Heritage Watch - Compiled Threads [Archive] - Page 3

overtureph

July 22nd, 2006, 11:03 AM

Galaxy of treasures, avenues of loss
CITY SENSE By Paulo Alcazaren
The Philippine STAR 07/22/2006

Manila suffered another heritage loss last month. The Avenue Theater was a grand Art Deco structure that provided entertainment for generations of Manilans. Designed in the 1930s by National Artist for Architecture Juan Nakpil, the structure was a landmark building that helped define Manila’s downtown – Avenida Rizal. The success of the current pedestrianization and revitalization of that street has led ironically to a tragedy of greed over heritage. This may eventually negate the very logic of urban revivification – that of recovering Manila’s sense and pride of place.

Avenida was the main street of pre and postwar Manila. Movie houses, restaurants, department stores, bookshops and small hotels lined the street from its start near the banks of the Pasig northward, past the drugstores and the San Lazaro Hospital. It was the place to go to for movies, shopping and a night out with family and friends. Busy with traffic by day and vibrant with neon lights till the wee hours of the morning, the avenue was the entertainment capital of Manila and the Philippines.

Named after the street it was on, the Avenue Theater was one of the premier movie houses of Manila. Nakpil had designed it as a cutting-edge cinema before the war and he renovated it after the war to cater to new technologies of air-conditioning, Technicolor and wide screens. I remember watching movies with my mom there in the 1960s and I still remember passing its distinctive neon sign in the 1970s. The flight to the suburbs, however, spelled the downfall of downtown and the cinemas there eventually succumbed to DVDs and the cineplexes of malls.

The renaissance of the Avenida came in the wake of a citywide revitalization led by Mayor Lito Atienza. I had featured bits of these well-received initiatives like the Baywalk, and some parks and riverbank promenades. I also featured the Avenida redo but things must have become so successful that more and more people and more and more business came back.

This meant that the owners of these buildings, who were wont to just maintain them for low rentals before, now scrounged around for the best way to take advantage of the situation. This also meant that a disused cinema made more money if it were just turned into a parking lot or parking building. This is the fate that befell the Avenue Theatre and it is just the start.

Many of the pre and postwar buildings by well-known architects like Nakpil, Antonio, Araneta, and a host of others are now threatened with demolition. The next one to face destruction is reportedly the Galaxy Theater by another National Artist for Architecture: Pablo Antonio Sr.

We hope city authorities realize that Manila will be further devalued if it keeps losing its gems of irreplaceable architectural heritage. But it is not only Manila that is affected by the wrecking-ball attitude to development and "progress." Makati is also threatened by the possible loss or marring of one of its postwar landmarks – the Manila Polo Club.

The Manila Polo Club moved to Makati when it gave up its bayside location to join the exodus to a new suburb touted as the fresh alternative to war-torn central Manila. The Ayalas first developed Forbes Park in their huge estate to attract the business and social elite to more residences and eventually their business offices to the newly planned satellite city. One of the key attractions was the Polo Club.

The ploy worked and to ensure that the new Manila Polo Club was the best that money could build, the board enlisted the talents of Pablo Antonio Sr. as architect. Antonio designed a horizontal complex with large assembly hall-cum-lobby and commodious spaces for dining, lounging and viewing the polo games. The design evoked an elegant lifestyle that set the trend for the homes that eventually rose around it. Antonio used the best Philippine wood and stone and also set the buildings tastefully in a landscape setting designed by planner and landscape architect Louis P. Croft, who was an adviser to President Manuel Quezon before the war. The long sinuous and dramatic drive from McKinley to the steps of the clubhouse is part of his contribution.

The Polo Club has since become an institution as well as a social and architectural landmark. The club, however, has in the last few decades grown in size and required expansion. The new masterplan released recently has several members and heritage advocates up in arms.

The plans show additional structures that reportedly compromise the original scale and elegance of the Antonio design. The lobby is being enlarged to several times its original size, prodding a critic to call the design a "prime example of architectural gigantism – big for the sake of bigness." The budget has also reportedly ballooned to four times the original allocation of funds and that these large spaces will inflate the already high cost of air-conditioning and power.

All is not lost. With construction not yet started there is still time to reconsider the design. The architect may have been given conflicting goals in the design brief. The interpretation may not have been as appreciative of the original architectural flavor and heritage value as it should. The Polo Club could be saved from the fate has befallen hundreds of other architectural landmarks in our beloved metropolis.

The road to urban dystopia is lined with the rubble of lost architectural heritage. Let’s all cross our fingers and hope we can conserve rather that destroy, appreciate rather than just appraise, take pride rather than just profit from all that we do.
* * *
PECO Feedback

I also received lots of feedback from last week’s PECO piece. From RBG: "Thanks for sharing your PECO souvenir. I also had that souvenir when I was still in high school at Quiapo Parochial School. My grandparents lived just beside PECO and it was in this establishment where I learned to appreciate books and foreign magazines. Erehwon won all my weekly allowance when I was in college at St. Paul College. It’s nice to revive those years.

From my good friend Professor Butch Zialcita: "Excuse me, Paulo. Arlegui and Castillejos are not off the Escolta, which is located in Sta. Cruz. They are in Quiapo! I used to walk to PECO from our ancestral house in Quiapo. Escolta is separated from Castillejos by Sta. Cruz church, Avenida Rizal, Carriedo, Plaza Miranda, Quiapo Church and Arlegui!"

Thanks Butch …I had a senior moment of disorientation while writing the piece last week.

Finally form LLH: "This, and your other articles, bring good memories of what used to be. Keep it up and thanks for sharing! If you have articles on the web or a site where you regularly post them, kindly send me a link."

Well LLH, the Philippine STAR has a great website, www.philstar.com. I hope to come out with more sites and structures of our gentler past in the near future.
* * *
Feedback is welcome. Please e-mail the writer at paulo.alcazaren@gmail.com

http://philstar.com/philstar/lifestyle200607223301.htm

Animo

July 22nd, 2006, 08:04 PM

http://www.philstar.com/philstar/main/20060717/images/lif1.jpg

Creating a masterpiece is hard enough, but sometimes restoring or preserving one can be just as tough if not more difficult.

That rare breed of specialists we know as art restorers or conservators certainly know this. It took Michelangelo four years to paint the frescoes on the Sistine Chapel ceiling – now one of the hallmarks of Western civilization – but it took an international team of experts 12 years to restore the work to its nearly-original glory, paring away centuries of grime and soot. And the end of the restoration proved to be only the beginning of a continuing debate over whether it was right, in the first place, to mess with the dark, brooding magnificence of the aged frescoes. (For a quick look at the work in question – before, after, and during the restoration – check out www.arches.uga.edu/~msopal29/beforeandafter.html.)

Here in the Philippines, we’ve been blessed by the proliferation of gifted and productive artists who’ve left us with a trove of valuable and irreplaceable art – valuable not only in the financial sense but more so in terms of their significance to our cultural and even political history. It’s a far cry from where we are now, but in the days of Jose Rizal (himself an artist of no mean talent), painters and poets were important people, their greatest works held with the same esteem we now reserve for Manny Pacquiao.

One such artist, of course – if not the greatest of them – was Juan Luna y Novicio (1857-1899), a young man whose obvious gift for painting took him to Europe in the 1880s as a government pensionado. In Rome, in March 1884 and after eight months of labor, Luna completed what would become his signature work: the "Spoliarium," a massive (9.05 by 5.59 meters framed) oil on canvas painting depicting dead gladiators being dragged to an ignominious disposal as men and women look on in helpless horror. The word spoliarium itself refers to that part of the Roman Colosseum complex where the corpses of vanquished gladiators were divested of their armor and weapons, for reuse by the survivors.

In May 1884, the painting was exhibited at the Exposicion General de Bellas Artes in Madrid, and won the first of three gold medals, besting compatriot Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo, whose "Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas al Populacho" won a silver medal. The victory sealed Luna’s reputation as a painter of the highest order, and praise – as well as Filipino pride – abounded.

Almost immediately, Filipinos on the verge of a revolution saw the work as an allegory for colonial suffering. Critic Eric Torres reports that "Rizal interpreted the ‘Spoliarium’ as a symbol of ‘our social, moral, and political life: humanity unredeemed, reason and aspiration in open fight with prejudice, fanaticism, and injustice.’ On another occasion, Lopez-Jaena likewise read political implications in the ‘Spoliarium,’ as follows: ‘For me, if there is something grand, something sublime, in the ‘Spoliarium,’ it is because behind the canvas, behind the painted figures… there floats the living image of the Filipino people sighing its misfortune. Because… the Philippines is nothing more than a real ‘Spoliarium’ with all its horrors.’"

For Luna, it meant a welcome stream of commissions, and entry into some of Europe’s most exclusive circles. His life would take a tragic turn when, in 1892, he shot his wife and mother-in-law to death in a fit of jealous rage (just as outrageously, he was slapped on the wrist and released by a French court that saw the deed as a forgivable "crime of passion"). He died in Hong Kong in 1899 from a severe heart attack (some say he was poisoned), broken by the news of his brother Antonio’s murder back home.

Today we remember Juan Luna not just for the "Spoliarium," but also other masterworks such as the "Blood Compact" (and one of my favorites, the enigmatic green-gowned woman of "Despues del Baile"). The more practical-minded might note, with some cynicism, that Luna’s "Parisian Life" took a P43-million chunk out of GSIS pensionsers’ funds. But it remains the "Spoliarium" that we identify most with Luna, and, indeed, with the romantic notion of a Golden Age of Filipino painting, when we proved ourselves equal to the world’s best.

The "Spoliarium" itself would acquire an interesting if spotted history. After having been exhibited in Rome, Madrid, and Paris, it was bought (while still in Paris) by the provincial government of Barcelona in 1885 for 20,000 pesetas. In 1887, it was moved to the Museo del Arte Moderno in Barcelona, where it remained in storage until the museum was burned and looted in 1937, during the Spanish Civil War. Damaged, the painting was sent by Gen. Franco to Madrid for restoration, and remained there for 18 years. In the 1950s, patriotic Filipinos and sympathetic Spaniards moved for its repatriation to Manila. ("Repatriation" is misleading, since it had never been here before.) Franco heard of these plans and ordered the work restored and donated to the Philippines; restorers worked on it in late 1957, and the painting was turned over to our Ambassador Nieto in January 1958.

And then a curious thing happened. Just before it was shipped to Manila, the Spoliarium was cut into three pieces, with each piece going into its own crate. These pieces were much later received by the Juan Luna Centennial Manila Commission in 1960; Antonio Dumlao performed relining and cleaning, while Carlos da Silva took charge of the mounting, framing, and architectural work. In December 1962, the restored Spoliarium was unveiled in the Hall of Flags of the Department of Foreign Affairs. (And this was where I first saw it, on a high school field trip.)

It was hardly the best spot for the masterpiece, because, as a reporter would later observe, "Molds caused by the moisture from an air-conditioning unit has eaten away the paint in the lower right hand corner of the huge canvas, and a sizeable area immediately above. The painting’s signature today has the appearance of a grayish patch from which the paint has been clumsily scraped away. Furthermore, the inexpert joining of the canvas has begun to show. The new coat of varnish applied to the seam fails to match the old coat so that a broad swath appears to separate a third of the painting from the rest."

In 1982, the painting was cleaned by the late Suzanno "Jun" Gonzalez. At some point, the "Spoliarium" was moved to its present location in the National Museum.

And here begins the vignette of its latest restoration, undertaken by a young but experienced and energetic company called the Art Restoration and Conservations Specialists Inc. (ACES). Headed by painter June Poticar Dalisay (uhmm, yes, we’re related – and that’s how I got this story), the Spanish-trained members of ACES have worked on a score of important restoration projects since their formal incorporation in 2001, including the documentation of the ceiling paintings of the 150-year-old St. John the Baptist Church in Jimenez, Misamis Oriental, and a steady stream of works by Botong Francisco, Vicente Manansala, Jose Joya, Anita Magsaysay-Ho, and J. Elizalde Navarro, among other Filipino masters.

No, Beng (that’s what I call June) and her team didn’t restore the whole painting – that will need vastly more time and resources – but they were brought in to address a relatively small but potentially critical problem that had developed. Sometime last year, the "Spoliarium" had to be moved in its entirety by three-and-a-half meters to make room for another painting, but even the best care – which we’d have to assume was taken – couldn’t prevent cracks from forming in the joints and movement on the canvas itself.

ACES prides itself on its scientific approach and its respect for the artwork and its creator – it won’t take on a job if all the owner wants is a coat of varnish and some dabs of pigment to make a painting "look new" – and it responds to every assignment as a team, usually comprising a painter, an art historian or scholar, a chemist, and an architect. The Spoliarium was their most challenging task to date because of its historical importance, but the job itself was easily broken down into predictable and manageable phases, from detailed photo documentation (before and after), grid-laying, data recording, and a thorough discussion of the problems and options, to the actual repair, which consisted of mechanical cleaning, testing the solubility of the damaged paint layer, consolidation, removal of the facing and retouching.

Working almost daily on wiry scaffoldings that brought them nose-to-nose with the painting, the ACES team finished the job in four months, and is now completing its report (from where much of the data here was taken). But even more interesting to me, as a distant kibitzer (I never even got past the door, so strict were the conditions), were Beng & Co.’s personal observations:

"My team of scientific conservators and I were in awe the first time we set foot inside the Great Hall of the Masters. We stood inches away from the painting, a magnificent work of art that takes one’s breath away. Its size stupefied us while the drama and energy that emanate from the powerful images on canvas affected us profoundly and transported us to Luna’s studio in Rome….

"Many questions came up as we studied the physical condition of the painting through our magnifying glass. We knew very little about it and we needed to know its story so we could better understand its present condition. How did it find its way to Madrid? Who took care of the painting? How and where was it hung or kept? What were the circumstances surrounding its journey to the Philippines? Was it restored before it was returned to the Philippine government? Who restored the painting? Who and how was it mounted and put up in its present site?

"Gathering information and data on the Spoliarium proved difficult. The National Museum tried its best to help but could not furnish us with any kind of documentation. Some individuals had stories to tell about the painting, but we needed hard data. Finally, Ricky Francisco, who was a member of the conservation team, found a report on the "Spoliarium," while Roberto Balarbar, a conservator with the Chemical and Conservation Laboratory of the National Museum, also found a copy of a research paper among his files. These data proved very valuable and helpful for they answered many of our questions and filled in many gaps in the history of the painting.

"However, some questions remain unanswered at this point. One issue that continues to puzzle us is Madrid’s decision to cut the painting into three parts. Did Madrid inform the Philippine government about this decision? Who decided this? Is there a document to prove that the Philippine government gave Madrid permission to do so? Did the size of "Spoliarium" make loading it into a ship truly impossible? Was there not any ship capable or willing to accommodate a painting of such length? What kind of ship was it loaded on? Did anyone from the Philippine government accompany the "Spoliarium" as it traveled from Madrid to Manila?

"We hope that in the future, an art historian will come along and accept the challenge to dig deeper into the history of the Spoliarium and uncover other stories that surrounded the painting while it was in Rome and Madrid."

And let me add that if you or anyone you know has any of the answers to these questions – or corrections to make to the painting’s history as ACES knows it – do let me know and I’ll pass it on to them.

Much more work needs to be done on the rest of the "Spoliarium," and credit has to be given to National Museum director Corazon Alvina for her tireless campaign to seek support not just for the "Spoliarium" but the many other priceless pieces of our heritage in her safekeeping. Last May, for example, the museum hosted the COLLASIA 2010 International Course on the Conservation of Southeast Asian Collections in Storage, with 19 representatives from all over ASEAN.

Not incidentally, Beng and I recently attended a benefit concert at the National Museum sponsored by the Museum Foundation of the Philippines, featuring the opera "Spoliarium," with music by Ryan Cayabyab and libretto by Fides Cuyugan-Asencio. It was a marvelous musical treat, worthy of its subject, and proof positive that, as in Juan Luna’s time, we have what it takes to compete with the world’s best. Ryan’s score convinced me that I had heard the work of a future National Artist – of a much gentler bent than Luna, but certainly no less talented. Mabuhay ang Pilipino!

http://www.philstar.com/philstar/lifestyle200607230501.htm

Wonderboy

July 24th, 2006, 03:43 PM

Investors key to preserving old Manila Times office

By Amadis Ma. Guerrero
Inquirer
Last updated 00:01am (Mla time) 07/23/2006

Published on Page A17 of the July 23, 2006 issue of the Philippine
Daily Inquirer

THE name Florentino Torres is an historical footnote dating back to
the first decade of the 20th century. During that period, the
ilustrado (landed elite) ranks were split between those who
continued to agitate for independence, and those who were for
annexation with the United States.

Torres belonged to the latter group as he was a member of the pro-
American Federal Party. In 1907, the Americans rewarded him by
appointing him to the Supreme Court. Another reward came later, in
the form of a busy street in Sta. Cruz, Manila, near Chinatown,
named after Torres.

A visit to the much-changed Florentino Torres Street today
inevitably brings back a flood of memories. I had worked for the
Associated Press' Manila bureau way back in the 1960s. The offices
of the AP were located on the third floor of a rather gloomy
building owned by the Roces family. Their radio station dzMT was on
the fourth floor.

Our building was right beside the Manila Times, also Roces-owned.
Before the dictator Ferdinand Marcos imposed martial law in 1972,
the Manila Times was the leading national newspaper. (Then came the
Manila Chronicle, the Philippines Herald and the Manila Daily
Bulletin.)

A passageway connected our office to the Manila Times building, at
one time known as the TVT (Tribune-La Vanguardia-Taliba) Building.
We AP staffers would sometimes have lunch at the Times canteen. If
we were lucky, we would see journalistic icons Don Chino Roces, Joe
Bautista and Joe Luna Castro holding forth in their little fiefdom.

The writer Estrella Alfon also worked then in one of the departments
of the newspaper, and I recall interviewing her about her short
stories, including "A Fairy Tale for the City," which was
considered "obscene" by the guardians of morality at that time. The
interview was for a term paper assigned by Professor Bienvenido
Lumbera (now a National Artist).

Modern, sleek design

Seen again today after the passing of the decades, the old Times
building still strikes one as "modern" and sleek, light in color,
with geometric lines and big glass panes. There are five stories,
with the penthouse having space for a party or reception. It was a
helipad, actually.

The building beside it, "our" building, now seems to me more Old
World and therefore very attractive, although it is a burnt-out
shell, totally abandoned, with skeletal window frames and missing or
broken glass panes. There are what appear to be art nouveau floral
designs of cement approximating wood carvings. The façade is pastel
pink and the top story has castle-like formations.

In the middle of the two buildings, with a signboard in both English
and Chinese, is the home of the Santa Cruz Volunteer Fire Brigade.

If memory serves right, there used to be an empty space outside the
printing press, where late at night the newsboys would come charging
out into the street, bearing copies of the first edition of the
Times.

Famous Times landmark

Even more famous than the Times building, a landmark within a
landmark, was the statue of the newsboy that stood outside the
entrance. You might call it a traveling monument, going wherever the
new owner of the newspaper takes it. From the Roceses to the
Gokongweis, at one time to Mark Jimenez and so on.

Ah, there it is now, outside the new offices of the Manila Times
(now owned by the Ang family) on A. Bonifacio Drive, Port Area,
Manila, beside the old Daily Express building. The newsboy is
hawking his copies of the newspaper, a sheaf in his left hand and
his right hand holding a copy.

Why, the newsboy even sports what looks like a John F. Kennedy
hairstyle. In fact, from a certain vantage point, he looks uncannily
like the late American president.

The Roceses resurrected the Manila Times just in time for the snap
elections which would lead to People Power in February 1986. One
recalls the headline of the Times at the start of the
elections: "Cory Swamps Marcos." In effect, the Times was competing
against the major newspapers at that time like the Inquirer, Malaya
and the Bulletin Today (now the Manila Bulletin).

Lost glory

The Times did well for a time, but it was never able to recapture
its old glory. And the newspaper eventually was sold to taipan John
Gokongwei.

In the meantime, the old Manila Times building remained where it
was, on Florentino Torres Street, and remains there to this
day. "It's under-utilized, it's a dead building," declares Carlos
Celdran, a heritage advocate who hosts regular walking tours to
landmarks in the city.

The property was sold by the Roces family in 1973 to the Velasco
family, owners of the Fairmart-Fair Center-Plaza Fair chain of
retail establishments. In an interview, Daniel Velasco, Plaza Fair
president, said the family left the architecture of the building
basically untouched.

The family at first used the property for a member store of the
chain. But due to developments in the "fast-paced retail industry,"
the Velascos had to downscale their Manila operations and the old
Times building became idle.

Velasco, who holds a biology degree from the Ateneo de Manila, fears
the idle property might suffer the fate of the demolished Avenue
Theater. "The family can only continue preserving the building if
half of the property is leased out or sold to another party."

The property, he said, "should be most suitable for a call center, a
school, even a hospital or any other institution that would benefit
from the building's central location and accessibility to all forms
of transportation."

Wanted: Investors

To this end, Velasco has issued a call for investors in the
property. But so far, there have been no takers. He blames this on
the fact that Manila Mayor Lito Atienza has transformed part of the
nearby Avenida Rizal into a promenade, renovating the area and
rerouting the jeepneys.

"He (Atienza) did not consult us, the owners, and he killed a part
of Avenida Rizal," Velasco said. "We are paying taxes at nahihirapan
na kami (we are hurting). The investors are waiting for the
reopening of (that part of) Avenida Rizal." He appealed to the mayor
to do this.

Sought for comment, Manila Mayor Lito Atienza told Inquirer Metro
reporter Tina Santos, "Why would they blame our redevelopment
project in Avenida? I don't know where those statements are coming
from, but you can see for yourself if what they have been claiming
is true."

He added, "As far as the city government is concerned, business has
been good in the area—it has been booming. Naging triple pa ang dami
ng tao (People who go there have tripled). Besides, the old Manila
Times building is not in Avenida. Florentino Torres is a different
area."

One developer wanted to demolish the old Times building but Velasco,
himself a heritage advocate, refused.

Tax incentives for landowners

Celdran said Velasco's approach was "more enlightening,"
adding: "It's sad that there is no law or tax incentive to make it
easier for these landowners to preserve their heritage structures.
The government should give tax incentives to these landowners."

Yang Kung Yuan, Velasco's father, had dreamed of converting the old
Times building into an institution for "the welfare of workers, a
pool of scientists and artists, families caring for the aged or a
foundation of teachers …"

Velasco would like to turn this vision into reality, although it is
rather utopian, "and then we can pass it (the building) on to the
next generation." In the meantime, the fate of this Manila landmark
remains uncertain although the Plaza Fair president indicates he
wants to hold on to it indefinitely.

"Architecture students can tour the building if they want," he said.

(Those who want to look around the old Manila Times building can
call Agnes or Gilbert at 733-8421 for information).

ivanhenares

July 24th, 2006, 03:45 PM

I got this comment on my blog...

Anonymous said...
The man who owns that company is a guy named John Canterbury.

He restored many houses in Vigan and has done work for the Singsons.

He was also a member of the Heritage Conservation Society and has built a beautiful replica of a Vigan house in Alabang.

Why don't you call him up and ask what he is about before defaming his company on your blog.

This was my answer...
I hope you hadn't commented anonymously so that I could address the issue face to face. So he restores houses in Vigan and has a replica of an old house in Alabang. But it does not erase the fact that to deal in old house parts, he has to take apart other structures in the process. I think that it would be better to restore old structures using new materials rather than getting pieces from other structures since doing that promotes the sale of ancestral houses.

It also promotes the use of old house parts on new houses, especially where people could afford it such as in gated subdivisions which the public has no access to. I'd salute Mr. Canterbury if he promoted the use of replicas of house parts rather than the originals.

Again this is my opinion. It just so happened that the company was promoting its wares on the net. And I speak about dealers of old house parts in general.

These old houses are best left where they are, in old poblacions where the Filipino nation could appreciate them.

Protecting and Preserving Our Architectural Heritage (Heritage Watch Philippines II)

I'd like to thank everyone who viewed and posted articles, photos and special announcements on the first thread. 8,000 + views and 500 posts are clear indications that SSC members are concerned with protecting their heritage. :okay:

On this second installment, I hope that apart from cultural awareness, we will also do our share and protect our remaining heritage sites.

Below is an e-mail I received from HCS Yahoogroups:

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Ancestral Building Materials Newsletter July 2006 - 009
Posted by: "heritage conservation" hcs_secretariat@yahoo.com
Wed Jul*19,*2006 2:16*am (PST)

This website offers old buiding materials for sale. I just thought we're trying to preserve old structures but if we allow people buy old bldg. materials, these dealers will always look for dilapidated bldgs. & have it demolished.

Thanks,

Melvin

---------------------------------
Ancestral Building Materials
---------------------------------

Numerous Ancestral Building Materials which are mainly retrieved from old Spanish Mansions mostly located in the North as well as other parts of the Philippines are newly arrived.

Such items we carry dates back from 15th century, includes all authentic inventory of assorted HARDWOOD PLANKS and BEAMS, ADOBE, BRICK, PIEDRA CHINA, ROOF TILES, FLOOR TILES, ANTIQUE PIECES and may more.
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overtureph

July 24th, 2006, 09:31 PM

Keepers of the flame
By Claude Tayag
The Philippine STAR 07/23/2006

(Conclusion)
26. Dr. Abraham Sakili of the Dept. of Art Studies at UP-Diliman spoke on the Maranaos of Lanao Torogan, a sultan or datu’s house. The torogan has such elegance befitting the dweller’s social standing such as panolong or end-beams that are placed in front and at the sides of the house, protruding and flaring upwards like sculptured wings carved into fern or dragon motifs. This multi-family dwelling (referring to a couple and several of their married children) has no permanent partitions. The floor space is simply divided into sleeping areas, with each area provided with mats, pillows and cloth partitions. By day, it becomes an all-purpose living area where the families eat or work. This setup follows the traditional longhouses in Borneo and Sumatra.

The torogan also serves as a courthouse where disputes are heard and settled, as well as a hall for community meetings and social gatherings. Its front yard is the ritual area for weddings and coronations. Buntings are hung and sequined cloth drapes the ceiling and walls. Because of the prevalence of earthquakes. Maranao houses used to be built on a "floating" foundation, the massive tree trunks’ house-posts were anchored on rounded boulders, so the structure could rock and roll safely when the earth shook.

27. Jocelyn Quiblat of Taal, Batangas presented her paper on the restoration of their ancestral Villavicencio "Gift" house built in 1870. It was given as a wedding gift to Don Eulalio Villavicencio when he married Doña Gliceria Marella by his parents beside their original bahay na bato overlooking Balayan Bay. Both houses have witnessed the historic struggles of their illustrious owners during the Propaganda Movement, the Philippine Revolution against Spain and the Philippine-American War.

The restoration of the Gift house started in late 1998 and was completed in 2003, with the following objectives: to preserve the architectural design and antique materials, rehabilitate what could still be saved, and replace what had been ravaged by man and nature with materials closest to the original. The exterior color scheme was based on those found in the nooks and crannies of the original woodwork using colors popular in the 1870s and 1880s. The interiors capture the opulence and vibrancy of the Victorian Period when the house was originally built. The walls and ceilings are painted with murals designed by historian Sonny Tinio, many of which were influenced by existing Philippine contemporary examples.

28. Built in 1697, Dauis Church is one of the oldest churches in the Philippines. Its design is largely influenced by Romanesque and Byzantine architecture. The entire ceiling of the church was painted with frescoes in 1916 by Cebuano painter Rey Francia (like most of the other Bohol churches). Dauis of Panglao Island is just three kilometers from Tagbilaran City connected by a bridge.

29. A dramatic setting for the farewell dinner befitting the culmination of the heritage conference was held at the rear of Dauis church facing the Tagbilaran strait. It was hosted by the provincial government of Bohol led by its governor, Erico B. Aumentado.

30. The internationally acclaimed Loboc Children’s Choir gave a heartwarming performance, together with the Pangkat Kawayan, also composed of school children, from Alicia town.

31. Maribojoc church is planned as a cruciform with its simple façade decorated by thin pilasters and niches with images of saints. The interior comes as a surprise because of the three Neo-gothic altars. The main one has an image of the Blessed Trinity and bas relief of the life of Mary Magdalene. Its traceries and finials of gilded hardwood are delicately carved. The church ceiling, especially its dome, is elaborately painted with catechetical and liturgical motifs.

32. Breakfast at Maribojoc served at the convento consisted of assorted native kakanin (biko in photo) and a hot native chocolate drink called sikwate.

33. Holy ukay-ukay! Ecclesiastical finds at the Maribojoc Museum.

34. During the American colonial period, when the first batch of Filipino architect scholars (called pensionados) educated in the United States returned to the country after their studies, they brought with them the worldwide trend of neoclassical and art deco styles, and the growing use of concrete and mortar. The Cloribel house in Panglao is a notable example of that period, although traces of the Spanish period bahay na bato are still evident, notably in the large windows surrounding the second floor with sliding panels of capiz and wood, and the lower ventanillas with wooden balusters. It was built in 1926 by Gaudencio Cloribel, a respected judge and friend to such notable historical figures as former President Carlos P. Garcia, a native Boholano born in Talibon town.

35. The living room of the Cloribel house has a striped narra and tindalo floorboards, while its sala is furnished with an Ambassador narra set, both de rigueur in the 1930s residences. The sala set was patterned after the American upholstered armchairs popularized by Hollywood movie sets, and crept into Philippine households influenced by the Boat style in art deco, steamship deck chairs in particular. The "programmable" piano, powered by rolls of punched-out paper, is a real gem from the last century.

36. Goto queen: Deedee Cloribel Rodriguez, whose original recipe of goto (tripe congee) was used in the popular GoodAh! chain of food outlets, served us a sumptuous spread for her famous goto, complete with recados; her home-baked torta and other breads; fish kinilaw; seaweed salad; rellenong manok; meat loaf wrapped in bacon; spaghetti putanesca; and longanisang bangus or milkfish sausage which she makes herself.

http://philstar.com/philstar/lifestyle200607253801.htm

overtureph

July 24th, 2006, 11:07 PM

PRIDE OF PLACE
Philippines can learn from global charters on conservation

By Augusto Villalon
Inquirer
Last updated 00:22am (Mla time) 07/24/2006

Published on page C2 of the July 24, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

THE PHILIPPINES CAN LEARN from the efforts of other cities and countries in the world to save their heritage by coming up with relevant and effective conservation charters.

The Washington Charter on the Conservation of Historic Towns and Urban Areas (1987) concerns historic urban areas of any size located in cities, towns or historic centers that illustrate traditional culture through its surviving architecture. The scope includes the sites surrounding natural and manmade environments also under severe threat.

The charter defines the principles, objectives and methods for conserving historic towns and urban areas. It promotes harmony of private and community life and encourages preservation of cultural properties, however modest in scale, that constitute the memory of mankind. It presents steps for conserving such towns and areas, suggesting that development harmoniously adapt the old with contemporary life.

The Washington Charter suggests that conservation should form part of economic and social development policies to ensure that the historic character of the town is preserved.

Methods to ensure preservation include retaining the street pattern and maintaining the original relationship between buildings and open spaces.

Existing heritage buildings should be preserved. Keeping the same proportions, construction type and materials, colors and decoration is essential.

Most important, the charter calls for the participation of the local community to ensure the success of the conservation program, since the conservation of historic towns and urban areas primarily concerns its residents.

The charter lists the steps to be taken in preparing and implementing a conservation plan, a multidisciplinary effort since conservation plans address all relevant factors including archaeology, history, architecture, construction techniques, sociology, economics, legal and administrative.

Particularly significant to the Philippine penchant for pseudo-heritage architecture and for blending new with old in historic districts situation is the statement “Introduction of contemporary elements in harmony with the surroundings should not be discouraged since such features can contribute to the enrichment of an area”—provided that old and new respect each other and are good architectural neighbors.

Archeological charter

The Charter for the Protection and Management of the Archaeological Heritage of 1990 defines archeological heritage as the basic record of past human activities.

Some archeological heritage are components of architectural structures and, therefore, must be protected in accordance with the criteria in the 1966 Venice Charter.

Other elements of archeological heritage are part of the living traditions of indigenous peoples. Participation of local cultural groups is essential for their protection and preservation.

The charter lays down principles regarding different aspects of archeological-heritage management including responsibilities of public authorities and legislators, principles relating to the professional performance of the processes of inventorization, survey, excavation, documentation, research, maintenance, conservation, preservation, reconstruction, information, presentation, public access and use of the heritage, and the qualification of professionals involved in the protection of the archeological heritage.

Next week, the series on the International Council of Monuments and Sites (Icomos) continues. Icomos information is at www.icomos.org. Icomos charters, resolutions, and declarations are at www.international.icomos.org/centre_documentation/chartes_eng.htm.

Contact Icomos Philippines at http:// icomosphilippines.blogspot.com

Copyright 2006 Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://showbizandstyle.inq7.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view_article.php?article_id=11345

Animo

July 28th, 2006, 05:33 AM

Post this here:

Here's another article I did about architecture in Bohol.

The Heritage Beyond The Hills

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid114/pe6a40bdfe405404b894169f5112f1248/f8d61d3e.jpg

Bohol is beautiful. Its beaches are lined with powdery white sand, and remain largely unspoilt by the junk and sleaze marring other more renowned island destinations. Its rivers, falls, wildlife parks and wooded areas reveal landscapes that could have come out of a fairy tale or a tropical jungle fantasy. And there really is nothing more one can say about the Chocolate Hills except that you have to see them for yourself.

There is enough scenery on this small island to make your jaws drop and eyes melt many times over. The people are no less of a treasure, the Boholanos are welcoming, courteous, helpful, and honest. It is no wonder then why the island’s popularity has been booming. The resorts are crawling with tourists, mostly foreign and wholesome, with families or retirees making up the bulk of the vacationers. Good, clean, quiet fun is in abundant supply, one of the most popular daytime activities appears to be lying down in the sun and reading a book, although more strenuous activities such as hiking, diving, and dolphin-watching also have their enthusiasts. A party scene does exist, but it’s not so in-your-face as elsewhere. There are a handful of hard-core backpackers hanging around, but most of the young people on the island originally came for more than just some R&R. On any given day you can meet German dental students on a medical outreach program (from whom one can learn that there are no Bavarian donuts in Bavaria), members of the US Peace Corps serving as schoolteachers (surprisingly game for in-depth discussions of Philippine society and politics), and young missionaries from Canada (very pious and very polite).

The Boholanos appear to be truly mindful of the aesthetic value of their homes and public spaces. They all seem to have agreed to make their houses and streets as clean and pretty as possible. Almost every front yard is tidy and almost all the roads are lined with trees and ornamental plants. Most newly-built modern homes appear to at least acknowledge the province’s architectural heritage and try to pay tribute to the more classic structures by incorporating a few of their design elements. Boholanos seem to be not only very good homemakers, but good homeowners as well. There is a palpable respect for the gifts of the past, heritage buildings are preserved and cherished. While the distribution of riches may be not as dense as in Vigan or Silay, Bohol can still be proud of a lovely collection of stately old houses and buildings dotting the landscape. The heritage churches of Bohol alone are a subject worthy enough to fill entire books, or at least a separate feature. With all of its natural beauty it could be easy to miss the architectural treasures scattered throughout the province. Just when you think you’ve had your fill, out pops another wonder.

Driving through the island of Panglao, on the road from the San Agustin church, a vision of a gleaming, elegant bahay-na-bato, standing amidst a lush garden, surrounded by fields of green, is sure to catch one’s eye. Displaying true Boholano hospitality, Mr. Agustin Cloribel was kind enough to welcome us into his home and allow us to enter and photograph this as yet unheralded architectural gem.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid114/pb22d32554d494e4d7f745c5ed0c6fe5d/f8d61fd5.jpg

The Cloribel house was built in 1926, and its structure was originally designed by a Spanish architect in the classic two-story bahay-na-bato style. The lower half of the house, called the zaguan, may have been used to store the family carriage in the old days. The main entry door is definitely large enough to admit a horse or automobile. The Cloribels currently utilize the space to stable their motorcycle, which is a favorite means of transportation among Boholanos. It now also serves as an informal receiving area.

The main living area is on the upper level.*Large windows surround the second floor, taking advantage of the cool Panglao breezes.*The window sashes still feature the original sliding panes of capiz and wood, ready to be shut tight during storms.*Vents above the windows, protected by the roof eaves, let air in even when it's rainy.*Small shuttered windows below the large windows, called ventanillas, are screened with grillwork and can be left open when the large windows are closed.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid114/p0a76174dd29f40d64ab32a4efdf36337/f8d61d3f.jpg

The family patriarch, Gaudencio Cloribel, was a respected judge and friend to such notable historical figures as former president Carlos P. Garcia. The chess table on which they used to play still stands in the sala, although because a few pieces from the chess set are missing, it now serves mostly as a coffee table. The majority of the furnishings around the house are original pieces from the 1920s, but since they have been maintained so well they don’t look like timeworn antiques at all. The Cloribels are particularly proud of their “programmable” piano, powered by rolls of punched-out paper, it’s a real collector’s item from the turn of the last century. The handsomely crafted wooden scrollwork, panelling, and hardwood floors seem to have come straight out of a museum, and go perfectly with the sepia-toned photographs, mementoes, and portraits that hang on the walls. Mr. Cloribel points out that the ceiling used to boast of ornate carvings, remnants of which still encircle the base of the ceiling fan. But before they had the carvings taken down, they carefully photographed everything in order to ensure that its original form may someday be accurately restored.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid114/pf4bd8284712401fbb5496562505d6914/f8d61d42.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid114/pc225158af814e8f59706ea6c3cccb5c1/f8d61fd1.jpg

Except for using concrete to reinforce the stone portions of the structure and upgrading the electrical wiring and plumbing, Mr. Cloribel states that the house has never really undergone any big renovation or restoration work. He asserts that it now still looks pretty much like it did when it was first built. The family has always taken care that the house stays clean and gets a fresh coat of paint when necessary, and that the grounds and garden are kept up and manicured. Although numerous members of the Cloribel clan have settled elsewhere or gone abroad, they still make it a point to come together at their ancestral home every year during Holy Week and other holidays, thus ensuring that the heart of the Cloribel house beats strong with the pulse of several generations.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid114/p820c5e77625fb681abe0e62a42ba4929/f8d61fd7.jpg

Finding an authentic bahay-na-bato has become increasingly elusive, especially one that is still being kept alive by the original family's descendants. A lot of these ancestral houses are left to decay and be preyed upon by vandals and salvagers. The shared memory of the quintessential Filipino home, part of our national identity, is being worn away, torn down, or carted off to be sold for scrap. We must realize that protecting the legacy of the past is not a futile exercise in nostalgia, but a crucial task in defining our culture. The efforts of the Cloribel family and the province of Bohol show how Filipinos can live and progress in harmony with the land and its history. Sea and sand, hills and rivers, wood and stone, all these have come together in Bohol to build a place the entire country can be proud of.

ivanhenares

July 28th, 2006, 06:01 PM

Help us build an online database of built heritage resources in the Philippines. Visit it at http://heritageconservation.wordpress.com If a heritage structure in your locality is not yet in the database, please send us photos (640x480 pixels) and if possible, a short write-up about it at heritageconservation@gmail.com

We're also starting an online heritage hit list. We are publishing heritage mistakes so that the public is aware of them and do not repeat them. Visit the site at http://heritagesentinel.wordpress.com

ivanhenares

July 29th, 2006, 05:33 AM

Check out http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/state=ph

Property names are listed in the language in wich they have been submitted by the State Party.
State Party: Philippines
Result: 28 Properties

* Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary (16/05/2006)
* Angono Triglyphs (15/08/1993)
* Apo Reef Natural Park (16/05/2006)
* Baroque Churches of the Philippines (Extension) (16/05/2006)
* Batanes Protected landscapes and seascapes (15/08/1993)
* Butuan Archeological Sites (16/05/2006)
* Chocolate Hills Natural Monument (16/05/2006)
* Coron Island Natural Biotic Area (16/05/2006)
* El Nido-Taytay Managed Resource Protected Area (16/05/2006)
* Jesuit Churches of the Philippines (15/08/1993)
* Kabayan Mummy Burial Caves (16/05/2006)
* Ligawasan Marsh (16/05/2006)
* Mt. Apo Natural Park (16/05/2006)
* Mt. Iglit-Baco National Park (16/05/2006)
* Mt. Malindang Range Natural Park (16/05/2006)
* Mt. Matutum Protected Landscape (16/05/2006)
* Mt. Pulag National Park (16/05/2006)
* Neolithic Shell Midden Sites in Lal-lo and Gattaran Municipalities (16/05/2006)
* Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park and outlying areas inclusive of the buffer zone (16/05/2006)
* Paleolithic Archaelogical Sites in Cagayan Valley (16/05/2006)
* Panglao Island, Bohol (16/05/2006)
* Petroglyphs and Petrographs of the Philippines (16/05/2006)
* San Sebastian Church (16/05/2006)
* Spanish Colonial Fortifications of the Philippines (16/05/2006)
* Taal Volcano Protected landscape, Batangas (16/05/2006)
* The Maranao settlement of Tugaya (16/05/2006)
* The Tabon Cave Complex and all of Lipuun (16/05/2006)
* Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary (16/05/2006)

overtureph

July 29th, 2006, 11:33 AM

Hello Ivan, I saw this site http://heritagesentinel.wordpress.com/ and was completely disappointed and had a feeling of helplessnes when I saw the uglification of this structures, most specially the Sasmuan Church. What a monstrosity! Was the parish priest who did that by any chance was also assigned at Quiapo church in the past? What was the logic behind that? Do you mean they totally wrecked the old shell of the church and the only part of the old church intact where the facade and the belltower? Talked about stupidity and even callousness and throw in barbarity too.

This reminds me, there was this controversy which involved the renovation of San Juan church in Batangas a few years ago. Some people where just dead set on renovating it, wherein there was really no reason for doing that.

I havent been to Mexico, but from what I've heard and seen on documentaries and tv commercials, it seems the Mexican government seems to be doing a good job in terms of heritage conservation (must be the reason why it has its own fair share of tourists). If I'm not mistaken (please correct me if I'm wrong), even churches are owned by the Mexican government. Now if we could only trust our government and people in public office to do that. Poor us Filipino people, a not so well to-do-country, poorly disciplined and apathetic populace (generally speaking off-course), chaotic traffic, and as time goes by, the uglification of our towns and cities with the lost of our heritage to boot. No offense, but it seems the highlight of our culture and achievements now-a-days are mall building and malling.

I hope the Roman Catholic clergy and the people concerned gets to see this thread or forum as well as link sites related to conservation and promotion of our heritage.

Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinang-galingan, ay hindi makakarating sa paroroonan.

