Oh yes! yes, those were the ones. 2 actually. maybe thats the reason. :(
Good luck sa museum Sir.

Oh yes! yes, those were the ones. 2 actually. maybe thats the reason. :(
Good luck sa museum Sir.

^^^^^^

thanks but this is not my work. i was just there to see the results.

my work will come when the museum is set up soon.

yes, you are right about the lampposts. the old ones, placed during the 1970s renovation, were made of cement and iron. i have two of these in the museum on storage.

they are so super-heavy and i think it would be quite difficult in terms of replacing bulbs. and were beginning to rust into the cement. maybe this is the reason. but maybe i am wrong. basin we are referring to two different lamps.

Sir, are the original circa 1930 lanterns still existing? or did they dispose it in the 1970s renovation?

^^^^^^

thanks but this is not my work. i was just there to see the results.

my work will come when the museum is set up soon.

yes, you are right about the lampposts. the old ones, placed during the 1970s renovation, were made of cement and iron. i have two of these in the museum on storage.

they are so super-heavy and i think it would be quite difficult in terms of replacing bulbs. and were beginning to rust into the cement. maybe this is the reason. but maybe i am wrong. basin we are referring to two different lamps.

Sir, are the original circa 1930 lanterns still existing? or did they dispose it in the 1970s renovation?

^^

i honestly don't know. let's wait for the book about the building's history when it comes out soon.


but the capitol sustained heavy damage and was razed by fire in certain sections during the Liberation.

^^

i honestly don't know. let's wait for the book about the building's history when it comes out soon.


but the capitol sustained heavy damage and was razed by fire in certain sections during the Liberation.

gicoloran nalang unta og white ang new lanterns to para di kaau simang. maau unta naay makapost og photos sa old og sa new.

gicoloran nalang unta og white ang new lanterns to para di kaau simang. maau unta naay makapost og photos sa old og sa new.

^^

you know i've seen the Capitol of Tacloban where everything has been colored white, including the lampposts, the doors and door jambs and everything that you find on the facade of the building.

and it looks to me like a hospital. it also makes me wonder what the colors were that would have contrasted windows from walls and walls from embellishments.

i think lampposts in our history as with standard practice are always colored dark, either black or dark green.

look at USC's lampposts outside the p. Del Rosario Facade. they are not colored brown just because the walls of the Dingman Building are brown.

Malcanan also sports dark lampposts against an off-white structure. which is quite pleasing to the eye.

it helps to allow the eye to enjoy a certain contrast, i think. rather than making something uniform throughout, what do you think?

as to the old pre-war photos of the Capitol, they show no lampposts at all.

^^

you know i've seen the Capitol of Tacloban where everything has been colored white, including the lampposts, the doors and door jambs and everything that you find on the facade of the building.

and it looks to me like a hospital. it also makes me wonder what the colors were that would have contrasted windows from walls and walls from embellishments.

i think lampposts in our history as with standard practice are always colored dark, either black or dark green.

look at USC's lampposts outside the p. Del Rosario Facade. they are not colored brown just because the walls of the Dingman Building are brown.

Malcanan also sports dark lampposts against an off-white structure. which is quite pleasing to the eye.

it helps to allow the eye to enjoy a certain contrast, i think. rather than making something uniform throughout, what do you think?

as to the old pre-war photos of the Capitol, they show no lampposts at all.

^^

Ok, maybe i was just used to seeing those old white ones till i was home lately and saw those bird cage like lanterns atop those white pedestals. People see beauty differently, afterall, it is but a matter of taste and preference. And just like priests, maybe the governor wants to leave her mark on the capitol as well.

^^

Ok, maybe i was just used to seeing those old white ones till i was home lately and saw those bird cage like lanterns atop those white pedestals. People see beauty differently, afterall, it is but a matter of taste and preference. And just like priests, maybe the governor wants to leave her mark on the capitol as well.

Though I have a lot to criticize (architecturally) about how Gov Gwen is renovating the Capitol building, I still commend her awareness for built heritage. I guess if we compare Gwen with the past governors who took office in the Capitol, only Gwen has done something to improve/enhance the building's appearance, especially the interiors.

Though I have a lot to criticize (architecturally) about how Gov Gwen is renovating the Capitol building, I still commend her awareness for built heritage. I guess if we compare Gwen with the past governors who took office in the Capitol, only Gwen has done something to improve/enhance the building's appearance, especially the interiors.

^^

Ok, maybe i was just used to seeing those old white ones till i was home lately and saw those bird cage like lanterns atop those white pedestals. People see beauty differently, afterall, it is but a matter of taste and preference. And just like priests, maybe the governor wants to leave her mark on the capitol as well.


yes, i think every governor wants to do that.

it would be interesting to see what changes have happened since 1938. Archt. Melva Rodriguez-Java is writing the architectural history of the Capitol, both the spanish-era one across Plaza Independencia and this current one.

Ma'am Melva's work is part of the 55 volumes that Gov. Gwen will accept on Aug. 30 as part of the celebrations to mark 441 years of the province.

^^

Ok, maybe i was just used to seeing those old white ones till i was home lately and saw those bird cage like lanterns atop those white pedestals. People see beauty differently, afterall, it is but a matter of taste and preference. And just like priests, maybe the governor wants to leave her mark on the capitol as well.


yes, i think every governor wants to do that.

it would be interesting to see what changes have happened since 1938. Archt. Melva Rodriguez-Java is writing the architectural history of the Capitol, both the spanish-era one across Plaza Independencia and this current one.

Ma'am Melva's work is part of the 55 volumes that Gov. Gwen will accept on Aug. 30 as part of the celebrations to mark 441 years of the province.

Though I have a lot to criticize (architecturally) about how Gov Gwen is renovating the Capitol building, I still commend her awareness for built heritage. I guess if we compare Gwen with the past governors who took office in the Capitol, only Gwen has done something to improve/enhance the building's appearance, especially the interiors.


hehe....yes, i think that's fair enough for her.

Though I have a lot to criticize (architecturally) about how Gov Gwen is renovating the Capitol building, I still commend her awareness for built heritage. I guess if we compare Gwen with the past governors who took office in the Capitol, only Gwen has done something to improve/enhance the building's appearance, especially the interiors.


hehe....yes, i think that's fair enough for her.

^^
i agree.. that's her major major achievement.. the capitol has never been that clean.

^^
i agree.. that's her major major achievement.. the capitol has never been that clean.

yes that is part of the work plan. including the plants growing on the cuartel. the process is a bit difficult, not a simple trimming down or pulling out kay sensitive ang material on which they are growing.

but the people have been trained already how to do this gradually.

wow very good

yes that is part of the work plan. including the plants growing on the cuartel. the process is a bit difficult, not a simple trimming down or pulling out kay sensitive ang material on which they are growing.

but the people have been trained already how to do this gradually.

wow very good

Histories of cities, towns in province in one 'manuscript' (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=609887&publicationSubCategoryId=107)
By Ria Mae Y. Booc/JMO (The Freeman) Updated September 07, 2010 12:00 AM Comments (0)

CEBU, Philippines – In what Governor Gwendolyn Garcia described as a "legacy" of her administration, the history of the different towns and cities in Cebu Province will soon be made available to students in different elementary and high schools across the province.

Garcia said yesterday 32 of 47 municipalities and six cities have already submitted their respective histories, which will be compiled into a "manuscript" that would be distributed to the schools.

In a Memorandum of Agrement, the provincial government had extended the November 2009 deadline to end of this year to accommodate the data from the other local government units.

"Matag Sugbuanon mapasigarbuhon nga muasoy sa iyang pagka-Sugbuanon," Garcia said.

Garcia said this is the first time that the provincial government has introduced the initiative, which will become useful to students for their projects and researches.

The manuscript will also contain the history of the provincial government and the Capitol itself. "It is an achievement writing the history. Tagaan nato ug bili ang ka-gahapon kay ang usa ka Sugbuanon, proud to say his history," Garcia said.

The governor did not interfere with the writers of the manuscript.

"I give freehand and not intervene on how they come up with the book. I am also thankful to USC Cebuano Studies who put things together where writers meet and discussed," she said. (FREEMAN)

Histories of cities, towns in province in one 'manuscript' (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=609887&publicationSubCategoryId=107)
By Ria Mae Y. Booc/JMO (The Freeman) Updated September 07, 2010 12:00 AM Comments (0)

CEBU, Philippines – In what Governor Gwendolyn Garcia described as a "legacy" of her administration, the history of the different towns and cities in Cebu Province will soon be made available to students in different elementary and high schools across the province.

Garcia said yesterday 32 of 47 municipalities and six cities have already submitted their respective histories, which will be compiled into a "manuscript" that would be distributed to the schools.

In a Memorandum of Agrement, the provincial government had extended the November 2009 deadline to end of this year to accommodate the data from the other local government units.

"Matag Sugbuanon mapasigarbuhon nga muasoy sa iyang pagka-Sugbuanon," Garcia said.

Garcia said this is the first time that the provincial government has introduced the initiative, which will become useful to students for their projects and researches.

The manuscript will also contain the history of the provincial government and the Capitol itself. "It is an achievement writing the history. Tagaan nato ug bili ang ka-gahapon kay ang usa ka Sugbuanon, proud to say his history," Garcia said.

The governor did not interfere with the writers of the manuscript.

"I give freehand and not intervene on how they come up with the book. I am also thankful to USC Cebuano Studies who put things together where writers meet and discussed," she said. (FREEMAN)

^^^^


40 manuscripts were submitted. 38 of the towns and cities, one for the entire province by Dr. Resil Mojares (about 500 pages thick!) and the architectural history of the province by Archt. Melva Rodriguez-Java.

^^^^


40 manuscripts were submitted. 38 of the towns and cities, one for the entire province by Dr. Resil Mojares (about 500 pages thick!) and the architectural history of the province by Archt. Melva Rodriguez-Java.

^^One of the things that I appreciate in Gov. Gwen. Big thanks to the people who are behind this project. Really a legacy for the Cebuanos... :cheers:

^^One of the things that I appreciate in Gov. Gwen. Big thanks to the people who are behind this project. Really a legacy for the Cebuanos... :cheers:

^^^^


40 manuscripts were submitted. 38 of the towns and cities, one for the entire province by Dr. Resil Mojares (about 500 pages thick!) and the architectural history of the province by Archt. Melva Rodriguez-Java.

Even just the 500-page writeup by Resil Mojares would be enough for me hehehe, but there's so much more!:banana::banana:

I have a feeling musamot og kagahi og ulo ang mga Cebuano ani. Haha. In a right way of course. I hope this will make its way into the history classes of elementary and high school students because I have long been a fan of grassroots history.:banana:

^^^^


40 manuscripts were submitted. 38 of the towns and cities, one for the entire province by Dr. Resil Mojares (about 500 pages thick!) and the architectural history of the province by Archt. Melva Rodriguez-Java.

Even just the 500-page writeup by Resil Mojares would be enough for me hehehe, but there's so much more!:banana::banana:

I have a feeling musamot og kagahi og ulo ang mga Cebuano ani. Haha. In a right way of course. I hope this will make its way into the history classes of elementary and high school students because I have long been a fan of grassroots history.:banana:

Carcar fights back for its historic houses

By Gavin Bagares
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:25:00 09/10/2010

Filed Under: history, Culture (general)

CARCAR, 40 kilometers south of Cebu City, is a living and bustling city that is known to have the largest number of heritage structures in Cebu province.

Its center is graced by charming edifices from different architectural periods: There, a Spanish colonial church; here, an American-Victorian dispensary (gingerbread, one might insist); and there again, a transition house that some travel writer would enthuse as “Antillan.”

All roads led to the Carcar poblacion—past newly planted rice fields braving the withering El Niño sun—on May 29 to cap the celebration of National Heritage Month in Cebu.

Four of the 19th-century houses—the Balay na Tisa, Ang Dakong Balay, the Mercado Mansion and the Silva House—received recognition and protection as national historical landmarks from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).

The houses were chosen for their significance in architecture and for the historicity of their owners, many of whom had lorded it over the town’s social, economic, political, cultural and religious life. They now go down in history as the first privately owned ancestral houses in southern Cebu recognized and protected by the NHCP, the former National Historical Institute.

The May 29 event appeared to be another triumph over a long-drawn battle against rampant modern development.

The preservation of Carcar’s historic houses (and of its grassroots livelihood, for that matter) can only be attributed to the tenacity of its citizens, especially its traditional elite.

Since becoming a city in July 2007 in a referendum marked by a low turnout of voters, Carcar’s heritage has been gravely threatened. The new city, however, seems to be fighting back in a subtle, elegant form.

Heritage town

Representatives of the traditional elite, which banded as a nongovernment organization in 2002 as the Carcar Heritage Conservation Society (CHCS), had earlier succeeded in fending off a road project that threatened to destroy the prewar rotunda and many old homes. Consequently, this led to the official declaration of Carcar as a heritage town.

As the forefront of this defense line that extends to culture, the CHCS, through its founding member and current president Val Sandiego, initiated the Kabkaban Festival, a civic celebration held for the first time during the fiesta celebration on Nov. 24, 2007.

The society has also turned its sights back to the wellspring of Filipino fiestas—religion. With the Festival of Lights, the patroness of Carcar, Catherine of Alexandria, is honored in a dance-procession of torches (best seen at nightfall).

The genteel homes that line Santa Catalina Street, the topnotch address, get the best view—with the wide windows overlooking the street. Not even last year’s stormy weather could ruin the affair.

Carcar’s old families must know a thing or two about historical conservation before it became a fad. While the old families of Cebu City have torn down their lawns and homes to make room for commercial buildings, Carcar’s “Old Money” has held on to the burnished hardwood floors.

They have seen not only the war that ruined the country, but also the failure of the agricultural economy that the place used to depend on. Still, they uphold the traditional lifestyle that has become rare today, relived with considerable success at fiesta time by their scions.

The Carcar elite is a blend of the native and the in-migrant, mostly from Cebu City’s Parian. The Aleonars, Alesnas, Alfafaras and Barcenillas are among the natives, while the Alcorcons, Avilas, Cuis, Cuicos, Floridos, Gantuangcos, Garceses, Mercados, Noels, Osmeñas, Regises, Rodises, Sarmientos and Velezes are from those of Parian.

The Chinese mestizos of the principalia began to fan out steadily from Parian after the official opening of Manila’s port to the world in 1834, an event that effected a demand for raw materials from the provincial centers to supply the national capital.

At first, the encounter of Carcar’s native elite with those of Parian was traumatic. In the 1880s, Don Pedro Cui of Parian foreclosed on the loan of Carcar’s Don Timoteo Barcenilla and seized the latter’s lands.

But all’s well that ends well.

Don Pedro’s collateral descendant, a Sanson, married a son of the founder of Cebu Southwestern University, Doña Anunciacion Barcenilla vda de Aznar, in a marriage blessed with great-grandchildren. These Aznars run a local bank along with their Marfori cousins on the Cui side.

Unions

A daughter of an Alesna-Barcenilla union, Filomena, married Mariano Jesus Cuenco, the prominent politician and newspaper publisher from Carmen town in Cebu and Cebu City. Her eldest sister, Placida, also had an aristocratic match with Carcar presidente (mayor) Don Mateo Noel, older brother of the longest-serving congressman in Philippine history to date, Don Maximino Noel.

The youngest brother of Don Mateo and Don Maximino, Don Vicente, would have an Alfafara as a son-in-law. The Alfafaras have produced a town mayor and two cabezas de barangay, and have married into the Cui family. The child of this Alfafara-Noel union is now the steward of the coral stone mansion built in the 1870s known as Ang Dakong Balay.

Farther down Santa Catalina, from the main Noel house, is the Balay na Tisa. This 1859 abode with a clay-tile roof (hence the name) is owned by the descendants of Doña Ana Canarias and Don Roman Sarmiento, whose daughter would marry Don Jose Osmeña of the Parian.

The house anticipated the economic boom of Cebu in 1860, formalized by the opening of its port to international trade that year.

The Sarmiento-Osmeña daughter would marry a Valencia from Bulacan, and the many offspring of this union would ally themselves in marriage with the other old families like the Noels.

In the end, the encounter of Parian and Carcar proved a blessing for both. Akin to a Hellenistic merger, Parian culture enjoyed a period of extension in Carcar long after it was swallowed by the homogenizing vortex of big Cebu City life.

Carcar’s golden age from the American colonial to the Commonwealth periods marked its rise as “cradle of Cebuano culture.” It was a period that fine-tuned the culture of Old Parian and manifested in the sturdy, elegant homes of the Mercados, Noels and Sarmientos, in the colorful linambay (moro-moro) productions of the Avilas, Gantuangcos and Regises.

Carcar fights back for its historic houses

By Gavin Bagares
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:25:00 09/10/2010

Filed Under: history, Culture (general)

CARCAR, 40 kilometers south of Cebu City, is a living and bustling city that is known to have the largest number of heritage structures in Cebu province.

Its center is graced by charming edifices from different architectural periods: There, a Spanish colonial church; here, an American-Victorian dispensary (gingerbread, one might insist); and there again, a transition house that some travel writer would enthuse as “Antillan.”

All roads led to the Carcar poblacion—past newly planted rice fields braving the withering El Niño sun—on May 29 to cap the celebration of National Heritage Month in Cebu.

Four of the 19th-century houses—the Balay na Tisa, Ang Dakong Balay, the Mercado Mansion and the Silva House—received recognition and protection as national historical landmarks from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).

The houses were chosen for their significance in architecture and for the historicity of their owners, many of whom had lorded it over the town’s social, economic, political, cultural and religious life. They now go down in history as the first privately owned ancestral houses in southern Cebu recognized and protected by the NHCP, the former National Historical Institute.

The May 29 event appeared to be another triumph over a long-drawn battle against rampant modern development.

The preservation of Carcar’s historic houses (and of its grassroots livelihood, for that matter) can only be attributed to the tenacity of its citizens, especially its traditional elite.

Since becoming a city in July 2007 in a referendum marked by a low turnout of voters, Carcar’s heritage has been gravely threatened. The new city, however, seems to be fighting back in a subtle, elegant form.

Heritage town

Representatives of the traditional elite, which banded as a nongovernment organization in 2002 as the Carcar Heritage Conservation Society (CHCS), had earlier succeeded in fending off a road project that threatened to destroy the prewar rotunda and many old homes. Consequently, this led to the official declaration of Carcar as a heritage town.

As the forefront of this defense line that extends to culture, the CHCS, through its founding member and current president Val Sandiego, initiated the Kabkaban Festival, a civic celebration held for the first time during the fiesta celebration on Nov. 24, 2007.

The society has also turned its sights back to the wellspring of Filipino fiestas—religion. With the Festival of Lights, the patroness of Carcar, Catherine of Alexandria, is honored in a dance-procession of torches (best seen at nightfall).

The genteel homes that line Santa Catalina Street, the topnotch address, get the best view—with the wide windows overlooking the street. Not even last year’s stormy weather could ruin the affair.

Carcar’s old families must know a thing or two about historical conservation before it became a fad. While the old families of Cebu City have torn down their lawns and homes to make room for commercial buildings, Carcar’s “Old Money” has held on to the burnished hardwood floors.

They have seen not only the war that ruined the country, but also the failure of the agricultural economy that the place used to depend on. Still, they uphold the traditional lifestyle that has become rare today, relived with considerable success at fiesta time by their scions.

The Carcar elite is a blend of the native and the in-migrant, mostly from Cebu City’s Parian. The Aleonars, Alesnas, Alfafaras and Barcenillas are among the natives, while the Alcorcons, Avilas, Cuis, Cuicos, Floridos, Gantuangcos, Garceses, Mercados, Noels, Osmeñas, Regises, Rodises, Sarmientos and Velezes are from those of Parian.

The Chinese mestizos of the principalia began to fan out steadily from Parian after the official opening of Manila’s port to the world in 1834, an event that effected a demand for raw materials from the provincial centers to supply the national capital.

At first, the encounter of Carcar’s native elite with those of Parian was traumatic. In the 1880s, Don Pedro Cui of Parian foreclosed on the loan of Carcar’s Don Timoteo Barcenilla and seized the latter’s lands.

But all’s well that ends well.

Don Pedro’s collateral descendant, a Sanson, married a son of the founder of Cebu Southwestern University, Doña Anunciacion Barcenilla vda de Aznar, in a marriage blessed with great-grandchildren. These Aznars run a local bank along with their Marfori cousins on the Cui side.

Unions

A daughter of an Alesna-Barcenilla union, Filomena, married Mariano Jesus Cuenco, the prominent politician and newspaper publisher from Carmen town in Cebu and Cebu City. Her eldest sister, Placida, also had an aristocratic match with Carcar presidente (mayor) Don Mateo Noel, older brother of the longest-serving congressman in Philippine history to date, Don Maximino Noel.

The youngest brother of Don Mateo and Don Maximino, Don Vicente, would have an Alfafara as a son-in-law. The Alfafaras have produced a town mayor and two cabezas de barangay, and have married into the Cui family. The child of this Alfafara-Noel union is now the steward of the coral stone mansion built in the 1870s known as Ang Dakong Balay.

Farther down Santa Catalina, from the main Noel house, is the Balay na Tisa. This 1859 abode with a clay-tile roof (hence the name) is owned by the descendants of Doña Ana Canarias and Don Roman Sarmiento, whose daughter would marry Don Jose Osmeña of the Parian.

The house anticipated the economic boom of Cebu in 1860, formalized by the opening of its port to international trade that year.

The Sarmiento-Osmeña daughter would marry a Valencia from Bulacan, and the many offspring of this union would ally themselves in marriage with the other old families like the Noels.

In the end, the encounter of Parian and Carcar proved a blessing for both. Akin to a Hellenistic merger, Parian culture enjoyed a period of extension in Carcar long after it was swallowed by the homogenizing vortex of big Cebu City life.

Carcar’s golden age from the American colonial to the Commonwealth periods marked its rise as “cradle of Cebuano culture.” It was a period that fine-tuned the culture of Old Parian and manifested in the sturdy, elegant homes of the Mercados, Noels and Sarmientos, in the colorful linambay (moro-moro) productions of the Avilas, Gantuangcos and Regises.

Casino Espanol


Bacolod flamenco artists at the spanish month celebration and 90th anniversary of Casino Espanol......

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/IMG_2233-1.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/IMG_2218-1.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/IMG_2237.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/IMG_2231-1.jpg

Casino Espanol


Bacolod flamenco artists at the spanish month celebration and 90th anniversary of Casino Espanol......

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/IMG_2233-1.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/IMG_2218-1.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/IMG_2237.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/IMG_2231-1.jpg

Casino Espanol

Bacolod flamenco artists performing....

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/34980_414966254453_719609453_4311129_7317104_n.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/_MG_9308.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/_MG_9311.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/_MG_9314.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/_MG_9329.jpg

Casino Espanol

Bacolod flamenco artists performing....

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/34980_414966254453_719609453_4311129_7317104_n.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/_MG_9308.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/_MG_9311.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/_MG_9314.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af351/linguine16/_MG_9329.jpg

Histories of cities, towns in province in one 'manuscript' (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=609887&publicationSubCategoryId=107)
By Ria Mae Y. Booc/JMO (The Freeman) Updated September 07, 2010 12:00 AM Comments (0)

CEBU, Philippines – In what Governor Gwendolyn Garcia described as a "legacy" of her administration, the history of the different towns and cities in Cebu Province will soon be made available to students in different elementary and high schools across the province.

Garcia said yesterday 32 of 47 municipalities and six cities have already submitted their respective histories, which will be compiled into a "manuscript" that would be distributed to the schools.

In a Memorandum of Agrement, the provincial government had extended the November 2009 deadline to end of this year to accommodate the data from the other local government units.

"Matag Sugbuanon mapasigarbuhon nga muasoy sa iyang pagka-Sugbuanon," Garcia said.
. (FREEMAN)

Ako mapasigarbohon (bisag gamay ra akong kalambigitan) nga naka apil ko sa maong projekto

Histories of cities, towns in province in one 'manuscript' (http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=609887&publicationSubCategoryId=107)
By Ria Mae Y. Booc/JMO (The Freeman) Updated September 07, 2010 12:00 AM Comments (0)

CEBU, Philippines – In what Governor Gwendolyn Garcia described as a "legacy" of her administration, the history of the different towns and cities in Cebu Province will soon be made available to students in different elementary and high schools across the province.

Garcia said yesterday 32 of 47 municipalities and six cities have already submitted their respective histories, which will be compiled into a "manuscript" that would be distributed to the schools.

In a Memorandum of Agrement, the provincial government had extended the November 2009 deadline to end of this year to accommodate the data from the other local government units.

"Matag Sugbuanon mapasigarbuhon nga muasoy sa iyang pagka-Sugbuanon," Garcia said.
. (FREEMAN)

Ako mapasigarbohon (bisag gamay ra akong kalambigitan) nga naka apil ko sa maong projekto

Boat Building (http://www.ngkhai.com/pointcebu/culture/boat.htm)

Various types of boats are recorded to have been built in Cebu even before the Spanish colonization. These boats range from damlog or balasiyan, small boats which are light enough to be carried by one man, to the big inter-island baroto, a meter and a quarter wide. But the most impressive of these local boats was the sleek and fast warship called karakoa. It had elevated platforms and catwalks on its outriggers and could hold as many as six banks of rowers. Built to be sturdy and flexible, the karakoa can withstand collisions with reefs in shallow water and can run at an admirable speed.

In contemporary times, the kinds of boats include the sakayan, baroto, or pumpboat depending on its size. The pumpboat is powered by a gasoline or diesel engine. Invariably, these boats are produced by first carving out the keel (the boat’s bottom) or kasko, which serves as the boat’s main frame to which the side panels or parka are attached. The kasko is carved solid from the trunk of either a red lawaan or bolbolan. While some kasko may still be bought in Surigao, it appears that the supply of these may soon run out.

To achieve balance, the katig (outriggers) made of bamboo and rope are then added together with other fittings.

As of today, boat building is one of Cebu’s woodworking craft which is slowly disappearing. Restrictions on the use of wood have adversely affected the craft. However, a project of pumpboat making in Cordova which twelve boats were built was commissioned by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for its marine sanctuary in Hilutungan Island.



