Heritage Watch - Compiled Threads

[Asturiano]

Can you believe that owner and founder of Metrobank is petitioning the city hall to replace the name of the st. in plaza de Calderon de la Barca from Oriente to Ty st. after his name. Mr. Ty who is now the owner of the place where the famous hotel used to occupy until WW2 decided to erase the only remaining memory of our rich past. The hotel Oriente is long gone and the street name after the hotel is the only last clue that remind us of the importance of the place where the street is name after.

[dvbaicrviser]

Dapat magpasa na ng bill na BAWAL NA BAGUHIN ANG MGA PANGALAN NG KALYE lalo na kung ito ay mahigit 70 yrs na ginagamit.

Pwede rin sana na ibalik sa dati yung mga pinalitan na nila.

[Wonderboy]

Can you believe that owner and founder of Metrobank is petitioning the city hall to replace the name of the st. in plaza de Calderon de la Barca from Oriente to Ty st. after his name. Mr. Ty who is now the owner of the place where the famous hotel used to occupy until WW2 decided to erase the only remaining memory of our rich past. The hotel Oriente is long gone and the street name after the hotel is the only last clue that remind us of the importance of the place where the street is name after.

Yes. Manila city hall approved the ordinance already.

The city hall called for a hearing and I attended (represented the heritage group, along with two other members and HCS Pres. Gemma Cruz-Araneta).

I gave my all really during the speech swear to God. Told the Metrobank officers that there are several ways for their founder to be recognized apart from changing a streetname. But they still wanted the old streetname to be replaced with "Ty" Street for their founder to be recognized. And the city hall has nothing against it.

It's all about the dire need for money and recognition. Metrobank will get the recognition that they want and city hall will get money from Metrobank. There's no room for respect for history and heritage really.

It's difficult to deal with people who's motivated by greed, money, and power. Sad to say, that's how the Philippine government and most private institutions and companies are molding themselves.

---

Another thing I realized during the hearing is that some people whom you thought will give you full blast support are just a sham. I pleaded for help via e-mail for suggestions on how to talk to city hall and Metrobank but didn't get any support. E-mail na nga lang 'yun ah because I know that going to the city hall will take much effort. But I guess I shouldn't expect anymore from so-called heritage enthusiasts and advocates. And even close friends. How unfortunate.

I used to be very passionate in heritage conservation three years ago. Swore off that my passion will not flame out given of course that I will get support from people whom I look up to and regard to as true blue Filipino citizens, but hey, I'm in the real world. I can't be an idealist and saint for so long so better give it up or at least go on sabbatical.

[Asturiano]

^^^^
It was just sad to hear that. I just can't believed that city hall will ruled in favor of those peoples. They just totally disregarded the history of the street. Sometimes, I wonder why litttle by little our historic places are left ruined in decay desappearing before our eyes because there are not many of us who care and those in power just don't care at all.

[johnmizer]

^^^^^ BOYCOTT METROBANK and it's affiliates then... boycott!!!

[Jake_noypi]

^^ Badtrip ah... Loko tong intsek na to ah! Buti na lang wala akong account dyan sa banko na yan.

Simula na ng pagsakop satin ng intsek...:nuts:

[manileño]

Another thing I realized during the hearing is that some people whom you thought will give you full blast support are just a sham. I pleaded for help via e-mail for suggestions on how to talk to city hall and Metrobank but didn't get any support. E-mail na nga lang 'yun ah because I know that going to the city hall will take much effort. But I guess I shouldn't expect anymore from so-called heritage enthusiasts and advocates. And even close friends. How unfortunate.