Animo

July 29th, 2006, 05:48 PM

^^ Yeah, I think the churches are own by the state in Mexico.

overtureph

July 30th, 2006, 03:43 AM

COMMENTARY
Saving Ilocos’ cultural heritage

By Belinda A. Aquino
Inquirer
Last updated 06:14am (Mla time) 07/30/2006

Published on page A11 of the July 30, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur—Jean Miralao, executive director of the Philippine Social Science Council, and I are at present in the Ilocos region in connection with a lecture series on the Filipino Centennial in Hawaii, which is sponsored by the Commission on Filipinos Overseas. Being native Ilocanas (Jean from Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur, and I from La Union), we feel very much at home here.

But there is also much in Ilocano culture that we are just discovering—probably, things we took for granted in the distant past. We both agree this is no longer the Ilocos of our youth. The landscape has changed dramatically, both socially and environmentally. The most jarring change is the endless whirr and drone of motorized pedicabs, now the most common form of transportation in most towns.

We stopped in Badoc, the southernmost town of the province, to visit the Juan Luna Shrine, a sturdy and imposing colonial brick house which features the works and memorabilia of the country’s greatest painter. The Luna ancestral home was destroyed in a fire in 1862, but it wasn’t until 1977 that the Philippine government restored and transformed it into a museum containing reproductions of the celebrated artist’s most famous works, including his masterpiece, “Spoliarium.”

I have a more than passing interest in Juan Luna y Novicio. My home province, La Union, is also claiming him—at least half of him—as a native son. Luna’s mother was Laureana Novicio y Ancheta, who belonged to the landed gentry of the town of Namacpaan, now Luna, La Union. Though by no means related, my mother was an Ancheta.

Juan Luna had equally famous brothers, among whom was the fiery revolutionary general Antonio, whose tragic assassination remains one of the unsolved mysteries of the Philippine Revolution. And there was Joaquin Jr., who survived the Revolution and became one of the early provincial governors of La Union. Jose, was less well-known but he was also highly educated. The Luna Shrine should be the focus of a national and local effort to revitalize not only Ilocano but Philippine culture.

The mini-library adjoining the shrine, to our disappointment, had only a few reference materials on Philippine culture, and even less on the world-class Luna clan. In fact, there were only two books on Juan Luna, whose original works are still in Manila or European museums.

The scarcity of written material on Juan Luna could be attributed in part to the fact that he spent most of his life in Europe. And probably, the tragedy that overtook his brilliant career, which involved the murder of his wife Paz Pardo de Tavera, must have made it even harder to write about the man.

An English-Ilocano Magazine published by the Tawid Foundation, entitled Samtoy, contains a brief article on Luna’s “triumphs and tragedies” in its July-December 2004 issue. His greatest triumph was winning his first gold medal for “Spoliarium” at the Madrid Art Exposition of 1884. Earlier he had won a silver medal at the Madrid Art Exhibition for his “Death of Cleopatra.” In 1880, his painting “Daphne and Chloe” won a silver “palette” from the Centro Artistico Literario de Manila.

Moving to Paris later in his career, he painted “Parisienne Life” and many happy summers he spent with his family in France. There are many reproductions of his Paris paintings in the shrine.

His life in Paris would have its share of tragedy as well. He met his wife Paz in Paris, got married in December 1886 and had two sons. According to a published report that Samtoy reproduced, on Sept. 23, 1892, the artist fatally shot his wife and mother-in-law, and wounded his brother-in-law Felix Pardo de Tavera. He had suspected his wife of infidelity. Luna was tried and acquitted by a French court on Feb. 7, 1893. He was fined only 40 francs for a “misdemeanor.” Did his fame influence his acquittal?

Obviously, it was a crime of passion. A longer, more detailed account of Luna’s life, based on years of research, was published by historian Ruby Paredes of the University of Wisconsin at Madison, in a book titled “Anarchy of Families.” I had promised the librarian in Badoc to secure a copy of the book to augment the meager holdings in the Luna Shrine. Ruby went all the way to Paris and pored over archives and other documents trying to get substantial research material on the Luna tragedy. To date, Ruby’s work is the most extensively researched article on this unfortunate episode in the artist’s life.

Another museum in Vigan, the Padre Burgos House, has definitely seen better days. When I first visited it in 1992, it was still tolerable, although it was beginning to disintegrate even then. Some 13 years later, it is ready to collapse. One slight tremor and this historic house, where one of Ilocos Sur’s great heroes was born and raised, will come tumbling down.

The museum has become an eyesore, possibly a fire hazard as well. Many of the artifacts are not securely fastened and are bound to be ruined if they fell. The walls are decayed and the floors are creaking. You want to tread lightly for fear of making much noise. Parts of the house, including the once-lovely azotea, are in a state of disrepair. The National Museum, which manages it, should work with local authorities and institutions and do something quick before this historic landmark completely deteriorates.

Jean called my attention to the possibility that the 14 or so panels of paintings by Esteban Villanueva, depicting the story of the Basi Revolt in Piddig, Ilocos Norte, might deteriorate as well, given the inhospitable onslaughts of heat and moisture in the run-down museum. The Basi rebellion was triggered by the monopoly of the production of basi (sugar cane wine), by the Spanish authorities. The Ilocano producers rose up in arms in 1806, burning the houses of the rich. The 1806 uprising escalated the following year, spreading to Laoag, Sarrat, Batac, Paoay and all the way south to Vigan.

We do not have time to visit the other museums in Vigan, like the Museo de San Pablo and the Syquia memorial house. Vigan itself, as observed by Samtoy, is a “living museum,” rich in historical lore and cultural assets. It could be the most charming city in the Philippines once it’s fully restored. The city is the site of two Unesco heritage projects—Vigan’s “walled city” restoration and Santa Maria Church.

But nothing is more urgent than saving the Burgos House. It would be shameful for the national government and local authorities to let it go to waste. To complement the Unesco heritage initiatives, a combination of national and local efforts is needed to preserve the centerpiece of Ilocano indigenous and contemporary culture in the heart of one of the region’s most historical sites.

Belinda A. Aquino is professor of Political Science and Asian Studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where she is also director of Philippine Studies.

Copyright 2006 Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://opinion.inq7.net/inquireropinion/columns/view_article.php?article_id=12502

ishtefh_03

July 30th, 2006, 07:48 AM

wow!! thread II na 'to... :D

Animo

July 31st, 2006, 06:30 AM

MANILA (UCAN) -- A picture of an old church in the northern Philippines hangs in Arlex Zapata's Manila home, but it no longer reflects the reality.

A souvenir book on St. Catherine of Alexandria Church in Tayum, a town in Abra province, about 340 kilometers north of Manila, describes the structure as a "monument to the creativity, artistry and industry of its forefathers who worked under the supervision of Spanish friars."

Zapata, a bank worker, photographed the church in his hometown 10 years ago, but he told UCA News he "barely recognized" it when he returned years later.

The church was repainted in the late 1990s, and Arnel Valdez, a member of the parish pastoral council, told him the council and religious organizations in the town approved the renovation funded by people in Manila and abroad.

Zapata said he and his relatives share the sentiments expressed in a July 3 petition that the Heritage Conservation Society of the Philippines (HCS), a non-stock, non-profit entity, submitted to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). More than 600 people signed the petition.

HCS advocates the protection and preservation of heritage, cultural and historical sites it considers part of the Philippine national identity.

The petition, published in the July 17 issue of "CBCP Monitor," the CBCP's official publication, asks bishops to stop priests from "defacing" heritage churches. It considers churches built in the Spanish colonial period "inherent parts of the architectural heritage of Filipinos," which testify to "the excellence and creativity of Filipino artisans and craftsmen of yesteryear."

About four decades after Spanish expeditions first landed in the Philippines in 1521, Spain colonized the Philippines until it ceded the archipelago to the United States in 1898.

Petitioners view the Church and its officials as custodians of churches, and complain about parish priests who "have taken it upon themselves to modernize and renovate heritage churches under their care without proper consultation with agencies mandated to protect cultural and historical heritage."

Asserting that the renovations are "costly and unnecessary and at times ostentatious," the petitioners suggest that money designated for such renovations be used for social projects that aid the poor.

They also want the CBCP immediately to stop all renovations and to require priests to submit plans in advance so that the CBCP Permanent Committee for the Cultural Heritage of the Church (PCCHH) can review and approve them.

Father Renato Amasi, former parish priest of Saint Catherine, told UCA News on July 26 the central diocesan board of Bangued diocese, which serves Abra, approved the church repainting project, which cost around 100,000 pesos (about US$1,950). The leaking roof was fixed and parts of the church repainted, he added, after original bricks were repainted and plastered over with cement.

Parishioners of Santo Tomas de Villanueva Church in Cebu City, 565 kilometers south of Manila, also complain about plans to alter their church.

Father Carlito Pono, chairperson of Cebu archdiocese's Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church, told UCA News on July 26 that the project was a reason they wanted their pastor, Monsignor Constantino Diotay, transferred. Augustinian friars reportedly built the church in the late 19th century.

Father Pono said Monsignor Diotay did not notify the commission about the construction, but the Santo Tomas pastor did send a request to the Commission on Worship of the archdiocese. "He was trying to repair the altar for reasons that are liturgical," Father Pono pointed out. In any case, he added, the cultural heritage commission will wait for an order from Cardinal Ricardo Vidal of Cebu before intervening.

In a 2005 circular, Cardinal Ricardo Vidal of Cebu instructed priests to send a written request for "any renovation, any construction, or improvement on a given structure which has a historical and cultural value."

Father Milan Ted Torralba, the PCCHH executive secretary, told UCA News his committee, an advisory body created in July 1996, helps the CBCP protect heritage churches in the country. The committee has no executive powers, he explained, and "the bishops are the chief administrators of projects of the dioceses." He said the committee "can only remind the bishops gently about the heritage laws of the Church," which set the guidelines, rules and norms by which the bishops can implement their projects.

Father Torralba recently distributed to the bishops a paper on canons affecting Church heritage. He said his committee has also proposed to include cultural heritage in the seminary curriculum. "What we can do now is educate the clergy on the importance of heritage in the liturgy," he said.

With bishops "concerned about so many things," the priest added, physical maintenance of church buildings is delegated to parish priests who sometimes "act as engineers and architects of the churches under their care."

HCS wants the CBCP to declare that all Catholic churches in the Philippines 50 years or older are heritage churches. The heritage society also wants those churches to be listed, to help the PCCHH monitor and preserve them.

According to Father Torralba, the CBCP has no master list of heritage churches, but dioceses have directories of their own churches.

http://www.theindiancatholic.com/newsread.asp?nid=2638

OtAkAw

July 31st, 2006, 08:43 AM

^^Dapat merong subject na Appreciation of Christian Art sa curriculum sa seminaryo para alam ng mga pari ang importansiya ng isang lumang simbahan.

Rajah_Soliman

July 31st, 2006, 10:20 AM

^^Dapat merong subject na Appreciation of Christian Art sa curriculum sa seminaryo para alam ng mga pari ang importansiya ng isang lumang simbahan.

isa lang ang importansyang alam nila........DINERO.... :)
look what they've done to the Davao Cathedral several decades ago
(patawarin nyo po ako mahal na panginoon)

Wonderboy

July 31st, 2006, 05:03 PM

Howie Severino and Heritage Conservation

I suppose some of you already know about this but do visit this site:
http://www.gmapinoytv.com/sidetrip/blog/index.php?/archives/87-Tearing-down-a-masterpiece-for-a-parking-lot.html

Brian Gonzalez sent it to me. It is GMA's Howie Severino talking about the
Avenue Theater. Howie is one of those really respectable journalists who
looks at Filipino culture and presents it in a way that even ordinary people
could relate to. German Moreno also, apparently loved the Avenue Theater.

Maybe HCS could tap these two strong media personalities into serious
heritage conservation advocacy? Its worth a try if we want to penetrate the
general audience.

Clare Cattleya dG. Amador
HCS Youth

Animo

August 2nd, 2006, 06:29 AM

WHEN there is yet another change in street names, historically conscious people usually turn to the National Historical Institute (NHI) first to complain. Under existing rules, prior consultation with the NHI should be made before a street name can be changed. The same principle also applies to proposals to rename public school buildings.

While the buck often ends with the NHI chair, the complete staff work and recommendations are made by the NHI research division under Dr. August de Viana and Carminda Arevalo. They go through the paperwork, look for precedents and other connections, resulting in a decision for or against the proposed change.

As a matter of principle, the NHI objects to changing street names that have been in existence for a long time and can be deemed "sanctified by usage." However, we have seen recent changes like Aduana in Intramuros now changed to Soriano or Pasay Road in Makati now changed to Arnaiz. I'm too young to remember the debate over the change
from Azcarraga to Recto, but as a historian I realize that street names are not just signs to help us find an address, but also a way of remembering the past. The unsuccessful move to rename the Rizal Memorial Stadium as Benigno Aquino Stadium is an example of recent history overlapping with something older. Is there form, pattern, or logic to all these changes? The answer is worth a doctoral dissertation.

In the past 15 years, there have been repeated moves to rename Taft Avenue to either Aglipay, Aguinaldo or Diokno Avenue. They all failed because there was enough public opinion to oppose the change, but what about smaller, lesser-known streets?

Instead of blaming the NHI for changes in street names, people should vent their ire on government officials or
legislators who initiate such moves because the NHI's opinion is consultative rather than deliberative. In simple language, this means that the NHI's opinion must be sought and, in principle, followed, but if the proponent is bull-headed, there is very little the NHI can do unless it is supported by public outrage.

Last year, there was a move to change España Boulevard to Arturo Tolentino Boulevard. Dr. De Viana, who also teaches at the Royal and Pontifical University of Santo Tomas (incidentally founded by Spanish Dominicans, whose main campus is along España) came up with a position paper that should be taken in consideration in case another proposal is made to rename the street:

"Historically, España belongs to a series of streets that had something to do with Spain. There are street names such as: Galicia, Algeciras, Extremadura and Catalu¤a, which are Spanish provinces. One street, Dos Castillas, refers to Leon and Castille that are represented in the Spanish flag. Another, Maria Cristina, was named after the Queen of Spain who served as regent during the minority of King Alfonso XIII. There is also a street named Don Quixote, the main personality in the novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Other streets carry the names of virtues in Spanish: Economia, Trabajo, Prudencio and Constancia. The rest were apparently the names of relatives of the former estate, such as Eloisa, Adelina, Paquita, etc. Near the boundary of Quezon City the streets straddling España have names that relate to Jose Rizal: P. Leoncio (Rizal's godfather), Craig (after Austin Craig, one of Rizal's biographers), Basilio, Sisa and Ibarra (characters in 'Noli me tangere'). The pattern of these streets shows an aesthetic unity that could be easily destroyed by the renaming of even one of these."

Dr. De Viana then continues his lament:

"There are cases when the renaming of streets was pushed through even if the NHI interposed objection. Some renaming have taken place even without consultation with the NHI ... To my knowledge, there are already some streets along España [that] have been renamed without [prior] consultation with the NHI. These are: Constancia (now Cristobal), Pepin (now Marzan), and Forbes (now Arsenio Lacson). Earlier, P. Leoncio was renamed Antonio Quintos, Cataluña (now Tolentino), Economia (now Manuel de la Fuente), Trabajo (now Vicente G. Cruz) and Washington (now Antonio Maceda)."

We can go on with historical and emotional reasons to retain España. Dr. De Viana dug up a little known fact that provides a legal basis:

"The land where España Boulevard is located was donated by Antonio de la Riva, owner of the Sulucan Estate Corporation, on the condition that it shall be named after the Iberian nation. In 1952 the City Council of Manila tried to rename the boulevard but the heirs of de la Riva reminded city officials of the conditions of the donation. Furthermore, España is classified as a national road, as indicated by its white street signs. City roads are indicated by blue street signs. National roads are not under the jurisdiction of local governments, therefore the Local Government Code cannot be used as basis for the renaming.

"Instead of renaming the boulevard, España should be improved and beautified since it recognizes the nation's Spanish heritage. It could [also] become the venue of celebrations of Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day now celebrated every June 30."

One must add that in Madrid, the place where the Rizal monument stands is Avenida de Filipinas. Heritage conservation is not just about old structures and antiquities but sometimes can be as commonplace as street names.

Comments are welcome at aocampo@ateneo.edu.
http://www.inq7.net/globalnation/col_lob/2005/mar21.htm

Wonderboy

August 2nd, 2006, 10:50 PM

Stories about Preserving Cultural Heritage Series #7
Digital Photography for Architectural Heritage and Conservation
With Architect Paulo Alcazaren

Architect Paulo Alcazaren, The Lopez Memorial Museum, in cooperation
with the Museum Foundation of the Philippines, presents the seventh in
the series Stories about Preserving Cultural Heritage on August 12, 2006
(Sat) at 2-4 pm, at the Lopez Library. Architect Paulo Alcazaren's
talk will focus on the basics of architectural photograph using digital
camera to document heritage buildings, monuments, landscapes and sites.
His talk will also touch on the choice and use of equipment, tripods,
lenses and lights along with techniques to faithfully capture a
building's technical as well as aesthetic characteristics in various
shooting conditions.

Alcazaren is editor-in-chief of BluPrint Magazine and columnist for the
Philippine Star. He is also an architectural photographer who has shot
for both local and international publications. An architect, urban
designer and landscapist by training and profession, Alcazaren is an
advocate of Filipino design, smart urbanism and heritage conservation.
He is also an assistant professor at the College of Architecture at the
University of the Philippines.

Lecture fee is P50 for Museum Foundation members and P100 for non-
members. The Lopez Memorial Museum is at the ground floor, Benpres
Building, Exchange Road corner Meralco Avenue, Pasig City. Museum days
and hours are Monday-Saturday, 8am-5pm, except holidays. For more
information, call 6312417 or email pezseum@skyinet.net.

For more information please visit http://museumfoundationph.org/
<http://museumfoundationph.org/> or send e-mail to
inquiry@museumfoundationph.org

overtureph

August 3rd, 2006, 10:30 PM

Hey everyone!

Haribon Foundation would like to invite you to next month's forum on
Philippine world heritage. We will be having a screening of the
documentary "Legacy: Philippine World Heritage Sites". Attached is the
forum's flyer. Please feel free to forward this to all your friends so
we can spread the word. Hope to see you there!

"What can I do to preserve our world heritage?"
August 24, 2006; 6:00 PM
Meralco Mini-Theater, Lopez Building, Meralco Center
Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City

--
Vyxz Vasquez
Advocacy Assistant
Haribon Foundation
2F Santos & Sons Bldg.,
#973 Aurora Blvd.
Cubao, QC
Office no: 434-4642
CP: (0927) 399-4997
Website: http://www.haribon.org.ph
E-mail: advocacy@haribon.org.ph

Sinjin P.

August 6th, 2006, 11:01 AM

World Heritage Sites

http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/1235/heritagenq9.jpg

Wonderboy

August 6th, 2006, 06:06 PM

http://img409.imageshack.us/img409/6744/confhk8.jpg
Ms. Bambi Harper during last week’s 16th Annual Manila Studies Conference in Intramuros. She presented her paper, “The Arrabal of Sta. Cruz: Its Rise and Decline.”

http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/6783/conf2kl2.jpg

Ms. Bambi Harper published a book entitled, "Sta. Cruz Church: Living Heritage" which was only sold in the bookstore of Sta. Cruz Church, Manila. I believe they only have a few copies left so if you could shell out 900 bucks (paperback and P1,500 for a hard bound), I highly suggest that you buy this book right away as it is not only focused on Sta. Cruz Church but about district of Sta. Cruz and old Manila as well:

History seen through Sta. Cruz district in Manila
2005-02-14 00:38:00(LA)*/*2005-02-14 16:38:00(Manila)

ANNA Maria L. Harper in her book "Santa Cruz Church, A Living Heritage" meticulously chronicles the development of the Sta. Cruz district in Manila from a sleepy 16th-century agricultural backwater to its rise as one of the premier economic hubs of Manila.

Although the book's title focuses on Sta. Cruz Church, Harper places the church in the context of its surrounding district, and rightly so, since construction of public edifices especially churches is the result of collaboration among its users, parishioners and priests, a reflection on the lifestyle, economics and religiosity of the people.

Sta. Cruz church is the outcome of such collaboration, a structure reflecting the development of the Sta. Cruz lifestyle. The church architecturally records the district's history. Originally a wooden structure built by the Jesuits in the early 17th century, it became a stone church in the 18th century, then expanded a commercial center, until World War II flattened it. It was reconstructed after the war.

"The story of the parish of Sta Cruz begins in the 1590s when Jesuit rector, Fr. Antonio Sedeno, went searching for land outside Intramuros that could be cultivated for the support of the College of Manila," Harper writes, adding that the priest would never have imagined that the land would develop into the rich and powerful district of Sta. Cruz.

Towards the mid-18th century, male Chinese tenants of Jesuit farms intermarried with Filipinas. Their children, known as mestizo Sangleys, grew to become painters, sculptors of ivory, silversmiths and jewelers, giving the district an identity as the center for artists and craftsmen.

Despite the British invasion of 1762 and the Jesuit expulsion in 1768, Sta. Cruz prospered. Residents replaced the original wooden church with a stone church to mark their status. The surviving tower from the 18th century is now the oldest part of the present church.

By the 19th century, Sta. Cruz took on an urbanized and cosmopolitan ambiance. It developed into a business center, with warehouses next to Pasig River near spacious residences of local and foreign businessmen that could be reached either by land or through the network of esteros that flowed through Manila until recent times.

In the mid-19th century, Sta Cruz flourished with mansions such as the Mauricio house on Calle Anloague depicted by Rizal in "Noli Me Tangere." Harper describes the lifestyle of the era in vivid detail, tracing the growth of the district, its notable personages, and the establishments that arose in the area.

Mixed neighborhoods developed, "of residences and commercial establishments... some buildings were designed as accessorias-rows of attached dwellings in a block-that housed stores on the ground floor and the shopkeeper's family on the upper floor.

"There were theaters, like Teatro Libertad on Calle Oroquieta, that specialized in moro-moros, while others, like the Zorilla, presented operas. There were ateliers of artists and stores run by Chinese, Europeans, government offices and even a jail."

The American colonial period changed Sta Cruz. From a being purely residential neighborhood, it became a commercial district with restaurants, theaters and other commercial establishments multiplying. The Manila City Beautiful plan by architect Daniel Burnham expanded Dulumbayan as Avenida Rizal, which became the new "downtown" of Manila.

Avenida Rizal quickly became Manila's entertainment and shopping area, anchored by Ideal Theater on Plaza Goiti. Soon after, it was punctuated by a row of movie theaters like the Avenue and State and many others.
Those were the "Empire Days" of rapid change. English was being taught in newly opened schools. Business transferred from Binondo to Sta. Cruz. Many of the well-to-do moved away to Quiapo or the outlying districts of Malate, Ermita and to what eventually became Quezon City.

Sta. Cruz kept up with all of the changes happening in the country. Harper recounts how each change had an impact on the district's lifestyle and urbanscape.

Harper writes facts, not nostalgia. She successfully builds on accurate historical facts, presenting them in a great narrative that reconstructs life in Sta. Cruz over four centuries, tracing the evolution of its residents' lives from being farmers, then as craftsmen, and finally as entrepreneurs.
She backdrops their lives with their surroundings, an agricultural suburb of Manila that developed into an urban economic center in the late 19th century, then flowering into pre-eminence as a residential, business, and entertainment district during the American colonial period until World War II.
Harper ends her chronicle of Sta. Cruz during World War II: "On March 3, 1945, a Manila that was laid waste-described by the military authorities as the second most devastated city after Warsaw-was liberated.

"The quaint oriental city of medieval churches, shaded avenues of acacias, leisurely days of promenades and lighthearted banter vanished forever, buried in the ruins of her buildings, burnt to ashes with the bodies of the 100,000 Manileños slaughtered in that fateful February holocaust."

Ending her narrative of Sta. Cruz district with the destruction of Manila was an inspired and merciful decision, sparing the author from having to write about the insufferable urban condition that today's Manila has degenerated into.

The city seems to have never recovered from the urban damage done by World War II that still continues to be followed by even more horrors of urban damage inflicted on our Manila by its citizens and leaders.

The Sta. Cruz Church Parish Pastoral Council published "Santa Cruz Church, A Living Heritage." The book is difficult to find. However Ms Masbate at the Sta. Cruz Church Parish Office (tel. 7330245) will take orders. Call 7330245.

overtureph

August 10th, 2006, 11:29 AM

http://celdrantours.blogspot.com/ - about the Avenue Theater.

overtureph

August 13th, 2006, 09:49 AM

Surprising cultural landmarks

By Constantino Tejero
Inquirer
Last updated 00:29am (Mla time) 08/13/2006

Published on page D2 of the August 13, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

BATAAN HAS BEEN INEXTRICABLY linked with memories of the Second World War that many visitors are fairly surprised to find some cultural landmarks in the province other than those war memorials.

Only reflective of the strong religiosity of Filipino folk in general, several colonial churches still stand in the province. They may not be as massive or ornate as those that can be found in Ilocos, Bohol or Iloilo, but a few are just as ancient.

Many of these parishes remain under the jurisdiction of the Dominicans, Augustinian Recollects and Franciscans as they had been when those religious orders were founding Bataan’s towns one after another from late 16th century to early 20th century.

There is St. Peter de Verona Church in Hermosa, which just celebrated its 250th jubilee year on June 4. Known to be the richest parish in the province, it became the residence of the provincial chapter of the Dominicans in 1763.

The original structure of this pilgrimage church was largely destroyed by earthquake in 1999, and only the original door shutters, beams and pedestals on the altar remain. It has been undergoing major renovation since 2000. Its stained glass of yellow, green, blue and white gives it the look of antiquity, but the modern touches cannot be denied.

Written boldly on a banner on the side of the choir loft is Credo (Latin for “I believe”), the very word the Dominican priest and church’s patron San Pedro Martir wrote with his blood while dying after struck with a blade on the head by a Manichean heretic.

Nuestra Señora Virgen del Rosario Church in Orani has a miraculous image sculptured in 1360 by a Greek named Parek Morey. The church was recently given by the Vatican the privilege of granting plenary indulgence to pilgrims visiting its shrine.

The original church built in 1792 was destroyed by earthquake and reconstructed several times. The present church is a 1945 reconstruction after it was destroyed by the Japanese in 1941.

Its interior is of beige walls and ceilings, but quite unique as its 14 Stations of the Cross in white bas-relief panels on brown doors are each replicated in high reliefs on the walls, then in paintings on the ceiling.

The exterior is just as astonishing: a jumble of vaulted arches, false columns, pilasters, pediments, volutes, wall brackets, fanlights, rosettes, embellishments shaped like pineapples and snail spirals, balusters on the belfry. This certainly speaks of the Filipino’s love for lavish ornamentation and elaborate design.

St. Joseph Cathedral in the capital city of Balanga obviously looks modern, but it is historical nonetheless as its bell tower had been used as a site for the Japanese artillery bombardment of Mt. Samat.

St. Dominic Church in Abucay is the oldest in the province at 419 years, but is also the nth reconstruction of the original. (Just outside the structure, at right, can still be seen the tiled floor of the church destroyed by earthquake and fire in the 19th century, with a black-and-white nave accented by multicolor tiles with Moorish motif.)

On one brown hardwood portal is a white relief panel depicting the symbols of the Four Evangelists. At the threshold stands a life-size angel in wood.

This used to be the richest parish in the province, with the largest rectory and religious objects of sterling silver and gold. Its belfry had five huge bells, of which only one remains.

The bell tower appears to be slightly leaning. Behind it, at the left of the church, is a cemetery.

On the church’s exterior wall is a marker locating one of the earliest printing presses operating in the country. In this church, in 1610, Tomas Pinpin and Fr. Blancas San José co-authored and printed the earliest books in the country.

And those who have short memory may be reminded by a marker in Orion locating the birthplace of Cayetano Arellano, the first Filipino Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Copyright 2006 Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://showbizandstyle.inq7.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view_article.php?article_id=14942

Wonderboy

August 13th, 2006, 10:14 PM

Josepepe

August 14th, 2006, 04:14 PM

Posted on Manila my Manila thread:

http://img119.imageshack.us/img119/4829/citibankgh4.jpg

http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/1448/citibank2zm5.jpg

This used to be an old and crumbling structure located at Calle Rosario (now Quintin Paredes Street), Binondo, Manila. Citibank made a very good job in preserving it – notice how the architectural details come alive.

Thanks for the photo, Wonderboy. Kudos to Citibank for doing the right thing instead of the profitable one. Indeed, that building revealed its elegant character even with those ugly electrical wires blocking the view. The restored Citibank building gave life to the street and showcased Citibank and completely drowned out the drab buildings next to it.

bankaw

LordCarnal

August 14th, 2006, 04:20 PM

I hope the National Historical Institute can do something about this...

Jesuit House of 1730 in Pari-an (Cebu)

The Jesuit House is now a warehouse (Ho Tong Hardware). The original wall and portal still exist including the actual house/convento itself although it is not visible from outside because the area has been fenced off by a very high wall (chinese style, hehehe).

According to Ateneo de Manila University's Panublion (http://www.admu.edu.ph/offices/mirlab/panublion/r7_jesuit.html) the structure does still stands inside the walled compound. True enough, as I was viewing the property from afar, I saw a tiled-roof in the manner of Casa Gorordo.

I also saw the structure from outside since the gate to the warehouse was opened though I didn't take picture because the place was heavily guarded.

From Admu's Panublion:

The whole compound is surrounded by a wall made of cut coral. The wall is divided by short piers on which are relieves bearing the monogram IHS, meaning Jesus. The original gate to the residence is along the side road named Binakayan. The gate’s lintel is decorated with monograms of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. These bas relieves in soft coral have unfortunately eroded because of wind and rain and also because vehicles have scarped the wall along the very narrow Binakayan road. To protect the monograms on the gate, the Sy family has installed a metal gate and a roof over the gate. To see the monograms on the lintel permission is needed as the steel gate is locked.

Entrance to the compound is through a new opening at Zulueta. Inside the compound are two structures. The structure closest to Zulueta bears traces of renovation. It is a bipartite building, the lower story of coral and the upper of wood. The stairway leading to the first house is of 20th-century vintage. The roof of the house is supported by stout unhewn tree trunks decorated with corbels.

This house is connected by a bridge to a second house. Like the convento of Santo Niño the second house is all of cut coral. Stout unhewn timbers support a heavy tile roof. The roof line curves outward in the same manner as Chinese style roofs. Iron grilles bar the windows of the second story. The house is no longer divided as it may have looked in the 18th century. Divisions into rooms are of 20th century vintage. The main door of the house is permanently locked and the decorative banister and newel post of the stairway is gone. Oral tradition has it that the Alvarez family brought the banister and newel post to a new house they were building in Bohol. Both banister and post were similar in design to those found in the convento of Santo Niño.

Monograms that I found just a while ago. According to ADMU's Panublion, the Sy family has installed a metal gate to protect it. (so is there still hope given the fact that the Sy family has realized its value?)

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/jesuithouse01.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/jesuithouse02.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/jesuithouse03.jpg

The original wall of the compound made of cut coral topped by a contemporary wall
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/jesuithouse04.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/jesuithouse05.jpg

LordCarnal

August 14th, 2006, 04:38 PM

Casa Gorordo after the rehabilitation. Formal re-opening would be on August 21 I guess.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/cebu_heritage18.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/cebu_heritage17.jpg

A few walks away, the Sandiego-Mancao house is also being rehabilitated
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/cebu_heritage16.jpg

...also a few blocks away is the ongoing renovation of an old convento near the Cathedral to house a museum.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/cebu_heritage06.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/cebu_heritage04.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/cebu_heritage02.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/cebu_heritage05.jpg

Wonderboy

August 16th, 2006, 02:48 PM

Josepepe

August 17th, 2006, 06:58 PM

BID for HERITAGE

We cordially invite menbers and friends to join us in this fun-filled, yet extremely important tradition - HCS Annual Fundraising Auction (for the benefit of the Heritage Conservation Society's "Heritage Schoolhouses Restoration Program".

Join us on Sunday, 20 August 2006, 4:00-8:00 p.m. at The Loft, Rockwell Drive, Makati City. Tickets are only P600, inclusive of canapes, pica-pica, cocktails, piped music and a raffle.

Remember that very few volunteer organizations do the vital work of lobbying for heritage awareness as effectively and as unstintingly as the HERITAGE CONSERVATION SOCIETY does. It needs your help now to make sure that this vital work continues.

SEE YOU AT THE AUCTION!

For ticket reservations, please call 5212239 or 5222497.

wonderboy,

i am interested in learning about the heritage conservation society. do the dues of the members go towards funding the conservation of heritage sights aside from the overhead expenses? do you accept international members in your group? i will appreciate it if you can respond to me privately in this website. thanks.

btw. good luck on your fund raising campaign. i hope your auction generates ample funds for the cause.

bankaw

Wonderboy

August 18th, 2006, 12:27 AM

^^ Hi Josepepe,

I will respond to your inquiries via private message. :okay:

Thanks for your support!

Wonderboy

August 18th, 2006, 09:27 PM

wonderboy,

i am interested in learning about the heritage conservation society. do the dues of the members go towards funding the conservation of heritage sights aside from the overhead expenses? do you accept international members in your group? i will appreciate it if you can respond to me privately in this website. thanks.

btw. good luck on your fund raising campaign. i hope your auction generates ample funds for the cause.

bankaw

I already sent a PM. Please let me know if you received it. Thanks! :okay:

Josepepe

August 20th, 2006, 12:28 AM

I already sent a PM. Please let me know if you received it. Thanks! :okay:

yes, i got it. thanks. i will subscribe.

bankaw

overtureph

August 20th, 2006, 07:23 AM

Asia's Heritage Hopes
City folks around the region are learning that saving part of their past can greatly enrich their lives in the present
By TODD CROWELL

Itoh Takao, a fifth-generation Edokko, or Tokyo native, owns an 18th-century property in the city. The building had always operated as a pawnshop, but wasn't in good enough shape to be comfortably used as a home. All the same, Itoh was reluctant to tear it down. Then the engineer recalled his trips to Europe, where he admired the way old buildings were lovingly preserved and converted to modern use. And that's how the pawnshop became an art gallery.

Old Tokyo is undergoing a renaissance. Crafts people, designers and other professionals are discovering the pleasures of living in a neighborhood that still retains much of its heritage. "It's funny, but traditional Japanese culture is fresh to young people in Tokyo," says Itoh. "They've grown up surrounded by new, mostly Western things. Rediscovering old Tokyo has become fashionable." In a number of Asia's other most livable cities (see full rankings on page 46), a love affair with the past is in full swing.

Conservationists can barely believe how things have changed. For decades, anyone campaigning to preserve a community's links with the past was routinely dismissed as a sentimentalist, or worse, condemned as being against progress. Urban preservation came low on the list of priorities of governments scrambling to build modern nations. After spending budgets on better infrastructure and social programs, there was often little left for restoration work. And with big fortunes to be made in real estate, old neighborhoods were razed to make way for characterless high-rises. Highways rolled out across cityscapes. It took the economic crisis of the late 1990s to slow the relentless march of glass and concrete blocks in Asia. "The crisis was something of a savior [for traditional houses]," says Steve Van Beek, author of Bangkok Then and Now.

Poverty affords a degree of protection, especially in smaller centers. Pingyao in China and Hoi An in Vietnam are good examples, as their stories in subsequent pages show. In major cities, economic pressures mean conservationists have a far tougher fight to preserve traditional cores. Take Beijing. Large swathes of its ancient alleyways and courtyard homes are being flattened to make way for shopping malls and condominiums.

Many inhabitants are happy to leave their rickety homes for newer dwellings with modern conveniences. But it doesn't always work out that way. Jia Zhishu knows that only too well. The unemployed Beijing worker was evicted from his home in the heart of the city and moved to a dirt-poor suburb where there were no jobs or clean water. Developers gave him about $2,400 in compensation — far less than the value of his old place and not enough to buy a new one. "I lost my home so developers could make big money," says the 43-year-old. Road improvements, too, exact their price. One likely victim: the Jim Thompson House in Bangkok, named after the man who put Thai silk on the world map. The complex of half a dozen traditional wooden homes was relocated from the ancient city of Ayuthaya during the 1950s and has since become a cultural icon. But plans to construct an expressway through the district where the property stands spell its demise.

The good news is that awareness of heritage issues is growing among Asia's city governments. The bad news is that many planners view conservation only as a way of attracting tourist dollars. To critics, that risks turning pulsing streets into movie sets. The best reason for conservation is the cultural richness that it brings to the lives of the residents. Old districts are, after all, part of the identity of a city and its people.

Conservation is not a simple matter. The greatest successes have emerged from a mix of regulation, financial incentives — and citizens' participation. Singapore is one of the earliest cities to have recognized a need to retain its urban heritage. Its government has spent millions of dollars to make over older districts. It has also enacted strict preservation laws. But has it worked? The Lion City has saved its Chinatown. But its pastel-tinted renovations sometimes strike locals and visitors as sterile facsimiles of the bustling original. By contrast, the Little India district has thrived without the heavy hand of officialdom. There's much to be said for uncoordinated diversity.

Cities are living systems, and makeovers need to make allowances for the human factor. For instance, higher property prices in gentrified districts tend to displace longtime inhabitants — with the loss of unique communities. These kinds of market forces are at work in Penang, whose mix of cultures makes it one of the most diverse and colorful cities in Southeast Asia. But last April, when the city's rent-control ordinance lapsed, prices rose sharply and many longtime residents began to leave, often taking their traditional crafts with them. "The buildings have not been demolished, but because people are moving out, the living city is disappearing," says Khoo Salma Nasution of the Penang Heritage Trust.

Tokyo's Yanaka district provides an example of how a neighborhood can retain its historic charm while meeting the needs of modern inhabitants. The area has more than 80 temples, old shops that sell homemade rice crackers, traditional houses and gardens. But for every quaint shop, there are probably two convenience stores, a dry cleaner and a video rental. There is nothing artificial about its small-town ambience in the middle of the world's biggest city

Asia's preservation ethic is still weak. But it is growing stronger. Filipinos waged a protracted fight against the demolition of the art deco Jai Alai stadium in Manila. Though they were unsuccessful, the resistance may have been a kind of awakening. A hundred similar battles go on all over the region. For more and more city folks, saving something of the past is important to their quality of life in the present. And that requires concrete action.

With reporting by Stephanie Morimura Foreman

http://www.asiaweek.com/asiaweek/features/asiacities2000/cities.intro.html

overtureph

August 21st, 2006, 10:09 AM

PRIDE OF PLACE
Revisiting Filipinas Heritage Library

By Augusto Villalon
Inquirer
Last updated 00:32am (Mla time) 08/21/2006

Published on page C2 of the August 21, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

NIELSON AIRPORT WAS THE Philippines’ first modern commercial international airport. It was inaugurated on July 17, 1937, and celebrates its 70th anniversary next year.

The old airport is now the home of Filipinas Heritage Library, now in its 10th year offering traditional library services and being a one-stop research center on Filipino national-heritage information.

Not only has Filipinas Heritage Library contributed to library development; it has also contributed to raising the community’s awareness of and interest in studying and preserving the country’s heritage.

By increasing creative interaction, the restored Nielson Tower has also become a source of information, inspiration and national pride, proof that heritage buildings can, indeed, be recycled for contemporary uses.

In the late 1930s, before the days of heavy equipment, a thousand-man construction team built the airport’s two principal runways—now Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas—in the heart of central Makati.

Between the two runways was the airport control center and passenger station, then known as Nielson Tower, among the first airports in Asia.

Only the fortunate few air passengers of the day could view the airplane-shaped building from above. The earth-bound public saw an elegant structure designed in the Art Deco style of the period.

The low-slung building with a control tower at its center captured the romance of air travel, a popular motif of the Art Deco age. From the airport tower, now reused as a function room, was a sweeping view of the runway and of rural 1930s Makati fields.

Although Nielson Tower now houses Filipinas Heritage Library, the ground floor and control tower of the building retain their original 1930s layout.

In 2001, Unesco recognized the library’s restoration efforts by including Nielson Tower among the prestigious annual Unesco Asia-Pacific Cultural Heritage Awardees for outstanding conservation and architectural re-use.

Subsequent Philippine Unesco Asia-Pacific Cultural Heritage awardees were the Gota de Leche building in 2003 and the Far Eastern University campus in 2005.

Impressive

The Unesco citation for Nielson Tower reads: “The impressive conversion of one of Asia’s earliest airports into a heritage library represents a major achievement in preserving an important era of Manila’s history.

“Historical events and architecture are exemplified in the legacy of the structure and in the excellent choice to continue its livelihood as an educational facility.

“In a time of rapid urban development and expansion, the Nielson Tower is an excellent model for others to follow on how to appropriately readapt historic structures in the community.”

Just as the historic Nielson Tower connected the Philippines to the world in the 1930s, Filipinas Heritage Library now links the country globally with its information highway.

The Unesco document states that restoration of the structure painstakingly began when project managers using old photos established the original appearance of the building. Apart from some damage received during the Second World War, it was clear the tower’s structure and appearance had remained virtually unchanged since the 1930s.

Minimal work was required in the exterior. The roof, walls and original window frames were refurbished with a fresh coat of paint, window-glass panels replaced, and the Manila International Air Terminal signage on the rear of the building restored.

The only major exterior modification was the removal of the 1970s-era canvas canopy at the front entrance, replaced with a permanent circular canopy in a new design that complements the building’s architectural style.

While the layout of most rooms in the building was left unchanged and original features such as hardwood doors retained, some major alterations were made to the interior.

The central staircase, which provided access to the basement and the tower, had to be replaced to meet safety standards. A new spiral staircase was installed at the back of the building and an elevator was fitted in to allow access by the handicapped.

In order to meet the space requirements of a library the building had to be expanded. Since maintaining the original external appearance of the building was essential, enlargement was implemented underground in the basement area. Effects on the foundations were minimized by limiting the direction of the expansion toward the rear of the building.

Since its restoration, the building has also become a popular venue for community activities such as book launches, lectures, conferences, poetry readings, concerts and social functions, including weddings.

Filipinas Heritage Library brings Philippine history, literature and culture to the rest of the world through information technology. The library was opened to the public on Aug. 23, 1996.

An exhibit showcasing the transformation of the Nielson Tower has been mounted at the Alcove Photo Gallery of the library.

Feedback is welcome at pride.place@gmail.com

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overtureph

August 23rd, 2006, 10:12 AM

Remembrances and the streets of Manila

By Luis R. Sioson
Inquirer
Last updated 03:06am (Mla time) 08/20/2006

Published on page A17 of the August 20, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

CERTAIN sections of Ermita, Sta. Cruz, Binondo and Quiapo are fascinating pieces in the city of Manila’s mosaic. But the plazas seem to have shrunk because there are more people and motor vehicles.

The churches, on the other hand, remain durable and visible landmarks, spiritual sanctuaries for hundreds of pedestrians and visitors. People ply various trade on streets and sidewalks among old buildings and structures, testaments to time’s quick passage.