Extracted from an article by Raymund Fernandez

:cool:

Boat Building (http://www.ngkhai.com/pointcebu/culture/boat.htm)

Various types of boats are recorded to have been built in Cebu even before the Spanish colonization. These boats range from damlog or balasiyan, small boats which are light enough to be carried by one man, to the big inter-island baroto, a meter and a quarter wide. But the most impressive of these local boats was the sleek and fast warship called karakoa. It had elevated platforms and catwalks on its outriggers and could hold as many as six banks of rowers. Built to be sturdy and flexible, the karakoa can withstand collisions with reefs in shallow water and can run at an admirable speed.

In contemporary times, the kinds of boats include the sakayan, baroto, or pumpboat depending on its size. The pumpboat is powered by a gasoline or diesel engine. Invariably, these boats are produced by first carving out the keel (the boat’s bottom) or kasko, which serves as the boat’s main frame to which the side panels or parka are attached. The kasko is carved solid from the trunk of either a red lawaan or bolbolan. While some kasko may still be bought in Surigao, it appears that the supply of these may soon run out.

To achieve balance, the katig (outriggers) made of bamboo and rope are then added together with other fittings.

As of today, boat building is one of Cebu’s woodworking craft which is slowly disappearing. Restrictions on the use of wood have adversely affected the craft. However, a project of pumpboat making in Cordova which twelve boats were built was commissioned by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for its marine sanctuary in Hilutungan Island.



Extracted from an article by Raymund Fernandez

:cool:

Fact. Cebuano, Spanish and English were Lingua Franca in old Cebu. :colgate:

Cebu’s Early Magazines (http://www.ngkhai.com/pointcebu/culture/emag.htm)


Newsmagazines

These are the earliest forms of Cebuano magazines, consisting of weekly combination of news and articles, in magazine form. These magazines came about as a response to the slower pace of communications at that time. Aimed at an adult membership, these were general magazines that carried “a bit of everything” - current events (local, national, or world), literary and cultural pieces, gossip and humor, personality sketches, items of practical knowledge (such as homemaker’s tips) and advertisements by local establishments. Language used in the magazines during that time was either bilingual or trilingual, using Cebuano, Spanish, and English.

Examples:
Vicente Rama’s Bag-ong Kusog (1915-1941)
Paulino Gullas’ The Freeman (1919-1941)

General Magazines

Pedro Lopez’ Nasud (1930-1941) and Ramon Roces’ Bisaya (1930+) were among the examples of general magazines during the 1930s, which continued to be popular and profitable in the years that followed. Bisaya was phenomenal. Published out of Manila by the Roces-owned Liwayway chain of publications, it rose from an initial circulation of 5,000 to 50,000 copies by 1955, widely distributed in Visayas and Mindanao. Its content is mainly on fiction, poetry, comics, entertainment features (particularly movies) and general-interest articles. Bisaya (more than any other Cebuano magazine) shaped the cultural literacy of generations of Visayan readers.

“Niche” Magazines

With the expansion of daily newspapers, magazines had to define its special niche in the publishing scene. For one, there was the attempt to focus on a more literate, upscale market.

Examples :
La Epoca (1922) and Star (1929-1930)

Both magazines were published by Cebu’s leading printing establishment, Falek’s Printing House, owned by a Jewish entrepreneur Leopold Falek. La Epoca was trilingual (English, Spanish, Cebuano) with more than 50 pages per issue and had a circulation of 1,000 copies. Its staff and contributors were prominent Cebuano writers of the day, led by Antonio Abad, Vicente Padriga, and Piux Kabahar. The magazine lasted only for a year, and was succeeded by Star, a weekly English-Cebuano magazine, which only lasted for two years.

Other magazines focused on a particular set of readers were:

Progress (1928-34) - catered to English readers

Babaye (1930-40) - a “family magazine” designed to appeal to women. This magazine was a joint venture of Sotero Cabahug, Ciprianio Barba, and Eliseo Dejoras.

Lungsoranon (1934+) - a weekly publication founded by Archbishop Gabriel Reyes which is a general-circulation magazine focused on religion and church matters.



Excerpts from an article by Resil Mojares


:pepper:

Fact. Cebuano, Spanish and English were Lingua Franca in old Cebu. :colgate:

Cebu’s Early Magazines (http://www.ngkhai.com/pointcebu/culture/emag.htm)


Newsmagazines

These are the earliest forms of Cebuano magazines, consisting of weekly combination of news and articles, in magazine form. These magazines came about as a response to the slower pace of communications at that time. Aimed at an adult membership, these were general magazines that carried “a bit of everything” - current events (local, national, or world), literary and cultural pieces, gossip and humor, personality sketches, items of practical knowledge (such as homemaker’s tips) and advertisements by local establishments. Language used in the magazines during that time was either bilingual or trilingual, using Cebuano, Spanish, and English.

Examples:
Vicente Rama’s Bag-ong Kusog (1915-1941)
Paulino Gullas’ The Freeman (1919-1941)

General Magazines

Pedro Lopez’ Nasud (1930-1941) and Ramon Roces’ Bisaya (1930+) were among the examples of general magazines during the 1930s, which continued to be popular and profitable in the years that followed. Bisaya was phenomenal. Published out of Manila by the Roces-owned Liwayway chain of publications, it rose from an initial circulation of 5,000 to 50,000 copies by 1955, widely distributed in Visayas and Mindanao. Its content is mainly on fiction, poetry, comics, entertainment features (particularly movies) and general-interest articles. Bisaya (more than any other Cebuano magazine) shaped the cultural literacy of generations of Visayan readers.

“Niche” Magazines

With the expansion of daily newspapers, magazines had to define its special niche in the publishing scene. For one, there was the attempt to focus on a more literate, upscale market.

Examples :
La Epoca (1922) and Star (1929-1930)

Both magazines were published by Cebu’s leading printing establishment, Falek’s Printing House, owned by a Jewish entrepreneur Leopold Falek. La Epoca was trilingual (English, Spanish, Cebuano) with more than 50 pages per issue and had a circulation of 1,000 copies. Its staff and contributors were prominent Cebuano writers of the day, led by Antonio Abad, Vicente Padriga, and Piux Kabahar. The magazine lasted only for a year, and was succeeded by Star, a weekly English-Cebuano magazine, which only lasted for two years.

Other magazines focused on a particular set of readers were:

Progress (1928-34) - catered to English readers

Babaye (1930-40) - a “family magazine” designed to appeal to women. This magazine was a joint venture of Sotero Cabahug, Ciprianio Barba, and Eliseo Dejoras.

Lungsoranon (1934+) - a weekly publication founded by Archbishop Gabriel Reyes which is a general-circulation magazine focused on religion and church matters.



Excerpts from an article by Resil Mojares


:pepper:

^^One of the things that I appreciate in Gov. Gwen. Big thanks to the people who are behind this project. Really a legacy for the Cebuanos... :cheers:

something to be proud of . . .

^^One of the things that I appreciate in Gov. Gwen. Big thanks to the people who are behind this project. Really a legacy for the Cebuanos... :cheers:

something to be proud of . . .

Teaching values is great for business

By Cris Evert Lato
Inquirer Visayas
First Posted 22:12:00 09/19/2010

Filed Under: Education, Marketing, Entrepreneurship

CEBU CITY—Little did fashion accessories exporter Grace Neilly Querickiol-Niggel know that her involvement in teaching values education to out-of-school youths in Cebu would open opportunities for her to succeed in business.

It was 2008 and Querickiol-Niggel’s venture to penetrate the export market was slowly bearing fruit when Don Bosco Technological Center (DBTC), a technical-vocational school, entered into a joint weaving project with the German Development Service (DED), furniture exporter Dedon and Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP).

“Dedon wanted the Cebuanos to continue the art of weaving since this is one of the skills unique to us. Dedon provided us some scrap plastic fiber material (normally used in making their outdoor furniture), DED gave us the fund, Don Bosco provided the manpower and my company was responsible for the marketing aspect,” says Querickiol-Niggel, president of Gracie Q Creative Designs.

She then proceeded to develop something out of the plastic fiber.

The first that came to her mind was the Cebuano’s unique way of cooking rice locally known as puso (hanging rice), where rice grains are placed inside woven coconut palm strips and boiled in water.

“I thought it was a good way of utilizing the weaving skills of the students, save the environment by using the scrap materials and creating something which is very Cebuano,” she says.

In September 2008, the first batch of puso necklace, earrings and key chains were displayed in her humble showroom inside the DBTC campus.

To her, the age of the puso accessories has begun.

Gaining publicity became the next hurdle for Querickiol-Niggel and her young workers.

“There has to be a way for the puso (accessories) to get the attention of the public because we cannot sustain the project of helping more out-of-school youths if we will not earn.”

She began by bringing samples of the accessories to seminars and conferences that she attended where fellow participants have grown amused at how the plastic fiber was mixed with stones and coconut shells to create artistic pieces.

She was also given the opportunity to share her story of building her company through Inquirer’s sister paper, Cebu Daily News, in a January 2009 issue.

“The curiosity about the puso accessories started there and we started getting inquiries.”

In one conference last December 2009, which her friend organized, she met Marissa Aboitiz who became her partner in discussing challenges encountered by non-government organizations (NGOs) in sustaining their advocacies.

“I was the lone entrepreneur during that conference because all of them represented NGOs. I shared to them what I was doing with Don Bosco and gave them samples of the puso accessories,” she shares.

The conference became very instrumental in spreading the word about the puso accessories further.

With Aboitiz, who comes from a prominent and well-respected family in Cebu, wearing a puso necklace during the conference, inquiries and orders about the accessories came through phone calls, text messages and e-mails, Querickiol-Niggel says.

Cebuanos started ordering puso pieces to send to their relatives in Europe, Turkey, Germany and Italy. She says the dream of spreading “puso artistry’ to the world was gaining good momentum.

Since then, Gracie Q Creative Designs has been producing puso-inspired pieces that have extended beyond necklaces and earrings. They have expanded into puso bouquets and puso trophies for the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. and the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry to few—of course, still utilizing the expert hands of the young people and the plastic fiber from Dedon.

In their recent participation in the One Cebu Fair at the Cebu International Convention Center, they have received suggestions on creating puso bags and puso purses.

This endeavor of reaching out to young people by providing them employment has enabled her to develop more creative pieces which, she says, should be at par with the creativity that the puso accessories espouse.

“We are very open to (develop) anything as long as it will help more young people because we are all very committed in preserving and spreading Cebuano culture with what we are doing. The good thing about this is the fact that we are sustaining our advocacy because we are earning.”

“It really makes good business sense to help other people especially that you are sustaining it. That is why it is not really hard to solicit support from people and encourage the youth to continue exerting their best efforts,” adds Querickiol-Niggel.

Teaching values is great for business

By Cris Evert Lato
Inquirer Visayas
First Posted 22:12:00 09/19/2010

Filed Under: Education, Marketing, Entrepreneurship

CEBU CITY—Little did fashion accessories exporter Grace Neilly Querickiol-Niggel know that her involvement in teaching values education to out-of-school youths in Cebu would open opportunities for her to succeed in business.

It was 2008 and Querickiol-Niggel’s venture to penetrate the export market was slowly bearing fruit when Don Bosco Technological Center (DBTC), a technical-vocational school, entered into a joint weaving project with the German Development Service (DED), furniture exporter Dedon and Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP).

“Dedon wanted the Cebuanos to continue the art of weaving since this is one of the skills unique to us. Dedon provided us some scrap plastic fiber material (normally used in making their outdoor furniture), DED gave us the fund, Don Bosco provided the manpower and my company was responsible for the marketing aspect,” says Querickiol-Niggel, president of Gracie Q Creative Designs.

She then proceeded to develop something out of the plastic fiber.

The first that came to her mind was the Cebuano’s unique way of cooking rice locally known as puso (hanging rice), where rice grains are placed inside woven coconut palm strips and boiled in water.

“I thought it was a good way of utilizing the weaving skills of the students, save the environment by using the scrap materials and creating something which is very Cebuano,” she says.

In September 2008, the first batch of puso necklace, earrings and key chains were displayed in her humble showroom inside the DBTC campus.

To her, the age of the puso accessories has begun.

Gaining publicity became the next hurdle for Querickiol-Niggel and her young workers.

“There has to be a way for the puso (accessories) to get the attention of the public because we cannot sustain the project of helping more out-of-school youths if we will not earn.”

She began by bringing samples of the accessories to seminars and conferences that she attended where fellow participants have grown amused at how the plastic fiber was mixed with stones and coconut shells to create artistic pieces.

She was also given the opportunity to share her story of building her company through Inquirer’s sister paper, Cebu Daily News, in a January 2009 issue.

“The curiosity about the puso accessories started there and we started getting inquiries.”

In one conference last December 2009, which her friend organized, she met Marissa Aboitiz who became her partner in discussing challenges encountered by non-government organizations (NGOs) in sustaining their advocacies.

“I was the lone entrepreneur during that conference because all of them represented NGOs. I shared to them what I was doing with Don Bosco and gave them samples of the puso accessories,” she shares.

The conference became very instrumental in spreading the word about the puso accessories further.

With Aboitiz, who comes from a prominent and well-respected family in Cebu, wearing a puso necklace during the conference, inquiries and orders about the accessories came through phone calls, text messages and e-mails, Querickiol-Niggel says.

Cebuanos started ordering puso pieces to send to their relatives in Europe, Turkey, Germany and Italy. She says the dream of spreading “puso artistry’ to the world was gaining good momentum.

Since then, Gracie Q Creative Designs has been producing puso-inspired pieces that have extended beyond necklaces and earrings. They have expanded into puso bouquets and puso trophies for the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. and the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry to few—of course, still utilizing the expert hands of the young people and the plastic fiber from Dedon.

In their recent participation in the One Cebu Fair at the Cebu International Convention Center, they have received suggestions on creating puso bags and puso purses.

This endeavor of reaching out to young people by providing them employment has enabled her to develop more creative pieces which, she says, should be at par with the creativity that the puso accessories espouse.

“We are very open to (develop) anything as long as it will help more young people because we are all very committed in preserving and spreading Cebuano culture with what we are doing. The good thing about this is the fact that we are sustaining our advocacy because we are earning.”

“It really makes good business sense to help other people especially that you are sustaining it. That is why it is not really hard to solicit support from people and encourage the youth to continue exerting their best efforts,” adds Querickiol-Niggel.

^^ people should stop calling puso as hanging rice..just call it puso.. kana bitaw mga English term nga walay binisaya ato ra man gi sagop ang iyang eninglis

^^ people should stop calling puso as hanging rice..just call it puso.. kana bitaw mga English term nga walay binisaya ato ra man gi sagop ang iyang eninglis

^^ people should stop calling puso as hanging rice..just call it puso.. kana bitaw mga English term nga walay binisaya ato ra man gi sagop ang iyang eninglis


We adopted spanish words for the things we did'nt have, those that spain brought over. Like spanish for ice, horse etc...

if english does not have a name for it, if they dont have it, then just call it puso.

^^ people should stop calling puso as hanging rice..just call it puso.. kana bitaw mga English term nga walay binisaya ato ra man gi sagop ang iyang eninglis


We adopted spanish words for the things we did'nt have, those that spain brought over. Like spanish for ice, horse etc...

if english does not have a name for it, if they dont have it, then just call it puso.

The first that came to her mind was the Cebuano’s unique way of cooking rice locally known as puso (hanging rice), where rice grains are placed inside woven coconut palm strips and boiled in water.



Indeed, Boy, it should be called as it is: puso.

but i also do not agree that this is unique to Cebu. one can also find this practice in Malaysia and even in Singapore (probably brought in from Malaysia). but the shape and size is different from the puso of Cebu, of course.

The first that came to her mind was the Cebuano’s unique way of cooking rice locally known as puso (hanging rice), where rice grains are placed inside woven coconut palm strips and boiled in water.



Indeed, Boy, it should be called as it is: puso.

but i also do not agree that this is unique to Cebu. one can also find this practice in Malaysia and even in Singapore (probably brought in from Malaysia). but the shape and size is different from the puso of Cebu, of course.

Let me invite one and all to the launching of another book by USC Press this Sunday, 23 September at SM Northwing Atrium at 3 p.m.

Boy, Arnold, Ang Karaang Tawo, Markiboy, Caloy, Ka Bino, Wolfranz etc. etc. attend jud mo ha. If your invitations have not arrived yet, well here it is:

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/SVDinvitationcopy.jpg


and the book cover designed by Loren Gibb Lapinid and the authors:



http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/DiamonJubileeBookCover.jpg



and the brochure:


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/brochuresmall.jpg

Let me invite one and all to the launching of another book by USC Press this Sunday, 23 September at SM Northwing Atrium at 3 p.m.

Boy, Arnold, Ang Karaang Tawo, Markiboy, Caloy, Ka Bino, Wolfranz etc. etc. attend jud mo ha. If your invitations have not arrived yet, well here it is:

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/SVDinvitationcopy.jpg


and the book cover designed by Loren Gibb Lapinid and the authors:



http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/DiamonJubileeBookCover.jpg



and the brochure:


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/brochuresmall.jpg

Indeed, Boy, it should be called as it is: puso.

but i also do not agree that this is unique to Cebu. one can also find this practice in Malaysia and even in Singapore (probably brought in from Malaysia). but the shape and size is different from the puso of Cebu, of course.

though flatter in form than our puso, there is a central luzon version. Unlike ours where the rice in the weaved coconut leaf is dipped in boiling water, theirs are dipped in boiling raw sugar.

Indeed, Boy, it should be called as it is: puso.

but i also do not agree that this is unique to Cebu. one can also find this practice in Malaysia and even in Singapore (probably brought in from Malaysia). but the shape and size is different from the puso of Cebu, of course.

though flatter in form than our puso, there is a central luzon version. Unlike ours where the rice in the weaved coconut leaf is dipped in boiling water, theirs are dipped in boiling raw sugar.

though flatter in form than our puso, there is a central luzon version. Unlike ours where the rice in the weaved coconut leaf is dipped in boiling water, theirs are dipped in boiling raw sugar.

Our puso, Boy, is for eating with a viand. The one you have described that's dipped in boiling sugar is a dessert or merienda fare like biko and budbud. The people in Pangasinan call it "patupat". And it is very delicious too!

though flatter in form than our puso, there is a central luzon version. Unlike ours where the rice in the weaved coconut leaf is dipped in boiling water, theirs are dipped in boiling raw sugar.

Our puso, Boy, is for eating with a viand. The one you have described that's dipped in boiling sugar is a dessert or merienda fare like biko and budbud. The people in Pangasinan call it "patupat". And it is very delicious too!

Indeed, Boy, it should be called as it is: puso.

but i also do not agree that this is unique to Cebu. one can also find this practice in Malaysia and even in Singapore (probably brought in from Malaysia). but the shape and size is different from the puso of Cebu, of course.

The ones you find in Malaysia and Singapore are called "Ma-chang". These have meat inside. Our puso is unique because it is really a portable and hygeinic way of transporting rice to anywhere. And it is supposed to be eaten with a viand. But of course the weaving is the same.

Indeed, Boy, it should be called as it is: puso.

but i also do not agree that this is unique to Cebu. one can also find this practice in Malaysia and even in Singapore (probably brought in from Malaysia). but the shape and size is different from the puso of Cebu, of course.

The ones you find in Malaysia and Singapore are called "Ma-chang". These have meat inside. Our puso is unique because it is really a portable and hygeinic way of transporting rice to anywhere. And it is supposed to be eaten with a viand. But of course the weaving is the same.

^^ people should stop calling puso as hanging rice..just call it puso.. kana bitaw mga English term nga walay binisaya ato ra man gi sagop ang iyang eninglis

You are so right Ka Bino! Padayon higala!

^^ people should stop calling puso as hanging rice..just call it puso.. kana bitaw mga English term nga walay binisaya ato ra man gi sagop ang iyang eninglis

You are so right Ka Bino! Padayon higala!

Let me invite one and all to the launching of another book by USC Press this Sunday, 23 September at SM Northwing Atrium at 3 p.m.

Boy, Arnold, Ang Karaang Tawo, Markiboy, Caloy, Ka Bino, Wolfranz etc. etc. attend jud mo ha. If your invitations have not arrived yet, well here it is:

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/SVDinvitationcopy.jpg


and the book cover designed by Loren Gibb Lapinid and the authors:



http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/DiamonJubileeBookCover.jpg



and the brochure:


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/brochuresmall.jpg

Thanks for the invitation, Jo! We will all troop to SM North Wing on Sunday!

Let me invite one and all to the launching of another book by USC Press this Sunday, 23 September at SM Northwing Atrium at 3 p.m.

Boy, Arnold, Ang Karaang Tawo, Markiboy, Caloy, Ka Bino, Wolfranz etc. etc. attend jud mo ha. If your invitations have not arrived yet, well here it is:

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/SVDinvitationcopy.jpg


and the book cover designed by Loren Gibb Lapinid and the authors:



http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/DiamonJubileeBookCover.jpg



and the brochure:


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/brochuresmall.jpg

Thanks for the invitation, Jo! We will all troop to SM North Wing on Sunday!

Mingaw man. let me post this column here ha:


Another national cultural treasure for Cebu?
By Jobers Bersales
Cebu Daily News First Posted 12:08:00 09/09/2010

Rumors are rife that Argao Church will soon join Boljoon Church as Cebu’s second National Cultural Treasure or NCT, the highest designation given by the National Museum (NM) to a heritage structure, object, person or artifact.

To date, there are only 26 churches in the list of NCTs all over the country. To become an NCT is an important step to getting into the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites

My understanding is that the declaration, if ever it will push through, will cover not just the church and its convent but the entire plaza complex that includes the wall surrounding the church plaza. The wall is embossed with symbolic renditions of the 14 Stations of the Cross – the only one of its kind in the country. Alas, the same declaration will also reportedly make a point to exclude the centuries-old altar screen or retablo that had been glazed with gold leaf a few years back by an overzealous and ill-advised parish priest (not the current one).

I remember former NM director Corazon Alvina telling me that if ever Argao would get the prestigious NCT status, the retablo would most certainly be excluded, if only to set the record straight and warn others about the pitfalls of renovating centuries-old churches without resorting to heritage conservation principles.

Yesterday, I went to Argao Church with a team from the NM and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) who were on their way to Boljoon Church to confer about plans for the back wall of the church which, if not for a humongous buttress that needs rehabilitation, would have fallen a long time ago.

Before Argao, we passed by Sibonga so that I could show the team the famous Raymundo Francia ceiling paintings done in 1924 which badly need conservation. You see, the Committee on Sites Relics and Structures, which I chair in the Cebu Provincial Tourism and Heritage Council, is planning to recommend that it be declared an Important Cultural Treasure, if not an NCT.

The same committee also planned to recommend to the NM that the Dalaguete Church and Convent be declared NCTs especially since we are on the eve of the 300th anniversary of the parish. All these, of course, hinge on the approval of the priests running these parishes and of His Eminence Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, the Archbishop of Cebu.

This is the reason why I also brought with me Louella “Loy” Alix, my colleague in the Archdiocesan Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church, so she could report on these plans to the higher authorities in the archdiocese.

Judging from the prestige and fame that Boljoon Church attained after it became an NCT, I do not think the good archbishop would decline these prestigious declarations that also recognize their excellent state of use and preservation as much as the need to help fund their conservation.

Speaking of declarations, the Cebu provincial government itself is poised to begin declaring certain structures, artifacts, objects and sites as part of its mandate following the signing by Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia late in 2008 of a Provincial Board resolution to this effect.

This is going to be a huge task for the Provincial Tourism and Heritage Council but the ordinance itself also requires all municipal and city governments to first issue their own heritage declarations in order to qualify for a provincial heritage marker. All these are intended to help protect and conserve these resources for future generations.

There are hundreds of structures alone that need to be recognized for their historic, artistic, educational and archaeological value.

The first step has been done with the heritage inventory carried out by the local tourism and heritage councils of the towns and cities – the only one of its kind in the country, by the way. The next step is to begin listing the priorities to be recognized as important heritage treasures or bahandi.

Pretty soon, every town and city will be like the ones we see in Europe, where important buildings, parks, battle sites, even farms and farm houses carry small marble slabs engraved with texts that define their meaning and significance to the places and the pride and honor which they have brought to the communities where they are found.

Mingaw man. let me post this column here ha:


Another national cultural treasure for Cebu?
By Jobers Bersales
Cebu Daily News First Posted 12:08:00 09/09/2010

Rumors are rife that Argao Church will soon join Boljoon Church as Cebu’s second National Cultural Treasure or NCT, the highest designation given by the National Museum (NM) to a heritage structure, object, person or artifact.

To date, there are only 26 churches in the list of NCTs all over the country. To become an NCT is an important step to getting into the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites

My understanding is that the declaration, if ever it will push through, will cover not just the church and its convent but the entire plaza complex that includes the wall surrounding the church plaza. The wall is embossed with symbolic renditions of the 14 Stations of the Cross – the only one of its kind in the country. Alas, the same declaration will also reportedly make a point to exclude the centuries-old altar screen or retablo that had been glazed with gold leaf a few years back by an overzealous and ill-advised parish priest (not the current one).

I remember former NM director Corazon Alvina telling me that if ever Argao would get the prestigious NCT status, the retablo would most certainly be excluded, if only to set the record straight and warn others about the pitfalls of renovating centuries-old churches without resorting to heritage conservation principles.

Yesterday, I went to Argao Church with a team from the NM and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) who were on their way to Boljoon Church to confer about plans for the back wall of the church which, if not for a humongous buttress that needs rehabilitation, would have fallen a long time ago.

Before Argao, we passed by Sibonga so that I could show the team the famous Raymundo Francia ceiling paintings done in 1924 which badly need conservation. You see, the Committee on Sites Relics and Structures, which I chair in the Cebu Provincial Tourism and Heritage Council, is planning to recommend that it be declared an Important Cultural Treasure, if not an NCT.

The same committee also planned to recommend to the NM that the Dalaguete Church and Convent be declared NCTs especially since we are on the eve of the 300th anniversary of the parish. All these, of course, hinge on the approval of the priests running these parishes and of His Eminence Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, the Archbishop of Cebu.