I used to be very passionate in heritage conservation three years ago. Swore off that my passion will not flame out given of course that I will get support from people whom I look up to and regard to as true blue Filipino citizens, but hey, I'm in the real world. I can't be an idealist and saint for so long so better give it up or at least go on sabbatical.


don't despair wonderboy :) there are other ways we can teach these strangers to filipino culture and history to make them value our heritage. one of them is through literature. i think this is the most effective way of ensuring our historical places are conserved together with their names. if one writes a book or articles in newspapers, how much do you think it would cost? i mean if there was only this much literature written about these places and streets available in all libraries and bookstores across the country, we could see an end to all these buy-outs and name replacements.

people need to be aware first, why a street is named as such, what history lies in these streets, and why changing them would create a mess in the archives and collective memory of the people-a conflict with your future bestseller :) this could be the first step. forget the HCS, your best bet would be education. the government and the people must first reawaken from this long historical and cultural amnesia. that's how Jose Rizal did it. thats how heritage rallyists must do it. Books. so start writing hehe... and worry about the publisher later :D but i do hope you're alright jeffy..

[Animo]

By Manny Galvez (http://beta.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=414577)
Updated November 12, 2008 12:00 AM

SAN ISIDRO, Nueva Ecija - This town which became famous for being the seat of the national government and the target of a historic revolt against Spanish rule over a century ago, is being pushed as a “heritage town” by local government officials for its cultural and historical past.

Mayor Sonia Lorenzo said residents of this town can take pride in the significant role their place played during the “Unang Sigaw ng Nueva Ecija (First Cry of Nueva Ecija)” when Filipino revolutionaries, armed only with bolos and pointed sticks, took up arms against Spain on Sept. 2,1896.

She said that the town should also be remembered for being the capital of the Philippines for six months when President Emilio Aguinaldo transferred the seat of the national government here.

“Our town has a vast repository of historical events in our country. Many of the buildings here are a living testament of what happened in the past,” she said, adding the municipal government is lobbying for the national government to grant this town the official distinction as “heritage town.”

The revolt from Spain in 1896, led by Gen. Mariano Llanera of the nearby town of Cabiao, went on for three days and led to the freeing of jailed leaders and members of the revolutionaries.

For its role in the revolution, Nueva Ecija was etched in the annals of history, earning the distinction of landing as one of the eight rays in the Philippine flag. Each ray symbolizes the province that rose up in arms against Spanish rule.

The capital of Nueva Ecija from 1852 to 1912, this town also hosted the Wright Institute established during the American rule, considered the first high school outside of Manila.

The school later came to be known as Nueva Ecija High School.

The municipal government, Lorenzo said, has preserved the house used by Aguinaldo, Gov. Gen. James Wright and Col. Frederick Funston.

[Animo]

By Ronilo L. Pamonag (http://www.thenewstoday.info/2008/11/18/yuchengco.group.to.restore.rizal.shrines.in.4.cities.html)

The Yuchengco Group of Companies will be restoring the shrines of national hero Jose Rizal in four cities in the Philippines.

The restoration projects in the cities of Iloilo, Baguio, Batangas and Davao is part of the Buhay Rizal, a corporate social responsibility project of the YGC aimed at restoring the dignity and pride for the national hero.

YGC chair Helen Yuchengo-Dee was in Iloilo Friday for the signing of the memorandum of agreement with Mayor Jerry Treñas.

In a statement, Dee said, "We hope that the YGC's endeavor this day will significantly add to your city's high level of adoration for all that Jose Rizal stood for."

At the same time, the City Government conferred an award on Yuchengco-owned Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation for the preservation of the RCBC building along the historic J.M. Basa street in line with the City's thrust of preserving the heritage structures and the rehabilitation of the central business district.

The Rizal shrine stands at the center of the Plaza Libertad, where the flag of the First Philippine Republic was raised after Spanish troops surrendered Iloilo, their last capital in the islands. The present shrine is made of stone. Once finished, the new rehabilitated shrine will be made mostly of granite.

Treñas expressed gratitude for the YGC. "We are very happy, that is why we immediately accepted (the project)," the mayor said.