The pace is slower in the Ermita of the Guerreros than in Sta. Cruz and Quiapo across the Pasig River to the north. There is more space in this district that still bears traces of its genteel past. Shady trees line some of its streets and a few old homes still exude the elegance of a bygone era.

On T. M. Kalaw Street, just off noisy (and polluted) Taft Avenue that intersects UN Avenue (formerly Isaac Peral), one can retreat to the quiet of the United Central Methodist Chapel hidden in the shadows of a large mall that replaced the old Harris Memorial Building.

The section, bounded on the south by Padre Faura Street, on the north by T. M. Kalaw (San Luis Street), on the east and west by Taft Avenue and Roxas Boulevard (Dewey Boulevard), respectively, is dominated by American Period buildings housing the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, University of the Philippines Manila and Philippine General Hospital.

The old Ateneo and its next-door neighbor, Assumption College on Adriatico Street (Dakota Street) and Pedro Gil (Herran), have been replaced by Robinson’s tower and a sprawling mall.

At the corner of Padre Faura and J. Bocobo Street (Nebraska) is a cream-colored residence- turned-restaurant, its charming balcony and stairway remarkably well maintained.

Oldest ‘real’ bookstore

The nearby Marietta Building also on Bocobo, has been re placed by a condominium. Ulog was a popular jazz joint on the same street. F. Sionil Jose’s Solidaridad Bookshop, probably the oldest “real” bookstore in the city, still sells books on P. Faura. Erehwon Bookshop, once the hangout of poets, English majors or anyone looking for hard-to-find books, was once a neighbor.

Za’s Café and Hizon’s Bakeshop at the corner of Arquiza and Bocobo streets still serve their famous ensaimadas, raisin bread and pricey coffee. The café has outlived the other coffee shops in the neighborhood—Taza de Oro, Country Bakeshop, Rolling Pin and United Supermarket’s.

To the west of Padre Faura, corner Roxas Boulevard, one faces the unsettling vista of rundown buildings side by side with a modern glass, steel and concrete structure. On this corner once stood a beautiful mansion owned by a prominent family. It became a bank later.

Ermita Church stands guard over the now quiet tourist belt and a row of naughty bars. The park in front of it is no longer called Plaza Ferguson but Nuestra Señora de Guia.

On UN Avenue is the Philamlife building. Inaugurated in 1961, it has a well-maintained theater that was (and still is) a venue for memorable musical performances and stage plays. The glass-paneled cafeteria, with its adjacent chapel and indoor garden, drew thousands of faithful patrons for lunch and merienda.

Across the avenue is the Manila Pavilion (formerly Manila Hilton and then Holiday Inn). Still eye-catching is the tall white and green Don Alfonso Sycip Building, standing at the corner of UN Avenue and M.H. del Pilar.

Delightful sight

On a quiet narrow street called Alhambra that connects UN Avenue to T.M. Kalaw, is the old Diokno house, a striking two-story white building with a black iron-railed balcony overlooking the street. It is a delightful sight amid towering structures and a tangle of telephone and television cables.

The renovated Bayview Hotel, built in 1935, still stands at the corner of UN Avenue and Roxas Boulevard. Across is the Bel-Air Apartment building, designed and constructed in 1937 by National Artist Pablo Antonio.

Opposite are the former Elks Building and the fabled Army and Navy Club where members of the elite hosted parties or watched plays staged by members of the American community.
Beyond the stretch of graceful apartments and glamorous hotels beckons Manila Bay where people watch magnificent sunsets.

Northward across Jones Bridge, are Plaza Moraga and Plaza Cervantes of Binondo. The conjoined squares that once comprised the city’s throbbing center of commerce now lie desolate in the shadows of aging buildings.

The El Hogar Filipino, almost a century-old, stands forlorn on the seedy southern end of Juan Luna Street (Anloague Street, where Capitan Tiago’s house in Jose Rizal’s “Noli me Tangere,” once stood). Standing beside it are the concrete remains of the old Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank on storied San Gabriel Street.

Farther north, intersecting Juan Luna, is Estraude Street where Rizal’s house was located and where his mother supposedly waited and prayed while he was being escorted to his execution in Bagumbayan (Luneta).

El Hogar, standing by the banks of the Pasig River, still has a number of tenants. Its ground floor gets flooded when the smelly Pasig River—thick and brownish—swells when filled with wild water lilies. The dank odor of old buildings follows you as you gingerly step on improvised wooden planks to avoid the muddy water.

Nearby, the old Insular Life Building facing the Uy Chaco Building (constructed in 1914) in Plaza Cervantes looks dreary and worn, shorn of its emblem of a proud eagle perched on top of its small dome. The top floor used to house radio station dzRH that featured in its programs popular movie stars at the time like Rosa Rosal, Jaime de la Rosa, Pugo, Tugo and other entertainers.

Rizal slept in this hotel

On the same small block stood the First National City Bank of New York and the Bank of the Philippine Islands. Paredes (Rosario) Street still does some business. Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz (Plaza Calderon de la Barca) in front of Binondo Church teems with pedestrians and motor vehicles. On this square once stood Hotel de Oriente, a “five-star hotel” that Rizal patronized.

Escolta has retained its name but not its unofficial title, “Queen of the Streets.” The Crystal Arcade, Botica Boie, Heacock’s, Alonzo, Estrella del Norte, Dencia’s Pansit Malabon, Max’s Fried Chicken, Henry’s Donuts and other well-known establishments are gone. But Savory Restaurant is still around.

A dying Escolta

Escolta has been dying all these years though some businesses still remain. First-run movie theaters Capitol and Lyric are long gone. Nueva Street, where Andres Bonifacio once worked as a sales agent of Fressell y Cia, now carries the name E.T. Yuchengco.

David Street is now Burke Street while across the City College of Manila (formerly the Philippine National Bank head office) is Calvo Building. Soda Street, the Love Bus terminal before, is unrecognizable.

The Perez-Samanillo Building (now First United) and Regina Building still stand strong, proud sentinels at the entrance to Escolta from Sta. Cruz Church. The Samanillo Building, constructed in 1930, was designed by Andres Luna de San Pedro, son of painter-patriot Juan Luna.

Neglected and unnoticed by passersby is a historical marker honoring patriot-newspaperman Patricio Mariano on Banquero (Bangkero) Street, beside the Escolta Bridge, on the edge of a garbage-congested canal.

From the bridge to the left on Plaza Sta. Cruz, the historic Carriedo Fountain shoots out sprays of water that sparkle in the sun. The fountain stands between the Sta. Cruz Church and Monte de Piedad, the country’s oldest savings bank where Manuel L. Quezon, Commonwealth President, once worked as a clerk. The short Bustos Street links the plaza to Avenida Rizal.

The strip between the drab dirty-white Capitan Pepe Building and the equally drab dirty-white Priscilla Building on the Avenida Rizal-Recto Avenue intersection, southward to Carriedo Street and Plaza Lacson (Plaza Goiti), was the most popular part of downtown where one could eat, shop and see first-run movies.

The popular cinemas—Ideal, Universal Theater (now Universal Park Mall), Luzon Theaters’ Avenue and State, and Ever—are all gone. Some familiar landmarks like the Arguelles and Guison buildings remain, but the strip has been transformed into a pedestrian promenade with dusty alfresco cafés accented with balding worn-out topiaries.

Locksmiths on Ronquillo Street still practice their trade. Stores painted in loud Mediterranean colors of yellow, blue and red, and a barber shop crowd under the LRT Station on the Carriedo Plaza Lacson junction. This section has, quite accidentally, developed into a kind of open-air concert hall.

The crowds form a half circle to watch and listen to a blind duo of singer and guitarist, static distorting the sound of the music coming from an amplifier powered by a car battery. The blind musicians and their motley audience of commuters have carved out a space under the LRT tracks.

Distracting background

Further distorting the sound of music is a combination of the hard and heavy rhythmic roll of LRT cars, the ear-splitting sounds of videoke machines and the hoarse voices of ambulant peddlers.

On nearby Palanca Street (Echague), Henry Sy’s old Shoemart (some say the first, the original SM) still does brisk business.

Plaza Lacson honors the colorful Manila Mayor Arsenio “Arsenic” Lacson. He stands tall on a pedestal across the old Roman Santos Building topped by a big clock and stone sculptures.

The popular Clover Theatre that brought the public Don Jose Zarah’s Extravaganza and jazz pianist Ping Joaquin, has become the City College of Manila annex.

On the crowded streets leading to Quiapo Church and Plaza Miranda, Sta. Cruz and Quiapo meet, borderless and offering a mix of colors and scents of street food, fruit and flowers. The aromas of fishball, smoked fish, pineapple slices, flowers, burning candles, herbs, roasted castañas and other “chichiria” fill the air.

Platerias, barely visible on congested Carriedo Street, still offer hard-to-find “piezas” (music sheets).

The stretch from Sta. Cruz Church to Quiapo Church is almost impassable, choked by crowds, stalls and merchandise of all kinds. On Plaza Miranda, balloon vendors, fortune tellers and novena sellers vie for the attention of church goers.

Take a trip to nostalgia and enjoy the walk and the remembrance of things past and present. It will be good for your soul and your sole.

(Luis R. Sioson, president of the Torres High School Class 1955 Foundation, has been writing articles about Tondo and other districts of Manila.)

Copyright 2006 Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Animo

August 23rd, 2006, 11:58 AM

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ART Deco chairs in the Marquez mansion.

By Bea Zobel Jr.
Inquirer News Service

IT was one of our longest trips ever. Eleven in the evening, and we were just limping home. It was truly tiring -- but it was worth it.

My friend Ino had invited me on a trip around the mountain towns of Quezon. This was in preparation for an exhibit at the Met.

Our first stop was Tayabas, cradled in the bosom of Banahaw, the sacred mountain. We were warmly welcomed by then mayor Dondi Silang. He fed us a delicious breakfast.

Among the sumptuous tidbits that I briefly noted before devouring was a bread called bonete. It was warm and yielding, tasting of things fried and sinful. It was wonderful with hot scrambled eggs and tomatoes.

Happily fortified, we were off to explore the town. Actually Dondi's place, Mi Casa en Tayabas, is a destination in itself. The restaurant is quite pretty and cozy. There is an inn with rooms designed by Dondi himself. Such a versatile young man: a dentist, an actor, and even an inn-keeper!

In the garden is an incredible display of stone implements from grinders for grain to bins and troughs. There are also these crosses carved from rock which, I was told were used for an elaborate ritual.

Next stop was the Casa de Comunidad. This is like a town hall in the 19th century, recently restored. When we were there, there was an exhibit made by the young people of the town," World Heritage in Young Hands," organized by the Met.

In a subsequent trip (yes, I went back!) I had a chance to see another Met exhibit, the traveling show "Letras y Figuras." This included a dynamic workshop where the kids painted right on the sidewalks. I remember thinking then that this was the kind of activity that would probably get us jailed by Bayani Fernando!

To return to our circuit, another stop was Tayabas Church. I am told this temple is one of the grandest that the Franciscans ever built in the Philippines.

Among its features is a magnificent silver altar frontal (naku, believe me, it takes time to get all these terms right). What is so amazing about it is, if one looks carefully, one can make out among the beaten metal leaves and flowers cleverly concealed human faces!

I am told church scholar Ricky Jose has noted a similar design in Vigan. We also saw this face-in-the-ferns pattern in the silver pieces in Baclayon, Bohol.

Translator

Given my ancestry, it was no surprise I was asked to translate the Spanish inscription on an elaborate wooden bench near the altar. As you can imagine, the carving recorded for posterity the name of the pious donor.

Perhaps what is Tayabas' most impressive landmark is its fantastic five-span bridge, the Malagonlong. This was built way back in 1841. It is heartbreakingly beautiful with its graceful arches and finely shaped contours. Right at the center of the span is an inscription celebrating the builders.

Interestingly, Ryan Palad (who really adores this piece of our heritage) showed us that, by looking up at the underside of the bridge, one espies, etched with letters -- stonemasons' marks. What a fascinating glimpse of the past -- even as the town's elite were setting up inscriptions glorifying their names, the humble masons who did most of the real work were finding ways to quietly leave something of themselves behind.

Unfortunately, the view of this exquisite bridge has been somewhat ruined by a new one built right beside it. Lunch was at the office of a local NGO, Kabanahaw. Our host was local historian Jun Redor. We were treated to a fantastic feast, mostly prepared by Jun.

On the menu were pako salad freshly picked from the forest; pinais, which is coconut with kamamba leaves and fresh water shrimps; as well as laing. In case there were still empty spaces in our stomachs, dessert was a formidable cassava pudding called budin by the locals.

After lunch, it was time to head for Sariaya. We paused briefly to see the seal of the Franciscans (two arms intertwined before a cross) carved on a wall.

Sariaya is famous for its beautiful houses. Dominating everything is the fabulous Marquez mansion designed by Andres Luna de San Pedro. Inside the house is one of the most stunning sets of Art Deco furniture that I have ever seen.

Another beautiful home is the Rodriguez house, which is now a restaurant called Nuon at Ngayon. The owners very graciously allowed us to explore the interiors. There is a lovely mural of a garden scene on one wall. But what is truly breathtaking were the ceilings.

Every room has painted decor overhead that has a different fruit as motif. My favorite is the rambutans! Imagine the creativity and sophistication that went into the decorative elements of these home environments.

Spanish might

Our day ended with dinner at Villa Escudero. There, we reviewed what we saw that day. We all agreed that the highlights were the Tayabas bridge and the Sariaya ceilings.

Ino decided to take advantage of our inability to protest because of exhaustion, to deliver one last lecture. He pointed out that Tayabas was actually the only capital from the Spanish colonial period to be built in the mountains. The Spanish invested a lot in this town -- several bridges, a huge church, a town hall, plus three chapels. Why?
Perhaps it was because they had to emphasize Spanish might in contrast to that great power center of Philippine culture -- Mt. Banahaw.

For centuries Mt. Banahaw was a sanctuary of Filipinos. Its slopes sheltered rebels, robbers, refugees, outcasts and mystics. It still plays this role today.

It was truly an inspiring lecture, but I am afraid that we all probably fell asleep while listening.

Recalling that fulfilling day, there is one sad note. On my subsequent trip to Tayabas, I was horrified to see a really ugly blue pipe that had been brutally cemented into the fragile structure of Malagonlong Bridge. What a travesty! Why couldn't we have more respect for this lovely, delicate monument? Why do we continue to wreck our heritage? I hope someone has done something to restore the bridge's integrity.

Every time we deface an old bridge, every time we wreck an ancestral house or tear down the beams of an ancient church, we destroy pieces of ourselves. We smash what are actually little windows into the hearts of our ancestors. We shatter the little messages they have so lovingly left us: marks on stones, fruits delicately painted on ceilings, faces among silver ferns.

When will this destruction stop?

E-mail comments to beartist@filipinaslibrary.org.ph or write to Filipinas Heritage Library, Makati Ave., Ayala Triangle, Makati City.
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Animo

August 23rd, 2006, 12:11 PM

By Ryan Rosauro
Inquirer News Service

OZAMIZ CITY, Misamis Occidental--A renewed search for a centuries-old image of the Blessed Virgin, which was stolen some three decades ago, was recently launched by officials of Ozamiz City as part of efforts to restore a relic of the city's Iberian heritage.

The stolen item is a five-foot wooden statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary that had been the object of veneration of the local Catholic faithful for over two centuries.

According to an account of Jesuit priest-historian Miguel Bernad, the statue resembles "the Virgin of the Apocalypse with flowing robes, a crown of 12 stars, and angels and clouds, and a serpent and the moon under her feet."

18th-century fort

Resty Acapulco, a former newsman who now chairs the city mayor's Council of Advisers, said the image was stolen from the local church sometime in 1974. A person named Bernad, who was visiting his family in the city, discovered the loss and called the attention of the parish priest, he recalled.

The missing statue resembles another image hung on the postern gate of an 18th-century Spanish fort in the city known as the Birhen sa Cotta. During the Spanish period, the wooden statue was placed in a wooden chapel inside the fort for veneration by Spanish soldiers. It was transferred to the town church in the mid-1940s when the Americans took over the fort, which was used as a Japanese garrison during the Second World War.

Acapulco, who covered the story about the image's loss and the search, said the statue came all the way from Bilbao, Spain. It was the only image of the Blessed Virgin in the world that is listed in the Vatican archives as the Nuestra Senora del Triunfo dela Cruz (Lady of the Triumph of the Cross), he said.

Before the relic was stolen, a scapular embedded with two emerald stones that adorned the Blessed Virgin was lost, added Acapulco, "as if portending a greater tragedy." The scapular belonged to the Spanish-descended Bernad family; it is worn on the image every time it was marched in a procession during the Blessed Virgin's feast on July 16.

Acapulco related that an Irish diviner with whom a Columban missionary priest had consulted, said the statue had been dumped into the sea.

Mystery

While calling the renewed search "a dream," Acapulco insisted on really finding the image, "no matter what."

Throughout the years, the loss had been rather mysterious for the townsfolk until the present campaign was launched. Mystery, however, continues to shroud the efforts.

Asked what the leads pursued by authorities during that time were, Acapulco simply replied: "There are truths that are better left unsaid."

In a resolution passed unanimously, the city council urged the National Historical Institute and the National Bureau of Investigation to aid the local government in the search.

Councilor Irene Luansing Jr., who authored the resolution, said the local government wanted to find the image, which was once part of the Spanish fort, as the garrison would be marking its 250th year by 2006. The fort was constructed in 1756.

Councilor Simplicia Neri, chair of the tourism committee, said the restoration of the relic was important for the city's push to develop as a historical and cultural destination.

Most likely, the ancient relic is now in the possession of antique collectors, said Luansing.

A replica of the image was created upon commission of the local Catholic church and is encased in concrete and glass at a small foreground park in front of the cathedral.

In an article several years ago, Bernad said he had sought the help of then Philippine Constabulary chief Fidel Ramos, but nothing had come out of it.

"We might also have to involve the foreign affairs department as the stolen image might have been sold abroad," said Luansing.

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OtAkAw

August 23rd, 2006, 02:23 PM

^^That dream will be very hard to achieve...

Animo

August 29th, 2006, 03:02 AM

By Augusto Villalon
Inquirer
Last updated 01:10am (Mla time) 08/28/2006

Published on page C2 of the August 28, 2006 issue of the Philippine
Daily Inquirer

WHO SAID CONSTRUCTING A NEW building beside an old one is not good
design? Many people believe that the new building must "conform" to
the old one by attempting to look alike or at least somewhat similar.

Philippine architects today still follow the outdated "conforming
architecture" concept, pairing old and new, designing new buildings
that mimic the old by grafting a detail or a feature that echoes a
bit of the old building in the new one.

Many times the borrowed heritage detail is force-fit into the new
structure, resulting in an uneasy, out-of-place architecture that
awkwardly attempts a blending of old and new.

The truth is that the new always pales in comparison with the old.
The original is always better. Imitation is seldom better than the
original. So why imitate? Why put the old ill at ease with the new?

In planning its new headquarters on San Luís Street in Manila,
Instituto Cervantes decided not to imitate the historic Casino
Español de Manila beside it. Instead what it built was a new, totally
modern building that relates wonderfully to its heritage neighbor.

The two buildings are totally at ease with each other.

Respected

Among the oldest private clubs in the country, the Casino Español is
a respected Manila institution. The club premises, designed in 1951
by architect Jose Ma. Zaragoza, are done in the fluid "Filipino-
California-Spanish style," a hybrid architectural style popular
during the post-World War II years.

The venerable building, a low single-story structure whose arched
loggias spread around a shaded interior courtyard, is one of the last
surviving Manila structures from that forgotten era.

The membership should be commended for retaining the original
structure of their club and for resisting "modernization."

Now comes the new Instituto Cervantes. Erected on Casino Español
property, the new building located on the far side of the existing
club quadrangle is architecture unmistakably of the 21st century, a
structure in total contrast with the Zaragoza building on the other
side of the shared quadrangle.

Contrasting with the arches of the Casino's loggia, the Instituto
presents a two-story all-glass wall looking out to the quadrangle
from behind a covered open walk connecting classrooms on the ground
floor and exposing the library above. Although no details in the new
building mimic the old Zaragoza structure beside it, there is full
architectural respect between the two structures.

Interiors

The interiors of both buildings mirror the eras when they were built.
Beneath the low ceilings of the Casino everything is well-burnished
wood, polished red tile floors, and insets of azulejo tiles shipped
from Spain.

Javier Galván, architect and former director of the Instituto
Cervantes, takes the traditional Philippine bahay-na-bato as his
organizing principle for his conceptual design of the new structure.

The lobby evokes the traditional zaguan from a Spanish colonial house
in the Philippines. Ground-floor walls are rendered in raw concrete,
reminiscent of the stone walls of old. A grand staircase rises to the
upper floor, where wood makes an appearance on the floors and walls,
much like traditional Philippine houses. Evoking capiz windows in old
houses, wooden grids frame the glass on doors and windows.

Finishes are definitely 21st century. So is the allocation of space
and the handling of natural light.

On the ground floor, gray ceramic floor tiles link walls rendered in
raw concrete bathed in natural light from rooftop skylights that
continue into the second-floor library, whose floor stops short of
the perimeter wall to allow more natural light to filter into the
enclosed classrooms below.

Light

Light pierces all areas of the building, achieving luminosity and
transparency as well as the air circulation so central to tropical
architecture. The building captures Philippine lifestyle and
satisfies local climatic conditions perfectly.

Galván, who has devoted years studying Philippine architecture,
successfully updates historic and traditional references into 21st
century architecture, an approach common in other countries but
rarely seen in the Philippines.

History and tradition coexist on San Luís Street where both buildings
stand in neighborly harmony. The low, horizontal lines of both
façades form a harmonious dialogue along the street with the two-
story Instituto building accentuating rather than dwarfing the low
older building next to it.

Most important, one does not dominate the other. Each building,
confident of its excellence, does not try to outshine the other.
There is unity of vision on the street.

Think of a May-December architectural arrangement in this fusion of
old and new where each partner enters the relationship with strong
perspectives rooted in different generations. In the relationship,
one is not forced to "conform" to the other nor do the different
perspectives clash.

Despite an apparent disparity in form and style, the two partners
build a lasting bond that allows each one to maintain his
individuality as a shared identity is jointly built up.

May-December harmony is the lesson to be learned from Instituto
Cervantes and the Casino Español who show Manila how to be good
neighbors.

Now, does it still hold that you cannot marry a new building with an
older one?

Heritage watch

The new Citibank Savings branch shines on Quintin Paredes Street. Its
sensitive, straightforward reuse of an old Binondo building converted
into a contemporary banking area signals the start of a heritage
trend in a highly commercial inner-city neighborhood that usually has
little regard for its rich pedigree. Bravo!

E-mail the author at pride.place@gmail.com
http://showbizandstyle.inq7.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view_article.php?article_id=17542

Animo

August 30th, 2006, 05:53 AM

By FELICISIMO TEJUCO, JR.

Last July 20, participants of the Heritage Conservation symposium at the UST College of Architecture learned more about the state of Philippine architecture and history. They also had a chance to hear four decades worth of architectural experience from Arch. Maria Cristina Turalba, FUAP. A renowned heritage lover, environmental planner and academician, Turalba recently released her book, “Philippine Heritage Architecture before 1521 to the 1970s.”

Through a powerpoint presentation, the speaker even took the audience to an audio-visual tour of the archipelago: from Batanes, the home of the Ivatans and where the spirit of bayanihan (cooperation) remains alive; to the hometown of Carcar, Cebu, known to be the patron of St. Catherine of Alexandria, the makers of ampaw (sweetened rice crispy) and home of the refurbished Carcar District Hospital; and Jolo, land of the Badjaos and Islam. In Manila, she led them to the Orchid Garden Suite Hotel, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Building, and the CCP Complex.

Turalba’s talk started off with history of Philippine architecture, which is divided into four periods: the vernacular period, which dates until 1521, the arrival of the Spaniards. The Spanish era is followed by the short-lived American period. When World War II erupted, architecture did not only cease but a great number of them were reduced to dust like in the walled city of Intramuros. History revealed that Manila was only second to Warsaw, Poland as the most devastated city in the world.

Unfortunately, the destruction of architectural treasures continues to his day. Most dilapidated public buildings are at the mercies of the local government. In Manila, a number of heritage sites have been flattened like the Jai Alai Building. To date, the Avenue Theater, on the western side of Rizal Avenue near the corner of Claro M. Recto Avenue will be converted into a parking lot. This architectural work was designed by National Artist Juan Nakpil, known for the UP Administration Building and Library, Manila Jockey Club, and Philippine Village Hotel. During the open forum, Jeremy Badong of Adamson University noted that Luneta Hotel may soon follow a similar fate.

Crusade groups like the National Center for the Culture and the Arts and Heritage Conservation Society have waged a long and difficult campaign in the name of cultural preservation. Unfortunately, it’s not usually a happy ending. For one, Turalba disclosed that the Constitution is usually the threat against heritage structures when human life is on the line. "You cannot create a law that prohibits people from touching a building because that will be contrary to the constitution," she added.

Financing is another perennial problem which heritage groups cannot provide. "We can only provide technical assistance," Turalba said. Some ancestral houses like the Pastor House are lucky to have the financial support of its owners.

REUSE AND RESTORATION

Turalba stressed that adaptive reuse is a feasible alternative to heritage restoration. "Adaptive reuse is something that we have been doing. That’s why the ukay-ukay is flourishing. We turn things around. We convert old things to something news" she said.

The construction of new buildings should not mean the destruction of heritage treasures. Turalba cited the residence of Justice Antonio Villareal, built during the height of Art Deco in Vito Cruz St., Manila. It was refurbished to become the administration office of the Orchid Garden Suite. "It’s (the solution) good. When foreigners come in, they’ll see `ganito pala ang mga bahay natin noon.’"

Another example is the Carcar Dispensary in Cebu, which was originally built by Mayor Mariano Mercado sometime in the 1920s.

Even Luneta Hotel, the only structure reminiscent of French architecture in the country, can be restored to its full glory. Turalba suggested treating it with double windows to filter noise pollution. Upon restoration, the hotel can even put added premium to its services.

Turalba stressed that good design and architectural solutions will ensure higher chances of survival for the building. "If it was properly planned based on ordinances, maintenance cost will be low. That’s the basic rule," she added.

APPRECIATION

FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE

Because the country is in the middle of the international trading pool, cross cultural interaction and influences are inevitable from music to clothing to architecture. Turalba added that "architecture is about culture. Culture is about use of space and different people use it differently. Our own culture asserts itself."

In addition, architecture is a noble and creative profession. In designing, Turalba said "you can discipline people or you can destroy the Filipino people though your architecture. It is being sensitive to the need of the person, to the nature of the person."

She cited the inherent Filipino warmness and hospitality. Part of our culture is to welcome and escort family and relatives to the airport, which should be considered in the design of airport terminals. "A foreigner may not appreciate this but this is our culture. This is us. Isn’t it heartwarming to have all these people waiting to bring you home?"

She also noted the simplicity and effective design of the bahay kubo, which were "crafted by ordinary human beings based on principles of simple logic or common sense. It answered a lot of environmental needs and social needs. The bahay kubo responds to the environment."

During the humid months, the bamboo walls allow the breeze to come in. During the stormy months, residents open the windows so the wind doesn’t topple down the house. "It does not fight the earth but it is a building that dances with the earthquakes. This is `sustainable architecture,’" she added.

Similarly, the bahay na bato of the Spanish period was designed in response to natural calamities. Stone and mortar were only used on the lower floors while wood was extensively used on the upper floors. To soften up the design, walls were accented by wooden doors and window openings were made of capiz to let the light in. Doors for bedrooms are rarely closed. The only attempt at are privacy are the beautiful crochets that curtains the doorway. Turalba observed that Filipinos are generally apathetic and indifferent to old architecture. "When we talk of old houses, you would usually hear criticisms like `pangit kasi hindi modern.’ The move is always towards the modern," she said.

Turalba stressed the importance of heritage which are "physical reminders of our nation. Dito tayo nanggaling. Dito tayo nagmula. Destroying them (heritage structures) means wiping out the Filipinos," she said.

Turalba also noted the dedication to heritage conservation of our Asian neighbors like Japan. Since wood is quite difficult to maintain in buildings, some Japanese temples are being restored by dismantling the entire structure, removing old pieces and putting them back again. A 24-hour brigade also constantly monitors these religious monuments. In Russia, she shared a conversation she had with a taxi driver who said that the government’s priorities in the preservation of their palaces "are nothing compared to my needs."

PRESERVATION, PROMOTION

AND PROFESSIONALISM

Turalba encouraged everyone to do their share in promoting awareness on conservation heritage, especially to the owners of old buildings. "Architects can also have ulterior motives (in conservation heritage because) mas malaki ang professional fee. But you are our allies and not our enemies in heritage conservation. There is a way for you to have your cake and eat it to," she said.

She added: "Our forefathers have left us their ingenuity, of understanding how to build we nature. This is something that we should do, not destroy this earth. As architects, that is your responsibility, your contribution, your pamana to the rest of the Filipino people."

To future architects, Turalba stressed the importance of education and natural curiosity, encouraging them to visit and observe in job sites. She added that female architects are not exempted from working in the construction site. "Don’t you think that (building construction) is one of the most exciting things? From a bare ground, you see a building standing up?" she said.

She added that there are gems hidden even in the most unlikely places. "How many of you have taken the opportunity to go to a housing resettlement?I saw the most beautiful mosaic floor in a squatters residence. Inside the house, the floor was tiled by bottle caps laid out in a very neat pattern."

To her colleagues, aside from continuing education and professionalism, "In the planning of architecture, we do not work on concepts that can be changed overnight. What we have built will be here forever. That is why we have a very big responsibility to our country, to this world."

"As architects, you will be building structures and cities that are here to stay on this earth. When you make a mistake, it will be staring at you to be seen by the world. If you built something beautiful it will be your monument."

The talk was the first of a series of symposium held by the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) Rizal-Kalayaan 100 Chapter. Sponsored by Crown Asia Compounders, the symposium was held in cooperation with UAP Student Auxiliary-UST (UAPSA-UST) Chapter.

Participants were UAPSA-Adamson University Chapter members, who are also graduating students, led by its chapter president, Jasper Domingo. Other attendees include students of the UST College of Architecture, UST Central Seminary, UST Graduate School, and professionals.

The next series of symposia is set on September 2006 at the Central Colleges of the Philippines. Speakers are architects Dianne Marcelle K. Abistado, UAP, senior architect at St. Luke’s Medical Center, (Heathcare Design and Maintenance), and Jenner P. Macaballug, UAP, (Computer Rendering Tips and Techniques). For inquiries or sponsorship, contact Arch. Boyet Tejuco (0915-403-5707 or 731-5355).

(The author is the president of the UAP Rizal-Kalayaan chapter, the organizer of the symposium.)

http://www.mb.com.ph/archive_pages.php?url=http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2006/08/30/SCAU2006083072956.html

overtureph

August 30th, 2006, 09:36 AM

Makati seeks to rediscover its past
By Michael Punongbayan
The Philippine Star 08/30/2006

The country’s financial capital, known for its high-rise buildings and commercial centers, now wants to rediscover its past as it steps back in time to unravel its rich culture and traditions.

The Makati City government, with the help of historians and other experts, has launched a Heritage Conservation Program (HCP), which will retrace, re-learn and help residents appreciate the city’s history with the synergy of past and present to foster future growth and development.

Mayor Jejomar Binay said he has foreseen the value of preserving the culture of Makati City anchored in the old adage, "ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makakarating sa paroroonan."

Barangay Poblacion, the historical seat of Makati City’s traditions and governance, has been chosen as the pilot barangay where the first Heritage Zone will rise.

To realize this goal, Binay has sought the assistance of Instituto Cervantes’ Spanish Program for Cultural Cooperation (SPCC) and the FEATI University.

Dr. Julio Galvan, general coordinator of the SPCC has signed an agreement with Binay, which releases to the city government a P200,000 grant that will help fund the cultural mapping of Barangay Poblacion.

Binay said completing the three-way partnership is Feati University represented by its president Dr. Adolfo Jesus Gopez.

The academic institution will provide cultural experts, professors and a research staff that will conduct the cultural mapping of Barangay Poblacion.

"They will document historical structures and landmarks and ingrained practices and beliefs," Binay announced.

He said a heritage preservation plan will be created from the data gathered by the study group up to November this year.

Binay added that he has assembled a committee composed of representatives from the city government, residents and the private sector to oversee the heritage project.

With the help of Instituto Cervantes and Feati University, he expressed confidence in the program that will relive the past for the people of the present while inspiring future generations.

http://philstar.com/philstar/NEWS200608306304.htm

OtAkAw

August 30th, 2006, 02:32 PM

^^One good point for Binay, I hope he repeatedly do such honorable decisions.

ishtefh_03

August 31st, 2006, 03:39 AM

i was just browsing my comp station at our cadd class yesterday and i just saw this one folder "elhogar" i'm a fan of elhogar bldg so i save it immediately... so i just wanna share the pics which i got from that computer and thanks to el tyron whoever he is for taking that pics!!!

a view from the other side...
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e345/ishtefh_03/elhogar/DSC01087.jpg

a closer look...
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e345/ishtefh_03/elhogar/DSC01098.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e345/ishtefh_03/elhogar/DSC01097.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e345/ishtefh_03/elhogar/DSC01102.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e345/ishtefh_03/elhogar/DSC01095.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e345/ishtefh_03/elhogar/DSC01103.jpg

ishtefh_03

August 31st, 2006, 03:41 AM

^^ooppss!! the photos are too big... sensya na, more pics soon (the architectural details of elhogar and interior photos of it too...) i'll resize it first. :D

Lili

August 31st, 2006, 05:20 AM

Great find Steph! The big pictures actually help us see the architectural details of El Hogar better. :)

ishtefh_03

August 31st, 2006, 06:51 AM

i have more closer look of every details of el hogar, i'll post it soon...

Wonderboy

September 4th, 2006, 09:36 AM

^^ Thanks for posting the "El Hogar" photos, Steph.

A LECTURE ON: "Documenting Endangered Architecture and Landscapes with
Digital Photography" with Architect Paulo Alcazaren

The Museum Foundation of the Philippines
<http://museumfoundationph.org/> , in cooperation with the Lopez
Memorial Museum, presents the eighth in the series Stories about
Preserving Cultural Heritage. We invite you to the lecture "Documenting
Endangered Architecture and Landscapes with Digital Photography" to be
given by Architect Paulo Alcazaren. The talk will focus on digital
photography in research and documentation of Philippine architectural
and planning heritage- an introduction to a new digital technology for
imaging. The lecture also takes into account cameras and equipment,
logistics and actual techniques and case studies.

Architect Paulo Alcazaren is the editor of BluPrint Magazine and a
columnist for the Philippine Star. An architect and landscape architect
by training and profession, Alcazaren is an advocate of intelligent
design and heritage conservation. He has won recognition for his
architectural works and his writings.

We invite you and your friends to join this lecture on Sept 9, 2006,
Saturday, from 10:00am - 12:00pm. The fee is only P50.00 for Museum
Foundation members and P100.00 for non-members. It will be held at the
4th Floor of the Tambunting-Villonco Hall, National Museum of the
Filipino People, P. Burgos cor. Finance Road, Rizal Park, Manila.

For inquiries and reservations, please contact:

Patricia Limon, Elvie Magpayo or Flor Cortez
at 404.2685 or 722.9073
Museum Foundation of the Philippines, Inc.
G/F National Museum of the Filipino People
Valencia Circle, Rizal Park, Manila 1004 Philippines
Telefax: (63-2) 404-2685
www.museumfoundatio nph.org <http://www.museumfo undationph. org/>

Wonderboy

September 4th, 2006, 09:39 AM

27th NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON LOCAL AND NATIONAL HISTORY
LEYTE NORMAL UNIVERSITY
TACLOBAN CITY, LEYTE PROVINCE
October 26-28, 2006

DEAR PNHS MEMBERS, FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES, STUDENTS OF HISTORY:

I have the honor and pleasure to invite you to the 27th National Conference on Local and National History of the Philippine National Historical Society (PNHS) to be held on October 26-28, 2006 at the HRDC Main Theater, Leyte Normal University (LNU), Tacloban City, Leyte Province. The Conference theme is “Revisiting Visayan Historiography, Revisioning Philippine Historiography.” The objective of the conference is to look at the state of Visayan historiography and identify gaps that can be addressed by future or further research, and locating Visayan history in the context of a national Philippine historiography. Continuing a tradition in PNHS of encouraging systematic studies on local and national history, papers will also be presented in related disciplines and other regions in the fields of history, culture, and traditions.

The registration fee for the Conference is PhP 2,500. Participants will receive a conference kit containing a CD of the conference papers, the book of abstracts with the program, complimentary PNHS publications, and snacks and lunches for the two days of the conference proper (October 26-27). Breakfasts and dinners, except for sponsored dinners, will be at the expense of the participants. (The registration fee will be discounted to P2,250.00 for those who will pre-register and pay the fee not later than October 1, 2006. On-site registration will also be discounted to P2,250.00 for those who would take up PNHS membership. Registration for actively employed Dep-Ed teachers with appropriate IDs will be discounted to P2,000.00. Checks can be sent to the Land Bank, UP Diliman, PNHS Account # 3071-0022-91, or RCBC Kalayaan Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City, PNHS Account # 1-191-42200-3). We urge you to pre-register so we can prepare reserve your conference kits and reserve your accommodations. Accommodations will be in university dormitories (for 150 participants) at the rate of Php 100 per night and will be arranged by the LNU Conference Secretariat on a first come, first served basis, the charges to be shouldered by the participants. For accommodations outside LNU, please contact the LNU Conference Secretariat.

Tacloban may be reached by plane daily from Manila on Philippine Airlines or Cebu Pacific. It may also be reached by bus from Manila on Philtranco, Silverstar, CUL Transport, Eaglestar, and Ultrabus; and from Davao on Bachelor Express. By boat, Tacloban can be reached from Cebu on the Supercat three times daily via Ormoc, and then by bus to Tacloban.

Please use this letter of invitation for the purpose of obtaining official travel authority and funding from your school or agency to enable you to attend this conference. PNHS and LNU will request for CHED and DEP-ED Memos to allow participants to attend the conference on official time. Note that the conference proper will take place on October 26 and 27 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on both days; so you should plan to arrive in Tacloban City on October 25. On October 28 there will be an optional study-tour or Lakbay-Aral of nearby cultural and historical sites in Leyte Province.
We request that you return the enclosed pre-registration form (with your pre-registration fee if you wish to avail of the discounted rate), on or before October 1, 2006, to the PNHS address listed below. Checks can be sent directly to the PNHS bank accounts listed above. Please send a copy of your bank receipt with the accomplished pre-registration form to confirm your attendance.

Bernardita R. Churchill, Ph.D.
President and National Convener
Philippine National Historical Society, Inc.
40 Matiwasay Street, UP Village
Diliman, Quezon City 1101
Tel: (02) 921-4575 Tel/Fax: (02) 926-1347

For particulars on accommodations and other arrangements in Tacloban City, please contact either one of the following:

Pablo U. Amascual III
Chief Administrative Officer
Leyte Normal University
Paterno Street, Tacloban City 6500
Conference Co-Convener
Tel: (053) 321-6487
Fax: (053) 325-6122
Cell Phone: 0910-300-6420
E-mail: dinoamascual1961@yahoo.com

Rolando O. Borrinaga, Ph.D.
School of Health Sciences
UP Manila in Palo, Leyte Province 6500
Conference Co-Convener
Tel: (053) 323-2173
Cell Phone: 0920-806-7885
E-mail: rolborr@skyinet.net; rolborr@yahoo.com

We look forward to your participation.

Yours sincerely,

Bernardita R. Churchill, Ph.D.
President and National Convener

Wonderboy

September 5th, 2006, 09:41 AM

http://www.theindia ncatholic. com/newsread. asp?nid=2638

Philippines' Bishops Asked To Prevent Defacing Of Heritage Churches

MANILA (UCAN) -- A picture of an old church in the northern Philippines
hangs in Arlex Zapata's Manila home, but it no longer reflects the reality.

A souvenir book on St. Catherine of Alexandria Church in Tayum, a town in
Abra province, about 340 kilometers north of Manila, describes the structure
as a "monument to the creativity, artistry and industry of its forefathers
who worked under the supervision of Spanish friars."

Zapata, a bank worker, photographed the church in his hometown 10 years ago,
but he told UCA News he "barely recognized" it when he returned years later.

The church was repainted in the late 1990s, and Arnel Valdez, a member of
the parish pastoral council, told him the council and religious
organizations in the town approved the renovation funded by people in Manila
and abroad.

Zapata said he and his relatives share the sentiments expressed in a July 3
petition that the Heritage Conservation Society of the Philippines (HCS), a
non-stock, non-profit entity, submitted to the Catholic Bishops' Conference
of the Philippines (CBCP). More than 600 people signed the petition.

HCS advocates the protection and preservation of heritage, cultural and
historical sites it considers part of the Philippine national identity.

The petition, published in the July 17 issue of "CBCP Monitor," the CBCP's
official publication, asks bishops to stop priests from "defacing" heritage
churches. It considers churches built in the Spanish colonial period
"inherent parts of the architectural heritage of Filipinos," which testify
to "the excellence and creativity of Filipino artisans and craftsmen of
yesteryear."

About four decades after Spanish expeditions first landed in the Philippines
in 1521, Spain colonized the Philippines until it ceded the archipelago to
the United States in 1898.

Petitioners view the Church and its officials as custodians of churches, and
complain about parish priests who "have taken it upon themselves to
modernize and renovate heritage churches under their care without proper
consultation with agencies mandated to protect cultural and historical
heritage."

Asserting that the renovations are "costly and unnecessary and at times
ostentatious, " the petitioners suggest that money designated for such
renovations be used for social projects that aid the poor.

They also want the CBCP immediately to stop all renovations and to require
priests to submit plans in advance so that the CBCP Permanent Committee for
the Cultural Heritage of the Church (PCCHH) can review and approve them.

Father Renato Amasi, former parish priest of Saint Catherine, told UCA News
on July 26 the central diocesan board of Bangued diocese, which serves Abra,
approved the church repainting project, which cost around 100,000 pesos
(about US$1,950). The leaking roof was fixed and parts of the church
repainted, he added, after original bricks were repainted and plastered over
with cement.

Parishioners of Santo Tomas de Villanueva Church in Cebu City, 565
kilometers south of Manila, also complain about plans to alter their church.

Father Carlito Pono, chairperson of Cebu archdiocese' s Commission for the
Cultural Heritage of the Church, told UCA News on July 26 that the project
was a reason they wanted their pastor, Monsignor Constantino Diotay,
transferred. Augustinian friars reportedly built the church in the late 19th
century.