This is the reason why I also brought with me Louella “Loy” Alix, my colleague in the Archdiocesan Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church, so she could report on these plans to the higher authorities in the archdiocese.

Judging from the prestige and fame that Boljoon Church attained after it became an NCT, I do not think the good archbishop would decline these prestigious declarations that also recognize their excellent state of use and preservation as much as the need to help fund their conservation.

Speaking of declarations, the Cebu provincial government itself is poised to begin declaring certain structures, artifacts, objects and sites as part of its mandate following the signing by Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia late in 2008 of a Provincial Board resolution to this effect.

This is going to be a huge task for the Provincial Tourism and Heritage Council but the ordinance itself also requires all municipal and city governments to first issue their own heritage declarations in order to qualify for a provincial heritage marker. All these are intended to help protect and conserve these resources for future generations.

There are hundreds of structures alone that need to be recognized for their historic, artistic, educational and archaeological value.

The first step has been done with the heritage inventory carried out by the local tourism and heritage councils of the towns and cities – the only one of its kind in the country, by the way. The next step is to begin listing the priorities to be recognized as important heritage treasures or bahandi.

Pretty soon, every town and city will be like the ones we see in Europe, where important buildings, parks, battle sites, even farms and farm houses carry small marble slabs engraved with texts that define their meaning and significance to the places and the pride and honor which they have brought to the communities where they are found.

and here's another one:


Past Forward
Tinkering with church renovation
By Jobers Bersales
Cebu Daily News First Posted 09:08:00 09/16/2010

Louella Alix and her husband Rudy have been very busy since 2005 not just running their gift shop “Presents and Such” but also running after priests who bungle attempts to renovate colonial-era churches assigned by the Archdiocese of Cebu under their pastoral care. The latest episode happened in Catmon town, where the parish priest, according to media reports, caused the destruction of the 50-year-old altar and its reredo because it was too old and of course, there was this unidentified donor willing to shell out P100,000.

As a member of the Archdiocesan Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church, I have seen Louella and Rudy go the extra mile, spend their own money and drive their own vehicle whenever duty calls. Of course, it helps that Ricardo J. Cardinal Vidal established the heritage commission headed by Msgr. Carlito Pono (Note that not all dioceses or archdioceses have one). The cardinal also sent Fr. Brian Brigoli to study heritage conservation for his Masters at the University of Sto. Tomas even before his ordination—precisely to ensure that expertise from within the hierarchy was present for years to come.

Still, there are some problems that lurk in the shadows and land in the papers, causing undue embarrassment to Catholics. In his Facebook account, Rudy minces no words in condemning what happened in Catmon Church and expressing his frustration with some priests—a small but significant one to two percent of the hierarchy—who feign lack of awareness of a circular issued by the cardinal in 2005 to consult the commission or the archbishop himself on matters concerning the renovation and alteration of the architectural features of the churches in the archdiocese.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the Catmon incident has to do with the parish priest’s alleged reasoning: it was too old (“Mao bitaw gub-on kay karaan na kaayo”) and the presence of a donor. Whether that donor knew what would happen thereafter is everyone’s lucky guess but I think it is time to bring in the cavalry as it were on this issue.

There are three important books that priests and would-be donors ought to have in their libraries—not just for display but for reading.

First is Michael Rose’s “The Renovation Manipulation: The Church Counter-Renovation Handbook.” A slim volume of just 161 pages published in 2001, Rose exposes the misreading by priests and church leaders of the edicts of the Second Vatican Council, more popularly Vatican II, which is thought by some to have called for changes in the physical arrangement of the ceremonial center of the celebration of the Eucharist. Easily readable and profuse with quotes from Vatican II documents as well as church leaders, this book is everyone’s guide to countering the modernist urge in church architecture and art.

Next on the list is “Architecture in Communion: Implementing the Second Vatican Council Through Liturgy and Architecture” by Steven Schloeder. In 267 pages, Schloeder not only laments the erosion of the great architectural traditions that used to mark Catholicism in the past but also provides alternatives to architects and designers hell-bent, forgive the pun, on altering age-old traditions in church art and architecture.

The last one I want to recommend is available freely on the Internet. “Opera Artis,” the circular issued on April 11, 1971 by the Vatican’s Congregation for the Clergy is the starting point for the care of the Church's historical and artistic heritage.

You search it on the Net and one can download it from different websites. My favorite is http://www.adoremus.org/Opera_Artis.html. In just one page, the priest and his potential donor can be guided carefully about what to do and how to proceed.

Within the Archdiocese of Cebu, of course, is its heritage commission. All that the potential donors have to do before approaching their priest is to inquire with the commission how best to express their benevolence in such a manner as not to go against the teaching of the Church.

Call the Cathedral Museum of Cebu at telephone no. 412-3455 and ask for the commission’s members.

It is time to end all these unguided tinkering with church art and architecture. Let it begin with you.

and here's another one:


Past Forward
Tinkering with church renovation
By Jobers Bersales
Cebu Daily News First Posted 09:08:00 09/16/2010

Louella Alix and her husband Rudy have been very busy since 2005 not just running their gift shop “Presents and Such” but also running after priests who bungle attempts to renovate colonial-era churches assigned by the Archdiocese of Cebu under their pastoral care. The latest episode happened in Catmon town, where the parish priest, according to media reports, caused the destruction of the 50-year-old altar and its reredo because it was too old and of course, there was this unidentified donor willing to shell out P100,000.

As a member of the Archdiocesan Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church, I have seen Louella and Rudy go the extra mile, spend their own money and drive their own vehicle whenever duty calls. Of course, it helps that Ricardo J. Cardinal Vidal established the heritage commission headed by Msgr. Carlito Pono (Note that not all dioceses or archdioceses have one). The cardinal also sent Fr. Brian Brigoli to study heritage conservation for his Masters at the University of Sto. Tomas even before his ordination—precisely to ensure that expertise from within the hierarchy was present for years to come.

Still, there are some problems that lurk in the shadows and land in the papers, causing undue embarrassment to Catholics. In his Facebook account, Rudy minces no words in condemning what happened in Catmon Church and expressing his frustration with some priests—a small but significant one to two percent of the hierarchy—who feign lack of awareness of a circular issued by the cardinal in 2005 to consult the commission or the archbishop himself on matters concerning the renovation and alteration of the architectural features of the churches in the archdiocese.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the Catmon incident has to do with the parish priest’s alleged reasoning: it was too old (“Mao bitaw gub-on kay karaan na kaayo”) and the presence of a donor. Whether that donor knew what would happen thereafter is everyone’s lucky guess but I think it is time to bring in the cavalry as it were on this issue.

There are three important books that priests and would-be donors ought to have in their libraries—not just for display but for reading.

First is Michael Rose’s “The Renovation Manipulation: The Church Counter-Renovation Handbook.” A slim volume of just 161 pages published in 2001, Rose exposes the misreading by priests and church leaders of the edicts of the Second Vatican Council, more popularly Vatican II, which is thought by some to have called for changes in the physical arrangement of the ceremonial center of the celebration of the Eucharist. Easily readable and profuse with quotes from Vatican II documents as well as church leaders, this book is everyone’s guide to countering the modernist urge in church architecture and art.

Next on the list is “Architecture in Communion: Implementing the Second Vatican Council Through Liturgy and Architecture” by Steven Schloeder. In 267 pages, Schloeder not only laments the erosion of the great architectural traditions that used to mark Catholicism in the past but also provides alternatives to architects and designers hell-bent, forgive the pun, on altering age-old traditions in church art and architecture.

The last one I want to recommend is available freely on the Internet. “Opera Artis,” the circular issued on April 11, 1971 by the Vatican’s Congregation for the Clergy is the starting point for the care of the Church's historical and artistic heritage.

You search it on the Net and one can download it from different websites. My favorite is http://www.adoremus.org/Opera_Artis.html. In just one page, the priest and his potential donor can be guided carefully about what to do and how to proceed.

Within the Archdiocese of Cebu, of course, is its heritage commission. All that the potential donors have to do before approaching their priest is to inquire with the commission how best to express their benevolence in such a manner as not to go against the teaching of the Church.

Call the Cathedral Museum of Cebu at telephone no. 412-3455 and ask for the commission’s members.

It is time to end all these unguided tinkering with church art and architecture. Let it begin with you.

Our puso, Boy, is for eating with a viand. The one you have described that's dipped in boiling sugar is a dessert or merienda fare like biko and budbud. The people in Pangasinan call it "patupat". And it is very delicious too!

yes you are right Loy, the Pangasinan is for merienda and dessert. Thanks for pointing this out.

The ones you find in Malaysia and Singapore are called "Ma-chang". These have meat inside. Our puso is unique because it is really a portable and hygeinic way of transporting rice to anywhere. And it is supposed to be eaten with a viand. But of course the weaving is the same.

We have Ma-chang here, sometimes it is called Ba-chang, this is one of my favorites. In Cebu, The best I had tasted is from red moon (chinese restaurant - served unwarpped with chinese full bodied aroma), I used to like the La Fortuna, but lately prefers those sold in fooda.

I am under the impression that the Ma-chang uses bamboo leaf not coconut leaf

Our puso, Boy, is for eating with a viand. The one you have described that's dipped in boiling sugar is a dessert or merienda fare like biko and budbud. The people in Pangasinan call it "patupat". And it is very delicious too!

yes you are right Loy, the Pangasinan is for merienda and dessert. Thanks for pointing this out.

The ones you find in Malaysia and Singapore are called "Ma-chang". These have meat inside. Our puso is unique because it is really a portable and hygeinic way of transporting rice to anywhere. And it is supposed to be eaten with a viand. But of course the weaving is the same.

We have Ma-chang here, sometimes it is called Ba-chang, this is one of my favorites. In Cebu, The best I had tasted is from red moon (chinese restaurant - served unwarpped with chinese full bodied aroma), I used to like the La Fortuna, but lately prefers those sold in fooda.

I am under the impression that the Ma-chang uses bamboo leaf not coconut leaf

Let me invite one and all to the launching of another book by USC Press this Sunday, 23 September at SM Northwing Atrium at 3 p.m.

Boy, Arnold, Ang Karaang Tawo, Markiboy, Caloy, Ka Bino, Wolfranz etc. etc. attend jud mo ha. If your invitations have not arrived yet, well here it is:



slamat Jobers, will be there

Let me invite one and all to the launching of another book by USC Press this Sunday, 23 September at SM Northwing Atrium at 3 p.m.

Boy, Arnold, Ang Karaang Tawo, Markiboy, Caloy, Ka Bino, Wolfranz etc. etc. attend jud mo ha. If your invitations have not arrived yet, well here it is:



slamat Jobers, will be there

Our puso, Boy, is for eating with a viand. The one you have described that's dipped in boiling sugar is a dessert or merienda fare like biko and budbud. The people in Pangasinan call it "patupat". And it is very delicious too!

In Malaysia, we have a similar version called "ketupat".....note the similarity in the name...

Our puso, Boy, is for eating with a viand. The one you have described that's dipped in boiling sugar is a dessert or merienda fare like biko and budbud. The people in Pangasinan call it "patupat". And it is very delicious too!

In Malaysia, we have a similar version called "ketupat".....note the similarity in the name...

The ones you find in Malaysia and Singapore are called "Ma-chang". These have meat inside. Our puso is unique because it is really a portable and hygeinic way of transporting rice to anywhere. And it is supposed to be eaten with a viand. But of course the weaving is the same.
Or more precisely, it's called "bak-chang". "Bak" meaning meat or filling in Hokkien and "Chang" could either mean wrapped up or in a bundle......Other versions of rice can be cooked in hollowed out bamboo called "lemang". Rice grains is filled up with water in the bamboo up to the opening and cooked over fire. Another version we have is lotus leave rice...Rice with fillings or condiments wrapped up in lotus leave and steamed.

The ones you find in Malaysia and Singapore are called "Ma-chang". These have meat inside. Our puso is unique because it is really a portable and hygeinic way of transporting rice to anywhere. And it is supposed to be eaten with a viand. But of course the weaving is the same.
Or more precisely, it's called "bak-chang". "Bak" meaning meat or filling in Hokkien and "Chang" could either mean wrapped up or in a bundle......Other versions of rice can be cooked in hollowed out bamboo called "lemang". Rice grains is filled up with water in the bamboo up to the opening and cooked over fire. Another version we have is lotus leave rice...Rice with fillings or condiments wrapped up in lotus leave and steamed.

yes you are right Loy, the Pangasinan is for merienda and dessert. Thanks for pointing this out.



We have Ma-chang here, sometimes it is called Ba-chang, this is one of my favorites. In Cebu, The best I had tasted is from red moon (chinese restaurant - served unwarpped with chinese full bodied aroma), I used to like the La Fortuna, but lately prefers those sold in fooda.

I am under the impression that the Ma-chang uses bamboo leaf not coconut leaf

Thanks for the tip! Rudy now wants to go to Red Moon to taste their Ma-chang/Ba-chang, PRONTO!!!:) Murag mangadto gyud mi human sa meeting sa Commission unya.

yes you are right Loy, the Pangasinan is for merienda and dessert. Thanks for pointing this out.



We have Ma-chang here, sometimes it is called Ba-chang, this is one of my favorites. In Cebu, The best I had tasted is from red moon (chinese restaurant - served unwarpped with chinese full bodied aroma), I used to like the La Fortuna, but lately prefers those sold in fooda.

I am under the impression that the Ma-chang uses bamboo leaf not coconut leaf

Thanks for the tip! Rudy now wants to go to Red Moon to taste their Ma-chang/Ba-chang, PRONTO!!!:) Murag mangadto gyud mi human sa meeting sa Commission unya.

Or more precisely, it's called "bak-chang". "Bak" meaning meat or filling in Hokkien and "Chang" could either mean wrapped up or in a bundle......Other versions of rice can be cooked in hollowed out bamboo called "lemang". Rice grains is filled up with water in the bamboo up to the opening and cooked over fire. Another version we have is lotus leave rice...Rice with fillings or condiments wrapped up in lotus leave and steamed.

People in Pangasinan and Ilocos also cook glutinuos rice inside bamboo sections. These are steamed. It taste somewhat like our Puto Maya in Cebu. only more fragrant because of the bamboo. Too bad I forgot the name. My Dad used to bring this as pasalubong when he goes home to Pangasinan.

Or more precisely, it's called "bak-chang". "Bak" meaning meat or filling in Hokkien and "Chang" could either mean wrapped up or in a bundle......Other versions of rice can be cooked in hollowed out bamboo called "lemang". Rice grains is filled up with water in the bamboo up to the opening and cooked over fire. Another version we have is lotus leave rice...Rice with fillings or condiments wrapped up in lotus leave and steamed.

People in Pangasinan and Ilocos also cook glutinuos rice inside bamboo sections. These are steamed. It taste somewhat like our Puto Maya in Cebu. only more fragrant because of the bamboo. Too bad I forgot the name. My Dad used to bring this as pasalubong when he goes home to Pangasinan.

In Malaysia, we have a similar version called "ketupat".....note the similarity in the name...

Yes, the similarity in the name is uncanny. There are a lot of Malaysian and Indonesian words in some of our languages in the Philippines.

In Malaysia, we have a similar version called "ketupat".....note the similarity in the name...

Yes, the similarity in the name is uncanny. There are a lot of Malaysian and Indonesian words in some of our languages in the Philippines.

Mingaw man. let me post this column here ha:


Another national cultural treasure for Cebu?
By Jobers Bersales
Cebu Daily News First Posted 12:08:00 09/09/2010

Rumors are rife that Argao Church will soon join Boljoon Church as Cebu’s second National Cultural Treasure or NCT, the highest designation given by the National Museum (NM) to a heritage structure, object, person or artifact.

To date, there are only 26 churches in the list of NCTs all over the country. To become an NCT is an important step to getting into the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites

My understanding is that the declaration, if ever it will push through, will cover not just the church and its convent but the entire plaza complex that includes the wall surrounding the church plaza. The wall is embossed with symbolic renditions of the 14 Stations of the Cross – the only one of its kind in the country. Alas, the same declaration will also reportedly make a point to exclude the centuries-old altar screen or retablo that had been glazed with gold leaf a few years back by an overzealous and ill-advised parish priest (not the current one).

I remember former NM director Corazon Alvina telling me that if ever Argao would get the prestigious NCT status, the retablo would most certainly be excluded, if only to set the record straight and warn others about the pitfalls of renovating centuries-old churches without resorting to heritage conservation principles.

Yesterday, I went to Argao Church with a team from the NM and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) who were on their way to Boljoon Church to confer about plans for the back wall of the church which, if not for a humongous buttress that needs rehabilitation, would have fallen a long time ago.

Before Argao, we passed by Sibonga so that I could show the team the famous Raymundo Francia ceiling paintings done in 1924 which badly need conservation. You see, the Committee on Sites Relics and Structures, which I chair in the Cebu Provincial Tourism and Heritage Council, is planning to recommend that it be declared an Important Cultural Treasure, if not an NCT.

The same committee also planned to recommend to the NM that the Dalaguete Church and Convent be declared NCTs especially since we are on the eve of the 300th anniversary of the parish. All these, of course, hinge on the approval of the priests running these parishes and of His Eminence Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, the Archbishop of Cebu.

This is the reason why I also brought with me Louella “Loy” Alix, my colleague in the Archdiocesan Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church, so she could report on these plans to the higher authorities in the archdiocese.

Judging from the prestige and fame that Boljoon Church attained after it became an NCT, I do not think the good archbishop would decline these prestigious declarations that also recognize their excellent state of use and preservation as much as the need to help fund their conservation.

Speaking of declarations, the Cebu provincial government itself is poised to begin declaring certain structures, artifacts, objects and sites as part of its mandate following the signing by Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia late in 2008 of a Provincial Board resolution to this effect.

This is going to be a huge task for the Provincial Tourism and Heritage Council but the ordinance itself also requires all municipal and city governments to first issue their own heritage declarations in order to qualify for a provincial heritage marker. All these are intended to help protect and conserve these resources for future generations.

There are hundreds of structures alone that need to be recognized for their historic, artistic, educational and archaeological value.

The first step has been done with the heritage inventory carried out by the local tourism and heritage councils of the towns and cities – the only one of its kind in the country, by the way. The next step is to begin listing the priorities to be recognized as important heritage treasures or bahandi.

Pretty soon, every town and city will be like the ones we see in Europe, where important buildings, parks, battle sites, even farms and farm houses carry small marble slabs engraved with texts that define their meaning and significance to the places and the pride and honor which they have brought to the communities where they are found.

Jo, I just read that the dispensary in Carcar will undergo renovation/restoration soon. And that the project is under Melva Java. Do you know something about this? Is this under the Provincial Historical Commission? Is the project sanctioned by the PHC? This was posted by Gibb in Facebook. This is giving me the jitters.

Mingaw man. let me post this column here ha:


Another national cultural treasure for Cebu?
By Jobers Bersales
Cebu Daily News First Posted 12:08:00 09/09/2010

Rumors are rife that Argao Church will soon join Boljoon Church as Cebu’s second National Cultural Treasure or NCT, the highest designation given by the National Museum (NM) to a heritage structure, object, person or artifact.

To date, there are only 26 churches in the list of NCTs all over the country. To become an NCT is an important step to getting into the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites

My understanding is that the declaration, if ever it will push through, will cover not just the church and its convent but the entire plaza complex that includes the wall surrounding the church plaza. The wall is embossed with symbolic renditions of the 14 Stations of the Cross – the only one of its kind in the country. Alas, the same declaration will also reportedly make a point to exclude the centuries-old altar screen or retablo that had been glazed with gold leaf a few years back by an overzealous and ill-advised parish priest (not the current one).

I remember former NM director Corazon Alvina telling me that if ever Argao would get the prestigious NCT status, the retablo would most certainly be excluded, if only to set the record straight and warn others about the pitfalls of renovating centuries-old churches without resorting to heritage conservation principles.

Yesterday, I went to Argao Church with a team from the NM and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) who were on their way to Boljoon Church to confer about plans for the back wall of the church which, if not for a humongous buttress that needs rehabilitation, would have fallen a long time ago.

Before Argao, we passed by Sibonga so that I could show the team the famous Raymundo Francia ceiling paintings done in 1924 which badly need conservation. You see, the Committee on Sites Relics and Structures, which I chair in the Cebu Provincial Tourism and Heritage Council, is planning to recommend that it be declared an Important Cultural Treasure, if not an NCT.

The same committee also planned to recommend to the NM that the Dalaguete Church and Convent be declared NCTs especially since we are on the eve of the 300th anniversary of the parish. All these, of course, hinge on the approval of the priests running these parishes and of His Eminence Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, the Archbishop of Cebu.

This is the reason why I also brought with me Louella “Loy” Alix, my colleague in the Archdiocesan Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church, so she could report on these plans to the higher authorities in the archdiocese.

Judging from the prestige and fame that Boljoon Church attained after it became an NCT, I do not think the good archbishop would decline these prestigious declarations that also recognize their excellent state of use and preservation as much as the need to help fund their conservation.

Speaking of declarations, the Cebu provincial government itself is poised to begin declaring certain structures, artifacts, objects and sites as part of its mandate following the signing by Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia late in 2008 of a Provincial Board resolution to this effect.

This is going to be a huge task for the Provincial Tourism and Heritage Council but the ordinance itself also requires all municipal and city governments to first issue their own heritage declarations in order to qualify for a provincial heritage marker. All these are intended to help protect and conserve these resources for future generations.

There are hundreds of structures alone that need to be recognized for their historic, artistic, educational and archaeological value.

The first step has been done with the heritage inventory carried out by the local tourism and heritage councils of the towns and cities – the only one of its kind in the country, by the way. The next step is to begin listing the priorities to be recognized as important heritage treasures or bahandi.

Pretty soon, every town and city will be like the ones we see in Europe, where important buildings, parks, battle sites, even farms and farm houses carry small marble slabs engraved with texts that define their meaning and significance to the places and the pride and honor which they have brought to the communities where they are found.

Jo, I just read that the dispensary in Carcar will undergo renovation/restoration soon. And that the project is under Melva Java. Do you know something about this? Is this under the Provincial Historical Commission? Is the project sanctioned by the PHC? This was posted by Gibb in Facebook. This is giving me the jitters.

wow! glad i stumbled upon this thread!

hello experts, i have a few questions which i hope you could help me with:

1. would anyone know the name of that circular thing with bells around it? saw this at the Boljoon church museum and its still working.

2. is there still a standing (even if in ruins) ex-munisipyo of Carcar other than that ugly bldg now serving as city hall? just curious as I think it must have been grand.

3. is there a collective term for that kind of art used at most church ceilings like Carcar, Sibonga, etc? I wonder how those can be preserved! grabeha!

4. most amusing church for me is that one in SanRem (they made the front modern but left the other end as is. as mentioned in my blog, i think they also made it turn around (transfer the altar to the original entrance area) am I correct?

5. there was/is a church with a big compound in a southern town that I have seen last year and I saw that part of its olden fence (pader and murag bantayan sa hari) was encroached and sits right at the kitchen of a house. (dalaguete? not sure). can you guys make the resident at least leave a few inches of space?

6. where can i get more literature about that church in Poro Camotes. Am just curious since i think its too big for the island residents in the era it was built. or maybe there were more people then than now?

7. there is an ancestral house in Mandaue (A Del Rosario st.,) going mercado. its big and has a wide frontage. is there a historical significance of that house?

8. If lapu-lapu actually lived on mainland and just frequented Mactan, are there still traces at where he lived? probably the lacion/liloan area, right?

lastly, i have back-read at least 3 pages (sorry hehe) and I may add the following which i got on my recent trips to samar
- puso, they call it langbay
- the rice cooked in bamboo is called sarongsong
and both have been quite a staple in the olden days, they say

Thanks in advance for any responses.
PT

wow! glad i stumbled upon this thread!

hello experts, i have a few questions which i hope you could help me with:

1. would anyone know the name of that circular thing with bells around it? saw this at the Boljoon church museum and its still working.

2. is there still a standing (even if in ruins) ex-munisipyo of Carcar other than that ugly bldg now serving as city hall? just curious as I think it must have been grand.

3. is there a collective term for that kind of art used at most church ceilings like Carcar, Sibonga, etc? I wonder how those can be preserved! grabeha!

4. most amusing church for me is that one in SanRem (they made the front modern but left the other end as is. as mentioned in my blog, i think they also made it turn around (transfer the altar to the original entrance area) am I correct?

5. there was/is a church with a big compound in a southern town that I have seen last year and I saw that part of its olden fence (pader and murag bantayan sa hari) was encroached and sits right at the kitchen of a house. (dalaguete? not sure). can you guys make the resident at least leave a few inches of space?

6. where can i get more literature about that church in Poro Camotes. Am just curious since i think its too big for the island residents in the era it was built. or maybe there were more people then than now?

7. there is an ancestral house in Mandaue (A Del Rosario st.,) going mercado. its big and has a wide frontage. is there a historical significance of that house?

8. If lapu-lapu actually lived on mainland and just frequented Mactan, are there still traces at where he lived? probably the lacion/liloan area, right?

lastly, i have back-read at least 3 pages (sorry hehe) and I may add the following which i got on my recent trips to samar
- puso, they call it langbay
- the rice cooked in bamboo is called sarongsong
and both have been quite a staple in the olden days, they say

Thanks in advance for any responses.
PT

wow! glad i stumbled upon this thread!

hello experts, i have a few questions which i hope you could help me with:

1. would anyone know the name of that circular thing with bells around it? saw this at the Boljoon church museum and its still working.

2. is there still a standing (even if in ruins) ex-munisipyo of Carcar other than that ugly bldg now serving as city hall? just curious as I think it must have been grand.

3. is there a collective term for that kind of art used at most church ceilings like Carcar, Sibonga, etc? I wonder how those can be preserved! grabeha!

4. most amusing church for me is that one in SanRem (they made the front modern but left the other end as is. as mentioned in my blog, i think they also made it turn around (transfer the altar to the original entrance area) am I correct?

5. there was/is a church with a big compound in a southern town that I have seen last year and I saw that part of its olden fence (pader and murag bantayan sa hari) was encroached and sits right at the kitchen of a house. (dalaguete? not sure). can you guys make the resident at least leave a few inches of space?