[collegekid]

the last time i saw the casa real it was really flooded, the municipal govt should plan on restoring this historical edifice. the building, as i my grandparents told me, was the home of the governor or the alcalde mayor of the encomienda of lingayen during the spanish regime. there is this ruin situated along avenida rizal west at the corner of Pangapisan sur, folks told me it was the Colegio del Sanctissimo Rosario that was run by the dominicans before the war and was leased by the columban sisters before the archbishop of lingayen donated the ruins of his former palacio?, and also i would like to request if there are any available pictures of the Lingayen Cathedral and Palacio de Arzopisbo circa 1900. i think the church need to restore the antiquity of the cathedral. i disagree with the idea of building a shopping center replacing the walls of the old archbishop’s palace now housing the st columbans college.also should the municipal govt restore these historical sites, they should include the old houses along avenida rizal west.thanks and more historical sites to preserve. :nuts:
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[Animo]

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BEATRIZ Zobel de Ayala (center) and daughters Sofia Elizalde (left) and Bea Zobel Jr. talk about how they believe promoting heritage can be engines for community development, how the arts can put food on the table, and how their common interests and causes bring them closer as a family. Photo by Lyn Rillon

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WORLD-RENOWNED Spanish composer and conductor Cristobal Halffter (right) and his wife, Maria Manuela Caro, a famous pianist, will perform on the restored pipe organ of the Baclayon church in Bohol on Dec. 6, a day after the maestro conducts the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra in a benefit concert at the CCP Main Theater.

http://images.inquirer.net/media/showbizandstyle/lifestyle/lifestyle/images/pic-11200313590444.jpg

BACLAYON’S pipe organ, the third oldest in the country, before restoration

By Cheche Moral (http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view/20081119-173197/Doa-Beas-nightmare-and-a-Bohol-organ)
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:53:00 11/19/2008

IT’S for art’s sake—and, evidently, for the love of her daughters—that the low-key Beatriz Zobel de Ayala agreed to a rare interview last Tuesday.

Wedged between her eldest and youngest daughters Bea Zobel Jr. and Sofia Elizalde on a couch in the Zobels’ bright and airy home in Makati City, Doña Bea, as she is known, talked about how she had slowed down “to a point” following her husband’s—Ayala Corp.’s chair emeritus Jaime Zobel de Ayala—retirement. But she vowed if there’s “anything good for the Philippines [that comes along], you will see me...I will be interested in it.”

These days, that would include an upcoming concert of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (CCP Main Theater, Dec. 5, 8 p.m.; for tickets, call 8323704 or 8919999), where a Zobel in-law, the acclaimed Spanish composer Cristobal Halffter, is featured conductor.

The Zobels’ fourth child, Patsy, is married to maestro Halffter’s son Alfonso. It was Patsy and Alfonso Halffter’s doing, according to Bea Jr., that started the PPO project rolling.

On a visit to Bohol, where Bea Jr. now lives half the time in pursuit of her five-year plan to preserve and restore the heritage and cultural sites in the towns of Baclayon and Dauis, the Halffters had volunteered to pay for the repair of the pipe organ of the Baclayon church. The organ was built in 1824 and was last used in 1940.

When the organ was brought back to the town, there was rejoicing. “The whole town lined the streets, I’ve never seen anything like it! Children, mothers were crying! I just had to explain to Patsy [that] what she’s done has just been incredible for the town.”

Back in Spain, the young Halffters recounted the experience to Patsy’s in-laws. The maestro wondered aloud why he hasn’t been invited to play the organ. His wife, Maria Manuela Cano, is also a famous pianist.

“He’s a very busy man,” Bea Jr. said of the maestro. “But he’s coming.”

All-Spanish repertoire

Apart from the Baclayon church concert where maestro Halffter and his wife and son Alfonso (on trumpet) will perform on Dec. 6, the Cultural Center of the Philippines, through president Nestor Jardin, and the Spanish embassy has arranged for Halffter to perform with the PPO in a benefit concert dubbed “Bravo España.”

Following Patsy’s lead, part of the proceeds will benefit the PPO’s Instruments Maintenance Program.