Father Pono said Monsignor Diotay did not notify the commission about the
construction, but the Santo Tomas pastor did send a request to the
Commission on Worship of the archdiocese. "He was trying to repair the altar
for reasons that are liturgical," Father Pono pointed out. In any case, he
added, the cultural heritage commission will wait for an order from Cardinal
Ricardo Vidal of Cebu before intervening.

In a 2005 circular, Cardinal Ricardo Vidal of Cebu instructed priests to
send a written request for "any renovation, any construction, or improvement
on a given structure which has a historical and cultural value."

Father Milan Ted Torralba, the PCCHH executive secretary, told UCA News his
committee, an advisory body created in July 1996, helps the CBCP protect
heritage churches in the country. The committee has no executive powers, he
explained, and "the bishops are the chief administrators of projects of the
dioceses." He said the committee "can only remind the bishops gently about
the heritage laws of the Church," which set the guidelines, rules and norms
by which the bishops can implement their projects.

Father Torralba recently distributed to the bishops a paper on canons
affecting Church heritage. He said his committee has also proposed to
include cultural heritage in the seminary curriculum. "What we can do now is
educate the clergy on the importance of heritage in the liturgy," he said.

With bishops "concerned about so many things," the priest added, physical
maintenance of church buildings is delegated to parish priests who sometimes
"act as engineers and architects of the churches under their care."

HCS wants the CBCP to declare that all Catholic churches in the Philippines
50 years or older are heritage churches. The heritage society also wants
those churches to be listed, to help the PCCHH monitor and preserve them.

According to Father Torralba, the CBCP has no master list of heritage
churches, but dioceses have directories of their own churches.

Animo

September 11th, 2006, 01:07 AM

By Vicky Veloso-Barrera, Contributor

09/11/2006

A year ago I hardly knew anything about my grandfather, National Artist Pablo Antonio other than that he built the Manila Polo Club and loved sweets. My mother Malu Veloso has always wanted to make a book about him, and she came a step closer to fulfilling that dream when Vibal Publishing decided to take up the project. I became involved as project editor and researcher, eventually writing the book myself. The process became an almost parallel journey alongside my grandfather’s life, which was marked with both struggle and difficulty, and incredible breakthroughs and discoveries.

Pablo Antonio was born on January 25, 1902, a time of many great changes as the Philippines had just moved from three centuries of Spanish rule to beginning of American colonization. Great changes were taking place also in the art circles abroad, with movements increasingly opposed to the neoclassical styles of the 19th century. Modernism was about to take hold.

Pablo Antonio was the son of a maestro de obra, or master builder; for back in the 19th century there were no architectural schools yet here. He inherited an interest and exposure to building from his father, who was also a painter and sculptor. But orphaned at age twelve, he struggled to complete his education. He went to school in bakya and put himself through night high school by working for the Bureau of Public Works in the daytime. He was able to afford to enroll himself at Mapua School of Architecture, but dropped out when the opportunity came to work on the Legislative Building (now the National Library).

Engineer Ramon Arevalo, whose Santa Clara company was in charge of the project, was quick to spot Antonio’s potential, and paid for Antonio to study architecture at the London University. Antonio completed a five year course in three years because he had spent so much actual time as a draftsman and working on construction sites, so in experience he was way ahead of his classmates.

Coming back to the Philippines in 1930, he went to work for Santa Clara and in that very first decade created some of his very best works, such as the Ideal Theater, the Far Eastern University buildings, the still very beautiful Don Ramon Roces Publications Building on Soler Street and the White Cross orphanage on Santolan Road. At a time when other masters in the field, such as Andres Luna de San Pedro (son of the famous painter Juan Luna) and Juan Nakpil where already dabbling in Art Deco, the newest trend back then, yet were unable somehow to let go of their neoclassical training, Antonio burst upon the scene with designs that were so radical, so avant garde and so bold that everyone had to sit up and take notice. In that sense, PIA archivist Joel Rico refers to him as the foremost modernist architect.

It was not only in the aspect of design that Antonio was outstanding, but how he used design as an integral part of the construction so that the structures he built both looked and were massive, stable and firmly rooted to the ground. He was so particular about making structures sturdy that he often popped up unexpectedly at job sites to make sure there was no substitution of inferior materials. At the same time, he was very conscious of creating for a tropical climate, so he made use of sunscreens, slanted windows and other devices to allow natural light and ventilation while keeping out excess sun and rain. Having very few choices for materials compared to today, he found ingenious ways to create sculptural designs out of very simple things like hollow blocks. Making use even of river stones or whatever was available, he gave Art Deco a truly local flavor that lived up to international standards.

Unlike the other masters of the time, who were well off and could afford to educate themselves abroad, Antonio was given his opportunity when others noticed his diligence and the quality of his work. Having no family connections that could have helped him early on in his career, he had to succeed on the strength of his designs alone.

Likewise, at the beginning of the project I found that there was scant information on my grandfather. Office files had been lost to neglect and floods, colleagues like his former contractors had recently passed away. The trail looked very cold indeed. And yet incredibly, by God’s grace the information needed came through with miracle after miracle. You will need to read the book to learn about the two hundred fifty amazing structures Antonio was to build over a career spanning four decades and the incredible stories that came along with their discovery.

The book project on Pablo Antonio could not have been more timely, because recently two of his major works, the Galaxy Theater on Rizal Avenue and the Manila Polo Club are being threatened with demolition and irreparable loss. I also find it rather sad that even the architectural books have little to say about him or any of the architectural masters. How can a new generation of Filipinos care about our cultural heritage when they are not taught to treasure it?

There are many valuable lessons to be learned from the life of the masters. With my grandfather, what struck me the most is that when the circumstances are difficult, you don’t give up—you try harder. That’s what enabled him to excel.

We are hoping to launch the book on Pablo Antonio late November of this year. In the meantime, we are also selling advance copies to raise the funds needed for our production costs. Sponsors who purchase at least one copy of the hard cover version of the book at P5,000 will also get their names listed in a special section. For inquiries you may contact me at 410-2279, 0916-5165035 or tiny_planet@hotmail.com.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/life/20060911lif1.html

Sinjin P.

September 11th, 2006, 02:32 AM

Thread has been renamed: Protecting and Preserving our Heritage (Heritage Watch II)

lewdsaint

September 11th, 2006, 02:28 PM

The National Historical Institute congratulates the Iloilo Golf and Country Club for keeping alive the legacy of the Santa Barbara Golf Course, which serves as memorial to the colorful history of Iloilo.

The beginning of Santa Barbara Golf Course runs parallel with the development of the railway system linking Iloilo to other towns of Panay in 1907. During this period, the British Engineers of the Philippine Railway Corporation tasked to build the railways also built the golf course on a 2000 yards 9-hole layout. They subsequently formed the Santa Barbara Golf and Country Club with British and American members, and later Filipinos, one of them was Tomas Confessor, a hero of the Philippine Revolution and Governor of Iloilo during the American period. Another Filipino member of the Golf Club was Fernando Lopez, who became Vice President of the Philippines. The golf course withstood time to witness the Second World War, which according to eyewitness accounts, was used by the Americans as barracks during the liberation.

The Santa Barbara Golf Course became the social hub of families of foreign nationals and Filipinos since the early American period. It can be said that it has created socio-economic and tourism advantage to Santa Barbara because its numerous tournaments draw crowds of golf enthusiasts, and provide employment and income-generating opportunities to the residents. It has contributed professional golfers in the history of golf in the Philippines like Mario Siodina, Jose Rates, Jr., Miguel Sequito and Cecil Hechanova (former chair of the Philippine Sports Commission). It is recognized by the National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP) as the oldest in the country.

In view thereof, the National Historical Institute hereby formally recognizes the Santa Barbara Golf Course as the “oldest existing golf course in the Philippines” through the Centennial Marker that will be installed in the year 2007. The text of the Centennial Marker reads:

Santa Barbara Golf Course
Founded 1907. Oldest Existing Golf Course in the Philippines under the Santa Barbara Golf and Country Club. Now known as the Iloilo Golf and Country Club, Inc.

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e248/lewdsaint/golf_banner.jpg

Visit the Iloilo Golf and Country Club, Inc. website : http://www.iloilogolfclub.com

LordCarnal

September 12th, 2006, 01:30 PM

http://www.theindia ncatholic. com/newsread. asp?nid=2638
Parishioners of Santo Tomas de Villanueva Church in Cebu City, 565
kilometers south of Manila, also complain about plans to alter their church.

Father Carlito Pono, chairperson of Cebu archdiocese' s Commission for the
Cultural Heritage of the Church, told UCA News on July 26 that the project
was a reason they wanted their pastor, Monsignor Constantino Diotay,
transferred. Augustinian friars reportedly built the church in the late 19th
century.

Father Pono said Monsignor Diotay did not notify the commission about the
construction, but the Santo Tomas pastor did send a request to the
Commission on Worship of the archdiocese. "He was trying to repair the altar
for reasons that are liturgical," Father Pono pointed out. In any case, he
added, the cultural heritage commission will wait for an order from Cardinal
Ricardo Vidal of Cebu before intervening.

In a 2005 circular, Cardinal Ricardo Vidal of Cebu instructed priests to
send a written request for "any renovation, any construction, or improvement
on a given structure which has a historical and cultural value."

Father Milan Ted Torralba, the PCCHH executive secretary, told UCA News his
committee, an advisory body created in July 1996, helps the CBCP protect
heritage churches in the country. The committee has no executive powers, he
explained, and "the bishops are the chief administrators of projects of the
dioceses." He said the committee "can only remind the bishops gently about
the heritage laws of the Church," which set the guidelines, rules and norms
by which the bishops can implement their projects.

I'm quite confused. Is it really a complete "no-no" to modify an old structure (by renovation perhaps or by adding some fixtures, etc., as long as the entire structure itself is not brought down of course)?

Because I've been thinking, the Spanish Friars during the Spanish times renovated and altered several churches including the San Agustin Church in Intramuros itself. Had they not done it, we would probably be seeing a San Agustin Church with a thatched roof, or a stone church perhaps that is bare of the precious fixtures that were not part of the original construction but were added throughout the years. The beautiful interiors of the San Agustin Church were a result of those modifications I guess which were mostly carried out in the late 19th century, if I'm not mistaken based on what I've read earlier.

Another example was the controversial renovation of the Cebu Cathedral almost a decade ago which was opposed by some. I had seen old pictures of the Cebu Cathedral and judging from the look of it, I'd say that the renovations (and even the modifications) were worth it. Otherwise, the church would really look very bare both inside and out and not worthy to be called a "cathedral."

I was thinking, what if the renovations that they did today might be considered "precious" and heritage worthy in the future? It might even be appreciated by the generations to come. Hehehe..

Original Cebu Cathedral

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/beautifulChurches/cathedral_new_new_02.jpg

Cebu Cathedral after the "alteration"

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/beautifulChurches/cathedral_new_01.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/beautifulChurches/cebu_metropolitan_cathedral_17.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/beautifulChurches/cebu_metropolitan_cathedral_16.jpg

Wonderboy

September 24th, 2006, 02:29 AM

^^ Arnoldsa, modification isn't really a no-no. The problem lies on the fact that some parish priests are hardheaded and would change everything, disregarding authenticity. I think it's all right to modify certain parts of a structure so long as it blends well with the original structure and has been approved by Heritage Sites Office of NCCA or NHI.

PRESS RELEASE
Stories About Preserving Cultural Heritage
The Albums of Jose Honorato Lozano with Ms Sonia Ner

Date: October 14, 2006 Saturday 2—4pm
Fee: Php 50.00 for Museum Foundation members
Php 100.00 for non-members
Contact: Ms Fanny San Pedro/Ms Joy Victoria at 6312417
Ms Elvie Magpayo at 4042685

The Lopez Memorial Museum, in cooperation with Museum Foundation of the
Philippines, presents the ninth in the series Stories About Preserving
Cultural Heritage on October 14, 2006, 2—4pm at the Lopez Library.
The focus is on Jose Honorato Lozano (1821-1885), the foremost visual
chronicler of 19th century Philippines and his albums. Albums are
sheets of paper with drawings in graphite or pen-and-ink sketches or
watercolors bound together and serving as souvenirs or catalogs or
illustrations to reports. Among the albums are the Ayala Album, the
Nyssens-Flebus album and the Broken album. There is also the Gervasio
Gironella Album in the Biblioteca Nacional de Madrid. Some distinctive
features of the albums include architectural and landscape details and
images of the natural riches of the Philippines.

The association of Lozano with letras y figuras as well as the
distinctions and nuances which earlier studies have failed to see have
resulted in the misattribution of the albums. To discuss this and other
issues that cropped up the course of the albums' discovery –
attribution or authentication, repatriation, dividing the albums, etc.
is Ms Sonia Ner, former academician, art manager, director of Ayala
Museum and executive director of Asia Society Philippines who has
conceptualized and edited Jose Honorato Lozano, Filipinas 1847 and
co-authored Album de las Islas Filipinas which featured two of
Lozano's albums.

The Lopez Memorial Museum is at the ground floor, Benpres Building,
Exchange Road corner Meralco Avenue, Pasig City. Museum days and hours
are Mondays—Saturdays, 8am—5pm, except holidays. Email:
pezseum@kyinet. net for details.

The Museum Foundation of the Philippines is a non-stock, non-profit,
membership and volunteer organization dedicated to developing greater
awareness and appreciation of our country's rich artistic and
cultural heritage in partnership with the National Museum and its
network. We raise awareness and appreciation by:

* Conducting lectures on art, history and culture
* Organizing cultural study tours
* Creating training programs on how to use the museum as a tool of
instruction
* Providing minor financial assistance for activities related to
education, exhibition, publications and collection management
* Forming partnerships with organizations with similar missions

For more information and reservations, please contact Patricia Limon or
Elvie Magpayo at the Museum Foundation office at 404.2685 or Ms Fanny
San Pedro/Ms Joy Victoria at 6312417.
Museum Foundation of the Philippines, Inc.
G/F National Museum of the Filipino People
Valencia Circle, Rizal Park, Manila 1004 Philippines
Telefax: (63-2) 404-2685
www.museumfoundatio nph.org <http://www.museumfo undationph. org/>

Wonderboy

September 24th, 2006, 02:30 AM

Monte De Piedad

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/3927/monte3wy5.jpg

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/7518/monte4pd1.jpg

http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/5014/monte5hr4.jpg

What do you think? Don’t you think it’s tacky? I don’t understand because there’s an NHI marker on this building and they allowed G.E. Money Bank to make changes. Sinagad na sana ng G.E. Money Bank at pininturahan na lang ng blue yung buong building para magmukhang Lego house.

I wouldn’t comment any further lest I’d be accused again that I have no right to criticize because I don’t know anything about color theory or I’m simply concerned about the paint job.

Animo

September 24th, 2006, 02:49 AM

^^ In my opinion it would be better if they clean up the façade and colored it blue.

For example: Casa Azul [Austurias, Spain]

http://www.campondeantrialgo.com/img/fachada_casa_azul.jpg

Hotel Anjo Azul [Lisboa, Portugal]

http://anjoazul.cb2web.com/photos/fachada.gif

Animo

September 24th, 2006, 02:54 AM

Monte De Piedad

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/3927/monte3wy5.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e132/restardo/Retrato/24502378.gif
Hotel de Oriente

The fountain has a similar design.

Wonderboy

September 24th, 2006, 02:55 AM

^^ Good suggestion, Animo. I'll send this weblink to NHI/ NCCA/ HCS and maybe G.E. Money Bank.

Animo

September 24th, 2006, 02:59 AM

^^ Good suggestion, Animo. I'll send this weblink to NHI/ NCCA/ HCS and maybe G.E. Money Bank.

Sure! :) This just puzzles me why upgrade part of a structure and make it look so uncomplete and not even fix some problems like the wires and cleaning up the building. I find these as an alarming trend in our cities. :(

Hawayano

September 24th, 2006, 03:06 AM

Monte De Piedad

What do you think? Don’t you think it’s tacky? I don’t understand because there’s an NHI marker on this building and they allowed G.E. Money Bank to make changes. Sinagad na sana ng G.E. Money Bank at pininturahan na lang ng blue yung buong building para magmukhang Lego house.

I wouldn’t comment any further lest I’d be accused again that I have no right to criticize because I don’t know anything about color theory or I’m simply concerned about the paint job.

Sir Wonderboy and Sr. Animo:
Well, yes, the blue takes some getting used to, but for me the more drastic issue is the lack of foresight in installing signage that has provides no correlation nor complement to the original architectural details that remain (thank God they left those alone--let's hope that they don't rip these out and replace the whole facade with sterile, flat modern sidings).

And, yes, Animo, I too worry about whether or not the rewiring and internal portions of Philippine structures are safely installed or upgraded for safety and health standards.

Wonderboy

September 24th, 2006, 03:07 AM

^^ I agree. Thanks Animo and Hawayano. I’ll re-post everything on this page so that the LGUs won’t have to check the other page:

Monte De Piedad

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/3927/monte3wy5.jpg

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/7518/monte4pd1.jpg

http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/5014/monte5hr4.jpg

What do you think? Don’t you think it’s tacky? I don’t understand because there’s an NHI marker on this building and they allowed G.E. Money Bank to make changes. Sinagad na sana ng G.E. Money Bank at pininturahan na lang ng blue yung buong building para magmukhang Lego house.

I wouldn’t comment any further lest I’d be accused again that I have no right to criticize because I don’t know anything about color theory or I’m simply concerned about the paint job.

^^ In my opinion it would be better if they clean up the façade and colored it blue.

For example: Casa Azul [Austurias, Spain]

http://www.campondeantrialgo.com/img/fachada_casa_azul.jpg

Hotel Anjo Azul [Lisboa, Portugal]

http://anjoazul.cb2web.com/photos/fachada.gif

Wonderboy

September 24th, 2006, 03:16 AM

^^ Another good example is Citibank Building at Calle Rosario (now Quintin Paredes). Malinis. Hindi katulad ng G.E. Money Bank.

Posted on Manila my Manila thread:

http://img119.imageshack.us/img119/4829/citibankgh4.jpg

http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/1448/citibank2zm5.jpg

This used to be an old and crumbling structure located at Calle Rosario (now Quintin Paredes Street), Binondo, Manila. Citibank made a very good job in preserving it – notice how the architectural details come alive.

Animo

September 24th, 2006, 03:23 AM

^^ Yup, but don't you think white would make the dirt and grim more visible in the future? I know white paint is cheaper but you know some 'cool colours' can make the surrounding buildings less dull. :D

Here is another example for the G.E. building. They can still retain the yellowish color [repainted of course] and add the blue colors on the pillars and around the windows.

Rio Hostel [Brazil]

http://www.sunriohostel.com.br/imagens/fachada_hostel_2.jpg

Wonderboy

September 24th, 2006, 03:25 AM

Speaking of Calle Rosario that was changed to Quintin Paredes...

Rosario was renamed Quintin Paredes, after the Filipino statesman and brilliant lawyer. He represented Abra in Congress and became Speaker of the House

The old name, Rosario, was after the districts's patron saint Nuestra Señora del Rosario (Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary).

'Di hamak naman na mas significant ang Rosario.

---

Same with Gandara Street, that was changed to Sabino Padilla...

Gandara Street --- named is 1868 after Gov. Gen. Jose de la Gandara who established the telegraph system, Dept. of Mines, including the construction of lighthouses. The street was once residential street of mansions that became famous for its social geatherings during Gov. Despujol's time.

Ranamed in 1995 after Sabino Padilla, landlord, judge of court of appeals and later Associate Justice of the Surpeme Court.

I mean, who is Quintin Paredes and Sabino Padilla? Why change Rosario and Gandara?

I don't get it. I really don't.

Wonderboy

September 24th, 2006, 03:27 AM

^^ Yup, but don't you think white would make the dirt and grim more visible in the future? I know white paint is cheaper but you know some 'cool colours' can make the surrounding buildings less dull. :D

Yeah, but I think the theme color of Citibank is white and blue, hence, the white paint job. But I think you're right. They should use other colors.

Animo

September 24th, 2006, 03:33 AM

Ranamed in 1995 after Sabino Padilla, landlord, judge of court of appeals and later Associate Justice of the Surpeme Court.

I mean, who is Quintin Paredes and Sabino Padilla? Why change Rosario and Gandara?

I don't get it. I really don't.

:crazy:

I am [assuming] he is a respectable judge but I do not think he merits for changing historical streets. This is the same for all politicians who are on the 'process' of changing some streets as we write now. I read in some online newspaper that more resolutions passed in congress are about changing street names. :hammer:

Lili

September 24th, 2006, 05:16 AM

:crazy:

I am [assuming] he is a respectable judge but I do not think he merits for changing historical streets. This is the same for all politicians who are on the 'process' of changing some streets as we write now. I read in some online newspaper that more resolutions passed in congress are about changing street names. :hammer:

I think as part of our heritage preservation efforts, we should petition Congress to pass a bill reverting the names of the calles/streets of historic Manila and other historic places to their old historic names. No more patronage politics. If they have to honor people by giving them some sort of tribute, why not just plant a tree in their honor? Or name new buildings or pocket parks after them, or perhaps improve some office building or room, or school and put a plaque in their honor. Stop changing the historic names of the streets and places of the Philippines. They are ruining our heritage and doing a disservice to the Filipino culture.

tigidig14

September 24th, 2006, 07:46 AM

sa gilid nung building na lego na snasabi ni wonderboy, e bilihan ng gold

Pacific_leopard

September 24th, 2006, 08:12 AM

wires, wires and wires... why should they ruin everything!!! okay... just look at the wires on some photos above, i hate the way they block the view, they give a dirty atmosphere... i guess... before preserving our heritage buildings, we should prioritize this problem first...

it doesn't look safe... what kind of toursit would appreciate looking at those kind of scenarios?...Haaay.. I hope the government would really do something to get rid of those wires... "sigh"

dinabaw

September 24th, 2006, 08:25 AM

I have query...... do we have a law that preserve heritage houses and buildings? do we have a right as citizens to stop govenrment owned old buildings not to destroy it?

overtureph

September 24th, 2006, 10:25 AM

Here's a link to another heritage structure that's for sale and judging by the photos, the old house still has some furniture.

http://asia.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/leo_cloma/album?.dir=b575scd&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//asia.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/leo_cloma/my_photos

Animo

September 24th, 2006, 10:52 AM

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e132/restardo/Retrato/2651scd.jpg

Wow! Whoever lived in that house must have been well-off. This piano with the Chassaigne Frères (1864) insignia were made in Barcelona, Spain. Link: http://home.planet.nl/~medevoort/pianonummers/c/chassaigne.htm

The furnitures looks nice if restored to its original states. They have the mesa altar, comoda, aparador, cama, vajilera, capiya and others that are a true jem of Filipino artisanship. If only the government can buy houses like this and make them into museums or the original family restore and live in the place.

I'll post actual and better photos of what I am talking about later. :)

Wonderboy

September 25th, 2006, 08:06 AM

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/3732/divi1gf2.jpg

http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/8915/divi2ai1.jpg

Can you see the two statues on the first photo? This building is located at Calle Anloague (now Juan Luna Street), in Binondo.

Wonderboy

September 25th, 2006, 02:11 PM

I have query...... do we have a law that preserve heritage houses and buildings? do we have a right as citizens to stop govenrment owned old buildings not to destroy it?

^^ None.

Here's a good mission statement in the name of historic preservation:

"The heart and mind need to understand and touch the past close to its pristine form, to sense the pulse of national heritage. If the Filipino cannot grasp his own past, he may not value his present nor ascertain his future." - Soledad Lacson-Locsin

ivanhenares

September 25th, 2006, 07:52 PM

I have query...... do we have a law that preserve heritage houses and buildings? do we have a right as citizens to stop govenrment owned old buildings not to destroy it?

On the first question, yes. There is P.D. 1505 which protects declared structures and heritage houses. In San Fernando, we had the houses declared as heritage houses with the NHI so they are now protected by the said law.

On the second question, yes also, especially if the government building is declared by the NHI. As individual citizens and taxpayers, we have the right to question the moves of our government officials, especially if it entails government property, and file cases in court if they violate P.D. 1505.

Lili

September 25th, 2006, 08:22 PM

^^ What kind of action is needed to have structures declared as heritage structures? What if these are privately-owned? Are there incentives given for the owners to preserve these in their pristine form?

Can you please post a summary of PD 1505 so that we may be informed and guided in our future actions in support of heritage preservation? Thank you.

ivanhenares

September 25th, 2006, 08:45 PM

The 2007 HCS Calendar featuring heritage provincial capitols, city halls and municipios, is now on sale. For more information, contact:

Heritage Conservation Society
G/F Museo Pambata Building
Roxas Boulevard, Ermita
Manila, Philippines
Tel. +632 521 2239
Fax. +632 522 2497

To see a sample, please visit http://ivanhenares.blogspot.com/2006/09/2007-hcs-calendar.html .

Wonderboy

September 25th, 2006, 09:42 PM

Hmmm...P.D. 1505. My bad. I should have mentioned it but here's the reason why I didn't...

-----

MALACAÑANG
M a n i l a

PRESIDENTIAL DECREE No. 1505

AMENDING PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 260, AS AMENDED, BY PROHIBITING THE UNAUTHORIZED MODIFICATION, ALTERATION, REPAIR AND DESTRUCTION OF ORIGINAL FEATURES OF ALL NATIONAL SHRINES, MONUMENTS, LANDMARKS AND OTHER IMPORTANT HISTORIC EDIFICES

WHEREAS, Presidential Decree No. 260 dated August 1, 1973, as amended, has declared certain sites, churches and places as national shrines, monuments, and/or landmarks, and placed their preservation, restoration and/or reconstruction under the supervision and control of the National Historical Institute in collaboration with the Department of Tourism;

WHEREAS, Section 4 of said Presidential Decree specifically vests the National Historical Institute with the right to declare historical and cultural sites and edifices as national shrines, monuments, and/or landmarks;

WHEREAS, Presidential Decree No. 1 dated September 24, 1972 reorganizing the government, has assigned to the National Historical Institute the preservation, restoration, and/or reconstruction of several historic sites and buildings;

WHEREAS, some private individuals and entities have undertaken the repair and alteration of historic edifices without the prior written permission of the National Historical Institute resulting in the change of the original features of such edifices;

WHEREAS, such moves adversely affect the efforts of the Philippine government, in general and of the National Historical Institute, in particular, in the preservation of our cultural heritage through the conservation of our historic sites and buildings; and

WHEREAS, there is a need to safeguard the improvements that have been made by the National Historical Institute in the development, preservation, reconstruction and restoration of said national shrines, and to prevent the careless and unscientific modification of the original features of important monuments, landmarks and historic edifices;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in by the Constitution,, do hereby order and decree:

Section 1. Presidential Decree No. 260 is hereby amended by inserting another section after Section 4 to read as follows:

"Sec. 5. It shall be unlawfully for any person to modify, alter, repair or destroy the original features of any national shrine, monument, landmark and other important historic edifices declared and classified by the National Historical Institute as such without the prior written permission from the Chairman of said Institute.

Any person who shall violate this Decree shall, upon conviction, be punished by imprisonment for not less than one year nor more than five years or a fine of not less than one thousand pesos nor more than ten thousand pesos or both, at the discretion of the court or tribunal concerned."

Section 2. Sections 5 and 6 of the same Decree are hereby renumbered Section 6 and 7 respectively.

Section 3. This Decree shall take effect immediately.

Done in the City of Manila, this 11th day of June, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and seventy-eight.

-----

Okay sana ang P.D. 1505 but we need a stronger law to penalize the offenders. Less than a year or a fine of not less than one thousand pesos nor more than ten thousand pesos or both? Barya lang 'yan sa mga mayayaman na may-ari ng mga heritage buildings. At bakit "or"? Ibig sabihin ba pwedeng i-demolish ang isang heritage structure at magbayad na lang ng piyansa ang nagpagiba ng building? P.D. 1505 is too weak.

But I think as citizens, we should be aware of this law and do our share. Yes, there is a law. But we need a fierce one...

-----

Ms. Harper submitted a heritage bill in 1999. Here's her response to my e-mail:

"I still have a copy of the bill we sent to Congress in 1999 as president of HCS - Landmarks Preservation . It ended up with what's his name Abad who mangled it so badly throwing in archeology, Nat. Museum, NHI and god knows what not so that everybody was up in arms & it got thrown into the dust bin. However, I'm having a lawyer look at it again. Hope springs eternal..."

Wonderboy

September 25th, 2006, 09:56 PM

Has NHI issued the death warrant for Mehan Garden?
By Augusto F. Villalon
Inquirer News Service

WHAT appears to be the death warrant for Mehan Garden is a letter signed by the chairperson of the National Historical Institute (NHI) on January 21 addressed to the mayor of Manila. That letter states that the NHI board "rendered its final decision on the proposal of the city government to construct the City College of Manila (CCM) within Mehan Garden, which is declared a "national historical site," and goes on to state that the CCM building can be constructed provided that certain conditions are met.

It looks like the kiss of death. It is not.

The National Museum also has jurisdiction over the site, and so does the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Mehan Garden and Arroceros Forest Park do not die unless the two agencies concur with the NHI.

Mehan Garden goes beyond being a historic site. Together with Arroceros Forest Park, it is one of the most important archeological sites in the Philippines that await full excavation. A cursory dig conducted by the National Museum three years ago yielded important artifacts, signifying that indeed thorough excavation is necessary for us to completely understand the earlier civilizations that lived on the site.

Most important, the area is one of those rare sites in central Manila where a surviving forest of mature trees regenerates polluted city air. That is something the city should protect if only to ensure the quality of life of the Manileño. Instead it wants to cover the area with concrete buildings.

NHI jurisdiction only covers the historic aspect of the site. Presidential Decree (PD) 1505 states that the NHI has the final decision on whether a national shrine, which Mehan Garden is one, can be altered or not. Based on PD 1505 it granted permission for construction. However, historicity is not the main issue here.

The main issue for the Mehan Garden-Arroceros Forest Park area is archeological. The site is probably one of the country's most important archeological sites, stretching from the present Mehan Garden to the banks of the Pasig where today's Arroceros Forest Park is located.

Archeological site

The National Museum has designated the site as one of primary archeological significance. Therefore no construction can be done until a thorough archeological investigation is conducted. If the site yields archeological finds of exceptional merit, then the National Museum is empowered to stop any construction.

However the overriding issue for the Mehan Garden-Arroceros Forest Park area that the City of Manila has swept under the rug is environmental. The Mehan Garden-Arroceros Forest Park area is one of the last "lungs" for polluted city air to regenerate. That is why it should stay green.

Environmentalists have joined the Mehan Garden-Arroceros Forest Park cause because destruction of the park is a direct threat to human life. It means the loss of clean air in Manila.

The DENR revoked its environmental clearance certificate (ECC) issued for Mehan Garden pending the approval by other agencies with jurisdiction over the site.

The NHI has given clearance. But until the National Museum issues a clearance, the DENR will not issue its ECC.

Has the NHI passed on the final responsibility to the National Museum? Has the City been talking to only the NHI and not to the National Museum and to the DENR?

Mehan Garden has been allowed to fall into decay. It now is more of a no man's land than it has ever been, its deliberate decay providing a convenient and obvious rationale to "upgrade" it to a school campus. But are we really talking of an upgrade here?

Please do not get the issues wrong. We fully support the need of the CCM to move to a newer, more up-to-date campus. Manila teachers likewise need a dormitory. But not in the Mehan Garden-Arroceros Forest Park area. Congested and polluted Manila needs that breathing space. We need that space for trees. There are other locations to construct the college and dormitory.

Conditions

Among the conditions given by the NHI for constructing the CCM campus on Mehan Garden is that City Hall assist and fund a comprehensive archeological assessment to be undertaken by the National Museum that shall give final approval before construction will commence, therefore throwing final approval to the National Museum.

Another condition is that the city commits to "use only around 14.30 percent of the total declared area of the Mehan Garden for construction of the CCM." This condition needs clarification. From the plans that I have seen, the building footprint indeed occupies 14.30 percent of the Mehan Garden area.

Aside from the 14.30 percent of the Mehan Garden that the building will occupy, there is additional space needed. Essential campus provisions, paved footpaths, student garden areas and playing fields, are not mentioned. The open area around the CCM building will have to be fenced out to keep the public from entering the campus. Are there schools set within the boundaries of parks where public and students mix freely? What about providing security for students?

It looks like most of Mehan Garden will become CCM campus. By default, Mehan Garden will be cordoned off. Not much green will be left for the public.

Heritage lawyer Trixie Angeles says "the danger here is that the city will now claim that, given the NHI resolution, they can now proceed to build. Never mind the National Museum. Never mind the tree huggers."

She continues, "The timing of this decision is certainly suspect." The decision did come out just before the pre-election construction ban.

Do not fall for the smokescreen that the NHI is the ultimate authority over the Mehan Garden-Arroceros Forest Park area. The National Museum and DENR must likewise give their clearances before any construction starts.

The City has done well with redevelopment projects such as the upgrading of Roxas Boulevard and Avenida Rizal.

On the other hand, it continues with its dismal record in protecting our heritage, having demolished the Jai Alai building, replaced the Cuarteles de Meisic with a mall, and now muscling its way into Mehan Garden and Arroceros Forest Park.

Wonderboy

September 25th, 2006, 10:22 PM

Another example is Monte de Piedad located at Plaza Sta. Cruz. Take a look at what G.E. Money Bank has done. May NHI marker pa 'yan ah:

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/7518/monte4pd1.jpg

Excerpt from P.D. 1505:

WHEREAS, some private individuals and entities have undertaken the repair and alteration of historic edifices without the prior written permission of the National Historical Institute resulting in the change of the original features of such edifices;

http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/5014/monte5hr4.jpg

What an utter disregard to cultural heritage.

overtureph

September 26th, 2006, 06:09 AM

Here's another link - http://maginoongtagalog1.blogspot.com/

Animo

September 27th, 2006, 07:30 AM

Do you guys have more information or photos about the Heritage Schoolhouses Restoration Program? I believe this is a new project with the HCS and DepEd about restoring the Gabaldon schoolhouses.

Here are photos and articles: http://gabaldon.blogspot.com/

http://heritageconservation.wordpress.com/tag/gabaldon-schoolhouses/

Animo

September 28th, 2006, 10:59 PM

By Gemma Cruz Araneta

PUBLIC schools were to the American colonial regime what Baroque churches were to the Spanish period. In their time, both were the most imposing structures in all our provinces, cities and towns. As Spain used religion to colonize and Hispanize, the United States of America established the public education system for "pacification" and Americanization.

Lamentably for heritage conservation, most of the school houses built during the Spanish colonial period were reduced to rubble during the Philippine-American War (1899-1911) and when the Philippine Commission sent the American Secretary of War a telegram about the "pacification" strategy, Eng. Edgar K. Bourne was instructed to go to Manila. Daniel Burnham, famous city planner, and other American architects soon followed.

Acting rapidly, the Philippine Commission passed Act No. 268 creating the Bureau of Architecture and Construction of Public Buildings, with Mr. Bourne as its head. The construction of schoolhouses in Manila and the provinces began and this activity was viewed as the most important work of the Bureau.

No sooner was the Philippine Assembly formed after the elections of 1907, when Act No. 1801, authored by Assemblyman Isauro Gabaldon of Nueva Ecija, was approved and became widely known as GABALDON ACT . This appropriated Php 1 million between 1907 to 1915 for the "construction of schoolhouses of strong materials in barrios with guaranteed daily attendance of not less than sixty pupils…"

Funds for each school could not exceed Php 4 thousand unless the municipality contributed a counterpart sum of not less than fifty percent of the total amount granted to it by virtue of the Gabaldon Act. The municipality was authorized to appropriate its own funds, receive voluntary contributions in cash, kind, or in manual labor, for the construction of schoolhouses.

The Gabaldon Act stipulated that only on land owned by the municipality could schools be constructed. Because proposed sites had to be surveyed and registered with the Court of Land Registration, very few schools were erected in the first three years. As separate planning for each school was burdensome, the Bureau of Public Works and Bureau of Education soon came up with standardized designs. These were known as "Gabaldon School Buildings" or simply "Gabaldon," long after the expiration of Act 1801.

Fifty-one "Gabaldons" were completed by 1911 and by 1916, four hundred five more were constructed bringing the total number of classrooms to one thousand eight hundred fifty-two. Three hundred twenty seven of these "Gabaldons" were made of concrete. In the Gabaldon-style school, there was architectural harmony between the main building and other accessory structures. As it turned out, an elegantly-designed school instilled in both teachers and students a certain pride and an appreciation for the finer things in life. (gemma601@yahoo.com)

LordCarnal

October 1st, 2006, 05:08 AM

Old Prudential Bank, now Bank of the Philippine Islands

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/cityhall/02prudentialbank.jpg

Notice the facade and the original etched words "Prudential Bank and Trust Company being marred by the BPI board. Hehehe
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/magellan_cross_renovation22.jpg

Bank of the Philippine Islands, a few walks away from the one above. I think this is the first BPI here in Cebu as what a bronze marker says.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/cityhall/18bpi.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/magellan_cross_renovation20.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/magellan_cross_renovation21.jpg

LordCarnal

October 1st, 2006, 05:17 AM

Jose Rizal House

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/rizal_house.jpg

Cebu Northern Institute, now Cebu Northern Colleges
- The original structure is still being utilized today

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/northern_institute.jpg

tigidig14

October 1st, 2006, 06:48 AM

^^ ang gagaling ha, arnold

anyway i pass by hidalgo street, area of quaipo, the other day, most of the old houses are being demolished. didnt they used to serve as "the downtown." back in the old days?

Animo

October 1st, 2006, 07:53 AM

by Deni Rose M. Afinidad

The arts and antique show at Greenhills Shopping Center features turn-of-the-century furniture; religious icons and articles; blue and white porcelains; old coins; and Philippine bank notes and stamps from the collection of antique dealers all over the country.

Bargain prices are not the only ones tagged in every antique on sale at the show, said Henry Babiera, festival organizer. Every artifact comes with bonus opulent information about Philippine history, art, and culture.

“I want to share not only the aspect of saving through offering high-value products in the show, but somehow, I also hope to educate people about our national arts,” explained Babiera. “Through the festival, we are reminding Filipinos about our almost forgotten identity. We are also showing to the heavily westernized new generation how rich, vibrant, and colorful our past is.”

According to him, 80 percent of the commodities they sell in the fair are homegrown. Only 20 percent came from foreign sources. Some of these pieces dated back from the 14th century up to the Spanish and pre-World War II period.

An art and antique show like this, he said, is hard to mount since it usually caters the upper classes that can afford the antiques’ high price. But by staging the antiques festival in a tiangge or a flea market, Babiera hopes that Greenhills visitors from all walks of life—whether shoppers or just strollers—would have equal chances to take a peek at the chunks of history enclosed in the artifacts on display, especially because not all Filipinos can access museums.

Homogenizing shoppers

In the olden days, tiangge was stereotyped as bangketa or sidewalk stores that are usually identified to the lower classes since the products sold here are believed to be cheap, imitations, or of poor quality. The mall, on the other hand, was conceived to cater exclusively to the A and B market as it was supposed that malls sell higher quality merchandise at an equally higher price.

Nevertheless, with the introduction of the tiangge in a mall, a place was created where the poor, the middle class, and the rich can shop side by side—all can encounter what’s genuine and what’s not, and brush with the expensive amid the economical.

“The tiangge encompasses all kinds of shoppers from all classes, ages, gender and religion because people realized its practicality,” remarked Babiera. “Nothing is fixed in a tiangge. You can always negotiate with sellers to get the best buys at the best value…You cannot put an end to imitation, the authentic are always beside the fakes, but it’s up to the shoppers to decide what to prioritize—price or quality.”

Considered as the “Tiangge King,” Babiera claims to be the brainchild of the tiangge in a mall concept, particularly in Greenhills. From 40 stalls in 1986, the tiangge inside Greenhills has now spawned and reached the mall’s maximum capacity of 2,000 booths.

Through the arts and culture fest, Greenhills is again laying a benchmark on shopping, said Babiera. According to him, their shopping center is among the first ones, if not the pioneer, in selling antiques in an indoor flea market.

Babiera added that their records show around 7,000 to 8,000 shoppers visit their shopping center every day. He expected this figure to rise as Christmas approaches. This is despite the presence of other malls using the same tiangge model like Tutuban and 168 Mall.

“We don’t consider them competitors, because the word ‘competitor’ creates wars,” he said. “Instead, we consider them our partners in the development of the industry. Greenhills is already an institution. It’s already a part of the Filipinos’ lives as it was dubbed the ‘Tiangge Capital of the Philippines.’ But Greenhills doesn’t monopolize the tiangge industry. Some malls have already created their own original concept from the idea I started.”

Even the sprouting home TV shopping programs did not seem to shake Babiera. He believed that besides quality and price, Greenhills is always six months ahead in style and designs.

“The tianggeros or mall suppliers are travelers themselves. Hence, they always have the firsthand in buying and selling new merchandise that are not yet launched in the mass market,” he disclosed.

Though a small industry, the tiangge forms one of the economy’s backbone, he said. He justified that even if most flea markets are comprised of small and medium enterprises, these tiangges feed big revenues to the country through taxes.

Antique-collecting ABCs

To be an antique collector is a status symbol, claims Babiera, owner of Mana Davao, said to be Southeast Asia’s largest antique showroom.

“No one can question that you’re rich, cultured, educated, and sophisticated,” he said.

According to him, it’s the rich who usually venture into this kind of business since antique selling is a high-finance enterprise.

“Antiques don’t sell like hotcakes. Many Filipinos appreciate antiques but cannot buy it,” he observes.

Nonetheless, Babiera confirms that antique gathering and selling is a profitable business “if one has an eye” for sifting through the marketable and the fakes.

“I learned the richness of our history through antique collecting,” he declared, saying that one’s interest in researching about the items’ history would save one from getting fooled.

Problem is, there is no textbook or school that teaches about the industry, especially how to tell a bogus artifact. Babiera himself confesses that he had been faked a lot of times before he learned the tricks of the trade.

“Experience is still the best teacher in this business. It takes years of trial and error to learn. You have to feel the life and know the story behind every piece,” he advises.

For antique buyers to avoid getting swindled, he suggests first finding out if the raw material, especially the wood, used in the antique is common to the province where the artifact reportedly originated. He reasoned that most provinces in the country, especially the Philippines’ vintage furniture mecca—Bohol and Vigan—produce wood, raw materials, and even designs that can be found nowhere else in the country.

Similarly, he discourages antique enthusiasts from buying items with “no value”—or those that are old but not necessarily antique because they are so common or are still being produced.

Babiera, whose collection of National Artists’ paintings spans to over a hundred, adds that besides investing big capital and in-depth knowledge or appreciation on history, one also has to establish networks to secure a market for the antiques.

Based on his experience, foreigners and the nouveau riche are the usual clients of Filipino antiques. Instead of being a disadvantage, he found the Filipinos’ diverse identity provides the edge in the antique market. While other Asian arts and cultures are very oriental and ornate, the Filipinos’ art and culture has a global appeal and a universal look.