6. where can i get more literature about that church in Poro Camotes. Am just curious since i think its too big for the island residents in the era it was built. or maybe there were more people then than now?

7. there is an ancestral house in Mandaue (A Del Rosario st.,) going mercado. its big and has a wide frontage. is there a historical significance of that house?

8. If lapu-lapu actually lived on mainland and just frequented Mactan, are there still traces at where he lived? probably the lacion/liloan area, right?

lastly, i have back-read at least 3 pages (sorry hehe) and I may add the following which i got on my recent trips to samar
- puso, they call it langbay
- the rice cooked in bamboo is called sarongsong
and both have been quite a staple in the olden days, they say

Thanks in advance for any responses.
PT

Allow me to reply to your questions:
1. That circle with bells is called a "rueda", named after the wheel which is called rueda in Spanish. It was rung during consecration.

2. They say the old Carcar municipal hall was demolished to make way for this concrete one.

3. The ceiling paintings? That's what they are, ceiling paintings. The most beautiful ones were painted by Canuto Avila and Raymundo Francia.

4. Sometime ago, the parishioners decided to relocate the entrance of the church, thinking that the curse of having parish priests who went off with women will be lifted. They have thankfully let the old facade (which faces the sea) alone.

The rest has to be answered by the others.

Have a good day!

wow! glad i stumbled upon this thread!

hello experts, i have a few questions which i hope you could help me with:

1. would anyone know the name of that circular thing with bells around it? saw this at the Boljoon church museum and its still working.

2. is there still a standing (even if in ruins) ex-munisipyo of Carcar other than that ugly bldg now serving as city hall? just curious as I think it must have been grand.

3. is there a collective term for that kind of art used at most church ceilings like Carcar, Sibonga, etc? I wonder how those can be preserved! grabeha!

4. most amusing church for me is that one in SanRem (they made the front modern but left the other end as is. as mentioned in my blog, i think they also made it turn around (transfer the altar to the original entrance area) am I correct?

5. there was/is a church with a big compound in a southern town that I have seen last year and I saw that part of its olden fence (pader and murag bantayan sa hari) was encroached and sits right at the kitchen of a house. (dalaguete? not sure). can you guys make the resident at least leave a few inches of space?

6. where can i get more literature about that church in Poro Camotes. Am just curious since i think its too big for the island residents in the era it was built. or maybe there were more people then than now?

7. there is an ancestral house in Mandaue (A Del Rosario st.,) going mercado. its big and has a wide frontage. is there a historical significance of that house?

8. If lapu-lapu actually lived on mainland and just frequented Mactan, are there still traces at where he lived? probably the lacion/liloan area, right?

lastly, i have back-read at least 3 pages (sorry hehe) and I may add the following which i got on my recent trips to samar
- puso, they call it langbay
- the rice cooked in bamboo is called sarongsong
and both have been quite a staple in the olden days, they say

Thanks in advance for any responses.
PT

Allow me to reply to your questions:
1. That circle with bells is called a "rueda", named after the wheel which is called rueda in Spanish. It was rung during consecration.

2. They say the old Carcar municipal hall was demolished to make way for this concrete one.

3. The ceiling paintings? That's what they are, ceiling paintings. The most beautiful ones were painted by Canuto Avila and Raymundo Francia.

4. Sometime ago, the parishioners decided to relocate the entrance of the church, thinking that the curse of having parish priests who went off with women will be lifted. They have thankfully let the old facade (which faces the sea) alone.

The rest has to be answered by the others.

Have a good day!

People in Pangasinan and Ilocos also cook glutinuos rice inside bamboo sections. These are steamed. It taste somewhat like our Puto Maya in Cebu. only more fragrant because of the bamboo. Too bad I forgot the name. My Dad used to bring this as pasalubong when he goes home to Pangasinan.

glad you, me and rudy share the same "eating talents" :)

People in Pangasinan and Ilocos also cook glutinuos rice inside bamboo sections. These are steamed. It taste somewhat like our Puto Maya in Cebu. only more fragrant because of the bamboo. Too bad I forgot the name. My Dad used to bring this as pasalubong when he goes home to Pangasinan.

glad you, me and rudy share the same "eating talents" :)

glad you, me and rudy share the same "eating talents" :)

Ha ha ha we had the Ba-chang in Red Moon last night. You are so right, their ba-chang is really GOOOD! Mag compare notes unya ta sa Northwing, see you! It is my opinion that we pay attention to our, ah, Chinese "heritage".

glad you, me and rudy share the same "eating talents" :)

Ha ha ha we had the Ba-chang in Red Moon last night. You are so right, their ba-chang is really GOOOD! Mag compare notes unya ta sa Northwing, see you! It is my opinion that we pay attention to our, ah, Chinese "heritage".

Let me invite one and all to the launching of another book by USC Press this Sunday, 23 September at SM Northwing Atrium at 3 p.m.

Boy, Arnold, Ang Karaang Tawo, Markiboy, Caloy, Ka Bino, Wolfranz etc. etc. attend jud mo ha. If your invitations have not arrived yet, well here it is:

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/SVDinvitationcopy.jpg


and the book cover designed by Loren Gibb Lapinid and the authors:



http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/DiamonJubileeBookCover.jpg



and the brochure:


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/brochuresmall.jpg

Congrats sa new book sir! :cheers:

Let me invite one and all to the launching of another book by USC Press this Sunday, 23 September at SM Northwing Atrium at 3 p.m.

Boy, Arnold, Ang Karaang Tawo, Markiboy, Caloy, Ka Bino, Wolfranz etc. etc. attend jud mo ha. If your invitations have not arrived yet, well here it is:

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/SVDinvitationcopy.jpg


and the book cover designed by Loren Gibb Lapinid and the authors:



http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/DiamonJubileeBookCover.jpg



and the brochure:


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/brochuresmall.jpg

Congrats sa new book sir! :cheers:

wow! glad i stumbled upon this thread!

hello experts, i have a few questions which i hope you could help me with:

4. most amusing church for me is that one in SanRem (they made the front modern but left the other end as is. as mentioned in my blog, i think they also made it turn around (transfer the altar to the original entrance area) am I correct?

6. where can i get more literature about that church in Poro Camotes. Am just curious since i think its too big for the island residents in the era it was built. or maybe there were more people then than now?

8. If lapu-lapu actually lived on mainland and just frequented Mactan, are there still traces at where he lived? probably the lacion/liloan area, right?

Thanks in advance for any responses.
PT

Here's my take:

4. It was no longer fashionable to have churches face the sea since people were no longer coming to church via the shore and since the road had been there for sometime, the parish priest decided to shift the entrance... I should know this since my parents were wed in this church and I work in the same town now.

6. Grab a copy of Balaanong Bahandi. MOst writers and photogs who did the book are in this very thread.

7. There's not a minutae of evidence which would point out that Lapu-Lapu actually lived in the area you mentioned. There's a barangay in San Rem called Lambusan which some pseudo-historian mentioned is associated with the guy. Except for being a figment of imagination, there's just no solid evidence to back the claim.

:banana:

wow! glad i stumbled upon this thread!

hello experts, i have a few questions which i hope you could help me with:

4. most amusing church for me is that one in SanRem (they made the front modern but left the other end as is. as mentioned in my blog, i think they also made it turn around (transfer the altar to the original entrance area) am I correct?

6. where can i get more literature about that church in Poro Camotes. Am just curious since i think its too big for the island residents in the era it was built. or maybe there were more people then than now?

8. If lapu-lapu actually lived on mainland and just frequented Mactan, are there still traces at where he lived? probably the lacion/liloan area, right?

Thanks in advance for any responses.
PT

Here's my take:

4. It was no longer fashionable to have churches face the sea since people were no longer coming to church via the shore and since the road had been there for sometime, the parish priest decided to shift the entrance... I should know this since my parents were wed in this church and I work in the same town now.

6. Grab a copy of Balaanong Bahandi. MOst writers and photogs who did the book are in this very thread.

7. There's not a minutae of evidence which would point out that Lapu-Lapu actually lived in the area you mentioned. There's a barangay in San Rem called Lambusan which some pseudo-historian mentioned is associated with the guy. Except for being a figment of imagination, there's just no solid evidence to back the claim.

:banana:

Ha ha ha we had the Ba-chang in Red Moon last night. You are so right, their ba-chang is really GOOOD! Mag compare notes unya ta sa Northwing, see you! It is my opinion that we pay attention to our, ah, Chinese "heritage".


I agree with you on this, Ma'am. Lami-kaayo. I wish they could use parts with lesser fat, though. Then again, maybe it's the fat that makes it so yummy. :)

Ha ha ha we had the Ba-chang in Red Moon last night. You are so right, their ba-chang is really GOOOD! Mag compare notes unya ta sa Northwing, see you! It is my opinion that we pay attention to our, ah, Chinese "heritage".


I agree with you on this, Ma'am. Lami-kaayo. I wish they could use parts with lesser fat, though. Then again, maybe it's the fat that makes it so yummy. :)

wow! glad i stumbled upon this thread!

hello experts, i have a few questions which i hope you could help me with:

1. would anyone know the name of that circular thing with bells around it? saw this at the Boljoon church museum and its still working.

2. is there still a standing (even if in ruins) ex-munisipyo of Carcar other than that ugly bldg now serving as city hall? just curious as I think it must have been grand.

3. is there a collective term for that kind of art used at most church ceilings like Carcar, Sibonga, etc? I wonder how those can be preserved! grabeha!

4. most amusing church for me is that one in SanRem (they made the front modern but left the other end as is. as mentioned in my blog, i think they also made it turn around (transfer the altar to the original entrance area) am I correct?

5. there was/is a church with a big compound in a southern town that I have seen last year and I saw that part of its olden fence (pader and murag bantayan sa hari) was encroached and sits right at the kitchen of a house. (dalaguete? not sure). can you guys make the resident at least leave a few inches of space?

6. where can i get more literature about that church in Poro Camotes. Am just curious since i think its too big for the island residents in the era it was built. or maybe there were more people then than now?

7. there is an ancestral house in Mandaue (A Del Rosario st.,) going mercado. its big and has a wide frontage. is there a historical significance of that house?

8. If lapu-lapu actually lived on mainland and just frequented Mactan, are there still traces at where he lived? probably the lacion/liloan area, right?

lastly, i have back-read at least 3 pages (sorry hehe) and I may add the following which i got on my recent trips to samar
- puso, they call it langbay
- the rice cooked in bamboo is called sarongsong
and both have been quite a staple in the olden days, they say

Thanks in advance for any responses.
PT

You should be more amazed that only in Ponson Island (a part of the Camotes group of islands) where you can find in Cebu a 19th-century chapel (modernized already) with an intact retablo and pulpit..

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3585/3621634287_8eac09f5cb_z.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3538/3622465220_ec47684a06_z.jpg



Below: Ponson Island

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2462/3637670059_2f159c42ae_z.jpg






.:.

wow! glad i stumbled upon this thread!

hello experts, i have a few questions which i hope you could help me with:

1. would anyone know the name of that circular thing with bells around it? saw this at the Boljoon church museum and its still working.

2. is there still a standing (even if in ruins) ex-munisipyo of Carcar other than that ugly bldg now serving as city hall? just curious as I think it must have been grand.

3. is there a collective term for that kind of art used at most church ceilings like Carcar, Sibonga, etc? I wonder how those can be preserved! grabeha!

4. most amusing church for me is that one in SanRem (they made the front modern but left the other end as is. as mentioned in my blog, i think they also made it turn around (transfer the altar to the original entrance area) am I correct?

5. there was/is a church with a big compound in a southern town that I have seen last year and I saw that part of its olden fence (pader and murag bantayan sa hari) was encroached and sits right at the kitchen of a house. (dalaguete? not sure). can you guys make the resident at least leave a few inches of space?

6. where can i get more literature about that church in Poro Camotes. Am just curious since i think its too big for the island residents in the era it was built. or maybe there were more people then than now?

7. there is an ancestral house in Mandaue (A Del Rosario st.,) going mercado. its big and has a wide frontage. is there a historical significance of that house?

8. If lapu-lapu actually lived on mainland and just frequented Mactan, are there still traces at where he lived? probably the lacion/liloan area, right?

lastly, i have back-read at least 3 pages (sorry hehe) and I may add the following which i got on my recent trips to samar
- puso, they call it langbay
- the rice cooked in bamboo is called sarongsong
and both have been quite a staple in the olden days, they say

Thanks in advance for any responses.
PT

You should be more amazed that only in Ponson Island (a part of the Camotes group of islands) where you can find in Cebu a 19th-century chapel (modernized already) with an intact retablo and pulpit..

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3585/3621634287_8eac09f5cb_z.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3538/3622465220_ec47684a06_z.jpg



Below: Ponson Island

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2462/3637670059_2f159c42ae_z.jpg






.:.

6. where can i get more literature about that church in Poro Camotes. Am just curious since i think its too big for the island residents in the era it was built. or maybe there were more people then than now?



Anyway, my take on Poro Church being too large for the town, I think "houses of God" are supposed to be grand, or perhaps they used to be grand.

Just look at the churches of Bohol, I've been there and all I can say is that most them are far more bigger, grander, and better built than the old churches of Cebu.

Does Bohol have a bigger population than Cebu or was it more important than Cebu? I tried asking this question to a church historian. He said that such large churches with a particular style in building may have something to do with the religious order that was responsible for constructing it.

So I told him jokingly that perhaps the Jesuits or the Recollects were better church builders than the Augustinians here in Cebu because, as per my observation, some of our old churches here (ex. Argao, Dalaguete, Sibonga, Boljoon, Samboan, etc.) look just like large rectangular warehouses if not for the facade and the belfry.

Hehehe...

6. where can i get more literature about that church in Poro Camotes. Am just curious since i think its too big for the island residents in the era it was built. or maybe there were more people then than now?



Anyway, my take on Poro Church being too large for the town, I think "houses of God" are supposed to be grand, or perhaps they used to be grand.

Just look at the churches of Bohol, I've been there and all I can say is that most them are far more bigger, grander, and better built than the old churches of Cebu.

Does Bohol have a bigger population than Cebu or was it more important than Cebu? I tried asking this question to a church historian. He said that such large churches with a particular style in building may have something to do with the religious order that was responsible for constructing it.

So I told him jokingly that perhaps the Jesuits or the Recollects were better church builders than the Augustinians here in Cebu because, as per my observation, some of our old churches here (ex. Argao, Dalaguete, Sibonga, Boljoon, Samboan, etc.) look just like large rectangular warehouses if not for the facade and the belfry.

Hehehe...

Jo, I just read that the dispensary in Carcar will undergo renovation/restoration soon. And that the project is under Melva Java. Do you know something about this? Is this under the Provincial Historical Commission? Is the project sanctioned by the PHC? This was posted by Gibb in Facebook. This is giving me the jitters.


I think this is a project that Ma'am Melva started a long way back with another mayor who ended his term and when the newer mayor took over, he had other plans. now that the mayor is more heritage conscious, i believe they will restart the project. the province is not part of it. it is funded by the city or town of carcar.

Jo, I just read that the dispensary in Carcar will undergo renovation/restoration soon. And that the project is under Melva Java. Do you know something about this? Is this under the Provincial Historical Commission? Is the project sanctioned by the PHC? This was posted by Gibb in Facebook. This is giving me the jitters.


I think this is a project that Ma'am Melva started a long way back with another mayor who ended his term and when the newer mayor took over, he had other plans. now that the mayor is more heritage conscious, i believe they will restart the project. the province is not part of it. it is funded by the city or town of carcar.

7. There's not a minutae of evidence which would point out that Lapu-Lapu actually lived in the area you mentioned. There's a barangay in San Rem called Lambusan which some pseudo-historian mentioned is associated with the guy. Except for being a figment of imagination, there's just no solid evidence to back the claim.

:banana:

i've heard about this weird claim...is the pseudo-historian still alive, Triz?

7. There's not a minutae of evidence which would point out that Lapu-Lapu actually lived in the area you mentioned. There's a barangay in San Rem called Lambusan which some pseudo-historian mentioned is associated with the guy. Except for being a figment of imagination, there's just no solid evidence to back the claim.

:banana:

i've heard about this weird claim...is the pseudo-historian still alive, Triz?

Heritage conservation in Cebu

Friday, 01 October 2010 00:00

http://www.manilatimes.net/images/stories/opedcolumnist/ongpin.jpg

Maria Isabel Ongpin

HERITAGE conservation is alive and well in the province of Cebu. Cebu City itself, with its heritage structures—its Spanish-era city jail, for example, is now a museum complex; and Fort San Pedro, the Philippines’ oldest fort (1565 upon Legaspi’s arrival), now a park filled with native plants—and old houses serving cultural or other purposes, seems to show how serious its people are about the practice. One of the province’s most revered institutions, the University of San Carlos, leads conservation efforts in the province by offering two semesters on the subject through its Conservation and Heritage Research Institute and Workshop (CHERISH), which has documented heritage structures in the island.

That’s not all. Cebu also has its Shrine of the Santo Niño and the Cebu Cathedral with its adjunct museum—vital institutions preserved in all their architectural integrity. Outside the capital there is a wealth of heritage churches, with their respective towns having formed heritage committees to help in the preservation of these structures. However, the principal inadequacy in this work is, as usual, funding. But a few of these churches and the committees handling these have managed to apply and acquire grants to help in their conservation efforts, thanks to the assistance offered by the University of San Carlos and private foundations like the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation.

Among these churches, two stand out: the Argao and Boljoon Churches. Located south of Cebu City on the eastern part of the island, I visited both churches, thanks to the recent Museum Foundation of the Philippines trip that I joined. These houses of worship—massive structures that date back to the 18th century—belong to a string of church-fortresses built by the Augustinian Fray Julian Bermejo as protection from raiding pirates.

The first one, Argao Church, boasts of baroque and semi-rococo decoration, as well as a massive wooden retablo that has been regrettably gilded recently (thankfully, this is not irreversible). Its beautifully carved doors are studded with bronze rosettes; its organ was said to have come from Mexico. The church plaza, with its old trees and a carved stone fence that portrays the Stations of the Cross in an almost modern, abstract way, is a treasure to behold. The church convento remains beautifully preserved, blessed with antique furniture.

Located at Cebu island’s southeastern tip, the Boljoon Church is accessible through a winding road that descends to sea level. From a certain spot, the church materializes into view like a castle rising from the sea. The structure has a separate watch tower, where one can spot pirates, and bells—one came from the famed Hilario Sunico foundry in Manila—cast in the 19th century. Its convento is still intact; so are its colonial-era furniture and baptismal, marriage and funeral records dating from the 18th century. A unique wooden catechists’ house stands nearby on the church grounds that has rococo decorations.

These are just two of Cebu’s noted churches. Many of these need further conservation, particularly the Sibonga Church, which has the most varied, colorful and detailed ceiling paintings. It now faces an emergency situation: its convento floors are in a dangerous state of deterioration, and remnants of a seminary library sorely need attention.

It seems the provincial government of Cebu, the archbishop and academic institutions have been very supportive of heritage and culture. There are many publications about the churches, the Cebu Parian and Cebu’s history available. Cebu City is the first city in the country that we know that has held a Night of Museums early last year, when all museums and heritage structures were open to visitors until way into the night. These were accompanied by cultural presentations as practiced in many European cities every year.

One of the province’s outlying cities, Carcar, has a number of heritage houses that its citizens—and hopefully its local government—are seriously trying to conserve. It has a beautiful heritage church like most Cebu towns, a convento with a school and an ornate, American-era building nearby that used to be a government dispensary but has now been turned into a museum.

These are just some of the highlights of our Cebu trip and they only include the eastern part of the island. The western part has its own similar as well as different attractions. In sum, there are heritage churches, heritage houses, heritage public structures, as well as the sea and sand, the cuisine and the local handicrafts which are innovative, attractive and raise the bar for other provinces. Cebu leads the way in keeping its identity.



http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/opinion/27678-heritage-conservation-in-cebu

Heritage conservation in Cebu

Friday, 01 October 2010 00:00

http://www.manilatimes.net/images/stories/opedcolumnist/ongpin.jpg

Maria Isabel Ongpin

HERITAGE conservation is alive and well in the province of Cebu. Cebu City itself, with its heritage structures—its Spanish-era city jail, for example, is now a museum complex; and Fort San Pedro, the Philippines’ oldest fort (1565 upon Legaspi’s arrival), now a park filled with native plants—and old houses serving cultural or other purposes, seems to show how serious its people are about the practice. One of the province’s most revered institutions, the University of San Carlos, leads conservation efforts in the province by offering two semesters on the subject through its Conservation and Heritage Research Institute and Workshop (CHERISH), which has documented heritage structures in the island.

That’s not all. Cebu also has its Shrine of the Santo Niño and the Cebu Cathedral with its adjunct museum—vital institutions preserved in all their architectural integrity. Outside the capital there is a wealth of heritage churches, with their respective towns having formed heritage committees to help in the preservation of these structures. However, the principal inadequacy in this work is, as usual, funding. But a few of these churches and the committees handling these have managed to apply and acquire grants to help in their conservation efforts, thanks to the assistance offered by the University of San Carlos and private foundations like the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation.

Among these churches, two stand out: the Argao and Boljoon Churches. Located south of Cebu City on the eastern part of the island, I visited both churches, thanks to the recent Museum Foundation of the Philippines trip that I joined. These houses of worship—massive structures that date back to the 18th century—belong to a string of church-fortresses built by the Augustinian Fray Julian Bermejo as protection from raiding pirates.

The first one, Argao Church, boasts of baroque and semi-rococo decoration, as well as a massive wooden retablo that has been regrettably gilded recently (thankfully, this is not irreversible). Its beautifully carved doors are studded with bronze rosettes; its organ was said to have come from Mexico. The church plaza, with its old trees and a carved stone fence that portrays the Stations of the Cross in an almost modern, abstract way, is a treasure to behold. The church convento remains beautifully preserved, blessed with antique furniture.

Located at Cebu island’s southeastern tip, the Boljoon Church is accessible through a winding road that descends to sea level. From a certain spot, the church materializes into view like a castle rising from the sea. The structure has a separate watch tower, where one can spot pirates, and bells—one came from the famed Hilario Sunico foundry in Manila—cast in the 19th century. Its convento is still intact; so are its colonial-era furniture and baptismal, marriage and funeral records dating from the 18th century. A unique wooden catechists’ house stands nearby on the church grounds that has rococo decorations.

These are just two of Cebu’s noted churches. Many of these need further conservation, particularly the Sibonga Church, which has the most varied, colorful and detailed ceiling paintings. It now faces an emergency situation: its convento floors are in a dangerous state of deterioration, and remnants of a seminary library sorely need attention.

It seems the provincial government of Cebu, the archbishop and academic institutions have been very supportive of heritage and culture. There are many publications about the churches, the Cebu Parian and Cebu’s history available. Cebu City is the first city in the country that we know that has held a Night of Museums early last year, when all museums and heritage structures were open to visitors until way into the night. These were accompanied by cultural presentations as practiced in many European cities every year.

One of the province’s outlying cities, Carcar, has a number of heritage houses that its citizens—and hopefully its local government—are seriously trying to conserve. It has a beautiful heritage church like most Cebu towns, a convento with a school and an ornate, American-era building nearby that used to be a government dispensary but has now been turned into a museum.

These are just some of the highlights of our Cebu trip and they only include the eastern part of the island. The western part has its own similar as well as different attractions. In sum, there are heritage churches, heritage houses, heritage public structures, as well as the sea and sand, the cuisine and the local handicrafts which are innovative, attractive and raise the bar for other provinces. Cebu leads the way in keeping its identity.



http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/opinion/27678-heritage-conservation-in-cebu

Heritage conservation in Cebu

Friday, 01 October 2010 00:00

http://www.manilatimes.net/images/stories/opedcolumnist/ongpin.jpg

Maria Isabel Ongpin

HERITAGE conservation is alive and well in the province of Cebu. Cebu City itself, with its heritage structures—its Spanish-era city jail, for example, is now a museum complex; and Fort San Pedro, the Philippines’ oldest fort (1565 upon Legaspi’s arrival), now a park filled with native plants—and old houses serving cultural or other purposes, seems to show how serious its people are about the practice. One of the province’s most revered institutions, the University of San Carlos, leads conservation efforts in the province by offering two semesters on the subject through its Conservation and Heritage Research Institute and Workshop (CHERISH), which has documented heritage structures in the island.

That’s not all. Cebu also has its Shrine of the Santo Niño and the Cebu Cathedral with its adjunct museum—vital institutions preserved in all their architectural integrity. Outside the capital there is a wealth of heritage churches, with their respective towns having formed heritage committees to help in the preservation of these structures. However, the principal inadequacy in this work is, as usual, funding. But a few of these churches and the committees handling these have managed to apply and acquire grants to help in their conservation efforts, thanks to the assistance offered by the University of San Carlos and private foundations like the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation.

Among these churches, two stand out: the Argao and Boljoon Churches. Located south of Cebu City on the eastern part of the island, I visited both churches, thanks to the recent Museum Foundation of the Philippines trip that I joined. These houses of worship—massive structures that date back to the 18th century—belong to a string of church-fortresses built by the Augustinian Fray Julian Bermejo as protection from raiding pirates.

The first one, Argao Church, boasts of baroque and semi-rococo decoration, as well as a massive wooden retablo that has been regrettably gilded recently (thankfully, this is not irreversible). Its beautifully carved doors are studded with bronze rosettes; its organ was said to have come from Mexico. The church plaza, with its old trees and a carved stone fence that portrays the Stations of the Cross in an almost modern, abstract way, is a treasure to behold. The church convento remains beautifully preserved, blessed with antique furniture.

Located at Cebu island’s southeastern tip, the Boljoon Church is accessible through a winding road that descends to sea level. From a certain spot, the church materializes into view like a castle rising from the sea. The structure has a separate watch tower, where one can spot pirates, and bells—one came from the famed Hilario Sunico foundry in Manila—cast in the 19th century. Its convento is still intact; so are its colonial-era furniture and baptismal, marriage and funeral records dating from the 18th century. A unique wooden catechists’ house stands nearby on the church grounds that has rococo decorations.

