutmasters who perished when their plane crashed in the Arabian Sea off Bombay, India on July 28, 1963. They were on their way to Marathon, Greece for the 11th World Jamboree, an international gathering of all scouts with the objective of promoting brotherhood, peace, understanding and leadership. 

National Artist Guillermo Tolentino created this sculpture after the demise of Castor. Castor had frequent visits to the studio of Tolentino, who is a family friend and before his departure for the World Jamboree, had a photo taken with the National Artist. The sculptor immortalized Castor in this bust donning his Boy Scout uniform. 

In 1964, to remember Castor and the 23 other scout heroes, the Quezon City government approved an ordinance renaming the 24 numbered streets in Barangay Kamuning after them. In 1995, the 11th World Jamboree Memorial Rotunda located at the intersection of Timog and Tomas Morato Avenues in Quezon City featuring the life-sized sculptures of the 24 scout heroes was unveiled. This memorial was done by artist Florante Caedo and Architect Arturo Soriano. 

Florante Caedo was the son of Anastacio Caedo who was a student and protégé of National Artist Guillermo Tolentino.

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Text and photos by NMP FAD

© National Museum of the Philippines (2021)