“Being the only Catholic country in Asia, if you say old Catholic images and artifacts, that would automatically point to the Philippines,” he said. “But we’re different from other Catholic countries in the sense that we personalized and attached our character and the variety of foreign influences we had to our artifacts.”

Above all, Babiera believes that to be a successful antique collector one has to continue learning.

“History never ends, therefore, every day is a search. Education is a day-to-day process,” he stressed, indicating that even if he had been in the antiquity industry for two decades now, he still is in the process of learning.

So far, the best lesson he had as an antique dealer is not how to make so much money, but how he can transform his business into a social responsibility.

“One way of putting heart into business, aside from donating to charity, is by infusing education into it,” he says. “That’s called business with a conscience.”

The “13th National Arts and Antique Furniture Show” is until Oct. 2, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., at Greenhills Shopping Center.

http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=goodLife01_sept29_2006

Wonderboy

October 1st, 2006, 06:13 PM

Do you guys have more information or photos about the Heritage Schoolhouses Restoration Program? I believe this is a new project with the HCS and DepEd about restoring the Gabaldon schoolhouses.

Animo, you may send an e-mail to the HCS Secretariat hcs_secretariat@yahoo.com, for update on the schoolhouse restoration program.

LordCarnal

October 2nd, 2006, 01:07 AM

Prince Warehouse opens new venture
By Ehda M. Dagooc
The Freeman 09/29/2006

The Prince Warehouse Club Inc. is set to open a two-story MC City Square, transforming the old MCWD (Metro Cebu Water District) building to an entertainment, shopping and leisure destination in the downtown area.

For the renovation of the century-old building, Go said the company has spent P10 million, another P25 million is spent for the inventories of the new retail and lifestyle facility that is set to open this coming October 6, 2006.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/mcwd_building_renovated02.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/mcwd_building_renovated01.jpg

overtureph

October 3rd, 2006, 04:59 AM

^^ ^^ Is this an old building? Looks new and it looks much renovated.

LordCarnal

October 3rd, 2006, 07:15 AM

^^

I'm not sure but the article says that it's a century old building. It's actually the old office of the Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD). The MCWD moved out of there after it constructed its own building just beside it.

Another nice thing to note, restoration of the Campanera Maritima nearby has also started. Hehe. Photo below:
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/campanera_maritima.jpg

LordCarnal

October 3rd, 2006, 07:52 AM

overtureph

October 3rd, 2006, 09:45 AM

^^ I can only theorize that the damage churches the areas you mentioned, where restored authentically, like using similar building techniques and original materials in restoring or rebuilding these churches. Which in our case is usually the opposite. We have examples of churches and convents escaping the damages of war, only to be renovated or demolished.

I don't know how the nomination goes on how to be included in the UNESCO list, but maybe some of our heritage structures are so renovated that it doesn't merit inclusion in the list and those that will qualify are maybe not nominated or lacks the proper exposure or campaign.

overtureph

October 3rd, 2006, 09:50 AM

PRIDE OF PLACE
Pasig church conservation unites tradition and technology

By Augusto Villalon
Inquirer
Last updated 00:04am (Mla time) 10/02/2006

Published on page D1 of the October 2, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

MANY FILIPINOS HAVE BEEN around churches since childhood, attending services at least once a week throughout their lifetime, and marking all significant milestones —christenings, marriages and funerals—in church.

There is a church in practically every Filipino’s memory.

That is probably the reason that when talk is of heritage, focus invariably narrows into Spanish colonial churches, sadly pointing out how most of them are now in either a sorry state of disrepair, alarming stages of crass modernization, or mock restoration.

Typical of many churches around the country, the Immaculate Conception Church in Pasig had fallen into poor condition after a series of misguided refurbishments over many years, requiring the commissioning of a conservation team to carry out the painstaking work of correcting previous damage to the structure.

Architect Michael Manalo, who holds a rare (for the Philippines) MA in Architectural Conservation from Inah—Escuela Nacionál de Conservación, Restauración, y Museografía in Mexico—leads the team. .................

For more of this story or feature please click on the link http://showbizandstyle.inq7.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view_article.php?article_id=24177

overtureph

October 3rd, 2006, 10:01 AM

ON TARGET
Davao Insular Hotel, an old glory

By Ramon Tulfo
Inquirer
Last updated 02:09am (Mla time) 10/03/2006

Published on Page A18 of the October 3, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

WHENEVER I go visiting in Davao City, the city of my birth, I always check in at Davao Insular Hotel, now called the Waterfront Insular hotel.

What’s in a name, anyway? Shakespeare said that a rose by any other name smells just as sweet.

But Insular is Insular no matter what it’s called now. The name evokes memories of things past when it was one of the best resort hotels in Asia.

Davao Insular, built in the early 1960s, was a tourist attraction by itself. One’s visit to Davao City was not complete without a look-see at the hotel premises that boast of a beach where guests could take a dip in the waters of Davao Gulf.

From the Insular beach, one can see Samal island, just 30 minutes away by motorized banca. Back in the 1960s, when five-star resort hotels, like Mactan’s Shangri-La, were decades away from birth, Insular stood out as probably the first first-class resort hotel in the country and even in Southeast Asia.

That reputation is no more. Like a former beauty queen, Insular has lost its old beauty and splendor. But unlike an old lady, its beauty can be restored if only its new owner, former President Erap crony William Gatchalian, will spend for its renovation and upkeep.

Gatchalian bought the hotel from the Ayalas who apparently thought that running the Makati commercial district was more important than maintaining an old hotel.

I don’t know why most Chinese-Filipinos who own big hotels don’t have aesthetic sense. Take a look at Manila Hotel, the Grand Old Dame with a proud history, which has been turned into an old Chinese hag. Manila Hotel now could well have been located in Binondo. Emilio Yap has given Manila Hotel a Chinese flavor, as in champoy. ...............

For more of this commentary/story please click on the link http://www.skyscrapercity.com/newreply.php?do=postreply&t=375261

I'm posting this here as I find the highlighted portion intriguing. But to a certain degree, he does make a good point although it is a generalized statement.

LordCarnal

October 3rd, 2006, 10:13 AM

I don’t know why most Chinese-Filipinos who own big hotels don’t have aesthetic sense. Take a look at Manila Hotel, the Grand Old Dame with a proud history, which has been turned into an old Chinese hag. Manila Hotel now could well have been located in Binondo. Emilio Yap has given Manila Hotel a Chinese flavor, as in champoy. ...............

Have you guys seen the masterplan of Manila Hotel? I have a copy of it and the future vision is to expand the said hotel on both sides (double, triple, from the original structure I guess) with the contemporary structure towering in the middle.

The design of the expansion is just similar to the design of the original structure though.

habagatcentral1

October 3rd, 2006, 12:08 PM

I just got my World Heritage Map 2006 from UNESCO. I'm a bit confused, here's why:

1.) There were some cathedrals in Europe most especially in Germany and France that were severely damaged during the first and second World Wars but were restored thereafter. Why were it included in the list? In this case, the Manila Cathedral should also be included in the World Heritage List. I bet the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño and Monastery in Cebu should even be included since it incurred only minor damages during the war -- and it being the first basilica in the far east, and also a symbol of Christianity.

2.) The Independence Hall of the United States is included. Why wasn't the Aguinaldo Shrine included? It was there where the first democratic nation in Asia was born. Corregidor Island (mile-long barracks, malinta tunnel, etc.) itself, as a whole, should also be included.

3.) I've also noticed that monuments or infrastructures with an accompanying significance are being included like the Statue of Liberty in the US and the mountain railways in India. Would it be possible if the image of the Santo Niño de Cebu or the Magellan's Cross be included, it being a symbol of Christianity in the Far East? Or perhaps the Santa Barbara Golf Course in Iloilo?

4.) The Baroque Churches of the Philippines should also be expanded. Lots of these churches in Bohol, southern Cebu, and Leyte.

^^ Bureaucracy is the mother of all intricacy.

Before a historical site becomes something of a world heritage, it will undergo scrutinizing researches and debates.

A petition from the community then a resolution from the municipality or city or a province is needed to fulfill the requirements in placing an NHI marker.

It must first pass the requirements that are imposed by the National Historical Institute and will undergo research and investigation. Any alterations in the establishment disqualifies the particular nominee.

Since NHI and CCP are under NCCA or National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the latter would later assess if the place is worthed to be a "World Heritage Site". It will undergo strict investigation to pass the standards of UNESCO.

Afterwhich, NCCA will recommend sites that will be nominated to the UNESCO WH Sites.

*An insider friend of mine from NCCA said that it takes a lot of guts, bloody research, defense, care from the community and politics and the will to nominate a site as part of the World Heritage List.

LordCarnal

October 4th, 2006, 03:53 AM

Old Customs House (Aduana), Port of Cebu
- Built in 1910

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/Pentax018.jpg

Pinoy_ako

October 4th, 2006, 09:51 AM

Have you guys seen the masterplan of Manila Hotel? I have a copy of it and the future vision is to expand the said hotel on both sides (double, triple, from the original structure I guess) with the contemporary structure towering in the middle.

The design of the expansion is just similar to the design of the original structure though.

arnoldsa,
if possible, pleass post the masterplan. It's nice to see how they "think" in the past.

Wonderboy

October 8th, 2006, 10:12 AM

Stories: The Albums of Jose Honorato Lozano with Ms Sonia Ner
http://museumfoundationph.org

PRESS RELEASE
Stories About Preserving Cultural Heritage
The Albums of Jose Honorato Lozano with Ms Sonia Ner

Date: October 14, 2006 Saturday 2—4pm
Fee: Php 50.00 for Museum Foundation members
Php 100.00 for non-members
Contact: Ms Fanny San Pedro/Ms Joy Victoria at 6312417
Ms Elvie Magpayo at 4042685

The Lopez Memorial Museum, in cooperation with Museum Foundation of the
Philippines, presents the ninth in the series Stories About Preserving
Cultural Heritage on October 14, 2006, 2—4pm at the Lopez Library.
The focus is on Jose Honorato Lozano (1821-1885), the foremost visual
chronicler of 19th century Philippines and his albums. Albums are
sheets of paper with drawings in graphite or pen-and-ink sketches or
watercolors bound together and serving as souvenirs or catalogs or
illustrations to reports. Among the albums are the Ayala Album, the
Nyssens-Flebus album and the Broken album. There is also the Gervasio
Gironella Album in the Biblioteca Nacional de Madrid. Some distinctive
features of the albums include architectural and landscape details and
images of the natural riches of the Philippines.

The association of Lozano with letras y figuras as well as the
distinctions and nuances which earlier studies have failed to see have
resulted in the misattribution of the albums. To discuss this and other
issues that cropped up the course of the albums' discovery –
attribution or authentication, repatriation, dividing the albums, etc.
is Ms Sonia Ner, former academician, art manager, director of Ayala
Museum and executive director of Asia Society Philippines who has
conceptualized and edited Jose Honorato Lozano, Filipinas 1847 and
co-authored Album de las Islas Filipinas which featured two of
Lozano's albums.

The Lopez Memorial Museum is at the ground floor, Benpres Building,
Exchange Road corner Meralco Avenue, Pasig City. Museum days and hours
are Mondays—Saturdays, 8am—5pm, except holidays. E-mail:
pezseum@kyinet.net for details.

Wonderboy

October 12th, 2006, 10:29 PM

Alliance Française de Manille presents

"Philippine Antique Maps: In Quest of Power, Knowledge, & Beauty"
by Leovino Ma. Garcia, Ph.D.

Alliance Française de Manille
Thursday, October 19, 2006, 7:30 PM

Dr. Garcia will give a*Powerpoint presentation on Philippine antique maps whose appeal comes from the unique synthesis of geography, history, exploration, travel, trade, science, culture and art. These antique maps fascinate us not only because they are instruments of power, but also because they are documents of knowledge and icons of beauty.

For more information, please contact:

Alliance Française de Manille
209 Reposo Street (now Nicanor Garcia Street), Bel-Air 2, Makati City 1209*Philippines.
Tels: 895-7585 / 895-7441
Fax: 899-3654
e-mail: info@alliance.ph
website: www.alliance.ph
*
Ateneo De Manila University
School of Humanities
Tels: 426-6001 local 5300 -5301
Telefax: 426-1042

LordCarnal

October 17th, 2006, 04:04 AM

nicko

October 17th, 2006, 05:05 PM

Silliman Hall

-- Declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization or UNESCO as a World Heritage Site as the only building of Wooden Stick Eastern American Architecture in Asia, which is now being used as a symbol of Dumaguete's pride of being a University Town. --

Silliman Hall is the first and oldest building on campus. It was built in 1903 and is treasured as a historical landmark in Dumaguete City. It is a bridge to remember the beginnings of the University. It stood the test of time with its four-storey structure whose walls were made of local coral blocks and solid iron posts. The metal sheets used as ceiling were taken from a theater in New York City. Imported timber from the United States West Coast made the rest of the upper floors. It was inaugurated on November 30, 1903 when the number of students reached 191 and raised concern for more buildings.

http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/6290/suportalsbyhalldn6.jpg

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/5499/suhall2vv7.jpg

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.southtravels.com/asia/philippines/gifs/buglasan01.gif

nicko

October 18th, 2006, 06:03 AM

ST CATHERINE OF ALEXANDRIA CHURCH
Dumaguete City, Philippines
The first stone church ever built in Negros Island (built sometime in the 16th century)

-- seeing a vision of heaven through the heavenly piece of art --

the facade..

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/1258/cathedral03bx8.jpg

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/4739/cathedral01al5.jpg

the gospel writers..

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/6051/cathedralsaintseq8.jpg

the interior..

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/3268/cathedralinteriords2.jpg

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/4950/dgtecathedralaltarfacaderc1.jpg

the dome..

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/853/cathedraldomevu6.jpg

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/305/dgtecathedralinterioroj1.jpg

the altar..

http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/93/cathedralaltarwr0.jpg

LordCarnal

October 18th, 2006, 01:08 PM

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/1258/cathedral03bx8.jpg

I like the way the church was renovated. For sure this would be an architectural gem of the city in the future. :)

le Reine

October 18th, 2006, 02:28 PM

^When I saw the pic of that church, I thought it is new...

Animo

October 19th, 2006, 12:51 AM

By Carminda R. Arevalo

IN every street is an interesting story of our history. The names give us a glimpse of what it was like in the past.

A. Villegas Street in Ermita, Manila, was formerly known as Arroceros (rice dealers) because it had a wharf where boats laden with rice from Laguna docked. Andres Soriano Street in Intramuros used to be called Aduana because a customhouse was situated there. Panaderos (bakers) got its name because it used to host an enclave of bakeries.

A big soap factory once stood on Jaboneros (soap makers) in the San Nicolas District.

Caballeros Street tells us about the horsemen who used to parade in the district during the Spanish times. Labores (embroideries) Street was well known for embroidery. The street names suggest the way we used to live, or what trades flourished in their neighborhood.

Streets were also named to describe the place. Tayuman was named after the tayum plant (indigofera hissuta), commonly found in the area. Mataas na Lupa in San Andres and Altura in Santa Mesa got their names because they stand on high grounds. Maytubig (a place were there is water) in Malate was an area often submerged in water. Mayhaligue (a place with pillars) refers to the wooden palisades of the Moro fortifications in pre-Hispanic Manila.

Street names are part of our cultural heritage. While we sometimes consider them trivial, usage makes them important. Certain streets in the Sampaloc District exalted virtues such as Economia (economy), Trabajo, (industry) and Lealtad, (loyalty) etc. Trabajo in Sampaloc has been renamed M. de la Fuente and Lealtad, J. Fajardo. However, because these names have been sanctified by usage, people still refer to by their old names.

Anonymous philanthropist

In the past donors or philanthropists preferred anonymity for reasons of propriety. Kusang Loob Street in Santa Cruz was named as such because a wealthy resident donated a piece of land to the government. In gratitude the local government named the alley Kusang Loob (of one’s own accord) in 1915. Many streets, structures and schools are named after the donors as stipulated in the donation papers.

Section 13 of Republic Act 7160, the Local Government Code, authorizes local governments to change the names of streets and other public places in consultation with the National Historical Institute. As guardian of the cultural heritage the policy of the NHI is to preserve the original names.

But at the rate the requests for change of names are coming, time may come when Filipinos would forget an important corner of their past. To avoid indiscriminate changes, the NHI, has drawn up guidelines for naming and renaming. The rules include, among others, the following:

Names must have historical and cultural significance and must contribute to the positive development of national pride;

Genuine, indigenous and nonhispanized names should always be preserved, especially if the name is unique to the place;

Names after presidents and national heroes cannot be replaced with people of lesser importance;

No public place can be named or renamed after a living person;

No public place can be named or renamed after a person within ten years of his death, save for highly exceptional reasons (i.e. his death was due to assassination in the service of the country, death while trying to serve others, and death was a result of patriotism);

No public place should be named after a person when questionable propriety might arise from the act;

Recommended names should be appropriate in terms of historical value and significance to the place;

No public place should be renamed if the present one has attained a degree of historical significance and has developed an importance of its own;

Names after foreigners or places with foreign names may be retained if they were associated with the place and have attained historical importance.

LGUs flout the law

The institute has observed that local governments do not follow the R.A. 7160 rigorously. Occasionally an ordinance is passed without consultation and a copy sent to the NHI. Other officials seek the NHI’s opinion but proceed with the renaming against the institute’s objections.

Recently a city mayor sought our comment on the renaming of a school to honor his father. The institute saw no merit in the plan and was about to express its objection when it discovered that the school has been renamed even before consultation was made. Many streets in the country were renamed without consulting NHI.

Politicians often sponsor the renaming of streets to honor their relatives or their political benefactors. Changing the names frivolously is tantamount to erasing our cultural heritage. If this continues our people, especially the children, would lose their sense of history. The NHI believes many individuals have made a significant contribution to their communities, thus, their work deserve recognition. But this can be done in other equally significant ways, like naming a new street or an unnamed one.

The NHI has published Daluyan: A Dictionary of Streets of Manila on the origin of street names. A slim compilation of useful information on streets found in old and new Manila, Daluyan instructs us about Manila’s rich heritage as reflected in street names.

Preserving our historic-cultural heritage is synonymous to patriotism.

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2006/sept/23/yehey/opinion/20060923opi7.html

Animo

October 19th, 2006, 12:54 AM

THE preservation of Philippine history and cultural heritage is the principal responsibility of the National Historical Institute. It is the gatekeeper of the past and protector of the national memory. It plays a unique role matched only by a few institutions dedicated to chronicling and remembering the past.

Its forerunner was the Philippine Historical Research and Markers Committee, created in 1933 by Governor General Frank Murphy through Executive Order 451. The committee was directed to identify, designate and mark the many antiquities in the Philippines to keep them for posterity. The American journalist, Walter Robb, chaired the group. The members included Fr. Miguel Selga, S.J, Prof. Otley Beyer, Prof. Jayme C. de Veyra, Prof. Conrado Benitez, Dean Edward Hyde and Eulogio B. Rodriguez

The committee was abolished following the inauguration of the Commonwealth Government and replaced by the Philippine Historical Committee until the outbreak of the Second World War. When the Japanese army occupied the country, its functions were absorbed by the Commission of Education, Health and Public Welfare. On January 20, 1947, six months after the inauguration of the Third Philippine Republic, the committee was reconstituted, placed under the Office of the President and later transferred to the Department of Education.

In 28 years the committee installed about 444 historical markers all over the Philippines. It acquired historical shrines such as the Mabini Shrine in Tanauan, Batangas, and its counterpart in Manila, and the Juan Luna Memorial Shrine in Badoc, Ilocos Norte. The PHC reconstructed the Rizal home in Calamba and collected about 600 rare Rizaliana. It took charge of naming and renaming streets, plazas, towns and other public places.

Along with the PHC, the government created the Jose Rizal National Centennial Commission on August 10, 1954, to take charge of the preparations for Jose Rizal’s birth centenary and to publish books on his works. On July 1, 1962, President Diosdado Macapagal renamed the commission the Rizal Presidential Committee. Before 1962 ended, Macapagal also issued Executive Order 28, which created the National Heroes’ Commission under the Secretary of Education, with the added task of marking the centennial birth celebrations of Filipino heroes. The Rizal Shrine in Calamba was placed under the supervision of the Director of the National Museum and research and publication were carried out by the director of the National Library.

Following a public clamor for a historical body with functions broader than those of the PHC and NHC, the government created the National Historical Commission on July 1, 1965, merging the two committees as a separate bureau under the Department of Education and Culture. Its functions included research, administration of shrines, monuments and markers and general administration. Under Chairman Carmen Guerrero-Nakpil, the NHC launched the floating museum, Kasaysayan, that traveled to various places in the Philippines

In 1972 Presidential Decree 1 (September 24, 1972) an act reorganizing the executive branch, created the National Historical Institute. To streamline government entities performing work identical to that of the NHI, the government abolished the National Historical Commission, the Intramuros Restoration Committee, the Roxas Memorial Commission, the Quezon Memorial Committee, the Emilio Aguinaldo National Centennial Commission, the Gomez-Burgos-Zamora Centennial Commission and the Pinaglabanan Commemorative Commission. Their functions, records, appropriations, records and properties were transferred to the institute.

Mandate and its structure

Today, the NHI undertakes research and publication of Philippine historical works; administers educational activities on historical events and personages; restores, preserves and conserves movable and immovable objects of historical value and oversees the implementation of the National Historic Act of the Philippines (PD 260 and PD 1505) and of Republic Act 8491, the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines.

NHI maintains five divisions. The Administrative Division takes care of personnel matters, including the extension of support services to other divisions, the preparation of budgets and maintenance of accounting records. The Research, Publication and Heraldry Division conducts historical research, documentation, resolves controversial and conflicting issues, publishes works related to history and the implementation of laws related to heraldry and the Philippine flag.

The Monuments and Sites Division maintains national and historical shrines, monuments, landmarks and the memorabilia of eminent Filipinos. The Historic Preservation Division undertakes conservation, preservation and restoration of structures declared national landmarks, national shrines, historical edifices and ancestral houses registered in the National Registry of Historical Structures. The Historical Education Division leads historical and educational activities such as lectures, conferences, workshops, seminars and commemorations.

The present

Prof. Ambeth R. Ocampo chairs the Institute. The Board members are Jose Cruz, S.J, Heidi K. Gloria, Benito J. Legarda, Serafin D. Quiason, National Museum Director Corazon S. Alvina and National Library Director Prudenciana C. Cruz. The Institute is administered by Director Ludovico D. Badoy and Deputy Executive Director Emelita V. Almosara.

Operating on a modest budget, the institute is committed to its mission and mandate. It is active in the promotion of historical awareness among the public, the commemoration of national and local events, the protection and preservation of historical shrines and landmarks and extending services to stakeholders and to the public.

From September 15 to 21, the National Historical Institute will lead the celebration of History Week on the theme, “Aral ng Kasaysayan, Tanglaw sa Kinabukasan.” The celebration will feature a series of lectures, seminars, workshops, conferences, a history quiz, historical exhibits, book launchings, book sales and a food-and-product festival. Contact Dr. Regino P. Paular, chief, Historical Education Division. 523-1019, for details.

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2006/sept/17/yehey/top_stories/20060917top7.html

overtureph

October 19th, 2006, 04:28 AM

LordCarnal

October 19th, 2006, 04:41 AM

^^

I've read in their history that Fernando arrived in Malitbog, Leyte from Zambales I think (He came from Spain before in Zambales). They had several children one of which was a doctor and resided here in Cebu (specifically in Pari-an/Colon, photo below) and established a business empire. From Cebu, they branched out to several places like Negros, Bukidnon, etc.etc.

Interesting to note that from them branched out several other notable families/businessmen like the Garcias, Aboitizes, Lhuilliers, Aberasturis, etc.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/21EscanoandOsmenaResidence.jpg

overtureph

October 19th, 2006, 06:57 AM

Thanks arnoldsa.

nicko

October 19th, 2006, 08:37 AM

^When I saw the pic of that church, I thought it is new...

nahhh.. its not new.. it's built sometime in the 1700s.. it is just renovated.. though its foundations and original stone walls survived many earthquakes and fires and it is still supporting the whole church until today..

Askal82

October 21st, 2006, 06:48 AM

Escaño Mausoleum
Malitbog, Leyte

Photos from the internet.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/escano_mausoleum.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/escano_mausoleum02.jpg

Wow!! talking about East meets West in its architechture. It has the art deco of a Classical Western architechture with a visual texture and color of the Chinese porcelain scheme. The blend was done beautifully.

manileño

October 23rd, 2006, 12:53 AM

East meets West again in my favourite Philippine church, the most representative of all Philippine churches:

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f30/manileno/paoay_church_trek_02.jpg

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f30/manileno/paoay_church_trek.jpg

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f30/manileno/dsc051271.jpg

You see Sri Vijayan elements in this Mexican baroque church.

and to connect it to the topic: i have this question. How much do UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as this in Paoay receive annually for their preservation? I also wonder which government deparment/agency takes care of the buget for preservation works and how much they allot for it? :D

LordCarnal

October 23rd, 2006, 03:05 AM

OT:

Visit Richard Fischer's website and click biography. He actually lives in an "old Bishop's residence" within the vineyards of Kraichgau. There's also a photo of the beautiful house.

I wonder, would it be possible for Filipinos (like the rich ones) to buy off Casa Manila or an old Spanish Convent perhaps, renovate it and live there?

LordCarnal

October 23rd, 2006, 03:08 AM

East meets West again in my favourite Philippine church, the most representative of all Philippine churches:

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f30/manileno/paoay_church_trek_02.jpg
You see Sri Vijayan elements in this Mexican baroque church.

and to connect it to the topic: i have this question. How much do UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as this in Paoay receive annually for their preservation? I also wonder which government deparment/agency takes care of the buget for preservation works and how much they allot for it? :D

The church reminds me more of Angkor Wat. Hehehe. I hope they could get all those shrubs off.

Pinoy_ako

October 23rd, 2006, 11:50 PM

East meets West again in my favourite Philippine church, the most representative of all Philippine churches:

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f30/manileno/paoay_church_trek_02.jpg

You see Sri Vijayan elements in this Mexican baroque church.

and to connect it to the topic: i have this question. How much do UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as this in Paoay receive annually for their preservation? I also wonder which government deparment/agency takes care of the buget for preservation works and how much they allot for it? :D

UNESCO does not provide the funds for their preservation, although other international organizations do, like WMF. However, UNESCO provides technical assistance.

Lili

October 25th, 2006, 08:15 PM

Remembrances and the streets of Manila
By Luis R. Sioson
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Last updated 03:06am (Mla time) 08/20/2006

CERTAIN sections of Ermita, Sta. Cruz, Binondo and Quiapo are fascinating pieces in the city of Manila’s mosaic. But the plazas seem to have shrunk because there are more people and motor vehicles.

The churches, on the other hand, remain durable and visible landmarks, spiritual sanctuaries for hundreds of pedestrians and visitors. People ply various trade on streets and sidewalks among old buildings and structures, testaments to time’s quick passage.

The pace is slower in the Ermita of the Guerreros than in Sta. Cruz and Quiapo across the Pasig River to the north. There is more space in this district that still bears traces of its genteel past. Shady trees line some of its streets and a few old homes still exude the elegance of a bygone era.

On T. M. Kalaw Street, just off noisy (and polluted) Taft Avenue that intersects UN Avenue (formerly Isaac Peral), one can retreat to the quiet of the United Central Methodist Chapel hidden in the shadows of a large mall that replaced the old Harris Memorial Building.

The section, bounded on the south by Padre Faura Street, on the north by T. M. Kalaw (San Luis Street), on the east and west by Taft Avenue and Roxas Boulevard (Dewey Boulevard), respectively, is dominated by American Period buildings housing the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, University of the Philippines Manila and Philippine General Hospital.

The old Ateneo and its next-door neighbor, Assumption College on Adriatico Street (Dakota Street) and Pedro Gil (Herran), have been replaced by Robinson’s tower and a sprawling mall.

At the corner of Padre Faura and J. Bocobo Street (Nebraska) is a cream-colored residence- turned-restaurant, its charming balcony and stairway remarkably well maintained.

Oldest ‘real’ bookstore

The nearby Marietta Building also on Bocobo, has been re placed by a condominium. Ulog was a popular jazz joint on the same street. F. Sionil Jose’s Solidaridad Bookshop, probably the oldest “real” bookstore in the city, still sells books on P. Faura. Erehwon Bookshop, once the hangout of poets, English majors or anyone looking for hard-to-find books, was once a neighbor.

Za’s Café and Hizon’s Bakeshop at the corner of Arquiza and Bocobo streets still serve their famous ensaimadas, raisin bread and pricey coffee. The café has outlived the other coffee shops in the neighborhood—Taza de Oro, Country Bakeshop, Rolling Pin and United Supermarket’s.

To the west of Padre Faura, corner Roxas Boulevard, one faces the unsettling vista of rundown buildings side by side with a modern glass, steel and concrete structure. On this corner once stood a beautiful mansion owned by a prominent family. It became a bank later.

Ermita Church stands guard over the now quiet tourist belt and a row of naughty bars. The park in front of it is no longer called Plaza Ferguson but Nuestra Señora de Guia.

On UN Avenue is the Philamlife building. Inaugurated in 1961, it has a well-maintained theater that was (and still is) a venue for memorable musical performances and stage plays. The glass-paneled cafeteria, with its adjacent chapel and indoor garden, drew thousands of faithful patrons for lunch and merienda.

Across the avenue is the Manila Pavilion (formerly Manila Hilton and then Holiday Inn). Still eye-catching is the tall white and green Don Alfonso Sycip Building, standing at the corner of UN Avenue and M.H. del Pilar.

Delightful sight

On a quiet narrow street called Alhambra that connects UN Avenue to T.M. Kalaw, is the old Diokno house, a striking two-story white building with a black iron-railed balcony overlooking the street. It is a delightful sight amid towering structures and a tangle of telephone and television cables.

The renovated Bayview Hotel, built in 1935, still stands at the corner of UN Avenue and Roxas Boulevard. Across is the Bel-Air Apartment building, designed and constructed in 1937 by National Artist Pablo Antonio.

Opposite are the former Elks Building and the fabled Army and Navy Club where members of the elite hosted parties or watched plays staged by members of the American community.

Beyond the stretch of graceful apartments and glamorous hotels beckons Manila Bay where people watch magnificent sunsets.

Northward across Jones Bridge, are Plaza Moraga and Plaza Cervantes of Binondo. The conjoined squares that once comprised the city’s throbbing center of commerce now lie desolate in the shadows of aging buildings.

The El Hogar Filipino, almost a century-old, stands forlorn on the seedy southern end of Juan Luna Street (Anloague Street, where Capitan Tiago’s house in Jose Rizal’s “Noli me Tangere,” once stood). Standing beside it are the concrete remains of the old Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank on storied San Gabriel Street.

Farther north, intersecting Juan Luna, is Estraude Street where Rizal’s house was located and where his mother supposedly waited and prayed while he was being escorted to his execution in Bagumbayan (Luneta).

El Hogar, standing by the banks of the Pasig River, still has a number of tenants. Its ground floor gets flooded when the smelly Pasig River—thick and brownish—swells when filled with wild water lilies. The dank odor of old buildings follows you as you gingerly step on improvised wooden planks to avoid the muddy water.

Nearby, the old Insular Life Building facing the Uy Chaco Building (constructed in 1914) in Plaza Cervantes looks dreary and worn, shorn of its emblem of a proud eagle perched on top of its small dome. The top floor used to house radio station dzRH that featured in its programs popular movie stars at the time like Rosa Rosal, Jaime de la Rosa, Pugo, Tugo and other entertainers.

Rizal slept in this hotel

On the same small block stood the First National City Bank of New York and the Bank of the Philippine Islands. Paredes (Rosario) Street still does some business. Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz (Plaza Calderon de la Barca) in front of Binondo Church teems with pedestrians and motor vehicles. On this square once stood Hotel de Oriente, a “five-star hotel” that Rizal patronized.

Escolta has retained its name but not its unofficial title, “Queen of the Streets.” The Crystal Arcade, Botica Boie, Heacock’s, Alonzo, Estrella del Norte, Dencia’s Pansit Malabon, Max’s Fried Chicken, Henry’s Donuts and other well-known establishments are gone. But Savory Restaurant is still around.

A dying Escolta

Escolta has been dying all these years though some businesses still remain. First-run movie theaters Capitol and Lyric are long gone. Nueva Street, where Andres Bonifacio once worked as a sales agent of Fressell y Cia, now carries the name E.T. Yuchengco.

David Street is now Burke Street while across the City College of Manila (formerly the Philippine National Bank head office) is Calvo Building. Soda Street, the Love Bus terminal before, is unrecognizable.

The Perez-Samanillo Building (now First United) and Regina Building still stand strong, proud sentinels at the entrance to Escolta from Sta. Cruz Church. The Samanillo Building, constructed in 1930, was designed by Andres Luna de San Pedro, son of painter-patriot Juan Luna.

Neglected and unnoticed by passersby is a historical marker honoring patriot-newspaperman Patricio Mariano on Banquero (Bangkero) Street, beside the Escolta Bridge, on the edge of a garbage-congested canal.

From the bridge to the left on Plaza Sta. Cruz, the historic Carriedo Fountain shoots out sprays of water that sparkle in the sun. The fountain stands between the Sta. Cruz Church and Monte de Piedad, the country’s oldest savings bank where Manuel L. Quezon, Commonwealth President, once worked as a clerk. The short Bustos Street links the plaza to Avenida Rizal.

The strip between the drab dirty-white Capitan Pepe Building and the equally drab dirty-white Priscilla Building on the Avenida Rizal-Recto Avenue intersection, southward to Carriedo Street and Plaza Lacson (Plaza Goiti), was the most popular part of downtown where one could eat, shop and see first-run movies.

The popular cinemas—Ideal, Universal Theater (now Universal Park Mall), Luzon Theaters’ Avenue and State, and Ever—are all gone. Some familiar landmarks like the Arguelles and Guison buildings remain, but the strip has been transformed into a pedestrian promenade with dusty alfresco cafés accented with balding worn-out topiaries.

Locksmiths on Ronquillo Street still practice their trade. Stores painted in loud Mediterranean colors of yellow, blue and red, and a barber shop crowd under the LRT Station on the Carriedo Plaza Lacson junction. This section has, quite accidentally, developed into a kind of open-air concert hall.

The crowds form a half circle to watch and listen to a blind duo of singer and guitarist, static distorting the sound of the music coming from an amplifier powered by a car battery. The blind musicians and their motley audience of commuters have carved out a space under the LRT tracks.

Distracting background

Further distorting the sound of music is a combination of the hard and heavy rhythmic roll of LRT cars, the ear-splitting sounds of videoke machines and the hoarse voices of ambulant peddlers.

On nearby Palanca Street (Echague), Henry Sy’s old Shoemart (some say the first, the original SM) still does brisk business.

Plaza Lacson honors the colorful Manila Mayor Arsenio “Arsenic” Lacson. He stands tall on a pedestal across the old Roman Santos Building topped by a big clock and stone sculptures.

The popular Clover Theatre that brought the public Don Jose Zarah’s Extravaganza and jazz pianist Ping Joaquin, has become the City College of Manila annex.

On the crowded streets leading to Quiapo Church and Plaza Miranda, Sta. Cruz and Quiapo meet, borderless and offering a mix of colors and scents of street food, fruit and flowers. The aromas of fishball, smoked fish, pineapple slices, flowers, burning candles, herbs, roasted castañas and other “chichiria” fill the air.

Platerias, barely visible on congested Carriedo Street, still offer hard-to-find “piezas” (music sheets).

The stretch from Sta. Cruz Church to Quiapo Church is almost impassable, choked by crowds, stalls and merchandise of all kinds. On Plaza Miranda, balloon vendors, fortune tellers and novena sellers vie for the attention of church goers.

Take a trip to nostalgia and enjoy the walk and the remembrance of things past and present. It will be good for your soul and your sole.

(Luis R. Sioson, president of the Torres High School Class 1955 Foundation, has been writing articles about Tondo and other districts of Manila.)

Wonderboy

October 25th, 2006, 08:55 PM

^^ Funny, I was talking to Mr. Sioson, over the phone two days ago.

That article inspired one of my friends to take a stroll around Ermita and Malate.

Thanks Lili.

Lili

October 26th, 2006, 11:18 PM

^^ Oh yeah, someone should prepare a walking map for old Manila and historic architectural vistas. :)

@Ishteph: I thought this was your project before?

ishtefh_03

October 28th, 2006, 08:20 AM

@ate lili- we were only given a part to do some surveys and photo documentary and ung sa section namin, streets between M. dela fuente, don quixote, ma. cristina, around p. florentino and pyi margal only.... not the whole manila. well whole manila sya pero divided ung areas among sections ng fourth year and i know 1km radius lng sya from ust.

Wonderboy

October 28th, 2006, 09:35 AM

ANNOUNCEMENT

Seminar on: Philippine Towns & Cities: reflections of the past, lessons for the future

08 November 2006
Development Academy of the Philippines
2/F, L.S. VIRATA HALL
San Miguel Avenue, (near corner Shaw Blvd.) Pasig City

The Heritage Conservation Society (HCS), in collaboration with the Urban Partnerships Foundation, and the University of the Philippines History Department, is organizing a seminar, which aims to promote heritage conservation as a strategy for urban development and revitalization that will redound to local socioeconomic growth.

A strategic starting point for this is to document the history and evolution of Philippine human settlements - how and why they were established, planned, developed, and grew in the manner that they have and in the places where they are.

From this documentation, lessons can be extracted that can help guide policies and approaches for the planning and management of future urban development and revitalization with a strong heritage conservation component.

Rationale

* Rapid and massive urbanization of the Philippines brings with it many social challenges.

* Population growth results in the influx of rural migrants into urban centers, challenging the ability of Philippine towns and cities to provide jobs and livelihood.

* Crumbling infrastructure, inadequate and over-stretched social services, rampant real estate speculation, unplanned and extensive urban sprawl, plus unresponsive government agencies all exert tremendous pressure on older settlements.

* An invaluable core of historical and cultural heritage, is left to deteriorate, as the economically-active middle class flee to other urban areas.

* Concerted effort is imperative to revitalize the old city, ensure that its streets and spaces are kept alive, its economic base rejuvenated, and links to the modern city reinforced.

* It is urgent to create a powerful upward spiral of investments that will generate livelihood opportunities and restore the inherent vitality and unique
charm of Philippine historic towns and cities.

* The idea is to foster not only a "sense of place" but definitely, a "pride of place."

Objectives

* The seminar's overall goal is to broaden awareness and deepen understanding of the origins and evolution of Philippine towns and cities, thereby contributing to the intellectual capital essential to addressing contemporary urban challenges.

* Its specific objectives are to present selected case studies of Philippine towns and cities, which highlight the persons, events and factors that influenced their location, layout, land uses, buildings and circulation system; the planning and development principles or guidelines that were applied; and the impact of their location's geo-physical characteristics on their development;

* To identify the key lessons from these case studies that can be applied to the formulation and implementation of policies and approaches for the planning and management of Philippine urban settlements;

* To disseminate these lessons to urban planning and management practitioners especially local governments and communities, as a reference in formulating appropriate heritage conservation and other related programs.

Participants

* Governors, vice-governors, Mayors, vice-mayors, town and city councilors, provincial board members, regional development councils

* Heritage conservation advocates and experts, urban planners, historians, architects, and students

* Representatives of national government agencies, such as the Department of Tourism, Education, Public Works and Highways, Environmental and Natural Resources; National Historical Institute, National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and the Housing and land Use Regulatory Board

* A number of embassies and consulates will be invited

Seminar Fee

* Private Sector: P2,500.00
* Government Sector: 1,500.00
* Students (with ID): 500.00

For registration and further information, please contact:

* Ms. Dorie Soriano, Heritage Conservation Society
Tel.: 521-2239 / E-mail: hcs_secretariat@yahoo.com

* Mrs. Virginia R. Rodriguez, The Urban Partnerships Foundation
Tel: 895-1812/896-1902 / E-mail: deinsiedel.upf@gmail.com
---

PHILIPPINE TOWNS & CITIES:
REFLECTIONS OF THE PAST, LESSONS FOR THE FUTURE
Tentative Program of Seminar

7:30 REGISTRATION
8:00 NATIONAL ANTHEM
8:05 WELCOME REMARKS
* Gemma Cruz Araneta, President and Chairperson
Heritage Conservation Society
* Jaime Veneracion, ADHIKA
8:15 SEMINAR OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTED OUTPUTS
* Nathaniel von Einsiedel
President, Urban Partnerships Foundation
Trustee, Heritage Conservation Society

8:30 CASE STUDY #1: Butuan City - Gregorio Hontiveros
9:00 CASE STUDY #2: Escalante City - Kenneth Benignos
9:30 DISCUSSION
10:00 Coffee Break
10:15 MAYORS FORUM: Heritage Conservation and Local Development
* Mayor Jerry Treñas, Iloilo City (Iloilo)
* Mayor Muslimin Sema, Cotabato City (Maguindanao)
* Mayor Oscar Rodriguez, San Fernando City (Pampanga)
* Mayor Santiago Barcelona, Escalante City (Negros Occidental)
* Mayor Ferdinand Medina, Vigan City (Ilocos Sur)
* Mayor Rex Bernandez, Bucay,Abra
* Mayor Wilfredo Quiat, Pila, Laguna
12:00 L u n c h
1:00 CASE STUDY #3: Cebu Heritage Trail - Roel Rigor / Carmen Solis
1:30 CASE STUDY #4: Bucay, Abra - Jose Perdigon
2:00 DISCUSSION
2:30 Coffee Break
2:45 CASE STUDY #5:Taal, Batangas - Celestina Bonoan
3:15 CASE STUDY #6: San Jose del Monte, Bulacan - Jaime Veneracion
3:45 CASE STUDY #7: Apalit, Pampanga - Floro C. Quibuyen
4:15 DISCUSSION
4:45 SYNTHESIS AND "NEXT STEPS"
CLOSING REMARKS
5:00 ADJOURNMENT

Wonderboy

October 29th, 2006, 09:01 PM

^^ Oh yeah, someone should prepare a walking map for old Manila and historic architectural vistas. :)

Hello Lili. The Department of Tourism came out with several walking maps through the years but not particularly for Manila. That's a very good idea. But Manila should be cleaned "inside-out" before they promote it as a tourist destination.

Our local publishers ventured into "interactive guides" and one of my favorites is Rene B. Javellana's "Intramuros: In & Around." I scanned the front cover for your reference:

http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/8083/intra0wy1.jpg

If you happen to read Nicolas P. Cushner's "A Walking Tour of Historic Intramuros," published in 1960s by Ateneo and then my Alemar's in the '70s, this book is the "updated version," with quick reference guide, old photos, trivia, and history of Old Manila in a nutshell. The book will even give you an option (Tour 1 to Tour 5), depending on your time and capacity to do a walking tour of the walled city.