These are just two of Cebu’s noted churches. Many of these need further conservation, particularly the Sibonga Church, which has the most varied, colorful and detailed ceiling paintings. It now faces an emergency situation: its convento floors are in a dangerous state of deterioration, and remnants of a seminary library sorely need attention.

It seems the provincial government of Cebu, the archbishop and academic institutions have been very supportive of heritage and culture. There are many publications about the churches, the Cebu Parian and Cebu’s history available. Cebu City is the first city in the country that we know that has held a Night of Museums early last year, when all museums and heritage structures were open to visitors until way into the night. These were accompanied by cultural presentations as practiced in many European cities every year.

One of the province’s outlying cities, Carcar, has a number of heritage houses that its citizens—and hopefully its local government—are seriously trying to conserve. It has a beautiful heritage church like most Cebu towns, a convento with a school and an ornate, American-era building nearby that used to be a government dispensary but has now been turned into a museum.

These are just some of the highlights of our Cebu trip and they only include the eastern part of the island. The western part has its own similar as well as different attractions. In sum, there are heritage churches, heritage houses, heritage public structures, as well as the sea and sand, the cuisine and the local handicrafts which are innovative, attractive and raise the bar for other provinces. Cebu leads the way in keeping its identity.



http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/opinion/27678-heritage-conservation-in-cebu

Its always a pleasure to read nice words about our province. Bravo to Ms. Ongpin! She does not flatter, she just states the facts as they are.

Heritage conservation in Cebu

Friday, 01 October 2010 00:00

http://www.manilatimes.net/images/stories/opedcolumnist/ongpin.jpg

Maria Isabel Ongpin

HERITAGE conservation is alive and well in the province of Cebu. Cebu City itself, with its heritage structures—its Spanish-era city jail, for example, is now a museum complex; and Fort San Pedro, the Philippines’ oldest fort (1565 upon Legaspi’s arrival), now a park filled with native plants—and old houses serving cultural or other purposes, seems to show how serious its people are about the practice. One of the province’s most revered institutions, the University of San Carlos, leads conservation efforts in the province by offering two semesters on the subject through its Conservation and Heritage Research Institute and Workshop (CHERISH), which has documented heritage structures in the island.

That’s not all. Cebu also has its Shrine of the Santo Niño and the Cebu Cathedral with its adjunct museum—vital institutions preserved in all their architectural integrity. Outside the capital there is a wealth of heritage churches, with their respective towns having formed heritage committees to help in the preservation of these structures. However, the principal inadequacy in this work is, as usual, funding. But a few of these churches and the committees handling these have managed to apply and acquire grants to help in their conservation efforts, thanks to the assistance offered by the University of San Carlos and private foundations like the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation.

Among these churches, two stand out: the Argao and Boljoon Churches. Located south of Cebu City on the eastern part of the island, I visited both churches, thanks to the recent Museum Foundation of the Philippines trip that I joined. These houses of worship—massive structures that date back to the 18th century—belong to a string of church-fortresses built by the Augustinian Fray Julian Bermejo as protection from raiding pirates.

The first one, Argao Church, boasts of baroque and semi-rococo decoration, as well as a massive wooden retablo that has been regrettably gilded recently (thankfully, this is not irreversible). Its beautifully carved doors are studded with bronze rosettes; its organ was said to have come from Mexico. The church plaza, with its old trees and a carved stone fence that portrays the Stations of the Cross in an almost modern, abstract way, is a treasure to behold. The church convento remains beautifully preserved, blessed with antique furniture.

Located at Cebu island’s southeastern tip, the Boljoon Church is accessible through a winding road that descends to sea level. From a certain spot, the church materializes into view like a castle rising from the sea. The structure has a separate watch tower, where one can spot pirates, and bells—one came from the famed Hilario Sunico foundry in Manila—cast in the 19th century. Its convento is still intact; so are its colonial-era furniture and baptismal, marriage and funeral records dating from the 18th century. A unique wooden catechists’ house stands nearby on the church grounds that has rococo decorations.

These are just two of Cebu’s noted churches. Many of these need further conservation, particularly the Sibonga Church, which has the most varied, colorful and detailed ceiling paintings. It now faces an emergency situation: its convento floors are in a dangerous state of deterioration, and remnants of a seminary library sorely need attention.

It seems the provincial government of Cebu, the archbishop and academic institutions have been very supportive of heritage and culture. There are many publications about the churches, the Cebu Parian and Cebu’s history available. Cebu City is the first city in the country that we know that has held a Night of Museums early last year, when all museums and heritage structures were open to visitors until way into the night. These were accompanied by cultural presentations as practiced in many European cities every year.

One of the province’s outlying cities, Carcar, has a number of heritage houses that its citizens—and hopefully its local government—are seriously trying to conserve. It has a beautiful heritage church like most Cebu towns, a convento with a school and an ornate, American-era building nearby that used to be a government dispensary but has now been turned into a museum.

These are just some of the highlights of our Cebu trip and they only include the eastern part of the island. The western part has its own similar as well as different attractions. In sum, there are heritage churches, heritage houses, heritage public structures, as well as the sea and sand, the cuisine and the local handicrafts which are innovative, attractive and raise the bar for other provinces. Cebu leads the way in keeping its identity.



http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/opinion/27678-heritage-conservation-in-cebu

Its always a pleasure to read nice words about our province. Bravo to Ms. Ongpin! She does not flatter, she just states the facts as they are.

Its always a pleasure to read nice words about our province. Bravo to Ms. Ongpin! She does not flatter, she just states the facts as they are.

now that up cebu is independent entity from upv,i hope it will counter what usc has done. kon daghan institution of higher learning nga mo supporta by offering degree programs and producing professionals that caters to heritage and cultural preservation and promotion of local arts and music, then ang mga tao ma aware ug mo appreciate sa atong past (kagahapon)

Its always a pleasure to read nice words about our province. Bravo to Ms. Ongpin! She does not flatter, she just states the facts as they are.

now that up cebu is independent entity from upv,i hope it will counter what usc has done. kon daghan institution of higher learning nga mo supporta by offering degree programs and producing professionals that caters to heritage and cultural preservation and promotion of local arts and music, then ang mga tao ma aware ug mo appreciate sa atong past (kagahapon)

^^

i don't think you meant it but the use of the word "counter" is negative. it means you need to attack, suppress or replace....i would rather think that the word should be complement.

in fact, upcc has its visayan studies center---which is way beyond cebu in mandate---and dr. madz de la cerna, my classmate while doing grad school in up diliman, has been doing cultural mapping way before it became a mandate of the province nor of usc.

swu also offers some kind of heritage program for education students in grad school. cnu also has museology courses other than those offered by usc.

the other institutions are the ones that need to be challenged, like usj-r and uc and uv. but i understand uc also has some kind of heritage awareness projects but these are not yet at the level of research and knowledge production like those done by usc.

^^

i don't think you meant it but the use of the word "counter" is negative. it means you need to attack, suppress or replace....i would rather think that the word should be complement.

in fact, upcc has its visayan studies center---which is way beyond cebu in mandate---and dr. madz de la cerna, my classmate while doing grad school in up diliman, has been doing cultural mapping way before it became a mandate of the province nor of usc.

swu also offers some kind of heritage program for education students in grad school. cnu also has museology courses other than those offered by usc.

the other institutions are the ones that need to be challenged, like usj-r and uc and uv. but i understand uc also has some kind of heritage awareness projects but these are not yet at the level of research and knowledge production like those done by usc.

thanks all. i just love reading this thread! happy to note too that there are maroons here!
@lord, Ponson is the town of Pilar, right? argh, there was a graduation when I peeped into that church :(

nice stretch of road btw, from the altar all the way to the pier's tip is a straight line hehe

thanks all. i just love reading this thread! happy to note too that there are maroons here!
@lord, Ponson is the town of Pilar, right? argh, there was a graduation when I peeped into that church :(

nice stretch of road btw, from the altar all the way to the pier's tip is a straight line hehe

^^

i don't think you meant it but the use of the word "counter" is negative. it means you need to attack, suppress or replace....i would rather think that the word should be complement.

in fact, upcc has its visayan studies center---which is way beyond cebu in mandate---and dr. madz de la cerna, my classmate while doing grad school in up diliman, has been doing cultural mapping way before it became a mandate of the province nor of usc.

swu also offers some kind of heritage program for education students in grad school. cnu also has museology courses other than those offered by usc.

the other institutions are the ones that need to be challenged, like usj-r and uc and uv. but i understand uc also has some kind of heritage awareness projects but these are not yet at the level of research and knowledge production like those done by usc.

True! I was Ms Madz' student in one of her classes ( I think it was Science Technology and Society?) and our project then, was documenting the "baluarte" or the watchtowers scattered across the province. When I was teaching, we also became part of the cultural mapping activities and in particular I remember being carted in trucks when we went to Mantalongon. Hehehe. We had to stay overnight in some barangay hall in the mountain and I was supervisor of a bunch of college students. It was fun and a very nice experience interacting with the locals and learning about local history, including their old coal mines, coupled with hiking and trekking.



@pinoy traveler: You have a wonderful and very well-written blog sir. I have spent a few days reading some of your entries and the detailed way you write is just lovely to read. Cheers!

^^

i don't think you meant it but the use of the word "counter" is negative. it means you need to attack, suppress or replace....i would rather think that the word should be complement.

in fact, upcc has its visayan studies center---which is way beyond cebu in mandate---and dr. madz de la cerna, my classmate while doing grad school in up diliman, has been doing cultural mapping way before it became a mandate of the province nor of usc.

swu also offers some kind of heritage program for education students in grad school. cnu also has museology courses other than those offered by usc.

the other institutions are the ones that need to be challenged, like usj-r and uc and uv. but i understand uc also has some kind of heritage awareness projects but these are not yet at the level of research and knowledge production like those done by usc.

True! I was Ms Madz' student in one of her classes ( I think it was Science Technology and Society?) and our project then, was documenting the "baluarte" or the watchtowers scattered across the province. When I was teaching, we also became part of the cultural mapping activities and in particular I remember being carted in trucks when we went to Mantalongon. Hehehe. We had to stay overnight in some barangay hall in the mountain and I was supervisor of a bunch of college students. It was fun and a very nice experience interacting with the locals and learning about local history, including their old coal mines, coupled with hiking and trekking.



@pinoy traveler: You have a wonderful and very well-written blog sir. I have spent a few days reading some of your entries and the detailed way you write is just lovely to read. Cheers!

Its always a pleasure to read nice words about our province. Bravo to Ms. Ongpin! She does not flatter, she just states the facts as they are.
i was their guide Ms Karaang Tawo... we miss out several museum along the Pasiyo sa Kabilin strings of museum.. Including yours, gladly there was no Drama from you..:lol:

Its always a pleasure to read nice words about our province. Bravo to Ms. Ongpin! She does not flatter, she just states the facts as they are.
i was their guide Ms Karaang Tawo... we miss out several museum along the Pasiyo sa Kabilin strings of museum.. Including yours, gladly there was no Drama from you..:lol:

i was their guide Ms Karaang Tawo... we miss out several museum along the Pasiyo sa Kabilin strings of museum.. Including yours, gladly there was no Drama from you..:lol:

I know, I know. I kept waiting for you in the museum only to be told that you proceeded to eat somewhere already. Sige lang, I would have told them about the travails of the Heritage Commission.

When I called you during the radio program, it was not to tell you that I'm listening in. When I said "Nia ko diri" that was to correct you for saying "Naa ko dinhi" The word is NIA not NAA. You use naa when you say "NAA ko Dinha sa retrato" (I am in the picture) NIA ko diri is I AM HERE physically present in this space now(here) . But thank you for acknowledging my presence over the air! I always listen to you and Ahmed.:)

Cheers higala!

i was their guide Ms Karaang Tawo... we miss out several museum along the Pasiyo sa Kabilin strings of museum.. Including yours, gladly there was no Drama from you..:lol:

I know, I know. I kept waiting for you in the museum only to be told that you proceeded to eat somewhere already. Sige lang, I would have told them about the travails of the Heritage Commission.

When I called you during the radio program, it was not to tell you that I'm listening in. When I said "Nia ko diri" that was to correct you for saying "Naa ko dinhi" The word is NIA not NAA. You use naa when you say "NAA ko Dinha sa retrato" (I am in the picture) NIA ko diri is I AM HERE physically present in this space now(here) . But thank you for acknowledging my presence over the air! I always listen to you and Ahmed.:)

Cheers higala!

^^



after all this time, finally saw a re-run of your kabilin - bantayan episode. It was great as usual. Some questions though:
1. Will one of your future activity(ies) include diggings near that house where there were bansils/trinkets found. Its the house of that lady where you brought a book for that lady to identify what she found.
2. when is the 3rd installment coming out? what is the title/topic?

^^



after all this time, finally saw a re-run of your kabilin - bantayan episode. It was great as usual. Some questions though:
1. Will one of your future activity(ies) include diggings near that house where there were bansils/trinkets found. Its the house of that lady where you brought a book for that lady to identify what she found.
2. when is the 3rd installment coming out? what is the title/topic?

after all this time, finally saw a re-run of your kabilin - bantayan episode. It was great as usual. Some questions though:
1. Will one of your future activity(ies) include diggings near that house where there were bansils/trinkets found. Its the house of that lady where you brought a book for that lady to identify what she found.
2. when is the 3rd installment coming out? what is the title/topic?

Hi Taga_Bogo! This is not a rerun, boy. the episode you saw with gold etc. was the third episode which started this week lang. the next one is on church art.

here are my answers:

1. The entire place is looted and is full of so many informal settlers. There is very little left that remains unexcavated. It's a very dangerous place.

2. this is the 3rd installment that you saw. it is entitled "Bulawanong Sugbo".

i have to be out of the country by next week. when i return, i will work on the next two episodes. murag mopaspas na tingali kay naa na may editors and equipment.

By the way, I might excavate in San Remegio with students from USC, UP and the Univ. of Guam. We will also be doing some site surveys. This will be middle of next year. If you know of any unlooted sites, please dont failt to inform me ha.

after all this time, finally saw a re-run of your kabilin - bantayan episode. It was great as usual. Some questions though:
1. Will one of your future activity(ies) include diggings near that house where there were bansils/trinkets found. Its the house of that lady where you brought a book for that lady to identify what she found.
2. when is the 3rd installment coming out? what is the title/topic?

Hi Taga_Bogo! This is not a rerun, boy. the episode you saw with gold etc. was the third episode which started this week lang. the next one is on church art.

here are my answers:

1. The entire place is looted and is full of so many informal settlers. There is very little left that remains unexcavated. It's a very dangerous place.

2. this is the 3rd installment that you saw. it is entitled "Bulawanong Sugbo".

i have to be out of the country by next week. when i return, i will work on the next two episodes. murag mopaspas na tingali kay naa na may editors and equipment.

By the way, I might excavate in San Remegio with students from USC, UP and the Univ. of Guam. We will also be doing some site surveys. This will be middle of next year. If you know of any unlooted sites, please dont failt to inform me ha.

The Galeon Andalucia is in Cebu under the auspices of the Province of Cebu. It arrived at 10:30 a.m. today, Oct. 13 and docked sat Pier 1 in lieu of the planned berth at Malacanang sa Sugbo because of miscommunication. The PSG did not permit the galeon to dock there without approval from Malacanang in Manila.

Hopefully, the problem can be threshed out by today and tomorrow, when viewing starts, then the public can go up from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. No tickets, free admission. So, very long lines are expected.

The ship will be in Cebu City until the 19th then it will move to some of the other Cebu towns.

Here are photos of the arrival by Fr. Jun Rebayla, SVD


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Galeon%20Andalucia/galeon10.jpg



http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Galeon%20Andalucia/galeon11.jpg



http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Galeon%20Andalucia/galeon12.jpg




http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Galeon%20Andalucia/galeon13.jpg



http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Galeon%20Andalucia/galeon8.jpg

The Galeon Andalucia is in Cebu under the auspices of the Province of Cebu. It arrived at 10:30 a.m. today, Oct. 13 and docked sat Pier 1 in lieu of the planned berth at Malacanang sa Sugbo because of miscommunication. The PSG did not permit the galeon to dock there without approval from Malacanang in Manila.

Hopefully, the problem can be threshed out by today and tomorrow, when viewing starts, then the public can go up from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. No tickets, free admission. So, very long lines are expected.

The ship will be in Cebu City until the 19th then it will move to some of the other Cebu towns.

Here are photos of the arrival by Fr. Jun Rebayla, SVD


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Galeon%20Andalucia/galeon10.jpg



http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Galeon%20Andalucia/galeon11.jpg



http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Galeon%20Andalucia/galeon12.jpg




http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Galeon%20Andalucia/galeon13.jpg



http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Galeon%20Andalucia/galeon8.jpg

Indeed, Boy, it should be called as it is: puso.

but i also do not agree that this is unique to Cebu. one can also find this practice in Malaysia and even in Singapore (probably brought in from Malaysia). but the shape and size is different from the puso of Cebu, of course.

PUSO is a Malaysian pride. It's one of Malaysia's pride. During Edilfitri celebration, you can see lots of puso decorations either from coconut leaves or ribbons... You can find more puso here than in Cebu. PUSO is a symbol of Malaysia. So it's not a Cebuano thing.


During Malaysia Day last August 31, Celebrating Malaysia's Independence.
Puso decors together with Malaysian Flag. A common scene here during Malaysian Independence and Idelfiti's Hari Raya celebration.
http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/4253/puso2.jpg

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/5972/puso1.jpg

Indeed, Boy, it should be called as it is: puso.

but i also do not agree that this is unique to Cebu. one can also find this practice in Malaysia and even in Singapore (probably brought in from Malaysia). but the shape and size is different from the puso of Cebu, of course.

PUSO is a Malaysian pride. It's one of Malaysia's pride. During Edilfitri celebration, you can see lots of puso decorations either from coconut leaves or ribbons... You can find more puso here than in Cebu. PUSO is a symbol of Malaysia. So it's not a Cebuano thing.


During Malaysia Day last August 31, Celebrating Malaysia's Independence.
Puso decors together with Malaysian Flag. A common scene here during Malaysian Independence and Idelfiti's Hari Raya celebration.
http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/4253/puso2.jpg

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/5972/puso1.jpg

Perhaps you can say it is both Malaysian and Cebuano and there was a time many, many years ago, when the Cebuano and Malaysian's past were intertwined in a way.
They might have independently and analogously evolved but with the close proximity of Cebu and Malaysia, it is more probable that it was a cultural diffusion of some sort.

Interestingly enough, there are provinces in Mindanao which are much closer to Malaysia than Cebu but they don't have the puso meme. Hehe.

Perhaps you can say it is both Malaysian and Cebuano and there was a time many, many years ago, when the Cebuano and Malaysian's past were intertwined in a way.
They might have independently and analogously evolved but with the close proximity of Cebu and Malaysia, it is more probable that it was a cultural diffusion of some sort.

Interestingly enough, there are provinces in Mindanao which are much closer to Malaysia than Cebu but they don't have the puso meme. Hehe.

^^Maybe a Malaysian brought a single Puso to Cebu then from that on, Cebuanos adopted it or maybe A Cebuano brought one in Malaysia and eventually Malaysians adopted it...hehehe

^^Maybe a Malaysian brought a single Puso to Cebu then from that on, Cebuanos adopted it or maybe A Cebuano brought one in Malaysia and eventually Malaysians adopted it...hehehe

^^Or Cebu is a place in Malaysia that was misplaced during some continental drifting? Might be the reason why we are a bit out of place in Philippines? :D

^^Or Cebu is a place in Malaysia that was misplaced during some continental drifting? Might be the reason why we are a bit out of place in Philippines? :D

please elaborate "we are a bit out of place"... :D

please elaborate "we are a bit out of place"... :D

Poblacion Pardo, Cebu City, Cebu State, Malaysia :lol: :jk:

Poblacion Pardo, Cebu City, Cebu State, Malaysia :lol: :jk:

^^Ironically, the geographic location of Cebu is right at the center of the archipelago... :D

@Slerz, di na lang nato i-elaborate kay basin mosaka ang kilay sa mga Filipino... :D

Sorry sa OT.

^^Ironically, the geographic location of Cebu is right at the center of the archipelago... :D

@Slerz, di na lang nato i-elaborate kay basin mosaka ang kilay sa mga Filipino... :D

Sorry sa OT.

Hi Taga_Bogo! This is not a rerun, boy. the episode you saw with gold etc. was the third episode which started this week lang. the next one is on church art.

here are my answers:

1. The entire place is looted and is full of so many informal settlers. There is very little left that remains unexcavated. It's a very dangerous place.

2. this is the 3rd installment that you saw. it is entitled "Bulawanong Sugbo".

i have to be out of the country by next week. when i return, i will work on the next two episodes. murag mopaspas na tingali kay naa na may editors and equipment.

By the way, I might excavate in San Remegio with students from USC, UP and the Univ. of Guam. We will also be doing some site surveys. This will be middle of next year. If you know of any unlooted sites, please dont failt to inform me ha.

"This is not a rerun, boy" - hahaay abi nako mao na to :gaah:

"If you know of any unlooted sites, please dont failt to inform me ha" - sorry cant be much of a help with you on this

Hi Taga_Bogo! This is not a rerun, boy. the episode you saw with gold etc. was the third episode which started this week lang. the next one is on church art.

here are my answers:

1. The entire place is looted and is full of so many informal settlers. There is very little left that remains unexcavated. It's a very dangerous place.

2. this is the 3rd installment that you saw. it is entitled "Bulawanong Sugbo".

i have to be out of the country by next week. when i return, i will work on the next two episodes. murag mopaspas na tingali kay naa na may editors and equipment.

By the way, I might excavate in San Remegio with students from USC, UP and the Univ. of Guam. We will also be doing some site surveys. This will be middle of next year. If you know of any unlooted sites, please dont failt to inform me ha.

"This is not a rerun, boy" - hahaay abi nako mao na to :gaah:

"If you know of any unlooted sites, please dont failt to inform me ha" - sorry cant be much of a help with you on this

@pinoy traveler: You have a wonderful and very well-written blog sir. I have spent a few days reading some of your entries and the detailed way you write is just lovely to read. Cheers!

Salamat for spending the few days on my blog:), yes, I write long - influenced by those who wanted me to write my sojourns (family, and yes some friends).

am on the NegOr stretch now and boy are there so many things to tell :)

@pinoy traveler: You have a wonderful and very well-written blog sir. I have spent a few days reading some of your entries and the detailed way you write is just lovely to read. Cheers!

Salamat for spending the few days on my blog:), yes, I write long - influenced by those who wanted me to write my sojourns (family, and yes some friends).

am on the NegOr stretch now and boy are there so many things to tell :)

http://needsandsolutions.smugmug.com/Events/Andalucia/IMG6743/1058652481_SFS4U-L.jpg (http://needsandsolutions.smugmug.com/Events/Andalucia/14306688_CfTCT#1058652481_SFS4U-A-LB)


http://needsandsolutions.smugmug.com/Events/Andalucia/IMG6882/1058738056_qdvYQ-L.jpg (http://needsandsolutions.smugmug.com/Events/Andalucia/14306688_CfTCT#1058738056_qdvYQ-A-LB)

Grab your Andalucia pics here (http://needsandsolutions.smugmug.com/Events/Andalucia/14306688_CfTCT)

http://needsandsolutions.smugmug.com/Events/Andalucia/IMG6743/1058652481_SFS4U-L.jpg (http://needsandsolutions.smugmug.com/Events/Andalucia/14306688_CfTCT#1058652481_SFS4U-A-LB)


http://needsandsolutions.smugmug.com/Events/Andalucia/IMG6882/1058738056_qdvYQ-L.jpg (http://needsandsolutions.smugmug.com/Events/Andalucia/14306688_CfTCT#1058738056_qdvYQ-A-LB)

Grab your Andalucia pics here (http://needsandsolutions.smugmug.com/Events/Andalucia/14306688_CfTCT)

??

??

Tried calling but the responses are always cant be reached. would you be in Cebu City now?

Tried calling but the responses are always cant be reached. would you be in Cebu City now?

Tried calling but the responses are always cant be reached. would you be in Cebu City now?

was in taiwan, boy. then went to tacloban...but now in cebu. please call again.

Tried calling but the responses are always cant be reached. would you be in Cebu City now?

was in taiwan, boy. then went to tacloban...but now in cebu. please call again.

The walled former town of Oslob, Cebu

This is the site of the old town of Oslob. It was a fortified town, a citadel.

Sometime between 1790 to 1829, the town was transferred to its present-day location two kilometers to the north.

I asked sir Jobers for the reason of the transfer and the reason was that the present-day location was easier to defend against Moro invaders from the south and that it also provided a conducive environment for the development and expansion of the town. The terrain of the old town is somewhat hilly whereas the present-day town is flat and expansive.

More of the story here, http://www.cebuheritage.com



A wall and a bulwark at the eastern side which faces the highway and the coast.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4022/5138742600_6eb1398032_z.jpg



Part of the eastern wall that runs for a few hundred meters.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1377/5138744506_d239489ede_z.jpg



The wall that runs at the western side.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/5138750672_b71dd535a0_z.jpg



The wall that runs at the northern side.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1330/5138144141_38000412c2_z.jpg



A bulwark at the southwest, where the walls from the south and west meet.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1134/5138749994_022c5c45ee_z.jpg



The largest of all the bulwarks is located at the southeast. It bears an indiscernible carving of a year. But it seems to be 1789.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4129/5138136675_7b08976fdf_z.jpg



A bulwark at the part where the walls from the north and the east meet.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4050/5138753968_f627ab488c_z.jpg



Angkor Wat?

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/5138755146_0f8f10f8d6_z.jpg



A portal at the northern wall with SSC forumer Mark at the foreground.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4091/5138754618_ce55bed186_z.jpg






.:.

The walled former town of Oslob, Cebu

This is the site of the old town of Oslob. It was a fortified town, a citadel.

Sometime between 1790 to 1829, the town was transferred to its present-day location two kilometers to the north.