The program will consist of Spanish compositions with Christmas themes, including an original composition of the conductor. Rudolf Golez, a Juilliard-trained pianist, will play a solo, while the Philippine Madrigal Singers will also perform.

“I [had this] dream that the theater would be empty because nobody [here] knows my in-laws,” Doña Bea said, on explaining why she’s doing the promotion. “Nightmare!”

Patsy had called her mother to ask for help. Zenaida Tantoco will pitch in for the decoration and floral arrangements. Pitoy Moreno will lend his manton de Manila collection to decorate the boxes.

On the PPO concert night, Zobel also said they will be serving a Spanish vintage to guests, a wine developed and produced by Patsy in the Halffters’ castle and vineyard near Santiago de Compostela called Castillo de Villafranca.

Helping the PPO

“Frankly, I’m closer to ballet than the orchestra,” Doña Bea said. “But when Nes told me how the orchestra members behave, what a hard time they have, how their uniforms were 15 years old, and whatever little money they get they use for the orchestra, suddenly I fell in love with the orchestra! I thought we must help them...The [PPO] deserves a lot of recognition and much more help.”

She added, “We must take care of the arts. They’re the soul of the country. Sofia is very dedicated to ballet...And Bea is very close to heritage [conservation]. We like these three things so much we can cooperate together.

“What I like about Bea is she gives the idea but she lets them do it, because eventually they will stay with the projects,” she said of her eldest daughter. She also praised Sofia’s efforts to bring ballet closer to the masses, believing that not enough is being done to bring classical art and culture to more Filipinos.

“Ballet Philippines has a national tour plan,” said Sofia of the company where she used to dance, and with whom she’s now a board member. “We’re giving a chance for people to see perform outside of CCP...In December it will have a full-length ballet, ‘Coppelia.’ We’re hoping that in the future PPO and BP can unite more often and do more concerts together. It’s a dream of mine.”

Her mother noted, “I find that more and more people are trying to help and get involved. The business community is more involved than 20 years ago. My dream is that if half of the Philippines, in whatever capacity, will help in the arts or in alleviating poverty, the other half is safe. I think it’s coming.”

Warm and genial, she admonished her daughters with a playful swat as they touched on sensitive subjects. The mom of seven, including Ayala Corp. chair Jaime Augusto and president Fernando, she lovingly referred to youngest child Sofia as “my little girl who’s not little anymore.” (She has two other daughters, Cristina and Monica.)

While posing for photos, she insisted on a more casual pose, fondly pulling her two daughters close to her side. “Let’s pose like this,” she said. “Very close.”

[B]Taking care of each other

Asked why she rarely gives interviews, she smiled and candidly pulled this reporter for a buss on the cheek. “You’re very observant,” she said.

People see less of her in public functions as she and her husband have chosen to stay home mostly these days and “take care of each other.”

“As my husband retired, I went more deeply into charity...I love solving problems,” she said, laughing. “I have a secretary who says, ‘Mrs. Zobel, you’re everywhere, what’s your problem?’ Now mostly I take care of my husband and he takes care of me. We’ve decided that this is the best time of our lives. We have no more problems for the moment because the children are doing very well on their own...I like to work on my own now, like freelance. Definitely things come up every day where I can help and I like it that way. I just want to be of help.

“Anything that will be good for the Philippines I will be interested in. Like an opportunity like this, you will see me in it.”

[collegekid]

RENOVATED PANGASINAN CAPITOL BUILDING in Lingayen pangasinan

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The façade of the provincial capitol building in Lingayen :hi:

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Pangasinan Gov. Amado Espino,Jr.(left) with Vice Gov. Marlyn Primicias-Agabas, board members , other officials and employees walk near the provincial seal at the newly-renovated provincial capitol building during its blessing :banana:

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The first floor of the newly-renovated Pangasinan provincial capitol building in Lingayen :cucumber:

[habagatcentral1]

Meralco Malolos Office
Pariancillo Street, Malolos City, Bulacan

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Back view (@Santo Nino Street)
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[kiretoce]

New thread! (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=753624) :colgate:



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