Another interesting book is "Street-Bound: Manila On Foot" by Josefina P. Manahan, published by Anvil in 2001.

"It's a handy guide for first-time Manila visitors as well as for Metro Manila residents who wish to get fresh insights into the many (often unappreciated) attractions of the metropolis. It comes complete with maps, a glossary, and a directory."

Excerpt from Anvilpublishing.com

http://img68.imageshack.us/img68/6024/streetboundup4.jpg

Hope this helps.

Lili

October 30th, 2006, 05:18 AM

^^ Thank you @Wonderboy. Those are very helpful resources. I am getting excited just thinking about exploring Manila on foot. That is, if I can hack it. It's good to know that there are available handy guidebooks and walking tour maps. I must admit, the last time I went there, I was a bit confused with some of the streets of Manila. Some of the jeepney routes have changed, too.

Wonderboy

October 30th, 2006, 06:44 AM

^^ Yeah, that's true. It's better to have an itinerary but there are times that you cannot avoid doing sidetrips. A calesa ride around the city is also good. Try doing it in downtown and tell the cutsero to pass by Jones Bridge from Intramuros.

When I was a kid, my mom and I would take a calesa on our way to Sta. Cruz Church and it was always a pleasant experience.

Animo

October 30th, 2006, 08:11 PM

^^ Wonderboy, I have a pdf poster of that seminar. I just couldn't copy it into a jpeg file. :D

Animo

October 30th, 2006, 08:11 PM

CEMETERIES ARE CONSIDERED cities of the dead. Usually enclosed by high walls, they remain virtual ghost towns for much of the year, their silence broken only every now and then by funeral processions and burials.

It is only during the much-celebrated All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day that they buzz with the activity of the living as those who are left behind pay their respects to the dead, bringing with them the trappings of daily life.

But there are more to cemeteries than the pervasive somber—if eerie—atmosphere; from an architectural standpoint, they are miniature showcases of various styles, forms and influences. They, in fact, tell the story of architecture.

The Cemeteria Catolica de la Loma, Cemeterio Municipal de Manila (Manila North Cemetery) and the Chinese Cemetery in Manila house the best examples of funerary architecture in the Philippines. Established during the dying years of the 19th century, they have what are probably the best and richest mausoleums money can buy.

Walking through these hallowed grounds, one passes by interpretations of Egyptian mortuary temples complete with palm-shaped columns and hollow gorged doorways on which are etched a solar disc with spread wings—the Egyptian symbol of protection. There, too, are pyramids guarded by sphinxes, as well as Greek- and Roman-inspired temples with Doric, Ionic or Corinthian orders.

Other styles are represented as well: Romanesque-type churches with their barrel vaults; Gothic interpretations with their characteristic pointed arches; Art Nouveau memorials with their flowing sinuous lines; Art Deco mausoleums with their jazz-like edges; Modern International Style mortuaries with their simple plain-white walls; and the ever ubiquitous mausoleums done in the Postmodern style.

Oriental architecture manifests itself in the form of Chinese pagodas with up curved tiled roofs and elaborately crafted mystical dragons, and Hindu Sikhara temples with parabolic-shaped domes.

Best materials

Most of these memorials are made of the best materials. Blocks of solid-white marble or green or black granite are carved and chiseled with volutes and scrolls or acanthus leaves to replicate Greek or Roman temples. Others are carved with intricate cusps to adorn the edges of pinnacles for Gothic spires.

Magnificent sculptures crafted by Luerssen y Oriol and Sons during the early part of the century dominate the tombs of the wealthy and the famous. Elaborate statues and stelaes or lapidas bearing Oriol’s signature are found all over the three Manila cemeteries.

But one does not necessarily have to be a marble magnate to have a beautiful mausoleum. Most other memorials are more humble in their construction. Made of hollowed plaster reinforced by concrete and decorated with allegories of weeping angels, they have as well managed to stand the test of time.

The statuary found particularly in La Loma and Norte are quite interesting. If one wonders where the art of sculpting has gone, one only has to visit these two cemeteries to find the answer.

The graceful lines of weeping widows, guardian angels crying at the demise of their beloved wards, sorrowful virgins praying to high heavens and staunch maidens protecting the tombs of their beloved are but a few of the images that these statues capture—though one wonders why only women seem to have the right to weep over their dearly departed.

Even the art of the lapida is seen at its best in these cemeteries. Names carved in the Art Nouveau or Art Deco style are surrounded with bas-relief of angels and garlands of flowers, while a tomb of a small child is decorated with small statues of playing children.

Famous personalities

Of the three cemeteries, it is in the North Cemetery where most of the famous personages in Philippine history are interred. Like the Cemeterio de la Recoleta in Buenos Aires where Evita Peron is entombed; Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington D.C. where the tombs of the Kennedys are; Highgate in London where Karl Marx is buried; or the Tikhvin in St. Petersburg, where the great 19th-century composers Tchaikovsky, Rimsky Korsakov and Mussorgsky are buried—the Norte houses the mortal remains of celebrities including Pancho Villa, world lightweight champion of the 1920s; Felix Resureccion Hidalgo, world-class painter and patriot; Claro M. Recto, orator and nationalist; film icons and father and son Fernando Poe Sr. and Jr.; the late presidents Manuel A. Roxas, Sergio Osmeña and Ramon Magsaysay; American Governor General Francis Burton Harrison; the heroes of the Philippine Revolution against Spain; Gregoria de Jesus, wife of Bonifacio and muse of the Katipunan; and the first American teachers known as the Thomasites and firefighters of the land.

Unfortunately, not many people find pleasure in visiting cemeteries. Perhaps it is the presence of a tomb or the sight of rows upon rows of crosses and peeling statues of weeping angels that bring horror to most.

Cemeteries are memorials not only to those who have gone beyond, but also to the glory days of funerary art and architecture. That alone should be enough reason to see them not just as places of yearly pilgrimages but also as heritage sites that serve as a bridge to the architecture of the past. For in the end, our mortal remains shall rest in such cemeteries and what better way to celebrate our life but with monuments dedicated to our memory.

A dedication inscribed in a tomb in Cemeterio de la Loma describes what I think is our utmost desire: “In the shadow of thy wings we rest, for in the end we do need to rest, and preferably in his shadow.”

The author is an architect and architectural historian. He teaches at the College of Architecture of the University of Sto. Tomas.

Wonderboy

October 30th, 2006, 08:18 PM

^^ Wonderboy, I have a pdf poster of that seminar. I just couldn't copy it into a jpeg file. :D

I also have the pdf file, Animo. I hope a lot of people will attend the seminar.

Rajah_Soliman

October 31st, 2006, 12:37 AM

how many more philippine churches will suffer the same fate !!!!???? :cry:

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h129/rajah_soliman/9999%20DAVAO%20PIX/davaocathedralb42day.jpg

Lili

October 31st, 2006, 01:11 AM

Pinoy_ako

October 31st, 2006, 01:37 AM

^^ Oh my, that new church is a monstrosity. Won't they even paint it at least eggshell white? It's sad they totally overhauled the Spanish influenced architecture of the old Davao Cathedral to come out with a modernist design which is not even aestherically appealing.

The design of the old Davao Cathedral is very similar to the old "Jesuit mission" churches in Mindanao like Zamboanga Church, Tetuan Church, Jasaan Church, Balingasag Church ( although it lost the second story and the towers ) to mention a few. However, most of these were destroyed during the war and it is quite sad that the surviving ones were also being lost. These churches made use of local materials and techniques ( like tabique ) since they are quite far from Manila.

Rajah_Soliman

October 31st, 2006, 02:37 AM

do you have recent pictures of those mentioned mission churches :) ? the church in Dapitan looks a bit similar to the old Davao Cathedral...

The design of the old Davao Cathedral is very similar to the old "Jesuit mission" churches in Mindanao like Zamboanga Church, Tetuan Church, Jasaan Church, Balingasag Church ( although it lost the second story and the towers ) to mention a few. However, most of these were destroyed during the war and it is quite sad that the surviving ones were also being lost. These churches made use of local materials and techniques ( like tabique ) since they are quite far from Manila.

Askal82

October 31st, 2006, 04:15 AM

The church reminds me more of Angkor Wat. Hehehe. I hope they could get all those shrubs off.

Ankor huwatt? :lol:

Wonderboy

November 1st, 2006, 02:01 AM

Adaptive Reuse

Excerpt from Augusto Villalon’s article, “Recycling Old Structures for New Uses:”

Many old buildings are constructed so solidly that they simply outlive what they originally were built for. Instead of being torn down, many of them are recycled. Throughout history, numerous buildings have been adapted to new use of all sorts.

The process of adaptive reuse insists on two basic requirements: that the original shell of an old structure remains intact and that its authentic, architectural form be retained at all cost. The exterior shell should be maintained in its authentic, original appearance.

---

Following the excerpts lifted from Sir Toti’s article on Lugar: Essays on Philippine Heritage Architecture, I am sharing several pictures that I took last Sunday. These are old houses located in Pasay, Vito Cruz, and Malate, which were turned into shops and restaurants while still retaining its original structure.

California Funnel Cake

http://img410.imageshack.us/img410/1686/sunday1fs7.jpg

http://img50.imageshack.us/img50/2571/sunday2cv8.jpg

Tucked in Donado Street in Pasay, The California Funnel Cake has one of the best funnel cakes in the old district. The owner “adapted” the recipe during the stay in California and made her own version in different varieties.

http://img420.imageshack.us/img420/7579/sunday3xq3.jpg

http://img325.imageshack.us/img325/7902/sunday4zg9.jpg

If you would like to go there, the old house is just behind Arellano University. They also serve pasta, rice meals and other desserts.

Becky’s Kitchen

Another heritage champion is Becky’s Kitchen, located at Vito Cruz St. (now Pablo Ocampo St.), Manila. Word of mouth has made this little shop popular. The homey feel of the shop as well as the cakes and pastries that will make you forget your name are two important factors that makes this bakeshop very popular among dessert fanatics.

http://img285.imageshack.us/img285/2696/sunday6cc5.jpg

http://img316.imageshack.us/img316/1200/sunday7gy7.jpg
Cakes range from 300 to 500 pesos while the pasties such as lemon squares and food for the gods range from 15 to 20 pesos each. I highly recommend their rum cakes as well as the caramel cake.

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/783/sunday9yz7.jpg

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/8222/sunday8xt6.jpg

Patio Guernica

There’s also Patio Guernica located at Nebraska Street (now Jorge Bocobo St.) in Malate. Antique collector, Romeo E. Bauzon, acquired this old house in 1972. The restaurant is popular for its Paella Valenciana and Chorizo de Bibao:

http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/2263/sunday12fx4.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/36/76589655_74c94f5a06.jpg

Casa Nostra

This hole-in-the-wall dates back to 1933. Food whores would keep this as a secret lest locos and so-called food experts would swarm their favorite restaurant. As for me, well, I just wanted to share what I know.

http://img280.imageshack.us/img280/6716/sunday14mq3.jpg

http://img414.imageshack.us/img414/5300/sunday13gk0.jpg

http://www.olivegarden.com/press/news_releases/2005/linguine_alla_marinara.jpg

There are several other houses that were turned into restaurants and I’m glad that this is fast becoming a trend here in Manila. I will post more “secret places” when my schedule permits.

le Reine

November 1st, 2006, 04:54 PM

^yum... Paano mo na-"discover" ang mga ito? Ang tagal-tagal ko nang pumupunta sa Pasay at Malate pero hindi ko sila nakikita. Hindi ko alam na may ganyan pala. tsk, tsk...

Wonderboy

November 1st, 2006, 07:35 PM

^^ Hehe...there are more "hole-in-the-wall" diners in Pandacan. I plan to go there and take pictures sometime soon.

Pinoy_ako

November 2nd, 2006, 12:26 AM

do you have recent pictures of those mentioned mission churches :) ? the church in Dapitan looks a bit similar to the old Davao Cathedral...

I don't have recent pictures of these mission churches. But "Stone and Wood" by Fr Rene Javellana has a number of these churches. Except for the topmost portion of the twin belfires of the Dapitan Church, the structure is very similar to the old Davao Cathedral. The interior was heavily renovated, just like the rest.

thomasian

November 3rd, 2006, 08:05 AM

^yum... Paano mo na-"discover" ang mga ito? Ang tagal-tagal ko nang pumupunta sa Pasay at Malate pero hindi ko sila nakikita. Hindi ko alam na may ganyan pala. tsk, tsk...

Baka naman kasi kung anu-anong pinupuntahan mo sa Pasay at Malate kaya di mo napapansin yung mga yun. :D

There's also this old reused house in San Juan, na ginawang cafe (Cafe Isabel yata yun pero not so sure o baka yun yata yung center for asian culinary something, di ko talaga maalala). Yung dun sa isang street na medyo tago na malapit sa Wilson St. Anyone knows it? Pics?

BoNduRanT

November 3rd, 2006, 09:49 AM

I think Ive seen that one before. Yung white na house na may fountain sa tapat?

I think you turn right sa gas station right after nun parang shrine dun near little baguio.

Wonderboy

November 3rd, 2006, 05:34 PM

http://www.cafeysabel.com/images/cqfe_logo.jpg

Cafe Ysabel is along P. Guevarra Street in San Juan. It's a very nice ancestral house built in 1927.

le Reine

November 4th, 2006, 02:59 AM

^parang nakita ko na iyang napost somewere! Aha! Yan yung pnost ni Ate Lili na pic dati. Diyan ata siya pumunta before. If only I could find that post.

thomasian

November 4th, 2006, 05:28 PM

http://www.cafeysabel.com/images/cqfe_logo.jpg

Cafe Ysabel is along P. Guevarra Street in San Juan. It's a very nice ancestral house built in 1927.

Yes that's it, salamat. I got the wrong spelling pala, it's Ysabel with a "Y" pala.

Wonderboy

November 4th, 2006, 10:49 PM

^parang nakita ko na iyang napost somewere! Aha! Yan yung pnost ni Ate Lili na pic dati. Diyan ata siya pumunta before. If only I could find that post.

I know where to find it but I'm loyal to Lili and want to keep her low profile so I won't post it here. He he.

Anyway, my friends and I will be going there maybe next week so I'll post some photos here.

As I've mentioned, it's good that a handful of old houses are turned into restaurants, bars, etc., without changing its original structure. It's important that we see these "evidences of our history" to understand where we came from and how we can face and deal with the present. Yes, I know I have reiterated it a lot of times but I won't stop. I just won't.

Wonderboy

November 6th, 2006, 07:37 PM

I'll repost this here so that everyone can see:

ANNOUNCEMENT

Seminar on: Philippine Towns & Cities: reflections of the past, lessons for the future

08 November 2006
Development Academy of the Philippines
2/F, L.S. VIRATA HALL
San Miguel Avenue, (near corner Shaw Blvd.) Pasig City

The Heritage Conservation Society (HCS), in collaboration with the Urban Partnerships Foundation, and the University of the Philippines History Department, is organizing a seminar, which aims to promote heritage conservation as a strategy for urban development and revitalization that will redound to local socioeconomic growth.

A strategic starting point for this is to document the history and evolution of Philippine human settlements - how and why they were established, planned, developed, and grew in the manner that they have and in the places where they are.

From this documentation, lessons can be extracted that can help guide policies and approaches for the planning and management of future urban development and revitalization with a strong heritage conservation component.

Rationale

* Rapid and massive urbanization of the Philippines brings with it many social challenges.

* Population growth results in the influx of rural migrants into urban centers, challenging the ability of Philippine towns and cities to provide jobs and livelihood.

* Crumbling infrastructure, inadequate and over-stretched social services, rampant real estate speculation, unplanned and extensive urban sprawl, plus unresponsive government agencies all exert tremendous pressure on older settlements.

* An invaluable core of historical and cultural heritage, is left to deteriorate, as the economically-active middle class flee to other urban areas.

* Concerted effort is imperative to revitalize the old city, ensure that its streets and spaces are kept alive, its economic base rejuvenated, and links to the modern city reinforced.

* It is urgent to create a powerful upward spiral of investments that will generate livelihood opportunities and restore the inherent vitality and unique
charm of Philippine historic towns and cities.

* The idea is to foster not only a "sense of place" but definitely, a "pride of place."

Objectives

* The seminar's overall goal is to broaden awareness and deepen understanding of the origins and evolution of Philippine towns and cities, thereby contributing to the intellectual capital essential to addressing contemporary urban challenges.

* Its specific objectives are to present selected case studies of Philippine towns and cities, which highlight the persons, events and factors that influenced their location, layout, land uses, buildings and circulation system; the planning and development principles or guidelines that were applied; and the impact of their location's geo-physical characteristics on their development;

* To identify the key lessons from these case studies that can be applied to the formulation and implementation of policies and approaches for the planning and management of Philippine urban settlements;

* To disseminate these lessons to urban planning and management practitioners especially local governments and communities, as a reference in formulating appropriate heritage conservation and other related programs.

Participants

* Governors, vice-governors, Mayors, vice-mayors, town and city councilors, provincial board members, regional development councils

* Heritage conservation advocates and experts, urban planners, historians, architects, and students

* Representatives of national government agencies, such as the Department of Tourism, Education, Public Works and Highways, Environmental and Natural Resources; National Historical Institute, National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and the Housing and land Use Regulatory Board

* A number of embassies and consulates will be invited

Seminar Fee

* Private Sector: P2,500.00
* Government Sector: 1,500.00
* Students (with ID): 500.00

For registration and further information, please contact:

* Ms. Dorie Soriano, Heritage Conservation Society
Tel.: 521-2239 / E-mail: hcs_secretariat@yahoo.com

* Mrs. Virginia R. Rodriguez, The Urban Partnerships Foundation
Tel: 895-1812/896-1902 / E-mail: deinsiedel.upf@gmail.com
---

PHILIPPINE TOWNS & CITIES:
REFLECTIONS OF THE PAST, LESSONS FOR THE FUTURE
Tentative Program of Seminar

7:30 REGISTRATION
8:00 NATIONAL ANTHEM
8:05 WELCOME REMARKS
* Gemma Cruz Araneta, President and Chairperson
Heritage Conservation Society
* Jaime Veneracion, ADHIKA
8:15 SEMINAR OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTED OUTPUTS
* Nathaniel von Einsiedel
President, Urban Partnerships Foundation
Trustee, Heritage Conservation Society

8:30 CASE STUDY #1: Butuan City - Gregorio Hontiveros
9:00 CASE STUDY #2: Escalante City - Kenneth Benignos
9:30 DISCUSSION
10:00 Coffee Break
10:15 MAYORS FORUM: Heritage Conservation and Local Development
* Mayor Jerry Treñas, Iloilo City (Iloilo)
* Mayor Muslimin Sema, Cotabato City (Maguindanao)
* Mayor Oscar Rodriguez, San Fernando City (Pampanga)
* Mayor Santiago Barcelona, Escalante City (Negros Occidental)
* Mayor Ferdinand Medina, Vigan City (Ilocos Sur)
* Mayor Rex Bernandez, Bucay,Abra
* Mayor Wilfredo Quiat, Pila, Laguna
12:00 L u n c h
1:00 CASE STUDY #3: Cebu Heritage Trail - Roel Rigor / Carmen Solis
1:30 CASE STUDY #4: Bucay, Abra - Jose Perdigon
2:00 DISCUSSION
2:30 Coffee Break
2:45 CASE STUDY #5:Taal, Batangas - Celestina Bonoan
3:15 CASE STUDY #6: San Jose del Monte, Bulacan - Jaime Veneracion
3:45 CASE STUDY #7: Apalit, Pampanga - Floro C. Quibuyen
4:15 DISCUSSION
4:45 SYNTHESIS AND "NEXT STEPS"
CLOSING REMARKS
5:00 ADJOURNMENT

Wonderboy

November 9th, 2006, 10:02 AM

Wonderboy

November 9th, 2006, 01:56 PM

By the way, those who cannot make it to the meeting on Tuesday may post and/or PM their suggestions/ inputs re: revival of the heritage bill. I will relay all your postings and collate them for the meeting.

The bill was submitted years ago but as usual, the politicians tried to stop it. Ms. Harper hired a lawyer to review the bill so it would be very much appreciated if everyone will be involved.

This bill is for the protection of all historical/ heritage sites in the Philippines. What we have are city ordinances and P.D. 1505 that doesn't have the 'teeth' to protect/ preserve our heritage.

Once again, I call for your help in this noble cause.

Thank you.

LordCarnal

November 9th, 2006, 02:36 PM

Cosmopolitan Funeral Parlor
- One of the oldest and finest in Cebu; located near the corner of Colon and General Junquera streets.

Photo by Rokbot from Flickr.com

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/cosmopolitan.jpg

.:.

Wonderboy

November 9th, 2006, 03:45 PM

^^ Nice. It looks well-maintained. Sana ganyan din dito sa Manila.

LordCarnal

November 9th, 2006, 06:17 PM

I found this on the internet.. It says that this is somewhere in Cebu.. I haven't been here though and I don't know what this is.

Although I'm guessing this is somewhere in Bantayan Island, maybe.. :dunno:

I hope someone could tell where this really is. It looks like an aqueduct..

http://www.daaaaa.com/cebu/cebu049.jpg

And here's one of the many Watchtowers in southern Cebu. This one's in a bad shape. A series of them runs for more than a kilometer I guess.

http://www.daaaaa.com/cebu/cebu050.jpg

.:.

OtAkAw

November 9th, 2006, 06:24 PM

^^Ang dami palang heritage structures sa Cebu eh!

ishtefh_03

November 10th, 2006, 05:49 AM

^^ yes cebu is very rich!!! when i go there, from cebu city to Badian which is 4 hrs ang byahe... i don't sleep, i look for structure that is nice to take some shot especially churches... ilang simbahan ang madadaan mo on the way!!!

Lili

November 10th, 2006, 06:14 AM

Wonderboy

November 10th, 2006, 11:29 AM

^^ Hi Lili!

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to bring the camera during the seminar. Nonetheless, I'll take a photo of DAP when I'm in the area.

thomasian

November 11th, 2006, 06:20 AM

Reviving the Heritage Bill

Hello everyone,

Ms. Bambi Harper has organized a meeting this coming November 14, 2006, Tuesday to revive the heritage bill. We need as many inputs as possible.

The meeting will take place somewhere in Pasong Tamo, Makati City. To those who are interested, please send me a private message and I will send you the details.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Jeff

If you want, you can post this in the main page and I'll just make it a sticky (or jhaelnis can do it if I'm not yet around) so it will get more attention from forumers.

Wonderboy

November 11th, 2006, 08:20 PM

^^ That would be great. Thanks Thomasian.

Animo

November 11th, 2006, 08:31 PM

Oye, citizen scholar WonderB! How was the symposium? You'll have another meeting in February right? I believe they not only want to restore heritage structure but also promote and recover the memories and importance of these in Philippine historic identity. Does anyone have a photo of Bucay, Abra ayuntamiento?

thomasian

November 12th, 2006, 09:40 AM

Wonderboy's call for our support in Reviving the Heritage Bill.

Reviving the Heritage Bill

Hello everyone,

Ms. Bambi Harper has organized a meeting this coming November 14, 2006, Tuesday to revive the heritage bill. We need as many inputs as possible.

The meeting will take place somewhere in Pasong Tamo, Makati City. To those who are interested, please send me a private message and I will send you the details.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Jeff

By the way, those who cannot make it to the meeting on Tuesday may post and/or PM their suggestions/ inputs re: revival of the heritage bill. I will relay all your postings and collate them for the meeting.

The bill was submitted years ago but as usual, the politicians tried to stop it. Ms. Harper hired a lawyer to review the bill so it would be very much appreciated if everyone will be involved.

This bill is for the protection of all historical/ heritage sites in the Philippines. What we have are city ordinances and P.D. 1505 that doesn't have the 'teeth' to protect/ preserve our heritage.

Once again, I call for your help in this noble cause.

Thank you.

thomasian

November 12th, 2006, 09:46 AM

^^ That would be great. Thanks Thomasian.

Jhaelnis already made one yesterday in the main page, but since it looks like it's not getting much exposure, I also made another in the Cities and Places in the Philippines subforum. (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=766)

BTW, I have pictures from a recent walking tour (alone) of Escolta, Sta Cruz, and a few parts of Binondo. Where do I post all of the pics?

Yung ibang pics pwede dun sa then and now kasi they would fit in the "now" category of some old pics there, pero ikaw na lang bahala maglagay pag naipost ko na lahat.

Wonderboy

November 12th, 2006, 11:03 AM

^^ Thanks again, Thomasian. I expected that only a few will support such cause and one or two replies from my inbox means a lot. Your initiative is very much appreciated!

As for the walking tour photos, you may post them on the 'then and now' thread, as it is not only for photo comparisons but for posting of present day photos and other discussions related to Philippine heritage (even nostalgia) as well.

Oye, citizen scholar WonderB! How was the symposium? You'll have another meeting in February right? I believe they not only want to restore heritage structure but also promote and recover the memories and importance of these in Philippine historic identity. Does anyone have a photo of Bucay, Abra ayuntamiento?

Hey Animo. The seminar went well and I believe it was the first time that the heritage conservation group, historians and urban planners joined together to discuss the issues concerning urban cities.

Three mayors showed up (Mayor of Vigan City, San Fernando City Pampanga and Bucay, Abra) and a handful of representatives from the government (i.e. Intramuros Administration) were also there. I didn't see any representative from NHI, NCCA, and the National Museum.

The study that I enjoyed was the development of Pila Historical Society and how the founders (who said they were accidental advoacates) went through difficulties in dealing with the townsfolk, mayor, etc. to convince that it is higly important to preserve the Pila heritage district.

At the end of the seminar, the three groups agreed that it is necessary to have a legislation to protect the Philippines' lost heritage. Yes, there is P.D. 1505 and a couple of city ordinances created by LGUs but a stronger law is needed.

Out of topic: I got the term 'citizan scholar' during the seminar when one of the speakers came up to me and asked if I am a historian or a college professor. I told him that I am a student/ 8-5 worker who's interested in Philippine heritage. He said that I'm a citizen scholar because as compared to historians and professors, my spare time is devoted to research and study of Philippine heritage and history while being "funded" for such activity.

I might change custom title sometime soon because it seems so snobbish. He he...

Rajah_Soliman

November 12th, 2006, 12:03 PM

Philippine Heritage... anyone? :)
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h129/rajah_soliman/9999%20DAVAO%20PIX/philheritage01.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h129/rajah_soliman/9999%20DAVAO%20PIX/philheritage02.jpg

Rajah_Soliman

November 12th, 2006, 12:04 PM

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h129/rajah_soliman/9999%20DAVAO%20PIX/philheritage01.jpg
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h129/rajah_soliman/9999%20DAVAO%20PIX/philheritage02.jpg

LordCarnal

November 12th, 2006, 12:46 PM

Argao, Cebu

- Within the plaza are the church, hall of justice, municipal town hall and other old edifices.

A former school converted into Hall of Justice

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/beautifulChurches/Argao%20Church/argao55.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/beautifulChurches/Argao%20Church/argao58.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/beautifulChurches/Argao%20Church/argao59.jpg

Municipal Hall building undergoing rehabilitation and expansion

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/beautifulChurches/Argao%20Church/argao60.jpg

A cannon at the plaza

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/beautifulChurches/Argao%20Church/argao62.jpg

Argao Church

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/beautifulChurches/Argao%20Church/argao_church_markspictures.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/beautifulChurches/Argao%20Church/argao04.jpg

Wall

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/beautifulChurches/Argao%20Church/argao65.jpg

.:.

Wonderboy

November 12th, 2006, 04:40 PM

Baka naman kasi kung anu-anong pinupuntahan mo sa Pasay at Malate kaya di mo napapansin yung mga yun. :D

There's also this old reused house in San Juan, na ginawang cafe (Cafe Isabel yata yun pero not so sure o baka yun yata yung center for asian culinary something, di ko talaga maalala). Yung dun sa isang street na medyo tago na malapit sa Wilson St. Anyone knows it? Pics?

As promised, I am posting some dinner photos with coworkers at Café Ysabel last night:

http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/9342/cafe1di4.jpg
Café Ysabel interior --- I’m not in the photos much to your relief…he he…

http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/5444/cafe2wa5.jpg
House specialty is Paella Valencia.

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/9427/cafe3dh9.jpg
I apologize if the shots are too dark. We’ll probably go back for lunch next time.

LordCarnal

November 12th, 2006, 04:59 PM

^^

Speaking of houses converted into restaurants, here's one near my place.

The architecture is kind of Spanish (was it Antillan?) although it's not so clear in the photo.

It's now a Mexican restaurant called "Mooon Cafe". A small part of the ground floor has an Art Gallery.

There are also a number of old mansions with outstanding architecture that have been converted into restaurants such as JOs Inato Chiken Inasal, Kukuk's Nest, Beehive, and Casa Verde (I think Wonderboy's friend was able to dine out in this resto since he posted a photo of it in his blog).

Mooon
http://photos.friendster.com/photos/27/20/12440272/2277556317079l.jpg

http://photos.friendster.com/photos/27/20/12440272/22775498430093l.jpg

.:.

Wonderboy

November 12th, 2006, 05:04 PM

^^ Nice! It's good that the owners decided to turn their ancestral house in a restaurant.

I think Wonderboy's friend was able to dine out in this resto since he posted a photo of it in his blog.

Hmmm...who is he? What's his web [blog] address?

LordCarnal

November 12th, 2006, 05:13 PM

^^

It was Henares something.. It was in Casa Verde..

Anyway, bad me.. I kept myself busy taking photos of churches when I could have just taken a shot of these houses near my place.

I'll try to take photos of them later on.

There's also a house here that is very victorian in architecture. The owner is a certain Dr. Borromeo (his name is being displayed in the gate). The house itself sits in the middle of a wide lawn that's full of flowers.. I'll try to take photos of these structure from now on..

Wonderboy

November 12th, 2006, 05:18 PM

^^ He he...I can't remember either. He's probably just an acquiantance or a colleague.

Looking forward to the photos, Arnold!

LordCarnal

November 12th, 2006, 05:20 PM

^^

aha, Ivan Henares pala.. :) hehehe.. ok I'll post them as soon as I get something.

Wonderboy

November 12th, 2006, 05:27 PM

^^ Just post them when you can, Arnold. No pressure. He he.

Municipal Hall building undergoing rehabilitation and expansion

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/beautifulChurches/Argao%20Church/argao60.jpg

Galing pala nito. Talagang pinagkagastuhan.

overtureph

November 12th, 2006, 10:43 PM

11 RP forests are last bastions of world’s unique species

By Blanche Rivera
Inquirer
Last updated 09:26pm (Mla time) 11/12/2006

THERE are at least 11 sites in the Philippines which hold the key to the survival of some of the world’s endangered species.

The sites, identified by the Washington-based Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE), are habitats of those species. If the habitats are destroyed, the species will be lost.

http://newsinfo.inq7.net/breakingnews/nation/view_article.php?article_id=32137

ishtefh_03

November 13th, 2006, 04:13 AM

Three mayors showed up (Mayor of Vigan City, San Fernando City Pampanga and Bucay, Abra) and a handful of representatives from the government (i.e. Intramuros Administration) were also there. I didn't see any representative from NHI, NCCA, and the National Museum.

Mayor OCA was there??? nice!!! :D

LordCarnal

November 15th, 2006, 03:07 PM

Biggest Churchbell in Southeast Asia
Roxas City, Capiz

Photos by Arnold

http://static.flickr.com/89/244314878_b98da1fdf5_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/85/232493568_5a5ed487c3_o.jpg

.:.

Hawayano

November 15th, 2006, 06:23 PM

Biggest Churchbell in Southeast Asia
Roxas City, Capiz

Photos by Arnold

http://static.flickr.com/89/244314878_b98da1fdf5_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/85/232493568_5a5ed487c3_o.jpg

.:.

WOW! This should surely be maintained and protected as a national treasure and tourist attraction!

Wonderboy

November 15th, 2006, 08:40 PM

Dear Mods,

Thank you for posting this thread and giving high regard to my advocacy.

You may now delete this thread.

Wonderboy

Lili

November 15th, 2006, 08:51 PM

^ Why? Are we not even going to discuss the progress of this proposed revival of the Heritage Bill?

bagel

November 15th, 2006, 09:31 PM

LordCarnal

November 16th, 2006, 10:34 AM

WOW! This should surely be maintained and protected as a national treasure and tourist attraction!

I forgot the name of the Church.. I think it was Panay or Pan-ay church. :dunno:

When we went there 5 years ago, the interiors of the church were being restored. The wooden balusters were being replaced with steel.

I wonder what it looks like now.

.:.

Wonderboy

November 16th, 2006, 01:31 PM

At least now they're doing something.

Save old theater, NCCA asks Manila
Posted by: "Heritage Conservation Society Philippines" heritageconservation@gmail.com hcs_updiliman
Wed Nov 15, 2006 11:25 pm (PST)

HERITAGE ARCHITECTURE THREATENED
Save old theater, NCCA asks Manila
By Jerome Aning, Tina Santos

Published on Page A18 of the November 16, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily
Inquirer

THE National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) remains hopeful that
the Manila city government will stop the plan to demolish the Galaxy Theater
on Rizal Avenue designed by National Artist Pablo Antonio.

NCCA executive director and Presidential Adviser on Culture Cecille
Guidote-Alvarez told the Inquirer she has yet to receive a reply to the
letter they sent to Manila Mayor Lito Atienza.

"We can only make an appeal to the city government to intercede with the
owners so the building can somehow be preserved; we really cannot order the
private owners to stop the demolition," she said in a phone interview.

"We hope we can reach an arrangement that would preserve the original design
of the building, but it's really up to them (the owners)," Alvarez added.

Sought for comment, Atienza told the Inquirer that his office has yet to
receive an application for a permit to demolish the theater.

But should an application be filed, he said he would carefully study the
matter, in consultation with the National Historical Institute and NCCA.
Among the things that he would look into would be the building's historical
value, Atienza added.

Galaxy Theater, designed by Antonio using the Art Moderne style, was one of
the major attractions of the popular theater district in old downtown
Manila.

It had an original DP70 wide-screen projector, built in Belgium in the '50s,
which became popular in international cinemas until the '70s.

Architect Richard Bautista of the NCCA's National Heritage Office said the
fact that Galaxy had not been torn down was good news for their group's
conservation efforts.

"We hope this will become a gauge of City Hall's commitment to heritage
preservation, " he added.

LordCarnal

November 16th, 2006, 01:37 PM

^^

Any photos of the theater?

thomasian

November 16th, 2006, 01:42 PM

I think we can have continued discussion for the progress of this bill.
I'm moving the thread to the Heritage and Architecture subforum where it belongs. Salamat.

ishtefh_03

November 16th, 2006, 02:11 PM

so what happened to the meeting??:D

Wonderboy

November 16th, 2006, 02:15 PM

Okay, sige, don't delete this yet. I'll be posting update re: heritage bill on this thread. Thanks again.

Wonderboy

November 16th, 2006, 02:18 PM

^^ Here's the weblink:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fixedfocus/36860075/in/photostream/

Unfortunately, I cannot post the photos because it's programmed under spaceball gif. There are also other old Manila theaters on the link.

LordCarnal

November 16th, 2006, 02:49 PM

^^

Here's a tip: Click the "print screen" button in your keyboard, open a photo editing software, click on new, and then click the EDIT toolbar and click "Paste". :devil: :devil:

Crop the image and save it to photobucket or any image storage website. :devil: :devil:

Anyway, I like the Capitol Theater so much. It reminds me of the facade of that building featured in Men In Black movie (the one used as entrance to the MIB headquarters?)

Wonderboy

November 16th, 2006, 06:59 PM

Below is the report that I will send to The Heritage Conservation Society and other heritage groups:

Dear Sir/ Ma'am:

Following my previous e-mail regarding the revival of the heritage bill, below are the minutes of the meeting last Tuesday, November 14, 2006 at the office of Ms. Joan Orendain:

1. The meeting was attended by several members of the Winner Foundation, Inc. (one of the groups that fought against the construction of a building at the Arocerros Forest Park, demolition of Jai Alai Building in Manila, among others), Ms. Bambi Harper (co-founder of The Heritage Conservation Society and now chairperson of the Filipino Heritage Festival, Inc), Ms. Maribel Ongpin (newspaper columnist), Mr. Will Castillo (historian), Mrs. Esperanza Gatbonton (used to work for the Intramuros Administration), three attorneys, one of which is Atty. Pocholo Martinez (pro bono lawyer), Ms. Joan Orendain (writer), and yours truly as representative of HCS.

2. Atty. Martinez read through the original bill that was submitted in 1999 to the senate. Unfortunately, the bill was not passed because the congressmen felt that it will create another level of bureaucracy, as it overlaps with the functions of existing agencies, that it is redundant, that it has no source of fund.

3. Given the above-mentioned facts that was brought up and discussed thoroughly during the meeting, we also found out that the original bill had been reworked, hence, it was not passed.

Atty. Martinez and the rest of the attendees agreed to make the following actions/ suggestions before submitting the bill to the senate:

1. Check/ follow-up with the senate to investigate further on the bill that had been reworked, and get a copy of the bill for the review of the group.

2. The original bill was read again and several amendments should be done such as setting a general principle for the criteria of the landmark, etc.

Atty. Martinez will also research on the laws/ ordinances/ existing laws of the following local government units:

2.1. National Commission for Culture and the Arts
2.2. National Museum
2.3. National Historical Institute
2.4. Local Government's City Ordinances
2.5. The Department of Tourism
2.6. Department of Trade and Industry, Board of Investments particularly Executive Order No. 226 for Historic Cultural Heritage Projects.

* On a personal note, I believe that the Cultural Center of the Philippines should have a say on the revival of the bill. Since they are the ones manning the awarding, giving of benefits, etc. for the National Artists. Isn't that they should also protect the works of the national artists (e.g. Avenue Theater by Juan Nakpil ---the building survived the second world war, only to be demolished by a Chinese businessman mid this year) as well?

* Please feel free to add on the list of LGUs/ agencies.

Researching on the creating laws of agencies to see how the heritage bill will enter is important to avoid overlapping.

3. The group also agreed that it is important to work on the bill that will not "step" on local government units and agencies.

4. Work on a law that will put cooperation with other agencies.

5. The issue of turf, territory was discussed. The group discussed that the problem lies on the perception of agencies that they will lose their function once the bill has been passed. The group would like to stress that the bill will put cooperation, and encourage all agencies to work together for a common goal.

6. Sponsoring of the bill will have to go to the committee first.

7. The heritage bill should be strengthened. Putting some teeth into the law should be enacted, and most importantly, incentives to the owners for preservation of historical/ architectural landmarks should also be given priority.

8. Cooperation of heritage groups as well as all concerned citizens all over the Philippines on passing of the heritage bill is important (i.e. Heritage Conservation Society, Philippine National Historical Society, Inc., Pila Historical Foundation, Inc., Iloilo City Heritage Conservation Council, etc.).

9. Work on a particular historic site first. The group cited Luneta Hotel that is on the brink of demolition. This way, the general public will be informed of the relevance of an existing law.

10. It is important that a physical structure is protected and seen by the public in order for them to see the importance of preservation of historic/ heritage sites in this country. While the heritage bill is being reviewed and revised, a particular building will receive 'publicity' for the general public to understand the issue.

-----

I will be working closely with Dr. Gatbonton and Atty. Martinez later this week to review the heritage bill (read and compare existing laws/ ordinances with the bill to avoid overlapping), revise chapters, etc.

There will be another meeting next Tuesday, November 21, 2006, at the same venue for further discussion and inputs.

Again, I call the support of all heritage groups as well as the concerned citizens for this cause. The whole process is daunting and exasperating, yet, I firmly believe that this bill should be passed in order to protect and preserve our heritage (whether architectural or cultural).

I also share the same sentiment of Ms. Bambi Harper, "I just want this law to be passed. Nothing else."

There is no self-interest here, no hidden agenda. Cliché as it may seem, this is for our heritage, our nation, our country.

Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

Jeff

D'Transporter

November 17th, 2006, 03:05 AM

Biggest Churchbell in Southeast Asia
Roxas City, Capiz

Photos by Arnold

http://static.flickr.com/89/244314878_b98da1fdf5_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/85/232493568_5a5ed487c3_o.jpg

.:.

Arnold, if you climb up Sto. Nino's bell tower you'll find a comparable sized bell on the middle of the arch. This was the thing that I was telling you earlier (months ago) that would surprise you if you went up there.

LordCarnal

November 17th, 2006, 03:08 AM

^^

Really Butch? I actually had a friend who once worked as a sacristan in Sto. Niño. I would have wanted him to allow me to go up there or at least to view the Monastery's ancient library, archives, and rooms, hehehe.

Wonderboy

November 17th, 2006, 01:48 PM

Lust for silver triumphs over Filipino heritage
By SEN. ALFREDO S. LIM

The brilliance of gold is dazzling and blinds the eyes of those who may gaze
upon it. Indeed, it corrupts in much the same way as power, to which history
has been witness from the birth of civilization. Its metaphorical image in
the minds of people pierces deep within their skin and into their
consciousness, excluding neither the poor nor the rich, that even if
juxtaposed with our equally treasured symbols and relics of traditions and
values, its temptation lingers, and not uncommonly, overpowers. We need not
look far beyond, for even right before our eyes, in the premier City of
Manila, it weaves its mystique, threatening to cast away to oblivion two
public and inalienable lands, and the cultural worth that has been attached
to them.

These two lands, inseparably identified with institutions devoted to
education and imbued with memories of the Manileños' past, having existed
for decades as public schools, accommodating no less than 10,000 poor
students of Tondo, for free, the Rajah Sulayman High School and Jose Abad
Santos High School, are awaiting their unexpected and dreaded demise, as
their death certificates have been signed by no less than the City Council,
with the death sentence struck - with a thumb-up sign, by its City Mayor. As
heralded, from the schools' burial sites will rise luxurious malls: the
stereotypical symbols of the modern care-free lifestyle – luxurious wares,
expensive foods, entertainment centers, fully air-conditioned
establishments.

Without a doubt, this is the voice of gold, the whisper of wealth, heard and
heeded by ears of avarice and greed.

It is a paradox that those people who traded the worth of these two humble
schools for the sophistication and grandeur of commercial malls, are the
same people chosen by the residents of Manila who put them in office so that
their children may be guaranteed free education. It is equally ironic, that
those who wield the derivative authority granted by the Local Government
Code of 1991, do not seem to know how to properly exercise it. Or, are they
merely pretending to be strangers to it?

Yet, these "chosen" people in Manila project to be ignorant of this doctrine
in land ownership, a decree that has been consistently written from the 1935
up to the 1987 Constitution. In its most recent articulation, the Regalian
Doctrine declares in Article XII, Section 2, of the 1987 Constitution that
"all lands of public domain, waters, mineral oils, all forces of potential
energy, fisheries forests or timber, wildlife, flora and fauna and other
natural resources are owned by the state" and "shall not be alienated",
except agricultural lands.