I asked sir Jobers for the reason of the transfer and the reason was that the present-day location was easier to defend against Moro invaders from the south and that it also provided a conducive environment for the development and expansion of the town. The terrain of the old town is somewhat hilly whereas the present-day town is flat and expansive.

More of the story here, http://www.cebuheritage.com



A wall and a bulwark at the eastern side which faces the highway and the coast.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4022/5138742600_6eb1398032_z.jpg



Part of the eastern wall that runs for a few hundred meters.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1377/5138744506_d239489ede_z.jpg



The wall that runs at the western side.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/5138750672_b71dd535a0_z.jpg



The wall that runs at the northern side.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1330/5138144141_38000412c2_z.jpg



A bulwark at the southwest, where the walls from the south and west meet.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1134/5138749994_022c5c45ee_z.jpg



The largest of all the bulwarks is located at the southeast. It bears an indiscernible carving of a year. But it seems to be 1789.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4129/5138136675_7b08976fdf_z.jpg



A bulwark at the part where the walls from the north and the east meet.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4050/5138753968_f627ab488c_z.jpg



Angkor Wat?

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/5138755146_0f8f10f8d6_z.jpg



A portal at the northern wall with SSC forumer Mark at the foreground.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4091/5138754618_ce55bed186_z.jpg






.:.

OT:

Guys, I need your help for SSC-Cebu Sinulog T-shirt design esp. forumers here with talent & skill in graphics design. An integration of skyline or urban style background theme and sinulog concept

> > > HERE (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=66581557#post66581557) < < <

OT:

Guys, I need your help for SSC-Cebu Sinulog T-shirt design esp. forumers here with talent & skill in graphics design. An integration of skyline or urban style background theme and sinulog concept

> > > HERE (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=66581557#post66581557) < < <

The walled former town of Oslob, Cebu

This is the site of the old town of Oslob. It was a fortified town, a citadel.

Sometime between 1790 to 1829, the town was transferred to its present-day location two kilometers to the north.

I asked sir Jobers for the reason of the transfer and the reason was that the present-day location was easier to defend against Moro invaders from the south and that it also provided a conducive environment for the development and expansion of the town. The terrain of the old town is somewhat hilly whereas the present-day town is flat and expansive.




.:.


the credit for this answer actually goes to Joilito Benitez, the author of the town history of Oslob, and a faculty member of CNU.

he based his reasoning on interviews as well as documents, especially the Historical Data Papers of Oslob written by teachers as part of a nationwdie historical documentation project of the Bureau of Public Works then under Alejandro Roces.

The walled former town of Oslob, Cebu

This is the site of the old town of Oslob. It was a fortified town, a citadel.

Sometime between 1790 to 1829, the town was transferred to its present-day location two kilometers to the north.

I asked sir Jobers for the reason of the transfer and the reason was that the present-day location was easier to defend against Moro invaders from the south and that it also provided a conducive environment for the development and expansion of the town. The terrain of the old town is somewhat hilly whereas the present-day town is flat and expansive.




.:.


the credit for this answer actually goes to Joilito Benitez, the author of the town history of Oslob, and a faculty member of CNU.

he based his reasoning on interviews as well as documents, especially the Historical Data Papers of Oslob written by teachers as part of a nationwdie historical documentation project of the Bureau of Public Works then under Alejandro Roces.

Are there any plans of preserving / improving this site? Is the land where this site now sits public? private? or church owned?

The walled former town of Oslob, Cebu

This is the site of the old town of Oslob. It was a fortified town, a citadel.

Sometime between 1790 to 1829, the town was transferred to its present-day location two kilometers to the north.

I asked sir Jobers for the reason of the transfer and the reason was that the present-day location was easier to defend against Moro invaders from the south and that it also provided a conducive environment for the development and expansion of the town. The terrain of the old town is somewhat hilly whereas the present-day town is flat and expansive.

More of the story here, http://www.cebuheritage.com



A wall and a bulwark at the eastern side which faces the highway and the coast.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4022/5138742600_6eb1398032_z.jpg



Part of the eastern wall that runs for a few hundred meters.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1377/5138744506_d239489ede_z.jpg



The wall that runs at the western side.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/5138750672_b71dd535a0_z.jpg



The wall that runs at the northern side.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1330/5138144141_38000412c2_z.jpg



A bulwark at the southwest, where the walls from the south and west meet.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1134/5138749994_022c5c45ee_z.jpg



The largest of all the bulwarks is located at the southeast. It bears an indiscernible carving of a year. But it seems to be 1789.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4129/5138136675_7b08976fdf_z.jpg



A bulwark at the part where the walls from the north and the east meet.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4050/5138753968_f627ab488c_z.jpg



Angkor Wat?

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/5138755146_0f8f10f8d6_z.jpg



A portal at the northern wall with SSC forumer Mark at the foreground.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4091/5138754618_ce55bed186_z.jpg






.:.

Are there any plans of preserving / improving this site? Is the land where this site now sits public? private? or church owned?

The walled former town of Oslob, Cebu

This is the site of the old town of Oslob. It was a fortified town, a citadel.

Sometime between 1790 to 1829, the town was transferred to its present-day location two kilometers to the north.

I asked sir Jobers for the reason of the transfer and the reason was that the present-day location was easier to defend against Moro invaders from the south and that it also provided a conducive environment for the development and expansion of the town. The terrain of the old town is somewhat hilly whereas the present-day town is flat and expansive.

More of the story here, http://www.cebuheritage.com



A wall and a bulwark at the eastern side which faces the highway and the coast.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4022/5138742600_6eb1398032_z.jpg



Part of the eastern wall that runs for a few hundred meters.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1377/5138744506_d239489ede_z.jpg



The wall that runs at the western side.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/5138750672_b71dd535a0_z.jpg



The wall that runs at the northern side.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1330/5138144141_38000412c2_z.jpg



A bulwark at the southwest, where the walls from the south and west meet.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1134/5138749994_022c5c45ee_z.jpg



The largest of all the bulwarks is located at the southeast. It bears an indiscernible carving of a year. But it seems to be 1789.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4129/5138136675_7b08976fdf_z.jpg



A bulwark at the part where the walls from the north and the east meet.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4050/5138753968_f627ab488c_z.jpg



Angkor Wat?

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/5138755146_0f8f10f8d6_z.jpg



A portal at the northern wall with SSC forumer Mark at the foreground.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4091/5138754618_ce55bed186_z.jpg






.:.

Are there any plans of preserving / improving this site? Is the land where this site now sits public? private? or church owned?

How big is the walled town? And yes indeed, who owns the land where this is located? Some of the stones seems to be crumbling.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
http://pinoyshooter.org/bogs/

Are there any plans of preserving / improving this site? Is the land where this site now sits public? private? or church owned?

How big is the walled town? And yes indeed, who owns the land where this is located? Some of the stones seems to be crumbling.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
http://pinoyshooter.org/bogs/

.

Saw your cebu walled town kabilin show on sugbo TV. Would you have CD compilation of all the shows for sale. Would make some nice Christmas gifts for my sisters and brother in the US. If there are where can I make a purchase.

Dale looks GREAT on that show.

On the walled towns sugbo TV show, tutorial lang unta ("_"), you made mention that the kidnappings by the muslim raiders were for slavery/workers in Malacca. According to that book you had cited this was from 1700(?) to 1860. There was an article I read some years ago that claimed Magellan had a Visayan interpreter from Malacca. Unfortunately that article did not mention how Magellan got hold of that interpreter. Are there any records that mention dates of Visayan OFWs ha ha ha, working in Malacca prior to the 1700 Muslim raids.

.

Saw your cebu walled town kabilin show on sugbo TV. Would you have CD compilation of all the shows for sale. Would make some nice Christmas gifts for my sisters and brother in the US. If there are where can I make a purchase.

Dale looks GREAT on that show.

On the walled towns sugbo TV show, tutorial lang unta ("_"), you made mention that the kidnappings by the muslim raiders were for slavery/workers in Malacca. According to that book you had cited this was from 1700(?) to 1860. There was an article I read some years ago that claimed Magellan had a Visayan interpreter from Malacca. Unfortunately that article did not mention how Magellan got hold of that interpreter. Are there any records that mention dates of Visayan OFWs ha ha ha, working in Malacca prior to the 1700 Muslim raids.

How big is the walled town? And yes indeed, who owns the land where this is located? Some of the stones seems to be crumbling.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
http://pinoyshooter.org/bogs/


Archdiocese of Cebu daw.

We followed the perimeter of the walls, it's more or less as big as Boljoon's church complex I guess.



..

How big is the walled town? And yes indeed, who owns the land where this is located? Some of the stones seems to be crumbling.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
http://pinoyshooter.org/bogs/


Archdiocese of Cebu daw.

We followed the perimeter of the walls, it's more or less as big as Boljoon's church complex I guess.



..

More photos,


The year is indiscernible due to corrosion but it seems to be either 1785 or 1789. This relief of a year is found at the bastion at the southeast portion of the fortification.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1193/5138137207_9fa3fbe808_z.jpg



Details of the parapet of the bastion where the carved year can be found.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1054/5138137929_aa0d972f9e_z.jpg



Details of the interiors of another bastion. Note those small window openings. The guns could have been mounted from here.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1401/5138134033_dd6b87fe6a_z.jpg


Remnants of what used to be a structure or a building.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1145/5138135719_ccaeb9cb52_z.jpg



A breach at the western part of the fortification.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4144/5138142023_cc60cc92e4_z.jpg



Cross section of the wall

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1071/5138142779_8883ee1c49_z.jpg

More photos,


The year is indiscernible due to corrosion but it seems to be either 1785 or 1789. This relief of a year is found at the bastion at the southeast portion of the fortification.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1193/5138137207_9fa3fbe808_z.jpg



Details of the parapet of the bastion where the carved year can be found.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1054/5138137929_aa0d972f9e_z.jpg



Details of the interiors of another bastion. Note those small window openings. The guns could have been mounted from here.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1401/5138134033_dd6b87fe6a_z.jpg


Remnants of what used to be a structure or a building.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1145/5138135719_ccaeb9cb52_z.jpg



A breach at the western part of the fortification.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4144/5138142023_cc60cc92e4_z.jpg



Cross section of the wall

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1071/5138142779_8883ee1c49_z.jpg

PAST FORWARD
Jesuit house in Parian
By Jobers Bersales
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 09:29:00 11/18/2010
Filed Under: history


Between October 1879 and June 1880, the heirs of the Villa family (children of Don Juan Villa and Doña Juliana Diaz): Valentin, Juan, Francisca, Ambrosia, Gavina, Enriqueta and Maria Villa y Diaz bequeathed to the Jesuit Order a house and lot they had inherited to serve as a residence. The house was described as a “casa de mampostería” with its corresponding solar (lot), located in Panting, Cebu City, “lintado por las paredes de piedra y estero que le sirvan de cerco (bound by stone walls and an estero which serve as an enclosure).” Thus reads part of the e-mail of Dr. Michael Cullinane to the maverick tour guide Balbino “Ka Bino” Guerrero, his walking and jogging partner in Cebu some two years ago when he returned for the second time after a decade of absence.

Ka Bino quickly shared the e-mail on his Facebook account to local historians and heritage buffs in Cebu last Oct. 25. Thus was I able to get first-hand notice of this extremely important find.

Mike’s e-mail continues: “(T)he house was given to the Jesuits with five conditions: (1) that the Jesuits will reside in the house (‘habitarán a la tal casa’) without any rental payment (‘sin pagar alquiler ninguna’) for 25 years, during which time they will be responsible for its maintenance and repairs (‘reparaciones que se hagan en la casa’); (2) if the Jesuits leave the casa or abandon it before the end of the 25 years, the property will revert to the original owners or their heirs; (3) during their occupancy, the Jesuits will dedicate specific prayers for the lives and souls of the members of the Villa family; (4) the Villas and/or their heirs will regain ownership of the casa after the 25 years has elapsed; (5) if at that time, the family or its heirs do not wish to reclaim the property, the Jesuits will purchase it from them for P1,500. (T)he transaction was between the Villa siblings (above) and Fr. Hermano Pelegrin Navarro, SJ, who was negotiating in representation of Fr. Joaquin Heras, the Jesuit Superior in Manila. A the time of this transaction, all the Villa women were ‘solteras’ (bachelorettes) and ‘vecinos’ (residents) of Cebu City, while Valentin Villa was ‘casado’ (married) and Juan Villa was ‘soltero’ (bachelor), with both the men (Valentin and Juan) listed as vecinos of Matalom, Leyte. (T)he final transaction (June 1, 1880) was signed by the incumbent Alcalde Mayor, Don Antonio Cosin y Martinez and the “’testigos instrumentales’ Alejandro Cedeño, Pedro Gonzales, Jacobo Padilla, Mateo Donato, and Jose Castillo.”

With this latest find, Mike has hit the jackpot, as it were, in the continuing search for the history behind what is considered to be the oldest of Spanish-era house in Cebu today. Mike is no stranger to Cebu, having spent his post-college days as a Peace Corps volunteer here in the 1970s, teaching history at the then-Cebu Normal School as well as at the University of San Carlos.

He is also in the best position to tell us more about what lurks behind the hundreds of thousands of pages of the “Protocolos” – Spanish-era notarial documents kept at the National Archives in Manila – the Cebu section of which he has been quietly working on for the past four decades. (Incidentally, on a personal note, Mike also e-mailed me something about our Reynes line two years ago which he also discovered from the Protocolos, which I will only share with my relatives – something to titillate the imagination)!

While Mike doubts whether the “1730” seal etched above the door of the Jesuit House means that it was constructed around that time, his find nevertheless helps clarify why the Jesuit William Repetti stated in his 1938 pictorial book of remnant Jesuit structures in the Philippines and Guam that all things contained in the house came from the Villa family.

Well, Mike has finally found the exact provenance of his long-held hypothesis that this house was occupied by the Jesuits during their return to the Philippines after the 1768 expulsion from all the Spanish colonies.

It also bolsters his contention that all the carved Jesuit seals on the perimeter coral stone walls of the property were obviously made after 1880.

Incidentally, this house is now owned by Jimmy Sy, a second-generation entrepreneur in construction supply, who has turned it gradually into a museum and memorial to the Jesuits, a fitting tribute and honor after it was rescued by his parents from its notoriety in the 1950s as a go-go bar or night club.

Now that the proof of the original Villa ownership has been found, the next mystery to solve is what the “1730” seal actually means. To the “Protocolos,” everyone!

PAST FORWARD
Jesuit house in Parian
By Jobers Bersales
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 09:29:00 11/18/2010
Filed Under: history


Between October 1879 and June 1880, the heirs of the Villa family (children of Don Juan Villa and Doña Juliana Diaz): Valentin, Juan, Francisca, Ambrosia, Gavina, Enriqueta and Maria Villa y Diaz bequeathed to the Jesuit Order a house and lot they had inherited to serve as a residence. The house was described as a “casa de mampostería” with its corresponding solar (lot), located in Panting, Cebu City, “lintado por las paredes de piedra y estero que le sirvan de cerco (bound by stone walls and an estero which serve as an enclosure).” Thus reads part of the e-mail of Dr. Michael Cullinane to the maverick tour guide Balbino “Ka Bino” Guerrero, his walking and jogging partner in Cebu some two years ago when he returned for the second time after a decade of absence.

Ka Bino quickly shared the e-mail on his Facebook account to local historians and heritage buffs in Cebu last Oct. 25. Thus was I able to get first-hand notice of this extremely important find.

Mike’s e-mail continues: “(T)he house was given to the Jesuits with five conditions: (1) that the Jesuits will reside in the house (‘habitarán a la tal casa’) without any rental payment (‘sin pagar alquiler ninguna’) for 25 years, during which time they will be responsible for its maintenance and repairs (‘reparaciones que se hagan en la casa’); (2) if the Jesuits leave the casa or abandon it before the end of the 25 years, the property will revert to the original owners or their heirs; (3) during their occupancy, the Jesuits will dedicate specific prayers for the lives and souls of the members of the Villa family; (4) the Villas and/or their heirs will regain ownership of the casa after the 25 years has elapsed; (5) if at that time, the family or its heirs do not wish to reclaim the property, the Jesuits will purchase it from them for P1,500. (T)he transaction was between the Villa siblings (above) and Fr. Hermano Pelegrin Navarro, SJ, who was negotiating in representation of Fr. Joaquin Heras, the Jesuit Superior in Manila. A the time of this transaction, all the Villa women were ‘solteras’ (bachelorettes) and ‘vecinos’ (residents) of Cebu City, while Valentin Villa was ‘casado’ (married) and Juan Villa was ‘soltero’ (bachelor), with both the men (Valentin and Juan) listed as vecinos of Matalom, Leyte. (T)he final transaction (June 1, 1880) was signed by the incumbent Alcalde Mayor, Don Antonio Cosin y Martinez and the “’testigos instrumentales’ Alejandro Cedeño, Pedro Gonzales, Jacobo Padilla, Mateo Donato, and Jose Castillo.”

With this latest find, Mike has hit the jackpot, as it were, in the continuing search for the history behind what is considered to be the oldest of Spanish-era house in Cebu today. Mike is no stranger to Cebu, having spent his post-college days as a Peace Corps volunteer here in the 1970s, teaching history at the then-Cebu Normal School as well as at the University of San Carlos.

He is also in the best position to tell us more about what lurks behind the hundreds of thousands of pages of the “Protocolos” – Spanish-era notarial documents kept at the National Archives in Manila – the Cebu section of which he has been quietly working on for the past four decades. (Incidentally, on a personal note, Mike also e-mailed me something about our Reynes line two years ago which he also discovered from the Protocolos, which I will only share with my relatives – something to titillate the imagination)!

While Mike doubts whether the “1730” seal etched above the door of the Jesuit House means that it was constructed around that time, his find nevertheless helps clarify why the Jesuit William Repetti stated in his 1938 pictorial book of remnant Jesuit structures in the Philippines and Guam that all things contained in the house came from the Villa family.

Well, Mike has finally found the exact provenance of his long-held hypothesis that this house was occupied by the Jesuits during their return to the Philippines after the 1768 expulsion from all the Spanish colonies.

It also bolsters his contention that all the carved Jesuit seals on the perimeter coral stone walls of the property were obviously made after 1880.

Incidentally, this house is now owned by Jimmy Sy, a second-generation entrepreneur in construction supply, who has turned it gradually into a museum and memorial to the Jesuits, a fitting tribute and honor after it was rescued by his parents from its notoriety in the 1950s as a go-go bar or night club.

Now that the proof of the original Villa ownership has been found, the next mystery to solve is what the “1730” seal actually means. To the “Protocolos,” everyone!

^^

That answers our questions indeed.. Anyway, I emailed Fr. Rene Javellana already. I'll wait for his reply since he also made a research about this house.

Anyway, I still find the house unique among the rest such as Casa Gorordo, Yap-Sandiego, etc. or other typical houses since this particular house is made of stone in all levels (upper and lower).


:banana:

^^

That answers our questions indeed.. Anyway, I emailed Fr. Rene Javellana already. I'll wait for his reply since he also made a research about this house.

Anyway, I still find the house unique among the rest such as Casa Gorordo, Yap-Sandiego, etc. or other typical houses since this particular house is made of stone in all levels (upper and lower).


:banana:

^^ the paper just clarify the house's history...

it does not remove it aesthetics, so no worries Karl..

^^ the paper just clarify the house's history...

it does not remove it aesthetics, so no worries Karl..

Rene Javellana's response to Jojo's Column


Dear Mr. Bersales,

Am in Cebu at the moment, but will be returning to Manila on 19 November.

I read your article quoting Dr. Michael Cullinane email to Ka Bino Guerrero on the document of 1879-1880 in which the Villa family donated house to the Jesuits. The terms of donation were standard in the colonial era. The house donated by the Villa may be a different house altogether from that mentioned in the email you quoted.

The dates October 1879 and June 1880, belong to the period of the return of the Jesuits to the Philippines. I have to ascertain from the Jesuit archives in Manila if there are corroborating records from the same era about the house. But as the the email you quoted stands, I have questions about the interpretation of that document.

1. Location. Where was the Villa house? The document mentions that the house is in Panting, Cebu City not Parian. You are probably more familiar with the Cebu but I am checking where Panting is.
2. Lot parameters. The document mentions "paredes de piedra y estero que sirven que la sirven de cerco." If there is an estero near the 1730 house, it is the Estero de Parian but that is now separated by lots from the house and there which is not completely enclosed by a wall. That needs explanation.
3. de mamposteria. The document describes the house as de mamposteria. This is a technical term meaning that the house was made of rubble, i.e. rough stones bound by lime mortar and smoothened by a lime finish. The description may fit the the house, (House B), which was the kitchen and dining hall of the residence when it was occupied by the Alvarez family. The main house (House A) where the date 1730 is found is technically described as "de sillar," i.e. cut-stone. That would have appeared in a document of donation, which would have to pass legal review.

Other details of the house suggest that the residence own by Sy Family is older.

1. By 1879-80, a house like that in the Parian, would not get a permit for construction, granting that the house was of 19th century provenance. Building laws had been passed after successive earthquakes banning the use of tile roofs. Instead a metal roof was prescribed. If it had a tile roof, it must have been in place before the 19th century building codes. This year is the same era as the construction of the San Ignacio Church in Manila, and that had a metal roof.
2. There are very few house built of cut stone that go a full two-stories as in House A. Most are a two part structure like Casa Gorordo, lower floor of stone and upper floor of wood. In Cebu, as far as I know, the only residence which has two floors of stone is the Santo Nino Basilica convento. Two floors of stone fell out of use for residences by the 19th century.
3. Some art details have emerged since the cleaning of the house. The date 1730 or is it 1750, are of the calligraphic style of the 18th century as seen in many documents. The Jesuist seal, the names or monograms of Mary and Joseph also appear in 18th century Jesuit churches and their style was belongs to the 16th-18th century. By the 19th century, the Jesuits used as less elaborate style as seen in their many publications.

I am presently working on the Jesuit suppression papers on 1768 and the years that follow. These are under the category of Temporalidades in the National Archives. Some papers are in the Jesuit archives and some are actually in diocesan archives. A fellow researcher, Ricky Jose, discovered the inventory of Indang church in the Archives of the Archdiocese of Manila. The work of reading inventories is tedious but should I find data on the Jesuit House, I will surely communicate it.

I am glad Cebuanos are taking an interest in this house. What ever data can be gathered to clarify the history of this house is most welcome. Please feel free to share this email with whomever want to contribute to a better reconstruction of the house at the Parian. Whatever year it was made, whoever owned it, the Jesuit House is revealing itself as worthy of deeper study; not the least is the obviously Chinese influence, like the flaring roof, the be gua at the end of the roof and the recently exposed painting on the ceiling beams.

I'd be happy to know Ka Bino's email, so we can keep communicating and solve the riddle of this house which has engaged my attention since the 1990s when I published a book on Jesuit architecture in the Philippines.

Rene J

Rene Javellana's response to Jojo's Column


Dear Mr. Bersales,

Am in Cebu at the moment, but will be returning to Manila on 19 November.

I read your article quoting Dr. Michael Cullinane email to Ka Bino Guerrero on the document of 1879-1880 in which the Villa family donated house to the Jesuits. The terms of donation were standard in the colonial era. The house donated by the Villa may be a different house altogether from that mentioned in the email you quoted.

The dates October 1879 and June 1880, belong to the period of the return of the Jesuits to the Philippines. I have to ascertain from the Jesuit archives in Manila if there are corroborating records from the same era about the house. But as the the email you quoted stands, I have questions about the interpretation of that document.

1. Location. Where was the Villa house? The document mentions that the house is in Panting, Cebu City not Parian. You are probably more familiar with the Cebu but I am checking where Panting is.
2. Lot parameters. The document mentions "paredes de piedra y estero que sirven que la sirven de cerco." If there is an estero near the 1730 house, it is the Estero de Parian but that is now separated by lots from the house and there which is not completely enclosed by a wall. That needs explanation.
3. de mamposteria. The document describes the house as de mamposteria. This is a technical term meaning that the house was made of rubble, i.e. rough stones bound by lime mortar and smoothened by a lime finish. The description may fit the the house, (House B), which was the kitchen and dining hall of the residence when it was occupied by the Alvarez family. The main house (House A) where the date 1730 is found is technically described as "de sillar," i.e. cut-stone. That would have appeared in a document of donation, which would have to pass legal review.

Other details of the house suggest that the residence own by Sy Family is older.

1. By 1879-80, a house like that in the Parian, would not get a permit for construction, granting that the house was of 19th century provenance. Building laws had been passed after successive earthquakes banning the use of tile roofs. Instead a metal roof was prescribed. If it had a tile roof, it must have been in place before the 19th century building codes. This year is the same era as the construction of the San Ignacio Church in Manila, and that had a metal roof.
2. There are very few house built of cut stone that go a full two-stories as in House A. Most are a two part structure like Casa Gorordo, lower floor of stone and upper floor of wood. In Cebu, as far as I know, the only residence which has two floors of stone is the Santo Nino Basilica convento. Two floors of stone fell out of use for residences by the 19th century.
3. Some art details have emerged since the cleaning of the house. The date 1730 or is it 1750, are of the calligraphic style of the 18th century as seen in many documents. The Jesuist seal, the names or monograms of Mary and Joseph also appear in 18th century Jesuit churches and their style was belongs to the 16th-18th century. By the 19th century, the Jesuits used as less elaborate style as seen in their many publications.

I am presently working on the Jesuit suppression papers on 1768 and the years that follow. These are under the category of Temporalidades in the National Archives. Some papers are in the Jesuit archives and some are actually in diocesan archives. A fellow researcher, Ricky Jose, discovered the inventory of Indang church in the Archives of the Archdiocese of Manila. The work of reading inventories is tedious but should I find data on the Jesuit House, I will surely communicate it.

I am glad Cebuanos are taking an interest in this house. What ever data can be gathered to clarify the history of this house is most welcome. Please feel free to share this email with whomever want to contribute to a better reconstruction of the house at the Parian. Whatever year it was made, whoever owned it, the Jesuit House is revealing itself as worthy of deeper study; not the least is the obviously Chinese influence, like the flaring roof, the be gua at the end of the roof and the recently exposed painting on the ceiling beams.

I'd be happy to know Ka Bino's email, so we can keep communicating and solve the riddle of this house which has engaged my attention since the 1990s when I published a book on Jesuit architecture in the Philippines.

Rene J

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=61595511878&set=a.61592611878.82718.61592066878

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=61595511878&set=a.61592611878.82718.61592066878

and here is Mike's reply to me:


Dear Jobers,

Thanks for the response of Dr. Javellana. I find it interesting that everyone wants to commit to the "1730" date for the house. I would, at this point, argue that IF the house (or that part of the house) was constructed in 1730, it was not constructed by the Jesuits - it was more likely constructed by an earlier generation of the Villa family or by another Parian-Panting-Likod-Tinago family that owned the property before the Villas. My own suspicion is that the "1730" date is not legitimate and I suspect, as well, that the Jesuit insignia on the outer wall was carved in the early 1880s - not the 1730s.

I would, of course, love to be proven wrong - so, I'll keep hunting and hope all of you will do the same.

Keep me posted - and in any future discoveries I will add you to the list of interested parties.

I hope all remains well with you. I hope to be in Cebu in early January and once I nail down the date I'll let you know.

Mike

and here is Mike's reply to me:


Dear Jobers,

Thanks for the response of Dr. Javellana. I find it interesting that everyone wants to commit to the "1730" date for the house. I would, at this point, argue that IF the house (or that part of the house) was constructed in 1730, it was not constructed by the Jesuits - it was more likely constructed by an earlier generation of the Villa family or by another Parian-Panting-Likod-Tinago family that owned the property before the Villas. My own suspicion is that the "1730" date is not legitimate and I suspect, as well, that the Jesuit insignia on the outer wall was carved in the early 1880s - not the 1730s.

I would, of course, love to be proven wrong - so, I'll keep hunting and hope all of you will do the same.

Keep me posted - and in any future discoveries I will add you to the list of interested parties.

I hope all remains well with you. I hope to be in Cebu in early January and once I nail down the date I'll let you know.

Mike

Lots of possibilities I think that are still open.

1.) The Villa house, which the document describes as located in Panting, could be from a different location (Note: The 1913 map of Rivera labels as PANTING the area where the "Jesuit House" now stands, so if ever it was a different house, then it must have been just beside it or within the vicinity)

2.) The Villa family may have acquired the Jesuit house after the order was suppressed only to return it to the Jesuits again during their return in 1879-1880;

3.) The house itself was indeed built and owned by the Villas or an earlier generation in 1730, and handed to the Jesuits in 1879-1880;


Mike Cullinane's document did not mention when the house was built. It only mentioned that the house was donated to the Jesuits sometime 1879-1880.

So there's a possibility that it was built by the Villas in 1730 and handed over to the Jesuits during their return in 1879-1880 or otherwise.

The house is also quite intriguing because it is made of stones in all levels whereas some houses in Parian were bipartite (stone in lower level, wood in upper), even the cathedral museum and the old bishop's residence is bipartite.

Furthermore, we should also ask the ALVAREZes how and when they acquired the house. Did they acquire it from the Jesuits? Did they acquire it from the diocese or from someone else? I think the Alvarez family can serve as a link to this mystery because we would now be able to determine who the previous owner was prior to the Alvarez family getting it.

This is now interesting and what makes it more interesting is that all of us are becoming more interested in it because of that interesting document which was interestingly found by Mike Cullinane and shared to Ka Bino, an interesting tour guide.... Hehehe...


:banana: :banana: :banana:

Lots of possibilities I think that are still open.

1.) The Villa house, which the document describes as located in Panting, could be from a different location (Note: The 1913 map of Rivera labels as PANTING the area where the "Jesuit House" now stands, so if ever it was a different house, then it must have been just beside it or within the vicinity)

2.) The Villa family may have acquired the Jesuit house after the order was suppressed only to return it to the Jesuits again during their return in 1879-1880;

3.) The house itself was indeed built and owned by the Villas or an earlier generation in 1730, and handed to the Jesuits in 1879-1880;


Mike Cullinane's document did not mention when the house was built. It only mentioned that the house was donated to the Jesuits sometime 1879-1880.

So there's a possibility that it was built by the Villas in 1730 and handed over to the Jesuits during their return in 1879-1880 or otherwise.

The house is also quite intriguing because it is made of stones in all levels whereas some houses in Parian were bipartite (stone in lower level, wood in upper), even the cathedral museum and the old bishop's residence is bipartite.

Furthermore, we should also ask the ALVAREZes how and when they acquired the house. Did they acquire it from the Jesuits? Did they acquire it from the diocese or from someone else? I think the Alvarez family can serve as a link to this mystery because we would now be able to determine who the previous owner was prior to the Alvarez family getting it.

This is now interesting and what makes it more interesting is that all of us are becoming more interested in it because of that interesting document which was interestingly found by Mike Cullinane and shared to Ka Bino, an interesting tour guide.... Hehehe...


:banana: :banana: :banana:

^^

equally important is the age of the Garces house, which about less than 10 years ago took on the name Yap-Sandiego house.

the claim by the Yap-Sandiegos that it is the oldest in Cebu is utterly untenable unless a document is produced to show when it was constructed.

everyone used to call it the Garces House---Resil Mojares is vehement in saying that he did not err in calling it as such in his Casa Gorordo book. Conching Borromeo's book "Life in Old Parian" is also very explicit in assigning it as owned by the Garces family.

the answer most probably lies in the Protocolos among the documents mentioning the Garceses of Cebu.

hmmm...interesting....

^^

equally important is the age of the Garces house, which about less than 10 years ago took on the name Yap-Sandiego house.

the claim by the Yap-Sandiegos that it is the oldest in Cebu is utterly untenable unless a document is produced to show when it was constructed.

everyone used to call it the Garces House---Resil Mojares is vehement in saying that he did not err in calling it as such in his Casa Gorordo book. Conching Borromeo's book "Life in Old Parian" is also very explicit in assigning it as owned by the Garces family.

the answer most probably lies in the Protocolos among the documents mentioning the Garceses of Cebu.

hmmm...interesting....

One line that is distinctively Mike Cullinane is "I would, of course, love to be proven wrong "

But in most cases he is right...

Now of course withe Mike's Find, Rene( not Alburo hehehe) would dig deeper..

In the End we would all benefit from it...

Unlocking Mystery one Protocolo at a time...

But
Even if:

Jimmy Sy's House might Not be the Jesuit House of 1730 but the House is still very beautiful..

Val Sandiego's House might not the oldest house(might no be a Sandiego as well) it is still the best-dolled-up-old-house that can be..

Truth would never actually hurt the house..

Just like the truth that the old cross encased in Tindalo wood is not really the original cross that was planted by Magellan, it doesn't lose its Historical Value as a Cross commemorating the Portuguese.

One line that is distinctively Mike Cullinane is "I would, of course, love to be proven wrong "

But in most cases he is right...

Now of course withe Mike's Find, Rene( not Alburo hehehe) would dig deeper..

In the End we would all benefit from it...

Unlocking Mystery one Protocolo at a time...

But
Even if:

Jimmy Sy's House might Not be the Jesuit House of 1730 but the House is still very beautiful..

Val Sandiego's House might not the oldest house(might no be a Sandiego as well) it is still the best-dolled-up-old-house that can be..

Truth would never actually hurt the house..

Just like the truth that the old cross encased in Tindalo wood is not really the original cross that was planted by Magellan, it doesn't lose its Historical Value as a Cross commemorating the Portuguese.

^^

Since an heir of the Alvarez family, the previous owner of the Jesuit House, is still alive and kicking in the U.S. if I'm not mistaken, then Jimmy Sy should ask her how the family acquired the house.

In Fr. Rene's essay, he said that the Alvarez held the house for a very long time before it was bought by the Sys.

From whom did they acquire it? The Jesuits?

Information from the Alvarez family can serve as the bridge to the mystery (or confusion), hehehe.


:banana::banana:

^^

Since an heir of the Alvarez family, the previous owner of the Jesuit House, is still alive and kicking in the U.S. if I'm not mistaken, then Jimmy Sy should ask her how the family acquired the house.

In Fr. Rene's essay, he said that the Alvarez held the house for a very long time before it was bought by the Sys.

From whom did they acquire it? The Jesuits?

Information from the Alvarez family can serve as the bridge to the mystery (or confusion), hehehe.


:banana::banana:

^
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleid=615514
Museo de Parian (1730 Jesuit House)
By Maria Eleanor E. Valeros (The Freeman) Updated September 26, 2010 12:00 AM

CEBU, Philippines - The Jesuit House (with its contemporary gate on Zulueta Street) can claim to be the oldest dated house in the Philippines based on a low- relief bearing “Año 1730” – an artifact in itself. However, recent restoration works carried out by the team of Architect Anthony Abelgas prove that it could even be older than that.

A coin, for example, which dates back to the Ming Dynasty found buried in a post of the original house has given the clue that it has gone through periods of transformation and that it was originally owned by a Chinese family who was one of the early settlers in the Parian district.

Its rafter, for one, which resembles a pagoda speaks of Chinese influence. The hip, at first, may give the impression of the imperfection of its ridges with its curves. “Kana bitaw’ng morag bukol-bukol, it resembles a dragon which shows nga Chinese in character gyod ning balaya,” Arch. Abelgas explained while we were standing on top of the galvanized iron roofing of Ho Tong Hardware whose owner has bought this house.

Further, the intricate carving designs on the trusses reflect the works of Chinese artisans. “The carvings as well as ang pamaagi sa pagbuhat sa joints sa balay are also very Chinese,” Abelgas added, mentioning that this was confirmed by a Spanish architect and teacher in Japan who visited the Jesuit House assisting four of his students on their mastery thesis delving into heritage tourism.

Aside from the coin, broken ceramics dug out point as well to the Ming Dynasty. It was also learned from Abelgas that at the corners of the hips, plates were used. “Wala na hinoo’y mga plato pero ang hulma naa pa. This practice in building confirms nga migamit sila og feng shui,” he said.

Moreover, the house is coral stone from ground to the second floor. Abelgas pointed out that during the Spanish governance, this practice was not anymore allowed. “There was a decree nga to prevent houses from posing as risk in the event of tremors, building coral stone houses from the ground level all the way to the second floor was prohibited.”

As to the identity of the original owners, no record could point out yet. But the house was bought by a tobacco firm worker from southern Spain. I didn’t have a hard time relating to Tabacalera because our baby pics were used to be kept by my mother in an empty Tabacalera chest and that according to her the industry had something to do with cigar at the height of the tobacco monopoly in the country.

To be able to identify the said Spanish man, though, and trace the rest of the house’s story, Abelgas and the current owner Mr. Jaime Sy (they are first-degree cousins) are to fly sometime next year to Seville, Spain where a vast collection of old Cebu records and maps are part of the rich Seville archive.

Furthermore, Don Luis Alvarez, grandparent of Msgr. Cristobal “Cris” Garcia acquired the Jesuit House after the Tabacalera man decided to return to Spain. Photographs hung on the wall show Msgr. Cris in the arms of his mother, next to them his great grandparents.

Over the centuries, the house has received add-ons in the like of lattices, louvers and carnival glasses, grilled windows with snaps and rivets (remarkably sans welding works), putty using newspapers to hide cracks and joints coated with mint green paint. A piece of the coated wall which chipped off points to a Los Angeles daily which circulated in 1946 or a year after the Liberation.

Since the house lies on what used to be a lagoon or pond, restoration works first involved adjustments on preventing it from sinking any further. A three-inch gap between the beam and the corbel led to the concreting of a footing upon which a pedestal was made to preserve what was left of the original wooden post and the installation of pegs to ensure stability.

After it was included as one of five stops in the May staging of “Gabii sa Kabilin” and one of eight stops in the “Kabataan, Kultura, Kabilin” last August 14, Abelgas disclosed that they are looking at building a roof over the original roof to give the feeling of a “house within a museum”, and the renaming soon of Jesuit House into the Museo de Parian.

Visitors would then go through a time tunnel where they could read articles from 1500 to more developments in 1700. A catwalk or boardwalk would be constructed to give guests an aerial view of the artifact. “One can see the entire clay-tile roof. So the tour would involve appreciating the inside as well as the outside portion of the house,” Abelgas also said.

Restoration works, however, is taking a slow pace as they would want to see to it that there’s very minimal intervention. “Dili man ta kapataka’g bungkag god kay basin naay mga parts nga relevant kaayo ba, unya atong mahilabtan,” Abelgas added. “Now that the house is revealing by herself, we are really taking slow but sure steps as we listen to her story.”

Some of these revelations pointed to an old banggera (open-air dish dryer) as attested to by the buried “kinhason” and other types of seashells unearthed beneath the structure. Another is a fort or watchtower (bantayan sa hari) believed unfinished. To respond to the need to conserve the structure, Mr. Sy is also taking on the initiative to relocate hardware stocks so the space now being occupied as a hardware bodega (warehouse) could be transformed into an herbal garden.

With Sy’s and Abelgas’ passion for history, the house is seen to live another chapter as it continues retelling its past – or our past – from that moment it was constructed by Chinese artisans, to serving as headquarters of Jesuit missionaries before their expulsion from Spanish territories, to surviving fire and bombings during the Second World War when it was used by the USAFFE (United States Armed Forces in the Far East) as its headquarters, down to its current status as a museum. ?

^
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleid=615514
Museo de Parian (1730 Jesuit House)
By Maria Eleanor E. Valeros (The Freeman) Updated September 26, 2010 12:00 AM

CEBU, Philippines - The Jesuit House (with its contemporary gate on Zulueta Street) can claim to be the oldest dated house in the Philippines based on a low- relief bearing “Año 1730” – an artifact in itself. However, recent restoration works carried out by the team of Architect Anthony Abelgas prove that it could even be older than that.

A coin, for example, which dates back to the Ming Dynasty found buried in a post of the original house has given the clue that it has gone through periods of transformation and that it was originally owned by a Chinese family who was one of the early settlers in the Parian district.

Its rafter, for one, which resembles a pagoda speaks of Chinese influence. The hip, at first, may give the impression of the imperfection of its ridges with its curves. “Kana bitaw’ng morag bukol-bukol, it resembles a dragon which shows nga Chinese in character gyod ning balaya,” Arch. Abelgas explained while we were standing on top of the galvanized iron roofing of Ho Tong Hardware whose owner has bought this house.

Further, the intricate carving designs on the trusses reflect the works of Chinese artisans. “The carvings as well as ang pamaagi sa pagbuhat sa joints sa balay are also very Chinese,” Abelgas added, mentioning that this was confirmed by a Spanish architect and teacher in Japan who visited the Jesuit House assisting four of his students on their mastery thesis delving into heritage tourism.

Aside from the coin, broken ceramics dug out point as well to the Ming Dynasty. It was also learned from Abelgas that at the corners of the hips, plates were used. “Wala na hinoo’y mga plato pero ang hulma naa pa. This practice in building confirms nga migamit sila og feng shui,” he said.

Moreover, the house is coral stone from ground to the second floor. Abelgas pointed out that during the Spanish governance, this practice was not anymore allowed. “There was a decree nga to prevent houses from posing as risk in the event of tremors, building coral stone houses from the ground level all the way to the second floor was prohibited.”

As to the identity of the original owners, no record could point out yet. But the house was bought by a tobacco firm worker from southern Spain. I didn’t have a hard time relating to Tabacalera because our baby pics were used to be kept by my mother in an empty Tabacalera chest and that according to her the industry had something to do with cigar at the height of the tobacco monopoly in the country.

To be able to identify the said Spanish man, though, and trace the rest of the house’s story, Abelgas and the current owner Mr. Jaime Sy (they are first-degree cousins) are to fly sometime next year to Seville, Spain where a vast collection of old Cebu records and maps are part of the rich Seville archive.

Furthermore, Don Luis Alvarez, grandparent of Msgr. Cristobal “Cris” Garcia acquired the Jesuit House after the Tabacalera man decided to return to Spain. Photographs hung on the wall show Msgr. Cris in the arms of his mother, next to them his great grandparents.

Over the centuries, the house has received add-ons in the like of lattices, louvers and carnival glasses, grilled windows with snaps and rivets (remarkably sans welding works), putty using newspapers to hide cracks and joints coated with mint green paint. A piece of the coated wall which chipped off points to a Los Angeles daily which circulated in 1946 or a year after the Liberation.

Since the house lies on what used to be a lagoon or pond, restoration works first involved adjustments on preventing it from sinking any further. A three-inch gap between the beam and the corbel led to the concreting of a footing upon which a pedestal was made to preserve what was left of the original wooden post and the installation of pegs to ensure stability.

After it was included as one of five stops in the May staging of “Gabii sa Kabilin” and one of eight stops in the “Kabataan, Kultura, Kabilin” last August 14, Abelgas disclosed that they are looking at building a roof over the original roof to give the feeling of a “house within a museum”, and the renaming soon of Jesuit House into the Museo de Parian.

Visitors would then go through a time tunnel where they could read articles from 1500 to more developments in 1700. A catwalk or boardwalk would be constructed to give guests an aerial view of the artifact. “One can see the entire clay-tile roof. So the tour would involve appreciating the inside as well as the outside portion of the house,” Abelgas also said.

Restoration works, however, is taking a slow pace as they would want to see to it that there’s very minimal intervention. “Dili man ta kapataka’g bungkag god kay basin naay mga parts nga relevant kaayo ba, unya atong mahilabtan,” Abelgas added. “Now that the house is revealing by herself, we are really taking slow but sure steps as we listen to her story.”

Some of these revelations pointed to an old banggera (open-air dish dryer) as attested to by the buried “kinhason” and other types of seashells unearthed beneath the structure. Another is a fort or watchtower (bantayan sa hari) believed unfinished. To respond to the need to conserve the structure, Mr. Sy is also taking on the initiative to relocate hardware stocks so the space now being occupied as a hardware bodega (warehouse) could be transformed into an herbal garden.

With Sy’s and Abelgas’ passion for history, the house is seen to live another chapter as it continues retelling its past – or our past – from that moment it was constructed by Chinese artisans, to serving as headquarters of Jesuit missionaries before their expulsion from Spanish territories, to surviving fire and bombings during the Second World War when it was used by the USAFFE (United States Armed Forces in the Far East) as its headquarters, down to its current status as a museum. ?

^^ with what Dr. Mike found this article need rewriting

^^ with what Dr. Mike found this article need rewriting

^^

Not yet Ka Bino..

Timeline is ingon ani pa...


Owners starting from the most recent

1.) Sy Family, acquired the house from

2.) Alvarez Family, acquired the house from

3.) "Tabacalera guy from South Spain," acquired the house from

4.) ???

5.) ???

6.) ???


Now the question is, where do we put the Jesuits and the Villa family?

Did the "tabacalera guy" acquire the house from the Jesuits after it was bequeathed to them by the Villa family?

The mystery is still unsolved. Let's wait for Jaime Sy to come back from Seville. I hope they bring Fr. Javellana with them, hehe..


.:.

^^

Not yet Ka Bino..

Timeline is ingon ani pa...


Owners starting from the most recent

1.) Sy Family, acquired the house from

2.) Alvarez Family, acquired the house from

3.) "Tabacalera guy from South Spain," acquired the house from

4.) ???

5.) ???

6.) ???


Now the question is, where do we put the Jesuits and the Villa family?

Did the "tabacalera guy" acquire the house from the Jesuits after it was bequeathed to them by the Villa family?

The mystery is still unsolved. Let's wait for Jaime Sy to come back from Seville. I hope they bring Fr. Javellana with them, hehe..


.:.

Any update on plaza independencia's rehab?

By the way? are all old houses considered heritage houses? In other countries, heritage houses seemed to be limited to birthplaces of national heroes, monarchs, pontiffs etc. or any dwellings that has played a great role in a nation's history. And it seems like in the Philippines, anything old is heritage.

Any update on plaza independencia's rehab?

By the way? are all old houses considered heritage houses? In other countries, heritage houses seemed to be limited to birthplaces of national heroes, monarchs, pontiffs etc. or any dwellings that has played a great role in a nation's history. And it seems like in the Philippines, anything old is heritage.

plaza rehad is doing fine.. murag gi una nila ang fence

plaza rehad is doing fine.. murag gi una nila ang fence

Any update on plaza independencia's rehab?

By the way? are all old houses considered heritage houses? In other countries, heritage houses seemed to be limited to birthplaces of national heroes, monarchs, pontiffs etc. or any dwellings that has played a great role in a nation's history. And it seems like in the Philippines, anything old is heritage.

I think it is because of the dearth of existing old houses or structures. We have to consider them treasures as they are very few of them left. What World War II spared were victims of natural calamities and the sad fact that we Filipinos are guilty of wanton destruction of remnants of our past. Sad.:ohno:

Any update on plaza independencia's rehab?

By the way? are all old houses considered heritage houses? In other countries, heritage houses seemed to be limited to birthplaces of national heroes, monarchs, pontiffs etc. or any dwellings that has played a great role in a nation's history. And it seems like in the Philippines, anything old is heritage.

I think it is because of the dearth of existing old houses or structures. We have to consider them treasures as they are very few of them left. What World War II spared were victims of natural calamities and the sad fact that we Filipinos are guilty of wanton destruction of remnants of our past. Sad.:ohno:

^^

Not yet Ka Bino..

Timeline is ingon ani pa...


Owners starting from the most recent

1.) Sy Family, acquired the house from

2.) Alvarez Family, acquired the house from

3.) "Tabacalera guy from South Spain," acquired the house from

4.) ???

5.) ???

6.) ???


Now the question is, where do we put the Jesuits and the Villa family?

Did the "tabacalera guy" acquire the house from the Jesuits after it was bequeathed to them by the Villa family?

The mystery is still unsolved. Let's wait for Jaime Sy to come back from Seville. I hope they bring Fr. Javellana with them, hehe..


.:.


there is an important fact that needs to be said: the Compañia General de Tabacos de Filipinas or Tabacalera for short was established in 1881. I would imagine the operations expanding to Cebu immediately thereafter. So that would be 1881 or, to be conservative, 1882 or 1883. this is the Jesuit period as shown by the evidence of Mike C.

this means that the Tabacalera manager must have acquired the house from the Jesuits. and this should probably be after the 25 years had elapsed. or about 1906 or 1907.

i would imagine him to be a manager because the Tabacalera office was just around the corner of this street. in fact the last bridge on the estero that still exists up to now is called Tabacalera Bridge because it was located beside the Tabacalera.

alternatively, maybe the jesuits were no longer interested in the property and did not buy it from the Villas after the lease expired in 1906. so the villas sold it thereafter to the Tabacalera, which then made it into living quarters of their manager.

i think this is logical.

^^

Not yet Ka Bino..

Timeline is ingon ani pa...


Owners starting from the most recent

1.) Sy Family, acquired the house from

2.) Alvarez Family, acquired the house from

3.) "Tabacalera guy from South Spain," acquired the house from

4.) ???

5.) ???

6.) ???


Now the question is, where do we put the Jesuits and the Villa family?

Did the "tabacalera guy" acquire the house from the Jesuits after it was bequeathed to them by the Villa family?

The mystery is still unsolved. Let's wait for Jaime Sy to come back from Seville. I hope they bring Fr. Javellana with them, hehe..


.:.


there is an important fact that needs to be said: the Compañia General de Tabacos de Filipinas or Tabacalera for short was established in 1881. I would imagine the operations expanding to Cebu immediately thereafter. So that would be 1881 or, to be conservative, 1882 or 1883. this is the Jesuit period as shown by the evidence of Mike C.

this means that the Tabacalera manager must have acquired the house from the Jesuits. and this should probably be after the 25 years had elapsed. or about 1906 or 1907.

i would imagine him to be a manager because the Tabacalera office was just around the corner of this street. in fact the last bridge on the estero that still exists up to now is called Tabacalera Bridge because it was located beside the Tabacalera.

alternatively, maybe the jesuits were no longer interested in the property and did not buy it from the Villas after the lease expired in 1906. so the villas sold it thereafter to the Tabacalera, which then made it into living quarters of their manager.

i think this is logical.

Any update on plaza independencia's rehab?

By the way? are all old houses considered heritage houses? In other countries, heritage houses seemed to be limited to birthplaces of national heroes, monarchs, pontiffs etc. or any dwellings that has played a great role in a nation's history. And it seems like in the Philippines, anything old is heritage.

because that is what heritage is. anything old is indeed heritage. but the level of significance and value may be different. heritage goes through many levels. for the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the level is universal: each site is valuable to the entire world of humanity. it is a treasure to be valued by all peoples regardless of citizenship.

a municipality can have a different set of criteria to determine the value of an old house. they may mark it because it represents a period in their municipio that these structures represent.

a family can also appoint unto itself its own property as heritage. that is, at the level of the personal. regardless of how the world thinks, a family can see their old house as valauble to them and therefore part of their heritage.

so, it all depends on what level you are looking at.

and Ang Karaang Tawo is also correct. the dearth of old structures is also the culprit behind considering anything old as heritage.

and yes, WW II had so much to do with it.

Any update on plaza independencia's rehab?

By the way? are all old houses considered heritage houses? In other countries, heritage houses seemed to be limited to birthplaces of national heroes, monarchs, pontiffs etc. or any dwellings that has played a great role in a nation's history. And it seems like in the Philippines, anything old is heritage.

because that is what heritage is. anything old is indeed heritage. but the level of significance and value may be different. heritage goes through many levels. for the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the level is universal: each site is valuable to the entire world of humanity. it is a treasure to be valued by all peoples regardless of citizenship.

a municipality can have a different set of criteria to determine the value of an old house. they may mark it because it represents a period in their municipio that these structures represent.

a family can also appoint unto itself its own property as heritage. that is, at the level of the personal. regardless of how the world thinks, a family can see their old house as valauble to them and therefore part of their heritage.

so, it all depends on what level you are looking at.

and Ang Karaang Tawo is also correct. the dearth of old structures is also the culprit behind considering anything old as heritage.

and yes, WW II had so much to do with it.