In the landmark case of Chavez vs. PEA and AMARI, 384 SCRA 152, the origin
of the doctrine was re-examined. It dates back during the Spanish conquest
of the Philippines when "all lands, territories and possessions" were public
domain of the King, except those he disposed of by grant or sale to private
individuals. In the adoption of the Regalian doctrine, the State took the
place of the King, manifested initially in Art. 339 of the Civil Code of
1889, and restated in Art. 420 of our present Civil Code, wherein it is
written that property of public dominion are not only those devoted to
public use but also to property not so used and employed for some economic
or commercial activity, yet designed to increase the national wealth.
Republic vs. Court of Appeals, 383 SCRA 611.

But as early as 1919, the Philippine Legislature approved Act No. 2874, the
Public Land Act, which authorized the lease but not the sale of public lands
of the government to corporations and individuals, even before the passage
of the 1935, 1973 and 1987 Constitutions. Upon approval of the
1936-Commonwealth Act No. 141, also known as Public Land Act, the President
was authorized by the National Assembly to classify lands of the public
domain into "alienable or disposable" lands of the public domain and declare
them open to disposition or concession.

Then President Ferdinand Marcos, through his 1977 PD No. 1084, created the
Public Estates Authority (PEA), which was empowered to hold titles, not only
of private lands but also of the public domain. Yet, it needed legislative
authority to sell these lands, in view of Commonwealth Act No. 141 which
provides that it can only do so when authorized by Congress. The late
dictator also mandated the creation of the old Local Government Code, BP No.
881, which granted to local government units the authority to acquire,
possess and own, as well as to dispose of their own property.

With the passage of the Local Government Code of 1991 or Republic Act No.
7160, authored by no less than our esteemed colleague, Sen. Aquilino
Pimentel Jr., the era of local autonomy saw its advent. The authority then
enjoyed by local government units under the old local government code was
adopted. Thus, by virtue of Section 18 of R.A. 7160, they were empowered to
generate and apply resources, among which was "to acquire, develop, lease,
encumber, alienate or otherwise, dispose of real or personal property held
by them in their proprietary capacity", making the same even more meaningful
especially since the thrust was administrative independence. Still, the
privilege was not unlimited, just as what the Constitution decreed.
Particularly, as far as disposition of property is concerned, only those
patrimonial in nature can be alienated.

These legal premises considered, disturbing, to say the least, are the
circulating reports that the City of Manila, through its colluding City
Council and Local Chief Executive, and despite the contrary mandates of the
Constitution and the laws, is lustfully eager with selling several of its
strategically posted properties - properties as old and famous as the
important events to which these have been witnesses through the years. Who
would not know the aged Rizal Memorial Stadium, the nearby Harrison Plaza
and Sheraton Hotel? How about the Army and Navy Club where the present
historic Museum stands and a host of other priceless places which became
part of our national economy and patrimony?

What is the forthcoming fate of these portals of Filipino heritage if the
vagabond conscience of those authoring their lucrative dispositions is not
flustered? Commercial districts being projected to rise from their ruins, is
a nightmare forthcoming to the Manila constituents in the not-too-distant
future, if we fail to manacle this excessive penchant for the sale of our
symbols of heritage and culture.

Indeed, we ask: why are these City Officials of Manila so obsessed with
selling otherwise key establishments and institutions in the City, only to
have in their places the usual commercial centers which have casually become
the "theme parks" for our people, promoting indolence and impracticality,
and further diverting their attention to more meaningful and worthwhile
activities?

Without a doubt, it is the lust and avarice for commissions expected to be
generated from these multi-million peso projects – the hunger for power and
wealth, summoning the vicious appetite for absoluteness and perpetuity,
defying the voice of righteousness and integrity.

Of course, even these local executives will admit that majority of them saw
light, later than the birth of those historical edifices and buildings, yet,
they connive to deliberately pretend that these places are classified as
agricultural lands and therefore alienable. Sadly, they project to be
unknowing that Section 3 of the same Article XII of the Constitution is
absolute and unalterable: public properties, being outside the commerce of
man, could not be alienated or leased or otherwise be the subject matter of
contracts, as ruled in Municipality of Cavite vs. Rojas, 30 Phil. 20; Li
Seng Giap vs. Municipal Council of Daet, (CA), Off. Gaz. Supp., November 1,
1941, p. 217.

In the course of business, they may well argue that under Art. 422 of the
Civil Code, the property of public dominion, when no longer intended for
public use or for public service, shall form part of the patrimonial
property of the State or its private property. Yet, it may be so only upon a
declaration by the government, through the executive or legislative
departments, to the effect that it is no longer needed for public use or
service. (Ignacio vs. Director of Lands, (SC), 58 Off. Gaz. 2403; Cebu
Oxygen and Acetylene Co. vs. Bercilles, 66 SCRA 481) For so long as the
property has been intended for public use or service, and the government has
neither devoted it otherwise, nor adopted any measure removing it from the
public domain, the same remains property for public use or service, its
non-employment as such notwithstanding. (Capitulo, et al. vs. Aquino, etc.,
(SC), 53 Off. Gaz. 1477)

Hence, the mere possession of land does not by itself automatically divest
it of its public character. (Cuevas vs. Pineda, 143 SCRA 674; Director of
Lands vs. Court of Appeals, 129 SCRA 689)

Consider the Roppongi site in Japan. Its non-use in a long time for actual
diplomatic service did not automatically convert it to patrimonial property.
Any such conversion happens only if the property is withdrawn from public
use, since it is not, it continues to be part of public domain and thus,
outside the commerce of man (Cebu Oxygen and Acetylene Co. vs. Bercilles, 66
SCRA 481 [1975]; Ignacio v. Director of Lands, 108 Phil. 335 [1960]).

No less than the Supreme Court was emphatic in several cases that where the
municipality has occupied lands distinctly for public purposes, such as for
the municipal court house, the public school, the public market, or
necessary municipal building, in the absence of proof to the contrary, there
can be no presumption of its grant from the state in favor of the
municipality. (Municipality of Hinunangan vs. Director of Lands, 24 Phil.
125)

Beyond cavil, the extent of legislative control over properties of municipal
corporations is simple. If the property is owned by the municipality or city
in its public and governmental capacity, the property is public and Congress
has absolute control over it. But if the property is owned in its private or
proprietary capacity, then it is patrimonial and Congress has no absolute
control. Province of Zamboanga del Norte vs. City of Zamboanga, L-24440,
March 28, 1969

Although there is some authority to the effect that at the common law a
municipal corporation, unless restrained by the express terms of its charter
or by necessary implication, could dispose of lands and other property in
the same manner as private persons, there is a clear distinction, recognized
by practically all authorities, between property purchased and held by
municipal corporations for the use of the corporation as an entity and that
purchased and held by such corporation for the public use and benefit of its
citizens. In other words, its title to and power of disposition of property
acquired for strictly corporate uses and purposes are different from its
title to and power of disposition of property acquired for and actually
dedicated to the public use of inhabitants. As to the former class, the
power of the corporation to dispose of it, unless restrained by charter or
statute, is unquestioned. As a general rule, the power of a municipal
corporation to convey such property is equal to its power to acquire it. A
municipal corporation having absolute title to property without limitation
or restriction as to its alienation may dispose of such property at any time
before it is dedicated to public use.

On the other hand, it is generally held that a municipal corporation has no
implied power to sell real property which is held for a public use, and that
such power cannot be implied from general charter or authority to acquire,
hold, or convey property. The principle is that all such property is held by
the municipality in trust for the use and benefit of its citizens and is
dedicated to the use of the public, and the corporation cannot divest itself
of title without specific authority from the legislature. It is only when
the public use has been abandoned, or the property has become unsuitable or
inadequate for the purpose to which it was dedicated, that a power of
disposition is recognized in the corporation. Municipal Corporations, etc.,
56 Am Jur 2d, 602-604

Considering these precepts, the city officials of Manila, for instance,
cannot rely upon the March 3, 2006 endorsement to the City Council of Manila
from the Office of the City Mayor relative to the projected "sale, lease or
for joint venture of the city's patrimonial properties with a lot area of
less than 250 square meters in Manila", in line with its granted authority
to Manila Mayor Jose Atienza through its enacted Resolution No. 10, dated
February 1, 1996. Indeed, recourse to legal procedures of exercising the
power of expropriation through enacted Resolution of the City Council is not
an iron-clad guarantee of its success.

At the moment, let us be reminded of the lessons eruditely written by the
ponente in the landmark Manila Hotel case, in which we may liken the present
City Mayor and City Council of Manila to those GSIS officials who nearly
sold to a Malaysian firm-bidder the block of 51% shares of the Manila Hotel,
deigned as the repository of the 20th century Philippine history and
culture, the reflection of the Filipino soul and not an ordinary piece of
property in a commercial district. The Highest Tribunal aptly censured them
in the Manila Hotel vs. GSIS, 267 SCRA 408, in the following tenor:

"The conveyance of Manila Hotel, an epic exponent of the Filipino psyche, to
alien hands cannot be less than mephistophelean, for it is, in whatever
manner viewed, a veritable alienation of a nation's soul for some pieces of
foreign silver."

It is for these reasons that I call upon you, my esteemed colleagues, who
have been chosen not by our constituents in one locality or region, but by
the multitude of our fellow Filipinos across the land and even beyond its
borders, to remind the aldermen in the City of Manila not to be blinded by
the dazzling brilliance of gold, and certainly not to be blind to our past
embedded and reflected in the gates, hallways, walls of the very same
institutions which they would apparently bury in history with the sale of
the lands on which they are situated.

Our experience more extensive, our concerns more nationalistic, our
perspective more comprehensive, we, the Senate, have not been daunted nor
cowered by attempts at intrusions into our own prerogatives and desecration
of our own place in the Philippine Government and society by even the most
powerful of the powers that be. Surely, we would not let other lesser people
from fooling us right before our eyes!

Let us therefore make this firm: that Congress did not enact the Local
Government Code in order to make council members and local executive
officers in the localities and provinces masters above their makers, nor
masters within their own respective domains. For while we in the National
Government remain servants of our true sovereign, so should our creations in
the local government, which we have made our agents in our goals for this
country, remain loyal and faithful to those who have chosen them, and to
their respective oaths to uphold and protect the Constitution and our laws.

As a final statement, let those officials in Manila be reminded: The
postulates of our Constitution are not mere platitudes which we should honor
only in rhetoric but not in reality. To contract for the sale of an
inalienable property is illegal; to bargain the ideals of our Constitution
through such sale is suicidal.

Wonderboy

November 17th, 2006, 04:51 PM

Minutes of the meeting --- November 17, 2006

Attendees:

Mrs. Esperanza B. Gatbonton
Atty. Pocholo Martinez
Mr. Jeff Yap

Meeting was held at the residence of Mrs. Gatbonton at around 4 p.m. to further discuss the heritage bill as well as the existing laws on heritage conservation.

Mrs. Gatbonton provided copies of senate bills, heritage law, ICOMOS rules on culture and the arts, international laws, republic act, etc.

Mr. Yap also provided PD 1505, PD 260, Resolution No. 3, DTI Board of Investments Executive Order No. 226 for Historic Cultural Heritage Projects, etc.

The above mentioned documents will be reviewed by Atty. Martinez.

Next step:

1. Mr. Yap will go to the senate and request copies of the reworked bill from the Committee on Culture and the Arts as well as pertinent documents on Philippine Cultural Heritage Law.

2. Atty. Martinez will go to the congress to request for additional documents.

* The meeting this coming November 17, 2006 will push through and it will be expected that the documents from the senate and the congress will be presented for review and discussion by the group.

Lili

November 17th, 2006, 08:48 PM

^^ Thanks for all the effort and update, Jeff. :)

Wonderboy

November 17th, 2006, 10:03 PM

^^ I'd also like to thank you and Overtureph (also from the Heritage threads) for sending your suggestions/ inputs when I requested for them last week. Two replies from over a hundred e-mails that I sent, asking for support, seem a little disappointing but what matters is the time and effort that you and Overtureph have given.

I'll try my best to post update on this thread when I can.

Thanks again. Please know that it is very much appreciated.

Lili

November 17th, 2006, 10:22 PM

^^ I think what is important, too, even if you don't get much feedback is to get exposure and awareness of this Heritage Bill revival. That is part of advocacy work. Don't get disheartened.

Wonderboy

November 17th, 2006, 10:25 PM

^^ I'll try not to get disheartened. He he. Thanks again.

Pinoy_ako

November 18th, 2006, 01:34 AM

^^

Any photos of the theater?

I'll repost this photo. I posted photo a few months ago this when the Avenue theater was being torn-down.

http://img125.imageshack.us/img125/6231/galaxy1qk.jpg

Animo

November 18th, 2006, 06:54 PM

By Jose Perdigon

In mid-19th Century, General Tajonera was commissioned to explore the Cordillera Mountains in what is today Abra (then province of Ilocos) for purposes of making the area accessible and secure. His reports, topographical studies and recommended plans contributed to the creation of Abra Province, segregated from Ilocos, by the Central Government of Spain in Manila. Tajonera was its first Provincial Governor and Bucay its first capital.

The Province of Abra was made by a decree of the Superior Gobierno de Filipinas dated October 9, 1846 composed of the 2nd and 3rd Divisions of Igorrots. The decree says

“Se crea una nueva provincia que se dominará (sic) Abra y cuya cabecera se establece por ahora en Bucay…. La Provincia del Abra será mandada por un gobernador político y militar de la clase de capitán”

(A new province is hereby created with the name of Abra and whose head town will be established in Bucay for the time being… The Province of Abra will be headed by a political and military governor with the rank of captain.)

Among the powers granted the Governor were tax collection and “tabaco” collection. Tobacco was a monopoly of the Government and all trade and transactions were subjected to special collections.

Bucay had a very strategic position on the left bank of the very wide Abra River on top of a promontory from which the town could be defended from possible incursions by Tinguianes from the mountains across the river and also in a position from which to control the movement of tabaco through the river.

Tajonera was the city planner of Bucay and his plan shows that he wanted to make of the town a fitting Provincial Capital with political and military control over the province. The plan for Bucay was based on the old “cuadricula” (streets laid at right angles to each other) with a town center where the buildings of the institutions would be erected. This way of planning cities was established for the “Indies” in an ordinance of Carlos V (1523) and expanded by his son Felipe II fifty years later. It was an old plan but very rational, regulating land appropriation and use and laying an efficient infrastructure with different types of roadways.

Tajonera’s specifics for the Bucay town plan included a town center like a plaza occupying four blocks in the southern end of the town, near the river, in accordance with the old ordinances for cities by the sea shore or a river bank. This center would hold on its perimeter the Church and convent, two schools (one each for boys and girls), the Audiencia or court of justice, a jail, the “Casa Real’ (probably the equivalent of the Provincial Capitol) and other official buildings. The center would be an enclosure, the entrance to this plaza through four tunnels made by the buildings extending across and over the four streets leading to it.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e132/restardo/image005.png

Besides the town center, Tajonera’s plan called for a fort to the west of the plaza atop a cliff bordering the river. The fort was a walled-in square approximately 100 x 75 meters with elevated observation and guard houses on the four corners. Today only its main gate made of brick and mortar remains (picture at right) and it is called “Casa Real.” Within the fort were the officers quarters (a small remnant of their brick walls is still enduring abandon inside and to the right of the main gate, picture below), headquarters for the troops, a kitchen for the troops in a separate building, a warehouse for tobacco, storage for artillery pieces, a horse barn and a sun dial. Outside its walls at both sides of the main gate were two pigeon houses, probably to keep messenger pigeons for the troops, the first “telegraph” service of Bucay. Outside of the back (south) wall near the tobacco warehouse was a platform where cargo transported by river would be temporarily arranged. There was a small gate connecting this platform and the tobacco warehouse.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e132/restardo/image003.png
Ruins of Casa Real’s officers quarters, the Abra river visible beyond the cliff

Tajonera’s plan for Bucay is in a map part and parcel of his report at the end of his survey before the province was made. These papers are the property of the Tajonera Family in Madrid, a copy of them can be seen in the library of Ambassador Rosario Cariño in Tayum. There is also another old map of Bucay in the National Library, dated December 3, 1848, just two years after the creation of the Province of Abra with Bucay as its capital, that differs slightly from the Tajonera map. The main difference is that the National Library map does not include Tajonera’s plan for the town center. The National Library map is closer to the physical appearance of the town today, which convinces me that the National Library map is not anymore a “plan” but the real first map of Bucay and that the Tajonera plan for the town center was never fully executed. Like in Tajonera’s map, in the National Library map all streets have names that may have been forgotten for one does not see street names in Bucay anymore. However the two maps do not exhibit the same names for some of the streets.

The oblivion that befell Bucay --how many Filipinos know there is a Bucay or where it is?-- is partly due to the fact that the provincial capital of Abra was transferred from Bucay to Bangued. On June 27, 1863 three Gobernadorcillos (town mayors) of Abra signed a petition to the government to transfer the Capital from Bucay to Bangued. The petition was signed by Julian Manzano of Bangued, Teodoro Belmonte of Tayum and Domingo Lalin de Cariño from La Paz. And the reasons for the petition were that the frequent trips they had to do to Bucay to supply the cabecera, transact at the court, etc. were “prejudicial and uncomfortable” and Bangued was the oldest town anyway. Their petition was granted and that was the end of Bucay as Capital of Abra.

I wonder if there is today anybody in town who can recall what happened to the Casa Real, or who knows its fate from the stories of their ancestors. The fort may have been destroyed during the Filamerican war at the beginning of the 20th century, or may have been abandoned, cannibalized and left to rot. I also wonder why the town lost its street names. But before more of the collective memory of Bucay is lost, it behooves the local executives to move actively to recover as much as possible of its historical identity.

This endeavor will in turn contribute to recover the traditional looks of the town and will give its citizens a sense of renewed belonging and of pride. Eventually it will generate interest in visitors and create a good environment for the local to develop.

This paper proposes a simple plan to begin achieving this regeneration of Bucay’s historical memory and enhancing the town’s identity with old local symbols. It has three main components:

1. Repair and restore the main gate of the fort, the Casa Real. It may have to be reinforced in its arch and reconstruct some of the top, where lions, two crests and the crown on top of the Spanish coat of arms used to be. As an added advantage, a restored gate could become the symbol of the town to be printed on t-shirts, key chains, road signs, etc.

2. Convert the area of the fort (some 7000 sq meters) into the town center, moving there the town hall and facilities as well as a small building to host memorabilia. All of this could be complemented by a small park: trees, pathways, benches, etc. The National Library can contribute copies of documents relevant to Bucay, including its old town map.

3. Use the street names in the old town map and re-install them on the street corners

We would be willing to assist in the research, conceptualization and design for free and requesting only expense assistance (travel if needed, time in the National Library, legwork in Manila, etc.)

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e132/restardo/image001.png
Full drawing (reconstruction) of Casa Real’s main gate

Wonderboy

November 18th, 2006, 09:06 PM

^^ Tell you what, I'll be sending this link to Madam Gemma because she has a direct contact with the mayor of Bucay. This would be a valuable source of information.

Thanks for posting.

Animo

November 19th, 2006, 01:24 AM

^^ Thanks. She knows the author of that paper. I do hope that it can be restored. I believe this is how it looked like before the Guerra Filipina-Americana. I am not sure if this is the same place.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e132/restardo/Retrato/25813897.gif

Hawayano

November 19th, 2006, 02:39 AM

^^ ^^ ^^ Señor Animo: I believe this is the gateway to Pagsanjan...

Animo

November 19th, 2006, 04:32 AM

^^ Yes, I remember now. Thanks again. :)

By Vangie Baga-Reyes
Inquirer
Last updated 01:38am (Mla time) 11/19/2006

Published on page C1 of the November 19, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

DUBBED AS THE EMBROIDERY capital of the Philippines, Lumban hosts a treasure trove of natural talents, beauty and artistry. When it recently held the 5th Burdang Lumban Festival, the townsfolk once again displayed their renowned facility for this ancient craft.

Lumban is the only Laguna town where embroidery has prospered as a major industry. It is quite possible for every Lumban embroiderer to trace his or her ancestry to a great grandmother who was a pupil in the missionary school during the Spanish era. Through the years, the art has been passed on from generation to generation. Now it is a lively cottage industry that also specializes in hand-painted fabrics.

About 80 percent of Lumban’s populace are engaged in embroidery. The locals claim that all families have at least one member participating in this thriving industry.

“Lumbeños produce the finest hand-embroidered barong Tagalog,” proudly said Mayor Wilfredo Paraiso. “Embroidery has been a major source of income for most of Lumbeños.”

“We have devoted our time, skill and effort in the development of this craft. Our artisans have introduced new designs and stitches,” added Paraiso.

No wonder Lumban’s barong and embroidery have been recognized as among the best in the world. Influential women such as Corazon Aquino and Imelda Marcos, as well as the wives of other political figures, are said to get their supply of Filipiniana clothing from this quiet community.

Proud producers

Almost all of the local barong producers participated in the festival, which was supported by the Department of Tourism. The festival featured an array of different handmade embroidery products, led by the barong in piña cloth, ladies’ wear, wedding gowns, veils, scarves, shoulder and hand bags, Maria Clara gowns and home accessories, curtains, table cloths, table napkins, bed sheets, hankies and other products.

These products were displayed for sale at the town plaza beside the historic San Sebastian Church, together with a variety of native delicacies such as ginataang hipon, kesong puti (produced in Barangay Maracta by Leonida de Ramos) and chewy espasol (made by 76-year-old Opring de Luna).

Marivic Gordovez, one of the exhibitors, has been doing hand-made embroidery since she was 14 years old. She learned the craft from her grandparents. She now owns La Burda de Filipina, which has been supplying products for designers like Patis Tesoro, Rene Salud, Rajo Laurel, to name a few.

Gordovez presently heads the Lumban Embroiderers Association (LEA) which hopes to unite the town’s producers and manufacturers and standardize the look, style and work of its ancient craft. LEA now has 42 members.

She said that it took a few months to finish an embroidery for something elaborate like a barong Tagalog or a wedding gown. And although there are machine-made products, handmade is always regarded as special because a lot of work is put into it. Thus, it is a bit more expensive.

The prices of barong vary according to quality, design and type of cloth used. A barong Tagalog costs from P3,500-P12,000 depending on the intricacies of the embroidery.

One distinguishing feature of Lumban embroidery is the callado, a special kind of filigree work wherein yarn is painstakingly pulled off from the work.

For embroidery, the townsfolk use materials like linen and cocoon. Other textiles like piña and jusi are sourced from Aklan. The bulk of local production usually comes from made-to-order requests, and only around 25 percent of retail sales are from walk-ins. The town now exports its goods to other countries.

Some producers supply outlets in major malls in Metro Manila, including Rustan’s, SM and Robinsons’ malls.

Gordovez said Lumbeños take pride in the barong industry because it has provided them financial stability over the years. “Some locals were able to send their children to school. Some of their kids also help them in their business.”

Ideal destinations

In addition to its embroidered goods, Lumban has family destinations that are only an hour’s drive from Manila.

The town’s San Sebastian Church is a 405-year-old structure that is said to be the first Franciscan building outside Metro Manila. Its bell tower houses three huge bells, with one dating to as far back as the 17th century.

Another must-visit is the popular Lake Caliraya, a 50-meter-deep man-made reservoir constructed in 1943. It supplies water to a hydroelectric power plant. The lake is also a favorite for recreational activities and water sports.

http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view_article.php?article_id=33452

ishtefh_03

November 19th, 2006, 06:02 AM

do you mind if i post this in our college site???

Wonderboy

November 19th, 2006, 06:23 AM

^^ I won't. He he. That would be nice. Thanks.

ishtefh_03

November 19th, 2006, 06:26 AM

^^:lol: see you later at UP...

Wonderboy

November 20th, 2006, 07:44 PM

Stories about Preserving Cultural Heritage:
The Heritage Houses of Batanes

At the northernmost tip of the Philippines lies the island province of
Batanes. This postcard-perfect archipelago is said to a land bridge for
the rest of Asia. It is believed that Austronesians from Southern China
and Indochina reached Batanes in 3,500 B.C. making the islands the
gateway of a great migration.

Being an insular people, the Ivatans have preserved their gene pool,
culture and traditions; particularly their method of building the Ivatan
house, usually a small, low house that has heavy stone walls and a roof
of thick cogon that was designed in response to the environment.
Ivatans have, for centuries, shared the tasks and costs of building and
repairing the houses. Sadly, modernization and modern construction
materials are endangering the Ivatan homes.

We invite you to join the Museum Foundation of the Philippines and
Architect Jose F. Ignacio on November 25, 2006 as we rediscover the
depth of the Ivatan architecture and it's curious link with the
landscape and climate of Batanes. Hopefully, we'll all walk out with a
deeper perspective of place that holds many in awe.

For reservations please call 404.2685 or 0917.8170127 and look for Elvie
Magpayo or Patricia Limon.

* * *

Architect Jose F. Ignacio is assistant head at the Environmental
Architecture Laboratory of the College of Architecture of the University
of the Philippines and has done comprehensive research on the Ivatan
houses in an effort to preserve them. His paper, "Documenting the
Heritage Houses of Batanes" talks extensively about the architectural
anatomy of the Ivatan houses, the traditional practices of the Ivatans,
and their transfer of architectural know-how.

Stories About Preserving Philippine Cultural Heritage: The Heritage
Houses Of Batanes will be held on Saturday, November 25, 2006, from 10
am - 12 nn at the Tambunting-Villonco Hall of the Museum of the Filipino
People, Valencia Circle , Rizal Park, Manila. The fee for Museum
Foundation members is P50 and non-members P100.

For more Museum Foundation events and activities please visit
www.museumfoundationph.org/news/

Museum Foundation of the Philippines, Inc.
G/F National Museum of the Filipino People
Valencia Circle, Rizal Park, Manila 1004 Philippines
Telefax: (63-2) 404-2685
www.museumfoundationph.org

ivanhenares

November 21st, 2006, 09:09 AM

^^ He he...I can't remember either. He's probably just an acquiantance or a colleague.

Looking forward to the photos, Arnold!

Hmmmm... selective memory Jeff? I kinda sensed some bitterness there. Mind if I ask what that was all about?

Anyway, here are photos of Casa Verde in Cebu...

http://static.flickr.com/117/302576207_c25e027e03.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/112/302576180_b743fc1737.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/114/302574621_4b898389c5.jpg?v=0

Wonderboy

November 21st, 2006, 07:34 PM

I'll repost this photo. I posted photo a few months ago this when the Avenue theater was being torn-down.

http://img125.imageshack.us/img125/6231/galaxy1qk.jpg

I read in Inquirer that the NCCA Heritage Sites office has sent a letter to Lito Atienza asking him not to issue a demolition permit. I haven't been going downtown since last month so I don't know if Galaxy still stands.

Pinoy_ako

November 22nd, 2006, 01:37 AM

^^^^^
The theater is still standing, although a series of buildings to the right of it, like the Mapua High School-Doroteo campus had already been demolished. I hope it's not next in line.

ivanhenares

November 22nd, 2006, 04:16 AM

http://static.flickr.com/118/303203502_23d818293b.jpg?v=0

It's time to post again about my Philippine travels. Today, I visited Porac, one of the towns of Pampanga. Although Porac is more known for its natural sites such as Dara and Miyamit Falls as well as the Porac Highlands, it also plays host to some of Pampanga's important cultural heritage structures. One of these is the last intact (meaning unrenovated) hacienda chapel in the province which is located in Barangay Pio.

I have been to Pio several times before but we decided to visit today after it had been rumored that someone had purchased the chapel and will be transferring it to Bagac, Bataan! To give you a backgrounder on the Bagac project, check out this PDI column. As a result of the news, the Pio Chapel is fast becoming a rallying point for Pampanga in the fight to preserve its heritage and is now sparking a debate on the ethics of transferring heritage houses and structures.

Heritage structures must remain where they are because they are part of the historical fabric of the communities they are located in. There may be some cases however when transferring a heritage structure may be better than leaving a structure where it is, especially when it is highly likely that the structure will be lost or demolished in the near future.

But, when you go shopping for heritage houses and structures, especially in places where they are an important part of the historical fabric of the community, is that right? I was told that many of the houses were purchased from Bulacan, including one from the heritage town of San Miguel de Mayumu (which now serves as the house of Bishop Soc Villegas) and another house in Bustos which was ironically featured in the heritage house calendar of Shell. I wonder if Governor Josie dela Cruz knows about this.

In Pampanga, the grand old Reyes House of Candaba, which was the oldest surviving house in the province and the house where Noli Me Tangere was shot several decades back, is now in Bagac. News circulating is that Mayor Jerry Pelayo is not happy and is making moves to protect what is left.

We got to chat with the parish pastoral council president and a barangay kagawad while we were in Pio. Mass is said at the chapel every Saturday at 5 p.m. It was built in 1861 as part of the hacienda founded by Don Felino Gil (who also founded the Escuela de Artes y Oficios, the oldest trade school in Asia, which is now DHVCAT) and his wife Dona Eugenia Toledo. Their descendants include actress Rosemarie Gil. But the property is no longer theirs since it was sold to someone from Bulacan who was said to have donated the chapel to the local community.

We were told that the Gils visited several times to cart off the antique furniture and artifacts inside their hacienda house and chapel. Nothing was spared including the piedra china flooring around the chapel and the house. The most infamous of these visits was in the 1980s when actor Dante Varona, who accompanied them, climbed the belfry of the chapel hoping to get the centuries-old bell. He was mobbed by the local community and they were chased away with tabak, an agricultural-based cutting bolo.

The chapel is very important to Pampanga because as I mentioned earlier, it is the only intact visita in the entire province of Pampanga. Aside from that, it is a circular chapel built during the Spanish colonial period, pre-dating the UP Chapel (which some claim to be the first circular church in the country) by 145 years!

The people of Barangay Pio in Porac are now up in arms after word reached them that their chapel was reportedly sold by a still unknown person and would be transferred to Bagac soon. The municipal government and the local community are now vigilantly guarding the chapel. And if and when the demolition crew comes to get it, they said they will protect it with their lives. Quoting them, "They could not even get the bell, what more the entire chapel!"

Now with that situation, is it still ethical to transfer a heritage structure to someone's private property? And even more so when news is going around that the structure is being transferred to serve as a decoration for their daughter's debut?

A moratorium on this Bagac project should be done until further studies are done on the location in particular since there are a lot of issues on the safety of the houses being built so close to the sea, and until the heritage community has fully digested this unusual project and threshed out the ethics of transferring heritage structures. Again, heritage structures are best kept where they are so that they are appreciated in the proper context vis-à-vis the environment they are built in.

Actively shopping for heritage houses for use as scrap material for homes or transferring them whole, and even worse, using coffee table books featuring heritage homes as shopping catalogues is simply detestable. The best way to save a heritage house is by educating the local community about the value of a heritage house, the significance of its architecture or former inhabitants to the local community, and its potential as a symbol for the community to strengthen local identity and pride of place.

http://static.flickr.com/107/303203600_54878443af.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/99/303203528_762189ddd8.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/99/303203560_f4ed250cf1.jpg?v=0

ivanhenares

November 22nd, 2006, 04:18 AM

http://static.flickr.com/101/303247679_aa09ad9e6e.jpg?v=0

I have not seen the Bagac project personally. But from several friends in the Heritage Conservation Society, I was able to get the following: there are already about eight to ten heritage houses that have been transferred to the property in Bagac, Bataan. Many of them are reportedly from Bulacan. From Pampanga, there are two namely the Reyes House from Candaba, which was said to be the oldest and one of the grandest homes in Pampanga before it was transferred, and an unidentified house from Mexico. Also purchased was the Enriquez Mansion on Hidalgo Street, Quiapo which will be transferred soon.

Another home rumored to have been purchased is the Mercado House in Bustos, Bulacan which was ironically featured in the 2006 heritage homes calendar of Shell. Obviously, this house does not need to be “saved” and is best kept where it is standing right now.

Bustos, Bulacan has a very unique architectural style found nowhere else in the country. Because of its proximity to the forest and mountains, the Mercado House was built like a fortress. This unique type of 19th century house found only in Bustos is characterized by its all stone exterior since it was unlike the regular bahay na bato which was stone below and wood above. There are said to be about 2 to 3 of these houses left in Bustos and the Mercado House is arguably the best and grandest example of these.

It has carved stone corner pillars and carved stone garland and crucifix motifs in the entrance. The house also had port holes for rifles to aim at tulisanes. The town thus has a different air and taking the house out would leave a large vacuum in the historical fabric of the community.

After hearing of the news, the Pamanang Bulacan Foundation immediately called for an emergency meeting of its Board of Directors. The have also alerted Governor Josie dela Cruz about these developments and we will get her response soon. I spoke with the chairman of the foundation who voiced out his strong opposition to the move. Maybe for the less-signifcant houses, it would not raise too much of an alarm. But for a house as prominent as the Mercado House in Bustos which is significant not only to the town but to the entire province of Bulacan, that is a different question. It just shows that when you go around shopping for the best examples of Philippine heritage and uproot them from their communities, a lot of ethical questions arise.

The problem is the fact that the purchases are sometimes kept from the local community, especially the local heritage foundations. And thus, they are caught off guard. When they find out, it is already too late. Watch out Bulacan since they're also after the Constantino House in Balagtas (Bigaa).

On the Bagac property, it was also discovered that there are many issues regarding the location and there is a large possibility that transferring them may do more harm than good in the long-term. First, no lime plaster was used to protect the stones. And given that the houses were reconstructed right beside the sea, the strong winds could easily wear out and weather the delicate adobe. The air will also cause salt encrustation on the stone which would lead to the disintegration of the adobe. Damage to the adobe would thus be faster because of its location by the sea.

Second issue is the fact that the person tasked with reconstructing the homes is not a trained restoration architect. As a result, the reassembling of the houses is not correct, proportions are wrong, unnecessary embellishments were added, and the setting is just not right so houses look funny and out of context. The way the “town” is laid-out does not follow any Spanish colonial tradition in the Philippines and is not authentic to any period of our history.

Some homes are from urban areas where in the natural setting, they are supposed to stand side-by-side and close to the street. One example is a house from Binondo which is a row house. It is funny to see a row house without the row and even a garden in front!

Issues of flooding also came out. The houses should have been reconstructed further inland. It is reported that the Bagac Church which is already one kilometer inland is still reached by flood waters especially when the waves are high. Moreover, we all remember the West Luzon Fault which became news when the issue of the safety of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in neighboring Morong was raised. Thus, the proximity of Bagac to a faultline makes the property prone to earthquakes and more so, because of its seaside location, to tsunamis.

Again, we repeat our call for a moratorium on this project until it is discussed in length in the proper forum.

http://static.flickr.com/100/303247711_31718e0ea1.jpg?v=0

Wonderboy

November 22nd, 2006, 05:24 PM

^^^^^
The theater is still standing, although a series of buildings to the right of it, like the Mapua High School-Doroteo campus had already been demolished. I hope it's not next in line.

My father studied in Mapua High School. I doubt it if Lito Atienza will listen to NCCA. But I still have my hopes up.

ivanhenares

November 22nd, 2006, 07:57 PM

Galing pala nito. Talagang pinagkagastuhan.

Argao, Cebu

Municipal Hall building undergoing rehabilitation and expansion

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/beautifulChurches/Argao%20Church/argao60.jpg

I wouldn't praise Argao if I were you. Here is the finished product...

http://static.flickr.com/113/303630541_1518644b73.jpg?v=0

They had requested the HCS Board to replace the photo which Archt. Melvin Patawaran took with the one above. When it was e-mailed to us, it sent shockwaves to the members of the board. It was rejected outright, no thanks to the pink portico they added. As Gemma said, we can't sacrifice heritage conservation goals for the 100 copies of the calendar they ordered. So we chose to use Melvin's photo.

Even the walls of the ground floor are horrible. What did they do with the beautiful coral stone?! Oh Argao! After that grand retablo which the priests repainted into the biggest trophy case in the world, now this! :bash:

ivanhenares

November 22nd, 2006, 08:03 PM

Arnoldsa, it's in Oslob, Cebu, right beside the church. It think it was an old government building, maybe a casa real.

I found this on the internet.. It says that this is somewhere in Cebu.. I haven't been here though and I don't know what this is.

Although I'm guessing this is somewhere in Bantayan Island, maybe.. :dunno:

I hope someone could tell where this really is. It looks like an aqueduct..

http://www.daaaaa.com/cebu/cebu049.jpg

.:.

ivanhenares

November 22nd, 2006, 08:26 PM

Ooops, this is not UNESCO-declared. It's not in the tentative list (http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/state=ph) which is submitted by the NCCA et al to UNESCO neither. But it's a charming structure. I hope the Philippine Ports Authority doesn't do anything stupid (http://www.visayandailystar.com/2006/June/05/negor3.htm).

Silliman Hall

Declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization or UNESCO as a World Heritage Site as the only building of Wooden Stick Eastern American Architecture in Asia, which is now being used as a symbol of Dumaguete's pride of being a University Town. --

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/5499/suhall2vv7.jpg

LordCarnal

November 23rd, 2006, 05:18 AM

The last time I went to Argao, this pink structure wasn't there yet. I thought they were only "building the extensions" at the sides and perhaps cleaning or repairing the old building due to the presence of some bamboo scaffoldings.

The one who commissioned this really has a bad taste or perhaps doesn't have an eye for architecture. It would have been better if he used terracota tiles and wood for the portico, at least so that it would match with the existing structure.

Just like the renovation of the old Cathedral Convento (for conversion into an archdiocesan museum), they used the same materials for it. Had they installed jalousie or glass windows in it, it would surely be out of place.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/cebu_heritage02.jpg

New Capiz shell windows
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/cebu_heritage04.jpg

And the original building of the Cebu Normal University. A monument dedicated to "Rizal" was transferred from the school plaza to the lower part of the building, thus destroying its facade. :bash:
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/cnu_new23.jpg

.:.

I wouldn't praise Argao if I were you. Here is the finished product...

http://static.flickr.com/113/303630541_1518644b73.jpg?v=0

They had requested the HCS Board to replace the photo which Archt. Melvin Patawaran took with the one above. When it was e-mailed to us, it sent shockwaves to the members of the board. It was rejected outright, no thanks to the pink portico they added. As Gemma said, we can't sacrifice heritage conservation goals for the 100 copies of the calendar they ordered. So we chose to use Melvin's photo.

Even the walls of the ground floor are horrible. What did they do with the beautiful coral stone?! Oh Argao! After that grand retablo which the priests repainted into the biggest trophy case in the world, now this! :bash:

LordCarnal

November 23rd, 2006, 06:22 AM

Here's another example with regards to the Cebu City Museum (Rizal Memorial Library and Museum).

In 1998, it was renovated and "expanded". An ugly roof made of steel was constructed in its facade! A third-level was also constructed on both the left and right wings which originally was a two-storey structure thus marring the facade of the 3-level main building :bash: Fortunately, construction was halted although the roof which now resembled a canopy has already been installed.

For almost 8 years since the renovation works were stopped, the ugly structure lorded over this neo-classical building. The once exposed "grand staircase" leading to the main entrance at the second level was now under the shadow of this "canopy."

Last April though, renovation of the museum resumed, and the roof itself was removed and some of the columns that were inappropriately built to support it were destroyed.

Photo below: A steel roof/canopy was once built at the middle portion of this building. Although the ugly roof was removed, the facade of the original 3-level main building is no longer in its original form since a "third-level" was constructed on top of both the two-level left and right wings.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/rizal_museum_renovation01.jpg

Photo Below: The original decorations at the facade of the 3-level main building has been altered. It now stops at a portion where a "third-level" was constructed on top of both the two-storey left and right wings of the building.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/rizal_museum_renovation02.jpg

Photo Below: A postcard of the Museum and Library
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/old_cebu02.jpg

EXTRA

Capitol Social Hall
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/Cebu_capitol01.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/Cebu_capitol04.jpg

ivanhenares

November 24th, 2006, 11:16 AM

I just got my World Heritage Map 2006 from UNESCO. I'm a bit confused, here's why:

1.) There were some cathedrals in Europe most especially in Germany and France that were severely damaged during the first and second World Wars but were restored thereafter. Why were it included in the list? In this case, the Manila Cathedral should also be included in the World Heritage List. I bet the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño and Monastery in Cebu should even be included since it incurred only minor damages during the war -- and it being the first basilica in the far east, and also a symbol of Christianity.

When a party nominates a site to UNESCO, it is a pledge that they will take care of it, preserve it and budget funds for its restoration. The Philippines is very careful in nominating since previous sites such as the Rice Terraces of the Cordilleras are getting damaged due to changes in society; while churches in the care of the clergy have been modified without UNESCO approval.

Second, only one cultural site and one natural site OR one landscape can be inscribed from the country every two years (that's how Prof. Jojo Mata of HCS/NCCA explained it to me) so there is a long line of aspirants waiting.

Lastly, the Manila Cathedral was not reconstructed exactly as it was before the war. Architect Fernando Ocampo made revisions, particularly in the interior. If you check out old photos of the Manila Cathedral, you'll see that the interior was totally different.

2.) The Independence Hall of the United States is included. Why wasn't the Aguinaldo Shrine included? It was there where the first democratic nation in Asia was born. Corregidor Island (mile-long barracks, malinta tunnel, etc.) itself, as a whole, should also be included.

Again, it's the choice of the government which to include. Second is maybe due diplomatic reasons, only Filipinos officially recognize the Aguinaldo government as the first republic in Asia, right? But I will have to agree with you on Corregidor. It could be nominated as the World War II Memorials of Bataan and Corregidor.

3.) I've also noticed that monuments or infrastructures with an accompanying significance are being included like the Statue of Liberty in the US and the mountain railways in India. Would it be possible if the image of the Santo Niño de Cebu or the Magellan's Cross be included, it being a symbol of Christianity in the Far East? Or perhaps the Santa Barbara Golf Course in Iloilo?

Setting is also very important. Although these structures are intact, how about the surrounding environment? Is there a buffer around it or are the structures sandwiched by newer nondescript structures, a result of our lack of urban planning. Penang in Malaysia, which now claims to be the "Pearl of the Orient" after Manila was flattened during WWII and continues to be flattened by the Atienza regime, could not even make the mark despite its outstanding collection of built heritage because of that Komtar skyscraper (http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Asia/Malaysia/photo120294.htm) they built in the heart of town.

4.) The Baroque Churches of the Philippines should also be expanded. Lots of these churches in Bohol, southern Cebu, and Leyte.

Yes, visit the tentative list (http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/state=ph) in the UNESCO website. The proposed expansion is there.

Have to rush to catch a flight. Hope that helps.