BANTAYAN SA HARI SA MINGLANILLA
Location: Sitio Bantayan, Barangay Tungkop, Minglanilla, 6046 Cebu

http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/3287/032pc.jpg

http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/6329/035q0.jpg

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/1652/011obe.jpg

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/2408/010hc.jpg

http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/6341/025n0.jpg

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/5602/014yu.jpg

http://img816.imageshack.us/img816/4474/024t0.jpg

http://img815.imageshack.us/img815/9360/016zn.jpg

http://img827.imageshack.us/img827/5339/023u0.jpg

http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/5574/029v0.jpg

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/7111/031yz.jpg

BANTAYAN SA HARI SA MINGLANILLA
Location: Sitio Bantayan, Barangay Tungkop, Minglanilla, 6046 Cebu

http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/3287/032pc.jpg

http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/6329/035q0.jpg

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/1652/011obe.jpg

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/2408/010hc.jpg

http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/6341/025n0.jpg

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/5602/014yu.jpg

http://img816.imageshack.us/img816/4474/024t0.jpg

http://img815.imageshack.us/img815/9360/016zn.jpg

http://img827.imageshack.us/img827/5339/023u0.jpg

http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/5574/029v0.jpg

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/7111/031yz.jpg

^^

thanks for posting, gee. this is the second time i've seen photos of it yet my sense of loss never ceases. too bad it has ended in this condition. i believe there are three others in similar straits up north and down south. paet.

^^

thanks for posting, gee. this is the second time i've seen photos of it yet my sense of loss never ceases. too bad it has ended in this condition. i believe there are three others in similar straits up north and down south. paet.

I took these photos yesterday while checking on the progress this work:


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Repair%20of%20Boljoon%20Church%20Back%20Wall/DSC08961.jpg




http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Repair%20of%20Boljoon%20Church%20Back%20Wall/DSC08957.jpg

The drainage is already covered at this portion, southern side of the wall.


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Repair%20of%20Boljoon%20Church%20Back%20Wall/DSC08979.jpg

But work continues on the northern side...


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Repair%20of%20Boljoon%20Church%20Back%20Wall/DSC08973.jpg




http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Repair%20of%20Boljoon%20Church%20Back%20Wall/DSC08965.jpg

as well as the central portion just below the single buttress at the back.



http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Repair%20of%20Boljoon%20Church%20Back%20Wall/DSC08972.jpg



http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Repair%20of%20Boljoon%20Church%20Back%20Wall/DSC08964.jpg

I took these photos yesterday while checking on the progress this work:


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Repair%20of%20Boljoon%20Church%20Back%20Wall/DSC08961.jpg




http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Repair%20of%20Boljoon%20Church%20Back%20Wall/DSC08957.jpg

The drainage is already covered at this portion, southern side of the wall.


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Repair%20of%20Boljoon%20Church%20Back%20Wall/DSC08979.jpg

But work continues on the northern side...


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Repair%20of%20Boljoon%20Church%20Back%20Wall/DSC08973.jpg




http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Repair%20of%20Boljoon%20Church%20Back%20Wall/DSC08965.jpg

as well as the central portion just below the single buttress at the back.



http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Repair%20of%20Boljoon%20Church%20Back%20Wall/DSC08972.jpg



http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Repair%20of%20Boljoon%20Church%20Back%20Wall/DSC08964.jpg

The great blockhouse just across the municipio of Boljoon, is peeling off its coral stone fabric, right at the easter side, where the statue of Jose Rizal can be found.

Thanks to Ronald Villanueva, the area has been cordoned off. I have asked the Provl. Engineering Office to immediately send its people to assess the problem.



http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Ugent%20work%20on%20the%20BoljooBlockhouse%20a%20la%20Campanaryo/DSC08986.jpg


The 10 to 15 degree bulge right at the center of the eastern wall is barely visible on this image but if you go there you can see it really bulging.



http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Ugent%20work%20on%20the%20BoljooBlockhouse%20a%20la%20Campanaryo/DSC08981.jpg

the eastern wall, the bulge is right at the center. two coral stone tablilla are already gone.



http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Ugent%20work%20on%20the%20BoljooBlockhouse%20a%20la%20Campanaryo/DSC09028.jpg

the crack starts at one of the openings on the top floor where cannon used to stand, now replaced by huge bronze bells.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Ugent%20work%20on%20the%20BoljooBlockhouse%20a%20la%20Campanaryo/DSC09027.jpg

the beginnings of the crack can be seen here, also visible is the municipio at the distance.


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Ugent%20work%20on%20the%20BoljooBlockhouse%20a%20la%20Campanaryo/DSC09025.jpg

more of the the top floor crack that ends somewhere at the central portion. a section of the poblacion barangay hall is visible here.

i think the crack has been there for quite some time now. but it is getting bigger.

According to NHC Archt. Rey Inovero, whom I called up this morning, the crack is vertical, which indicates that the cause is not the bell or set of bells on top but rather some movement on the soil.

Ruel Rigor told me this afternoon that old folks still remember that the old river, which used to flow behind the back portion of the church would drain somewhere near here.

The Blockhouse is apparently built beside the old river delta (diverted in the 1850s). Is this a result of seawater intrusion? perhaps due to climate change?
or even the vibrations of vehicles as the national highway is just six meters from this side.

The great blockhouse just across the municipio of Boljoon, is peeling off its coral stone fabric, right at the easter side, where the statue of Jose Rizal can be found.

Thanks to Ronald Villanueva, the area has been cordoned off. I have asked the Provl. Engineering Office to immediately send its people to assess the problem.



http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Ugent%20work%20on%20the%20BoljooBlockhouse%20a%20la%20Campanaryo/DSC08986.jpg


The 10 to 15 degree bulge right at the center of the eastern wall is barely visible on this image but if you go there you can see it really bulging.



http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Ugent%20work%20on%20the%20BoljooBlockhouse%20a%20la%20Campanaryo/DSC08981.jpg

the eastern wall, the bulge is right at the center. two coral stone tablilla are already gone.



http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Ugent%20work%20on%20the%20BoljooBlockhouse%20a%20la%20Campanaryo/DSC09028.jpg

the crack starts at one of the openings on the top floor where cannon used to stand, now replaced by huge bronze bells.

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Ugent%20work%20on%20the%20BoljooBlockhouse%20a%20la%20Campanaryo/DSC09027.jpg

the beginnings of the crack can be seen here, also visible is the municipio at the distance.


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Ugent%20work%20on%20the%20BoljooBlockhouse%20a%20la%20Campanaryo/DSC09025.jpg

more of the the top floor crack that ends somewhere at the central portion. a section of the poblacion barangay hall is visible here.

i think the crack has been there for quite some time now. but it is getting bigger.

According to NHC Archt. Rey Inovero, whom I called up this morning, the crack is vertical, which indicates that the cause is not the bell or set of bells on top but rather some movement on the soil.

Ruel Rigor told me this afternoon that old folks still remember that the old river, which used to flow behind the back portion of the church would drain somewhere near here.

The Blockhouse is apparently built beside the old river delta (diverted in the 1850s). Is this a result of seawater intrusion? perhaps due to climate change?
or even the vibrations of vehicles as the national highway is just six meters from this side.

^^

thanks for posting, gee. this is the second time i've seen photos of it yet my sense of loss never ceases. too bad it has ended in this condition. i believe there are three others in similar straits up north and down south. paet.

the current residents of the bantayan told us that there are plans to make that place a tourist attraction. in fact, they are ready to leave the place 'cause they know that it has historical significance. the barangay captain, olga fiel, whose husband is related to the governor, has already instructed them not to add any additional structure within that place.

^^

thanks for posting, gee. this is the second time i've seen photos of it yet my sense of loss never ceases. too bad it has ended in this condition. i believe there are three others in similar straits up north and down south. paet.

the current residents of the bantayan told us that there are plans to make that place a tourist attraction. in fact, they are ready to leave the place 'cause they know that it has historical significance. the barangay captain, olga fiel, whose husband is related to the governor, has already instructed them not to add any additional structure within that place.

^^ is there a room for a diversion road/high that from Ili rock instead of goin left, mo deretso den would pass by several meters away front the back of the church and only to join back to the highway after the mercado?

just thinking aloud

^^ is there a room for a diversion road/high that from Ili rock instead of goin left, mo deretso den would pass by several meters away front the back of the church and only to join back to the highway after the mercado?

just thinking aloud

the current residents of the bantayan told us that there are plans to make that place a tourist attraction. in fact, they are ready to leave the place 'cause they know that it has historical significance. the barangay captain, olga fiel, whose husband is related to the governor, has already instructed them not to add any additional structure within that place.

@gee... lain poy ato, were you the one who posted an image of the cebu
city port area during the American bombing in 1945? I think it was a newspaper
and the city was in smoke. I need it unta... your credit of course. thanks..

the current residents of the bantayan told us that there are plans to make that place a tourist attraction. in fact, they are ready to leave the place 'cause they know that it has historical significance. the barangay captain, olga fiel, whose husband is related to the governor, has already instructed them not to add any additional structure within that place.

@gee... lain poy ato, were you the one who posted an image of the cebu
city port area during the American bombing in 1945? I think it was a newspaper
and the city was in smoke. I need it unta... your credit of course. thanks..

^^ is there a room for a diversion road/high that from Ili rock instead of goin left, mo deretso den would pass by several meters away front the back of the church and only to join back to the highway after the mercado?

just thinking aloud

i think that would be very costly but it can be done, of course, avoiding the poblacion altogether. the highway would be up there in sitio bungtod behind the church. nice view. hehe.

^^ is there a room for a diversion road/high that from Ili rock instead of goin left, mo deretso den would pass by several meters away front the back of the church and only to join back to the highway after the mercado?

just thinking aloud

i think that would be very costly but it can be done, of course, avoiding the poblacion altogether. the highway would be up there in sitio bungtod behind the church. nice view. hehe.

@gee... lain poy ato, were you the one who posted an image of the cebu
city port area during the American bombing in 1945? I think it was a newspaper
and the city was in smoke. I need it unta... your credit of course. thanks..

i'm not sure if i still have the foto 'cause my laptop was stolen. i'll check if i saved it in my external hard drive.

@gee... lain poy ato, were you the one who posted an image of the cebu
city port area during the American bombing in 1945? I think it was a newspaper
and the city was in smoke. I need it unta... your credit of course. thanks..

i'm not sure if i still have the foto 'cause my laptop was stolen. i'll check if i saved it in my external hard drive.

Here's the newspaper clipping

http://static.flickr.com/3561/3504713605_afce733aff.jpg


And here's the photo from Auschtech Forums, pretty much like SSC where the topic is about World War II.

http://denverpost.slideshowpro.com/albums/001/496/album-101361/cache/pacific064.sJPG_950_2000_0_75_0_50_50.sJPG?1272597024


I have returned

http://denverpost.slideshowpro.com/albums/001/496/album-101361/cache/pacific067.sJPG_950_2000_0_75_0_50_50.sJPG?1272597024


Awaiting to be carried by the planes at the Marianas

http://denverpost.slideshowpro.com/albums/001/496/album-101361/cache/pacific070.sJPG_950_2000_0_75_0_50_50.sJPG?1272597024

Here's the newspaper clipping

http://static.flickr.com/3561/3504713605_afce733aff.jpg


And here's the photo from Auschtech Forums, pretty much like SSC where the topic is about World War II.

http://denverpost.slideshowpro.com/albums/001/496/album-101361/cache/pacific064.sJPG_950_2000_0_75_0_50_50.sJPG?1272597024


I have returned

http://denverpost.slideshowpro.com/albums/001/496/album-101361/cache/pacific067.sJPG_950_2000_0_75_0_50_50.sJPG?1272597024


Awaiting to be carried by the planes at the Marianas

http://denverpost.slideshowpro.com/albums/001/496/album-101361/cache/pacific070.sJPG_950_2000_0_75_0_50_50.sJPG?1272597024

The Japanese surrenders.

http://denverpost.slideshowpro.com/albums/001/496/album-101361/cache/pacific110.sJPG_950_2000_0_75_0_50_50.sJPG?1272597027

The Japanese surrenders.

http://denverpost.slideshowpro.com/albums/001/496/album-101361/cache/pacific110.sJPG_950_2000_0_75_0_50_50.sJPG?1272597027

Surrender orders

http://www.182ndinfantry.org/history/files/download/180/fullsize

Surrender orders

http://www.182ndinfantry.org/history/files/download/180/fullsize

Daghan salamat, nold!!!! got 2 additional photos for the museum...jobers
na bahala ini..

Daghan salamat, nold!!!! got 2 additional photos for the museum...jobers
na bahala ini..

nold, interesting imong pix. thanks
______

hello everyone. please if one of you has old pix of Danao City, palihug share intawn mo sa pobre. kinahanglanon nako sa akng documentation sa akong gisulat nga History of Danao City. thanks in advance.

nold, interesting imong pix. thanks
______

hello everyone. please if one of you has old pix of Danao City, palihug share intawn mo sa pobre. kinahanglanon nako sa akng documentation sa akong gisulat nga History of Danao City. thanks in advance.

Daghan salamat, nold!!!! got 2 additional photos for the museum...jobers
na bahala ini..

thanks pod...sa work. hahaah. kita jud nako kaayo ang bpi at the lower left hand corner hahaha. mao na loy sah?

Daghan salamat, nold!!!! got 2 additional photos for the museum...jobers
na bahala ini..

thanks pod...sa work. hahaah. kita jud nako kaayo ang bpi at the lower left hand corner hahaha. mao na loy sah?

Last Nov. 23, the treasurer assigned at Museo Sugbo by the Provl. Treasurer's Office noticed that old currencies were being removed prior to a renovation of a section of the Provl. Treasury. She had these sent to Museo Sugbo instead of to the burner. The result is now on display, with boxes more being sorted.

These are times when you heave a sigh of relief. One more victory for heritage!


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Astounding%20Find/DSC09148.jpg

Some of the WW II emergency notes from Cebu, Negros, Leyte, Bohol and even Masbate on display at the War Memorial Gallery of Museo Sugbo, the Cebu Provincial Museum. These are bundled exactly as they were in 1945 when these notes were redeemed by the U.S. government at P2:$1.





http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Astounding%20Find/DSC09225.jpg

One of three boxes of notes awaiting sorting.



http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Astounding%20Find/DSC09157.jpg

Another box awaiting sorting.


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Astounding%20Find/DSC09145.jpg

A closer look at some of the notes on display.





http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Astounding%20Find/DSC09215.jpg

Taga Bogo and SanValente helping out in the sorting of the notes.



The notes may not be rare and are a dime a dozen but what is more important is the fact that these have been saved from destruction.

Let's drink to that!

:cheers:

Last Nov. 23, the treasurer assigned at Museo Sugbo by the Provl. Treasurer's Office noticed that old currencies were being removed prior to a renovation of a section of the Provl. Treasury. She had these sent to Museo Sugbo instead of to the burner. The result is now on display, with boxes more being sorted.

These are times when you heave a sigh of relief. One more victory for heritage!


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Astounding%20Find/DSC09148.jpg

Some of the WW II emergency notes from Cebu, Negros, Leyte, Bohol and even Masbate on display at the War Memorial Gallery of Museo Sugbo, the Cebu Provincial Museum. These are bundled exactly as they were in 1945 when these notes were redeemed by the U.S. government at P2:$1.





http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Astounding%20Find/DSC09225.jpg

One of three boxes of notes awaiting sorting.



http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Astounding%20Find/DSC09157.jpg

Another box awaiting sorting.


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Astounding%20Find/DSC09145.jpg

A closer look at some of the notes on display.





http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Astounding%20Find/DSC09215.jpg

Taga Bogo and SanValente helping out in the sorting of the notes.



The notes may not be rare and are a dime a dozen but what is more important is the fact that these have been saved from destruction.

Let's drink to that!

:cheers:

kinsay naay pictures sa original facade sa old masonic temple diha sa A. Borromeo street? nindot kaayo na sa una sa akong naabtan, atong wala pa na nila gicurtain wall ang tunga2x sa facade...thanks....sayang wala jud ni maprotektahan, pero at least ang original design at both sides still remains. I hope soon mapangitaan og paagi marestore ni into its orginal look. mao baya ni akong pinakapaboritong old bldg sa downtown sa una together with the Vision Theater...

anyway, naa bay gi-assign sa city hall or sa whole province to look after our heritage bldgs and sites?

kinsay naay pictures sa original facade sa old masonic temple diha sa A. Borromeo street? nindot kaayo na sa una sa akong naabtan, atong wala pa na nila gicurtain wall ang tunga2x sa facade...thanks....sayang wala jud ni maprotektahan, pero at least ang original design at both sides still remains. I hope soon mapangitaan og paagi marestore ni into its orginal look. mao baya ni akong pinakapaboritong old bldg sa downtown sa una together with the Vision Theater...

anyway, naa bay gi-assign sa city hall or sa whole province to look after our heritage bldgs and sites?

^^

Sa Province, there's the committee on sites and relics. I think it's headed by @archaeologue.

Sa city, naay CHAC pero ambot unsay nabuhat, hehe..

...

^^

Sa Province, there's the committee on sites and relics. I think it's headed by @archaeologue.

Sa city, naay CHAC pero ambot unsay nabuhat, hehe..

...

I took these photos yesterday while checking on the progress this work:


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Repair%20of%20Boljoon%20Church%20Back%20Wall/DSC08961.jpg




http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Repair%20of%20Boljoon%20Church%20Back%20Wall/DSC08957.jpg

The drainage is already covered at this portion, southern side of the wall.


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Repair%20of%20Boljoon%20Church%20Back%20Wall/DSC08979.jpg

But work continues on the northern side...


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Repair%20of%20Boljoon%20Church%20Back%20Wall/DSC08973.jpg




http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Repair%20of%20Boljoon%20Church%20Back%20Wall/DSC08965.jpg

as well as the central portion just below the single buttress at the back.



http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Repair%20of%20Boljoon%20Church%20Back%20Wall/DSC08972.jpg



http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Repair%20of%20Boljoon%20Church%20Back%20Wall/DSC08964.jpg


:banana::banana::banana:

I took these photos yesterday while checking on the progress this work:


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Repair%20of%20Boljoon%20Church%20Back%20Wall/DSC08961.jpg




http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Repair%20of%20Boljoon%20Church%20Back%20Wall/DSC08957.jpg

The drainage is already covered at this portion, southern side of the wall.


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Repair%20of%20Boljoon%20Church%20Back%20Wall/DSC08979.jpg

But work continues on the northern side...


http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Repair%20of%20Boljoon%20Church%20Back%20Wall/DSC08973.jpg




http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Repair%20of%20Boljoon%20Church%20Back%20Wall/DSC08965.jpg

as well as the central portion just below the single buttress at the back.



http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Repair%20of%20Boljoon%20Church%20Back%20Wall/DSC08972.jpg



http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i150/jbersales/Repair%20of%20Boljoon%20Church%20Back%20Wall/DSC08964.jpg


:banana::banana::banana:

sus kung ma.timingan naay makuha dhang unxa sus unxaun nlang kaha

sus kung ma.timingan naay makuha dhang unxa sus unxaun nlang kaha

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=635109&publicationSubCategoryId=107
Historical marker built for UP Cebu
By Karen P. Ceniza/JPM (The Freeman) Updated December 01, 2010 12:00 AM

CEBU, Philippines – A marker will be unveiled showing the University of the Philippines-Cebu College (UPCC) administration building's significant place in history.

Located in Lahug, Cebu City, the UPCC is the oldest regional unit of the University of the Philippines System and has the most "colorful and exciting" history.

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines led by Dr. Ambeth Ocampo will lead the ceremony tomorrow, December 2. Beyond the administration building's beautiful architecture, it represents UPCC's struggle for existence and eventual recognition.

In 1926, the Board of Regents had reconsidered closing the facility and allowed the continued operation of the U.P Junior College, on the condition that the Provincial Government of Cebu would contribute to its maintenance.

The Cebu Provincial Board headed by then governor Arsenio Climaco donated a 13-hectare site at Lahug and contributed P100, 000 for the construction of a building and a yearly contribution of P30, 000 to help defray the expenses.

U.P is partly subsidized by the Philippine government. Students of the university and its graduates are referred to as "Mga Iskolar ng Bayan". This makes admission into the University extremely competitive.

The administration building was launched by U.P President Rafael Palma on March 26, 1929, during that year's commencement exercises.

Despite all its struggles UPCC has encountered over the decades, it now is a center of excellence and development for higher education. (FREEMAN)

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=635109&publicationSubCategoryId=107
Historical marker built for UP Cebu
By Karen P. Ceniza/JPM (The Freeman) Updated December 01, 2010 12:00 AM

CEBU, Philippines – A marker will be unveiled showing the University of the Philippines-Cebu College (UPCC) administration building's significant place in history.

Located in Lahug, Cebu City, the UPCC is the oldest regional unit of the University of the Philippines System and has the most "colorful and exciting" history.

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines led by Dr. Ambeth Ocampo will lead the ceremony tomorrow, December 2. Beyond the administration building's beautiful architecture, it represents UPCC's struggle for existence and eventual recognition.

In 1926, the Board of Regents had reconsidered closing the facility and allowed the continued operation of the U.P Junior College, on the condition that the Provincial Government of Cebu would contribute to its maintenance.

The Cebu Provincial Board headed by then governor Arsenio Climaco donated a 13-hectare site at Lahug and contributed P100, 000 for the construction of a building and a yearly contribution of P30, 000 to help defray the expenses.

U.P is partly subsidized by the Philippine government. Students of the university and its graduates are referred to as "Mga Iskolar ng Bayan". This makes admission into the University extremely competitive.

The administration building was launched by U.P President Rafael Palma on March 26, 1929, during that year's commencement exercises.

Despite all its struggles UPCC has encountered over the decades, it now is a center of excellence and development for higher education. (FREEMAN)

Here's Fr. Rene's reply:

Dear Fr. Rene,

I consulted the map that was printed in your essay in Philippine Studies. In the 1913 map of Rivera-Mir, the area or the vicinity where the Jesuit House stands is labeled as Panting. To the west of it is Parian, to the north is Tinago.

--->> I have looked at the map of 1913 and yes Panting is south of Tinago. An earlier map of Cebu (Escondrillas 1894, I think) has the house at Binakayan and the street is already there. In the protocolo cited by Cullinane, the lot is described as having as a boundary an estero. This must be the Estero del Parian which is south of Binakayan. There is a small tributary or what looks like one in the Rivera-Mir map but it might be a remnant of an older enclosed body of water, hence Tinago, seen in the Escondrillas map.


Mike Cullinane's document did not mention of the date of the building of the house, only the date when it was handed over to the Jesuits which 1879-1880.

Could it be that house was indeed built in 1730 but not by the Jesuits?

--->> Maybe. But we have to contend with a long standing oral tradition. Btw, de la Costa mentions that the Jesuits built a house in Cebu in 1730 (Jesuits in the Philippines, page 537) he writes about the 18th century as "the Philippine Jesuit's great age of church building, finishing and decorating" and in the following paragraph writes "The new residence at San Miguel was completed around 1703 and that at Cebu in 1730."

Now to add more confusion. You asked if the 3 in the carved plaque in the house is a 3 or a 5. I am more and more persuaded that it might be a 5. In the calligraphy of 1768 documents I am presently reading 5 looks the same as the plaque's 5.

Anyway, I'm very interested and we'll all await your research on it as you have more access to the documents there, hehe.

---->>> The Jesuit authorship of the house in my opinion is bolstered by the decorative elements of the house, i.e. the monograms of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. It is most likely that a religious group carved those monograms. Also the painting on the earlier ceiling of the house has colors following the trend of the 18th century which was strongly influenced by Mexico. By the 19th century, color schemes were more sedate because of the influence of Neoclassicism. Note the changes in the color scheme of San Agustin in Intramuros. Bearing in mind that 18th century Cebu was in economic doldrums, only a well funded group could spend money for decorative painting and that seems to point to a Church or government group.

Btw, I am told that the Villa house is in the adjacent lot across Binakayan. There is also an old house there with a tile roof.

Rene J

Here's Fr. Rene's reply:

Dear Fr. Rene,

I consulted the map that was printed in your essay in Philippine Studies. In the 1913 map of Rivera-Mir, the area or the vicinity where the Jesuit House stands is labeled as Panting. To the west of it is Parian, to the north is Tinago.

--->> I have looked at the map of 1913 and yes Panting is south of Tinago. An earlier map of Cebu (Escondrillas 1894, I think) has the house at Binakayan and the street is already there. In the protocolo cited by Cullinane, the lot is described as having as a boundary an estero. This must be the Estero del Parian which is south of Binakayan. There is a small tributary or what looks like one in the Rivera-Mir map but it might be a remnant of an older enclosed body of water, hence Tinago, seen in the Escondrillas map.


Mike Cullinane's document did not mention of the date of the building of the house, only the date when it was handed over to the Jesuits which 1879-1880.

Could it be that house was indeed built in 1730 but not by the Jesuits?

--->> Maybe. But we have to contend with a long standing oral tradition. Btw, de la Costa mentions that the Jesuits built a house in Cebu in 1730 (Jesuits in the Philippines, page 537) he writes about the 18th century as "the Philippine Jesuit's great age of church building, finishing and decorating" and in the following paragraph writes "The new residence at San Miguel was completed around 1703 and that at Cebu in 1730."

Now to add more confusion. You asked if the 3 in the carved plaque in the house is a 3 or a 5. I am more and more persuaded that it might be a 5. In the calligraphy of 1768 documents I am presently reading 5 looks the same as the plaque's 5.

Anyway, I'm very interested and we'll all await your research on it as you have more access to the documents there, hehe.

---->>> The Jesuit authorship of the house in my opinion is bolstered by the decorative elements of the house, i.e. the monograms of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. It is most likely that a religious group carved those monograms. Also the painting on the earlier ceiling of the house has colors following the trend of the 18th century which was strongly influenced by Mexico. By the 19th century, color schemes were more sedate because of the influence of Neoclassicism. Note the changes in the color scheme of San Agustin in Intramuros. Bearing in mind that 18th century Cebu was in economic doldrums, only a well funded group could spend money for decorative painting and that seems to point to a Church or government group.

Btw, I am told that the Villa house is in the adjacent lot across Binakayan. There is also an old house there with a tile roof.

Rene J