LordCarnal

November 27th, 2006, 11:44 AM

Priceless labor of heritage volunteers

By Bernadette Parco
Cebu Daily News
Last updated 08:55am (Mla time) 11/26/2006

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/cebu_heritage04.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b396/arnoldsa/CebuHeritageWalk/cebu_heritage02.jpg

FOR the past two months church workers, student volunteers, a historian, an archaeologist and a graphic artist have been hard at work dusting, polishing, labeling and arranging ecclesiastical art pieces and images of saints, the better to tell the story of Christianity as it evolved in the Archdiocese of Cebu.

On Tuesday, Nov. 28, the Cebu Cathedral museum on Mabini street, will open its doors to the public after a launching program led by Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, Archbishop of Cebu.

The event culminates years of painstaking restoration work of a convent that has seen over a century of use, a story in itself of Cebu’s heritage of faith.

Louella Eslao-Alix, Museum Curatorial Board chairperson, has been working on the museum project since the planning and design stage in 2002.

She called her journey “a crash course on heritage and heritage conservation.”

Alix, a working mother who owns a family-run gift shop in Cebu City, has played varied roles as advocate, researcher, cleanup crew, organizer, fund raiser, and cheerleader of the project.

Working in the dust and heat, she says, has taught her how to handle and care for centuries-old religious artifacts.

“It has been fulfilling to work with experts who gave their time and effort (to the project) without pay,” says Alix.

According to Jojo Bersales, archaeology professor of the University of San Carlos, who has been busy documenting the collection, the worth of the display pieces is not based on the material from which these were made but how much Cebuano Catholics revere each item.

Bersales, who also sits in the museum curatorial board, said that volunteer workers are handling “things believed to be miraculous.”

In smaller museums in different towns in Cebu, he recalls seeing ordinary folk touching or kissing images of saints with great reverence.

“Ang uban kuhaon nila from the table and ipahid nila sa ilang lawas (The others pick up the statues and wipe these all over their body),” he said.

He said that witnessing such gestures of faith was “enlightening” because as a scientist “you tend to remove yourself from the sacral things.”

Graphic artist Joel Olivares, another volunteer, has lessons for students in mind as he prepares the display panels that would visually guide them during museum tours.

“We are reproducing old documents and pictures and making them look old, but actually these would all be digitized copies,” he said.

Carefully chosen text in large panels measuring 6 feet by 36 feet will let visitors easily browse and understand “how the diocese was formed and when this was elevated to an archdiocese, which is very, very rich in (art) relics.”

Student volunteer Armida Jadraque, 21, said the renovation of the old convento would give Cebu students another venue for their field trips other than the usual stopovers in the “Lapu-Lapu shrine, Magellan’s Cross and the Casa Gorordo (museum).”

She does not mind working on her knees with a steel brush in one hand and metal polish in the other. She has been relentless in her effort to restore the luster of a silver tabernacle that has turned black after being kept in storage for decades at the St. Augustine Parish Church in Carmen town, northern Cebu.

Jadraque and some friends who have graduated from the Cebu Institute of Technology (CIT) have been coming to the office of the Archdiocesan Commission on Cultural Heritage at the Caritas building for some time to help prepare sacred art to be put on display at the nearby cathedral museum.

An information technology graduate, she cleans centuries-old wooden statues and polishes metal pieces during her free time away from her part-time work at her alma mater where she helps prepare workbooks.

Bersales and the rest of the curatorial board had a difficult time collecting data on the old convento located across Plaza Hamabar in downtown Cebu City. All the wartime records of the nearby Cebu Cathedral were destroyed, including the certificate declaring Cebu an archdiocese.

“We started with almost nothing. Then we went around all 139 parishes in 49 towns and four cities of Cebu and found out that their records were intact,” he said.

The group’s collection initially included items kept by the late Msgr. Virgilio Yap, the priest-architect who planned and established the Cebu Archdiocesan Museum in 1995. (The museum’s chapel, which is still undergoing some finishing touches, is named after him.)

However, whatever the group was able to find was equally priceless. Trizer Mansueto, history professor, showed CDN some of the articles that will go on display. Candelabra or candle holders and a two-meter-long frontal made of silver, which was used in pre-Vatican II Masses when priests celebrated facing the altar with their backs to the congregation.

The display also includes Lilo-an town’s Libro de Cuenta or an accounting notebook, with entries of events and expenses in the parish between 1845 and 1923.

One entry indicates Data de Noviembre y Deciembre 1864, Al maestrillo dela obra dela iglesia (Data for November and December 1864, on the construction of the church). The entry includes a list of expenses such as “A catorce canteros pagados, 7 pesos (14 coral stone cutters)” and “Por una trocitos de molave, 10 pesos (for one small piece of molave wood).”

The most common item on the parish’s grocery list is the moscatel or wine.

Another interesting entry is the Visita Diocesana (Diocesan visit) by the bishops of Cebu. The only American bishop of Cebu, Thomas Augustine Hendrick, visited the San Fernando Parish Church on April 30, 1904 with a certain Fr. Juan Gorordo, who returned to the town on April 27, 1913, as a bishop.

With the items that have been collected and the detailed restoration of the old priests’ residence, the group is ready to welcome the public to a glimpse of Christian heritage of 16th century Cebu.

.:.

ivanhenares

November 27th, 2006, 03:35 PM

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view_article.php?article_id=34951

Published on page A5 of the November 27, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE SENATE on Friday approved on third and final reading a bill declaring the country’s oldest mosque, the Sheikh Karimul Makhdum, a national shrine.

The mosque is located in Tubig Indangan, Simunul, in the province of Tawi-Tawi. It was named after Arabian missionary Shikh Karimul Macdum, who was said to have built the mosque in 1380 AD, two centuries before the arrival of the Spaniards in the Philippines.

Sen. Edgardo J. Angara, chair of the Senate committee on peace, unification and reconciliation, said the move was an “opportune gesture of friendship to our Muslim brothers.”

“We are in the process of reconciling with our Muslim brothers in the South and I cannot think of any greater symbolism than this one,” said Angara in a press statement.

Today, the four big pillars of the mosque remain as they were originally built.

Macdum himself was believed to have been buried in Tandubanak Shitancal, Tawi-Tawi, where a simple marker marks his grave.

The 626-year-old mosque has immense historic and cultural significance for our country,” Angara said. Its declaration as a national shrine makes it a formal part of the country’s national heritage.

The National Historical Institute will lay a marker at the site and maintain the mosque grounds.

“In the same manner that the Roman Colosseum in Italy is celebrated and revered up to this day, so should we honor and protect one of the Philippines’ most important historical structures,” Angara said.

Wonderboy

November 28th, 2006, 07:44 AM

Update: Meeting last November 21, 2006

I am copy pasting one paragraph from Ms Bambi Harper's e-mail:

It was decided in the meeting last November 21, 2006 that (a) once the bill is done, we will bring it to Sen. Angara since of all the senators he appears to be the one most involved with culture having authored the NCCA bill & the new Nat. Museum bill. (b) We agreed that the problem of the former bill on heritage was its creation of another layer of bureaucracy & under what department, institution or agency to place the proposed Council (c) While I suggested the Office of the President, the others believe it should logically be under NCCA that already has a trust fund.

manileño

November 29th, 2006, 03:57 AM

^ that is good to hear. Islam is part of our older heritage and its relics must be protected to give us an understanding and appreciation of our past and of our ethnic peoples in the south.

i tried looking for a pic of the mosque and i only found this:

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f30/manileno/makhdummosque.jpg
Sheikh Karimul Makhdum Mosque
Tawi-Tawi, P.I.

so this is 626 years old? doesn't look quite to me. or maybe i got the wrong foto? it does say Makhdum Mosque tho.. hmm
anyway, cheers for the Phillies own Alhambra. :)

LordCarnal

November 29th, 2006, 10:10 AM

Opening of the Archdiocesan Museum of Cebu

The old Convento, now a museum
- The renovation is not yet fully done although they had their grand opening already yesterday.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a238/MarkiiBoi/P1030196.jpg

Cathedral and Museum
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a238/MarkiiBoi/P1030194.jpg

Cardinal's limo
- To be displayed soon in the museum
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a238/MarkiiBoi/P1030189.jpg

Ongoing rehabilitation of the Compania Maritima building near Magellan's Cross Park
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a238/MarkiiBoi/image_00060.jpg

.:.

Animo

November 29th, 2006, 07:54 PM

By Lora Que?ano
Inquirer
Last updated 01:47am (Mla time) 11/15/2006

Published on Page A19 of the November 15, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE villages of San Jose and San Vicente in San Miguel, Bulacan, hold the mirror to the town?s colorful past. Spread in these communities are old houses, bahay na bato (stone houses), that are mute witnesses to events that had shaped the country?s history.

Unlike the old mansions in the City of Vigan in Ilocos Sur, that are mostly preserved along the cobblestone stretch of Crisologo Street, San Miguel?s old houses are found on every street.

Local historian Francisco Buencamino, 87, and his wife Carmen, the tourism board president and coordinator of the San Miguel de Mayumo Foundation, said the San Miguel houses were unique, having been used as residential and vacation houses or meeting places of Filipino revolutionaries.

Old, new occupants

The house once owned by Dr. Maximo Viola, a close friend of Dr. Jose Rizal and the one who lent money to the national hero to pay for the publication of the novel ?Noli Me Tangere,? is now owned by Amelia Reyes.

Roger Pablo, one of the occupants, said the family bought the house, built in 1906, through bank bidding.

The 4,000-square-meter lot?s original red tile (pulang tisa) fence remains while the house?s walls, floors and ceilings, which are made of narra and mulawin, are repainted from time to time.

Rodrigo Florencio, municipal tourism officer, said a house that used to stand on the vacant lot across the Viola house was a meeting place of Katipuneros.

Florencio said the house, called here as the ?David house,? collapsed a few years ago and was demolished. Only the brick gate of the compound remains.

Another old house, the only three-story structure in town, is referred to by residents as the ?malaking bahay (big house).?

Owned by former Mayor Catalino Sevilla and his wife Valeriana de Leon, the house had been the venue of gatherings of the local elite in the early 1900s.

Manuel de Leon Sevilla, a son of Catalino and delegate to the 1934 Constitutional Convention, had also lived there.

Originally built by De Leon?s parents, Pelagio de Leon and Eladia Santiago, the house shelters a glass urn containing sand believed to have been taken from the spot where Rizal fell when he was executed in Bagumbayan (now Luneta Park) on Dec. 30, 1896.

The house of Damaso Sempio and his wife, Crispina de Leon, a member of the landed De Leon clan in the town, was a refuge of another revolutionary hero.

Gen. Gregorio del Pilar, Sempio?s uncle, had spent the night in this house on his way to Isabela to cover the retreat of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, according to Buencamino.

Another prominent guest was Artemio Ricarte, the Filipino general who refused to recognize American sovereignty over the Philippines.

According to the town?s website, former Mayor Manuel de Leon Lipana, who now owns the house, commissioned his cousin, Bernardo Sempio, to handle the restoration work in 1982.

Aguinaldo used the house of Simon Tecson on J.P. Rizal Street as headquarters before the signing of the Pact of Biak-na-Bato, which called for the laying down of arms by revolutionary forces led by the general.

Buencamino said one of Tecson?s descendants had been claiming that the actual signing was done in that house and not in one of the caves in the town's uplands.

The town?s website said Josefina Tecson-Mendiola, the current owner of the house, preserved the furniture and other antique items, including two covered carrozas at the basement, beds with intricately carved posts, lounging chairs, rocking chairs, and a grandfather?s clock adorning the living room.

The house of Jose de Leon, a gobernadorcillo of the town, and his second wife, Narcisa ?Do?a Sisang? Buencamino, the founder of LVN Pictures and known as the ?Mother of the Filipino Movie Industry,? has withstood the elements and is among the local top attractions.

Also preserved is the house of Don Miguel Siojo that was built from 1903 to 1907. Residents associate the house with Sen. Alfredo Lim because his grandfather, Bernardo Siojo, is a brother of Don Miguel.

Other significant houses are those of Pablo Tecson, a leader of Filipino revolutionary forces; Valeria Velayo, founder of Liga Feminista during the revolution; George Santos Viola, descendant of Dr. Maximo Viola; the Fernando-Viola family; and Cirilo Santos, a former Bulacan governor.

Treasure hunting

The Buencamino couple said some of the old houses in the town had been destroyed because of treasure hunting.

Buencamino said there was nothing they could do when a house owner decided to destroy the property. ?The old houses are privately owned. The only way we can intervene is to help them in promotion purposes,? he said.

He said some owners and their caretakers would not allow tourists to enter the premises unless they (Buencamino and his wife) escort them. He said some caretakers of these old houses collect fees from visitors.

San Miguel?s real treasure lies in its old houses that are replete with history. The houses can give residents a good source of income if they will unite to preserve them.

In his blog site (ivanhenares.blogspot.com), Ivan Henares, a member of the board of trustees of the Heritage Conservation Society, said San Miguel was one of the few well-preserved towns that have yet to be declared by the National Historical Institute as a heritage town.

?While these historians sit down and take their time, many centuries-old homes are going down, taken for granted by the very institution mandated to protect them,? Henares said.

?How sad it was to see a well-preserved heritage town in such a sorry state. I wonder why the provincial government of Bulacan, which I have known to be a staunch advocate of culture and the arts, is allowing these houses to decay and remain in such a state of neglect given that San Miguel?s ancestral homes are among the showcases of the province,? he said.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view_article.php?article_id=32635

Pinoy_ako

November 30th, 2006, 05:29 AM

http://static.flickr.com/118/303203502_23d818293b.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/107/303203600_54878443af.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/99/303203528_762189ddd8.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/99/303203560_f4ed250cf1.jpg?v=0

^^^
Looks like the dome has been preserved as it was before. I wonder if the the domes of Santa Cruz and La Loma Chapel looked like this before the war ? The chapel still has the azulejo tiles and the tombstones. This should really be preserved at its original site.

overtureph

November 30th, 2006, 06:42 AM

^^ The dome of the Sta. Cruz church as well as the church was destroyed during the the Second World War. I believe only some part of the walls where left. The present La Loma church dome looks different from the old photos of the church.

overtureph

November 30th, 2006, 07:00 AM

Did you know

By Cyril Bonabente
Inquirer
Last updated 03:11am (Mla time) 11/02/2006

Published on Page A18 of the November 2, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE 54-HECTARE Manila North Cemetery houses the only known Jewish cemetery in the country which opened in 1925. Each tombstone in the Jewish cemetery is marked by a Star of David. The North Cemetery also has spaces for Freemasons, aborted fetuses and abandoned dead infants. Buried in the cemetery, which opened in 1904, are former Presidents Ramon Magsaysay, Manuel Roxas and Sergio Osme?a, Sen. Claro M. Recto, writer Amado V. Hernandez, composer Julio Nakpil, boxing champion Pancho Villa and actor Fernando Poe Jr.

Copyright 2006 Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view_article.php?article_id=30096

ivanhenares

November 30th, 2006, 11:45 PM

Katipunan museum opens today in San Juan

By Norman Bordadora
Inquirer
Last updated 03:30am (Mla time) 11/30/2006

Published on Page A21 of the November 30, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

WHAT was once a decrepit memorial to the Katipuneros? first encounter with Spaniards in San Juan del Monte, the first of several defeats in the hands of the colonizers, is gradually being transformed into a pantheon immortalizing the glory and tragedy of Andres Bonifacio and the Katipunan.

Dante Oquendo, who has been with the National Historical Institute for 36 years and is now the curator of the Museo ng Katipunan in the Pinaglabanan Shrine, said the improvement in the museum?s aesthetics and collection also represented a shift in the focus of its objective.

Tribute

?This is no longer just a memorial of the Battle of Pinaglabanan. It is now a museum of the Katipunan and fittingly so because there has yet to be a museum in honor of the Katipunan,? Oquendo told the Inquirer.
He said that while before the museum only had a few busts of Bonifacio, Emilio Jacinto and Apolinario Mabini and cardboard cutouts depicting the infamous battle and defeat in San Juan del Monte, the museum now told the story of the Katipunan and how it started the struggle for independence against Spain.

Oquendo is the museum?s first and only curator since it opened in the run-up to the country?s centennial celebration in 1998.

Improvements

?We have pieces that show how the Katipunan was created and how the Katipuneros worked. Some of them are just replicas but this is a big improvement because we only had cardboard cutouts and pictures before,? Oquendo said.

San Juan Mayor Joseph Victor Ejercito said that despite the improvements, the museum that would be inaugurated as Museo ng Katipunan today, Bonifacio Day, is still a work in progress. ?We plan to collect more pieces, hopefully authentic artifacts from the 19th century related to the Katipunan and the fight for independence,? Ejercito said in an interview.

Cost

The San Juan mayor said the municipal government spent P5 million for the renovation of the air-conditioned and granite-floored museum.
He said private sector funds, amounting to P3 million, were spent on new museum pieces.

?We can now bring visitors here without being ashamed that the museum pieces we have are only pictures and cardboard cutouts that can be made as school projects by high school students,? Ejercito said.

Replacements

Cardboard cutouts have been replaced with dioramas depicting the Katipuneros? cry for independence after its discovery by the Spaniards in 1896, the march to the Spanish position El Polvorin in San Juan del Monte on Aug. 29, 1896 and the siege of the nearby El Deposito the following day.

The dioramas also show the Filipinos? defeat after the Spaniards sent in reinforcements armed with Mausers and bayonets, and their retreat.

Additional knowledge

?This will give grade school students additional knowledge in history. This will open their minds to the fact that their forefathers, the Katipuneros, fought the Spaniards to gain freedom even without enough arms and proper training,? Oquendo said.

Replicas of medals worn by the Katipunan top brass indicating rank and position are already on display.

Alex Irasga, a consultant at the Office of the Mayor of San Juan, said the acquisition committee that started work this year borrowed authentic Katipunan medals from private collectors and had molds made from them.

Replicas were then made from the molds.

?We now have actual pieces even if these were just replicas. Before, we only had pictures,? Irasga said.

Medals
The replica medals placed in a glass case include those of Bonifacio, a sun with eight rays, and of the ?Brains of the Katipunan? Jacinto, showing an open book pierced by a sword.

One of the major acquisitions, Oquendo said, was an authentic specimen of the cedula, the residence certificate issued by the Spanish colonial government to Filipinos symbolizing its authority over the archipelago.
It was torn by the Katipuneros as a symbol of their cry for independence.

?It will give our visitors, the students in particular, an idea of what the residence certificate looked like at that time when it was given by the colonial government,? Oquendo said.

The 19th century cedula, said Ejercito, is worth P50,000.

Another authentic piece on exhibit was an 1896 bayonet Ejercito said he got through an online auction on E-bay.

?I?m now looking for the barrel of a Mauser (rifle). I already found a butt of a Mauser but we can?t put it on display yet because we have to complete (the piece),? Ejercito said.

He would not say how much was spent for the bayonet and the Mauser butt.

Galleries

The museum has photo galleries that include those of Bonifacio and Katipunan officials from both the Magdiwang and Magdalo factions of the secret society.

One gallery shows the ?Antagonists of the Supremo,? those who undermined Bonifacio?s authority in the Tejeros Convention and who carried out the death sentence against the founder of the Katipunan in the mountains of Maragondon.

The gallery has a picture of a certain Major Lorenzo Macapagal, who was identified as Bonifacio?s executioner.

Antagonists

Asked if this part on Bonifacio?s ?antagonists? would evoke divisiveness, Oguendo replied: ?Well, it?s part of history. ?Di natin kayang dayain ?yan (We can?t change that).

ivanhenares

November 30th, 2006, 11:46 PM

Taguig lighthouse Katipuneros? Rubicon

By Jocelyn Uy
Inquirer
Last updated 05:45am (Mla time) 11/30/2006

Published on Page A1 of the November 30, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

BEFORE THE waters of Laguna De Bay become too rough for his small banca, Jesse Pasawa sets off to work, armed with biscuits and a bottle of water to fortify himself.

He has been on the job for four years -- guarding a centuries-old lighthouse that is just a 20-minute boat ride from the shore of Barangay Napindan in Taguig City, where he lives.

Although his work disconnects him from the rest of the world for eight hours daily, stories of the lighthouse and its role in the revolution that ended the 300-year Spanish colonial regime never fail to entertain him, he said.

Quoting a group of historians, Pasawa told the Inquirer that Andres Bonifacio and the other Katipuneros held secret meetings at the lighthouse before the revolution broke out.

He said the details of those meetings he would leave to his imagination to banish the boredom that occasionally assailed him.

According to Ed Velasquez, executive director of the Kampanya para sa Kamalayan sa Kasaysayan (Campaign for Consciousness of History, or Kamalaysayan), the lighthouse served as the Katipunan?s center of coordination and communication in 1896.

Its location -- at the navel of Laguna de Bay near the mouth of the Pasig River, flanked by the mountains of Rizal, the province of Laguna and several cities of Metro Manila -- ensured its crucial role.

The Kamalaysayan is a non-government network of historians and researchers advocating the reevaluation of Philippine history and defining further the birth of the nation.

Jolly young man

As a boy, Bonifacio was known to frequent Taguig, the hometown of his father, Santiago.

The old townsfolk remembered Bonifacio as a jolly young man who often took part in the poetic joust known as duplo, Velasquez said, noting as an aside that history books had depicted the hero as ?an angry man rather than a man of depth and substance.?

In the course of his regular visits to Taguig, Bonifacio explored its nooks and crannies, including the lighthouse that then had a small living room, a toilet and a kitchen on the second floor.

Velasquez described the lighthouse as ?a Spanish colonial house that had a tower in it.? (The Kamalaysayan is still collecting documents and pictures from old town residents to produce a sketch of how the 17th-century structure looked like before it was renovated in the 1970s.)

Bonifacio eventually founded the Katipunan. And the lighthouse, because of the darkness that blanketed it at night, became a convenient spot for the insurgents? clandestine meetings.

Even the caretaker was a Katipunero.

Momentous meeting

This was how Velasquez recounted the turn of events surrounding a momentous meeting sometime between mid-June and July 1896:

Early in June, Bonifacio commissioned Pio Valenzuela to consult Jose Rizal in Dapitan, where the latter was in exile.

The insurgents put on a show of planning an excursion to Napindan in order to mislead the Spanish authorities who had become suspicious of the Katipunan.

On the appointed day, Bonifacio, his brother Procopio, Valentin Cruz (head of the Katipunan council in Pasig) and other officials from Taguig, Pateros, Laguna, Manila and Morong assembled at the lighthouse.

Valenzuela announced to his comrades Rizal?s counsel on the imminent revolution: ?Make sure that you get the support of big traders, the prominent Indios and government officials abroad. Ensure that the people are ready, and seek the help of Antonio Luna. He is good.?

He also told the assembly that Rizal could not lend his name to a revolution that was plotted while he was away -- a statement, according to Velasquez, that was not meant to dissuade Bonifacio from carrying out the uprising.

Their Rubicon

?After that meeting, the Katipuneros were ever more resolved to proceed with the revolution. The lighthouse was their Rubicon. They swam back to their provinces [to prepare for the uprising]. There was no going back,? Velasquez said.

The meeting at Napindan -- like the events at Bitukang Manok in Pasig and the ?Battle of Nagsabado? -- was a turning point in Philippine history that has been overlooked by many historians, lamented Velasquez.

In May 1896, prior to the meeting at the lighthouse, the Katipuneros gathered at Valentin Cruz?s house near the Bitukang Manok river for a big assembly to discuss the timing of the uprising.

Velasquez cited this event as ?the first real national challenge for revolutionary change.?

Three months later, on Aug. 29, Pasig folk armed with scythes and bolos marched to the town plaza and took over the headquarters of the Guardia Civil and the municipal hall.

This was the Battle of Nagsabado -- the first battle launched by the Katipunan -- thus named because it happened on a Saturday.

The Katipuneros later joined Bonifacio in the famous Battle of Pinaglabanan in San Juan.

?If ever [these events] lingered in some footnotes of some historians, [they] were never accorded the proper appreciation for their role in the birthing and molding of our nationhood,? Velasquez said.

Rising waters

Now, the lighthouse stands nearly swallowed by the continuously rising lake, which Napindan residents attribute to the unplanned development and the emergence of squatter colonies on the shoreline.

It is only during summer that the water subsides to reveal a fourth of the historic structure, of which practically nothing is left but stone panels covered with moss and algae, Pasawa said.

Fortunately, the Philippine Coast Guard has installed solar panels in the structure, he said.

Many townsfolk view the lighthouse (or parola) as just another government facility that needs occasional upkeep. Fishermen consider it a refuge from the blistering heat of the sun.

?The parola was a very beautiful place before. It was a tourist destination when I was young,? said 59-year-old Lilia Mozo, the barangay secretary, whose husband was the lighthouse?s caretaker for 35 years.

Mozo said that in its glory days, the lighthouse drew local tourists, including celebrities like Leila Benitez (one of the hosts of the old noontime TV show ?Student Canteen?), who went on picnics and bathed in the cool waters of the lake.

It had also served as a playground of many children, she said.

Animo

December 1st, 2006, 10:19 PM

http://www.daaaaa.com/cebu/cebu049.jpg

This reminds me of Morelia, México.

http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/7498/m32ol0.jpg
http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/5402/mtuuruyez2.jpg
http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/6837/ml32hr.jpg

ivanhenares

December 2nd, 2006, 01:52 AM

Judge junks TRO plea to tear down Binondo schools

By Tina Santos
Inquirer
Last updated 04:37am (Mla time) 12/02/2006

Published on Page A20 of the December 2, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

A MANILA judge has denied the petition for a temporary restraining order (TRO) sought by Senators Alfredo Lim and Jamby Madrigal in connection with the city government’s plan to convert two Binondo schools into a housing and commercial area.

“The court finds no compelling reason to grant the TRO,” Judge Manuel Barrios of Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 54, said in his one-page order.

The judge noted that more than 70 percent of the construction work on the school buildings and other edifices in the area where the affected students of Jose Abad Santos High School (JASHS) and Rajah Soliman High School (RSHS) will be transferred had been finished.

Barrios added that the actual transfer of the schools and the eventual demolition of the old structures would take place when the school year ends.

Last week, Lim and Madrigal had filed a declaratory relief with prayer for the issuance of a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against Mayor Lito Atienza, the city council and Megaworld Corporation.

The two senators asked the court to declare null and void a city council resolution authorizing Atienza to enter into an agreement evicting JASHS and RSHS from their present site in Binondo.

Another resolution, they added, would give way to Megaworld Corporation to convert the site to be vacated by the students “into a commercial complex, under the (guise) of a housing project condominium structure, (complete) with several business establishments.”

The city government had proposed the transfer of the affected students to a smaller property at the corner of Numancia and Urbiztondo Streets, in San Nicholas, also in Binondo, one kilometer away from the schools’ present site on La Chambre Street.

Lim said the transfer and conversion of the two schools would destroy the historical and cultural significance of the area, which used to be known as Cuartel Meisic.

Wonderboy

December 7th, 2006, 03:26 PM

Save the Jose Abad Santos High School and Rajah Soliman High School! (Earlier posted on HCS Yahoogroups)

After a judge junked a TRO plea to stop the demolition of the Jose Abad
Santos High School (JASHS) and Rajah Soliman High School (RSHS), two
heritage schools in Binondo, it's time to campaign again to prevent another
heritage disaster of Atienzic proportions!

Senators Alfredo Lim and Jamby Madrigal had "asked the court to declare null and void a city
council resolution authorizing Atienza to enter into an agreement evicting
JASHS and RSHS from their present site in Binondo," the Philippine Daily
Inquirer reported. Lim added that "the transfer and conversion of the two schools would destroy the
historical and cultural significance of the area, which used to be known as
Cuartel Meisic."

According to the article, the senators also pointed out that "another resolution would give way to
Megaworld Corporation to convert the site to be vacated by the students
"into a commercial complex, under the (guise) of a housing project
condominium structure, (complete) with several business establishments. "

Things you could do to help:

1. Write a letter to Mayor Lito Atienza with your thoughts on his latest
heritage rampage. His e-mail address is mayor_atienza@ cityofmanila. com.ph.
You could tell him too not to use Manny Pacquiao to get votes for his son
while you're at it.

2. You could also call his office at (02) 5275191, 5274974, 5274989,
5279536, 5279538 or 5274939.

3. Write a letter to the editor. You could send it to the Philippine Daily
Inquirer at opinion@inquirer. com.ph or

http://services. inq7.net/ contactus/ contactus. php; Manila Bulletin at
http://www.mb. com.ph/feedback. php; or Manila Standard at
mst@manilastandardt oday.com or
http://www.manilast andardtoday. com/?page= contact_us.

4. Forward this e-mail to all your friends and contacts.

ivanhenares

December 7th, 2006, 08:32 PM

^^Thanks for posting my blog entry. To those asking about the significance of the Meisic Cuartel, here is an old article about an earlier Atienzic disaster in Meisic...

Meisic Cuartel going down in history
Posted: 1:59 AM (Manila Time) | Nov. 20, 2003
By Tarra Quismundo
Inquirer News Service

MANILA will soon be losing one more part of its past.

Despite the clamor for it to be preserved, the remaining walls of the Meisic Cuartel in Binondo district will be torn down to give way to a mall.

The Meisic Cuartel occupies an entire block bordered by the Meisic and Reina Regente Streets in Binondo. Divisoria, one of Manila's prime shopping areas, is nearby.

The Cuartel, or Cuartel de Caballeria, was built in the 1700s and became the headquarters of the city's first law enforcers during the 1800s.

During the American occupation, it served as the barracks of American soldiers, then as a garrison of Japanese soldiers. It was also once a tobacco factory.

"We have asked them [city government] to revise the design of the commercial building to show the features of the old Meisic Cuartel," said Reynaldo Inovero, chief of the National Historic Institute's preservation division.

Inovero, an architect, however, admitted that the remaining walls were hard to preserve since these were already fragile, and were not strong enough to hold the rest of the planned multi-level commercial structure.

What remains of the historic site are the walls of the headquarters of Station 11 of the Western Police District. It is also home to the WPD museum and the Retirees Quarters. WPD memorabilia are on display at the Cuartel.

The architect explained that the NHI had initially wanted to preserve the remaining walls of the historic cuartel, "but the authenticity was less then 50 percent."

He said the remaining walls, which are made of huge adobe stones, had been refurbished, repainted, and even cemented over.

The city, which owns the land on which the Cuartel stands, will be leasing 4,000 square meters of the Meisic land to property developer Bullion Investment and Development Corp., which has tapped the contractor Federal Builders Inc. to build the mall.

Manila Mayor Joselito Atienza Jr. said Bullion would be paying a minimal fee for leasing the land and would be building an annex of City Hall at no expense to the city government.

The City Hall annex will house a police station, a health center, and the office of the permits division, according to Atienza.

Aside from getting a share of the fees that will be charged for renting out shop spaces, City Hall will get full ownership of the mall building after 25 years.

Atienza, who earlier said "the structure is not historic," downplayed the historical value of the present structure saying it was only built in the 1970s, as the old building was destroyed during the second world war.

But NHI's Lorelei de Viana, who wrote "Three Centuries of Binondo Architecture", a book on Binondo's surviving centuries-old structures, said the remaining walls were "definitely centuries old."

An earthquake destroyed the Cuartel on June 3, 1863, but was rebuilt 10 years later and became a tobacco factory called the Fabrica de Puros de Meisic, according to De Viana.

In her book, she had included an 1882 description of the Cuartel: "(It had a) galvanized iron roof, pavements of ordinary stone and Chinese granite blocks ... 147 windows, and two entrances."

Inovero said the adobe blocks of the old walls will be "carefully taken apart" and displayed in a gallery at the mall to be dedicated to the Cuartel. A replica and photos of the Cuartel will be placed in the gallery.

ThisFire

December 7th, 2006, 09:10 PM

Animo, thanks for posting those pictures. It is just one of many visual proofs of not only our ties with Spain, but with Mexico. This is often overlooked. A lot of architectural styles (Spanish from Mexico) came from them because Spain had to go through Mexico and Central America in order to get to the Philippines. But the root of this would definitely be in Spain, but further roots with the muslim alhambra influence of Spain's south.

Wonderboy

December 8th, 2006, 07:02 PM

There will be a senate hearing on several heritage bills on Tuesday, December 12, 2006, 9:30 a.m. at the second floor of the Tañada Room (Senate Building).

Rence

December 8th, 2006, 07:44 PM

There will be a senate hearing on several heritage bills on Tuesday, December 12, 2006, 9:30 a.m. at the second floor of the Tañada Room (Senate Building).

:banana: Question: Are we allowed to go inside or this is strictly for invited guests???? Pls. PM me if you want people to go there .... I am interested in going ???

Wonderboy

December 8th, 2006, 09:11 PM

Hi Rence,

I already replied to your PM.

I have to confirm with the secretariat because I believe she needs the har count of those who would like to attend.

ivanhenares

December 9th, 2006, 08:16 AM

The Sub-Committee on Education, Arts & Culture of the Philippine Senate is set to discuss the following bills on December 12, 9:30 a.m. at the Sen. L.M. Tañada Room 2/F Right Wing:

1. House Bill No. 5577 – “An Act Declaring the Municipality of Carcar in the Province of Cebu as a Cultural Heritage Zone”
2. Senate Bill No. 54 – “An Act Providing for the Protection and Preservation of Philippine Cultural Heritage and for Other Purposes”
3. Senate Bill Nos. 282, 725 & 2252 – “An Act Providing for the Protection and Conservation of All Objects of Underwater Cultural Heritage in Philippine Water”
4. Senate Bill No. 576 – “An Act to Promote Filipino Education and Heritage Through the Establishment of Philippine Community Schools Abroad for Children of Filipino Migrant Workers and Other Overseas Filipinos”
5. Senate Bill No. 913 – “An Act to Provide for the Preservation and Cultivation of the Filipino Heritage Among Filipino Overseas Through the Teaching of Filipino Language and History, Assistance in the Establishment and Operation of Philippine Schools and Filipiniana Resource Centers Abroad, and the Creation of a Committee on Heritage and Culture for Overseas Filipinos, and Appropriating Funds Therefor”
6. Senate Bill No. 1089 – “An Act to Promote the Protection and Conservation of the National Heritage, The Creation of a National Heritage Commission, and Providing Penalties and for other Purposes”
7. Senate Bill No. 2123 – “An Act Providing Mechanisms to Regulate the Import, transit, Export, and Repatriation of Cultural Property into and From the Philippines”
8. Senate Bill No. 2386 – “An Act to Provide for the Preservation and Cultivation of the Filipino Heritage Among Filipinos Overseas Through the Teaching of Filipino Language and History, Assistance in the Establishment and Operation of Philippine Schools and Filipiniana Centers Abroad and Establishing a Trust Fund Therefor”

The Committee on Tourism joint with the Committee on Environment & Natural Resources and Ways & Means is set to discuss the following bills on the same day at 1:00 p.m. at the Sen. C.M. Recto Room 2/F Right Wing:

1. House Bill No. 187 – “An Act Declaring Malibik-Libik Falls of the Municipality of General Emilio Aguinaldo, Province of Cavite as a national tourist spot and for other purposes”
2. House Bill No. 574 – “An Act Declaring the Island of Lahuy, Covitas, Guinahuan, Luksuhin, Malibagan and Masag, of the northeastern coast of the Municipality of Caramoan, Province of Camarines Sur as tourist zone”
3. House Bill No. 591 – “An Act Declaring the Atulayan Island of the Municipality of Sagnay, Province of Camarines Sur as a tourist zone”
4. House Bill No. 786 – “An Act Declaring the Island-towns of Biri, Capul, San Antonio and San Vicente, all in the Province of Northern Samar as eco-tourism zones”
5. House Bill No. 2072 – “An Act Declaring the Province of Bohol as an eco-cultural zone”
6. House Bill No. 3234 – “An Act Declaring as a tourist zone Barangay Consocep in the Municipality of Tigaon, Province of Camarines Sur, providing for the priority development thereof and for other purposes”
7. House Bill No. 3417 – “An Act Declaring not less than seven hectares within or around the vicinity of Malabsay Falls within the territorial jurisdiction of Naga City or its environs as a tourist zone and prescribing for its priority development”
8. Senate Bill No. 772 – “An Act Granting certain incentives to resident Filipinos who will travel to domestic tourist destinations and for other purposes”

Rence

December 9th, 2006, 11:11 PM

ivanhenares

December 10th, 2006, 06:02 AM

^^ I'm not sure. Maybe you could call the office of Sen. Angara to find out. Their contact numbers are in the Senate website.

ivanhenares

December 10th, 2006, 06:27 PM

Hi there! We've just updated the HCS Online Database of Built Heritage Resources (http://heritageconservation.wordpress.com/). Hope you could contribute your photos. Please e-mail them (640x480 pixels) to heritageconservationsociety@gmail.com (mailto:heritageconservationsociety@gmail.com). Thanks!

overtureph

December 11th, 2006, 01:24 AM

With the campaign and the pending bill for heritage conservation, there should be financial backing. With all the campaign and even with an enabling law I don't think much will come out of it if there is no money or financial sustainability in maintaining and conserving heritage structures. We could all talk and blog about heritage conservation to death but financing will play a very important role if we are to conserve our heritage. There must be a budget and a source of fund other than the government.

overtureph

December 11th, 2006, 01:25 AM

ivanhenares

December 11th, 2006, 05:58 AM

This is an example of how a community and an entire province can unite to save its architectural heritage...

SPECIAL REPORT
New ‘old town’ of heritage houses fuels furor

By Tonette Orejas
Inquirer
Last updated 05:28am (Mla time) 12/11/2006

Published on page A1 of the December 11, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

(First of two parts)

PORAC, PAMPANGA -- Sitting on a bamboo bench by the roadside, 86-year-old Felicidad Lising let out an expression of outrage her neighbors in the village of Pio here do not usually hear from the mild-mannered grandmother.

“Ay Dios ko! E ustu ita (Oh my God! That’s a wrong thing to do),” Lising said, casting her droopy eyes on the village’s 145-year-old Catholic chapel.

It has unsettled her, she said, that the chapel has been bought and destined for transfer to Bagac town, Bataan province.

Such stories have not died down since October, according to Josefina Rubi, chair of the Parish Pastoral Council at Pio.

The menfolk have vowed to protect the chapel from antique dealers and the demolition crew they have been expecting to descend on their community.

The residents are not imagining their fears and they have reason to be vigilant. The controversy actually leads straight to a private venture that is unrivaled in scale in the country.

Some 60 kilometers southwest of Pio, New San Jose Builders Inc. president Jerry Acuzar is creating an “old town” on his 50-hectare seaside property in Barangay Pag-asa in Bagac.

Nine centuries-old houses were standing on his estate’s version of “Calle Real” on Nov. 26 when he allowed the Inquirer to tour the property.

These houses, Acuzar said, were dismantled from their original sites in various points of Luzon or “rescued” from junk shops, transported, reassembled and restored in their new locations.

Another house, Acuzar’s first and which he named “Casa Real,” is a mix of parts from several old houses bought from junk shops.

Two historically significant works are in progress, but he asked that these not be named just yet.

Work at the plazuela has started. Its centerpiece is an entirely new monument hailing industrious women of olden times. The plaza mayor has yet to rise.

Acuzar, a developer of high-end and socialized housing projects, said it took him three years to build the pueblo.

If his resources would allow him, he plans to install a total of 50 old structures on his lot.

He said he planned to put the Pio chapel beside the river that empties into the South China Sea.

“Ang kulang ko na lang simbahan (The only thing I lack is a church),” he said, denying that he wanted it for his daughter’s debut.

Acuzar said installing a church would complete the features of the old town project, which he calls a “passion.”

He said he got interested only in the Pio chapel because a dealer informed him that the heir of the hacienda founder, actress Rosemarie Gil, had converted to another religion and that the chapel was dilapidated. He did not name the dealer.

After asking the Inquirer about how Pio residents reacted to his plan, he said: “Hindi ko na gusto (I don’t want it anymore).”

He has yet to send an official communication to Pio residents that he was backing out from the plan and that he would look for another chapel.

Rubi said the Pio PPC would not let down its guard.

“In 1986, when Rosemarie and (actor) Dante Varona tried to take the church bell (dated 1865), the tenants foiled their attempt by chasing them with bolos. That’s just a bell. What more a church?” said Rubi, a 55-year-old teacher.

Heritage

Acuzar agreed he touched sensitive nerves because his latest prospect was a chapel, which is a community-owned and shared structure. It has not been the case, he noted, with the ancestral houses.

Ivan Henares, a Pampanga historian and trustee of the Heritage Conservation Society, said whether it was a house or a church or other buildings, the value or function of a structure in the cultural and historical fabric of the community should be respected in the purchase or transfer plan.

In the case of the Pio chapel, the villagers claim it as theirs. They use it when they celebrate Masses every 5 p.m. on Saturdays. Residents also use the chapel for various religious rites and community events.

They assert ownership even as the Gils have retained the four hectares on which the chapel stood.

A source said it was not the Gils who transacted with Acuzar’s agent but their caretaker, Jun Pabustan. The latter, however, denied dealing with any buyers.

It puzzled Rubi why this time the actress did not consult them when she did some years back about her plan to convert the chapel for use by Born Again Christians.

The Inquirer tried to contact the Gil siblings through Pabustan or Rosemarie through a friend in Angeles City. No feedback came in the last three weeks.

Fr. Resty Lumanlan, SVD, a native of this town, said the Pio chapel was “never for sale.”

“It should never be sold because since the frailes (friars), it has been the property of the Roman Catholic Church, particularly the Archdiocese of San Fernando, Pampanga,” he said.

“Much more, it is part of the heritage of the parish of Porac,” he said.

The chapel is an architectural heritage, said Henares.

Built in 1861, this is the only intact circular chapel in Pampanga, predating the one regarded as the country’s first on the University of the Philippines’ Diliman campus in Quezon City.

The remains of the hacienda founder, Don Felino Gil, are interred behind the altar. Gil founded the Don Honorio Ventura College of Arts and Sciences in Bacolor, the oldest vocational school in Southeast Asia. Under the machuca tiles and behind the chapel are at least 100 graves.

Moratorium

Citing Pio’s experience, Henares raised the need for those in the heritage conservation community to debate on the ethics of transferring structures -- an activity that is fairly new and done on a minimum extent until Acuzar ventured into his large-scale pueblo project in 2004.

The issue or even Acuzar’s pet undertaking was “not at all” tackled in the International Conference on Heritage Houses and Vernacular Architecture held in Tagbilaran City in May, according to painter-writer Claude Tayag, one of the 495 participants.

Tayag said it was the first conference held on that topic. The discussions centered on on-site restoration efforts that flourished largely on private funds over the recent decades, conference papers showed.

Henares suggested that in the debates, discussion points should include the historical significance of the structures, their actual or future functions to the residents and the communities, consultation requirements, protocols, local heritage plans and the local government’s position on the issue.

Henares also sought a moratorium on Acuzar’s project “until further studies are done on the location in particular and until the heritage community has fully digested this unusual project and threshed out the ethics of transferring heritage structures.”

(To be continued tomorrow.)