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Wednesday, October 29, 2008

THE 19TH CENTURY FILIPINA MINUS MARIA CLARA

There were some people who came up to her and with whom she exchanged warm greetings with. And despite her understated black outfit, she exuded an alluring presence that prompted me to ask a bystander who she was. "Gloria Diaz," he said. Like a long-time fan, I approached her to ask if I could take a picture; she gladly obliged.

When she made the international news as a beauty queen, I was barely on the threshold of young adulthood. From what I was to learn later on, she wasn't even in the short list of the judges' favorites, though in the end, 18-year-old Gloria Diaz won the 1969 Miss Universe title on account of her wit, intelligence and confident demeanor. Besides having brought much pride to the Filipinos at that time, she also ushered in another modern image of the Filipino woman. Gone for good was Maria Clara.

The fictitious, though legendary, Maria Clara, represented an image of a Filipino woman as demure, subservient, timid, meek, fearful, deeply religious, and a perennial homebody; characteristics which the friars and old folks promulgated for our young women to emulate. However, a critical observation of Rizal's novel will reveal the author's pity and contempt for such human foibles, including the masochism exemplified by Sisa. Hence, Rizal had both characters killed.

Regrettably, our local chauvinists may actually believe, or would like to believe, the typical Filipina during the Spanish times reflected Maria Clara's docile disposition. But nothing could be farther from the truth. The 19th-century Filipinas were already an emancipated lot. Our local women during the time of Noli Me Tangere, for the most part, were active participants in the economic and political arenas.

According to an essay by Prof. Ma. Luisa T. Camagay, we ought to remember the 89 teachers and teacher assistants who were removed from their posts for their alleged involvement in the 1889 Revolution; some were accused of having acted as couriers and informers of the Katipuneros.

Moreover, cognizant of the power of collective action, the women workers of a tobacco factory staged a walkout in 1816 after having had enough of intolerable working conditions. One of their demands was for the tobacco leaves be given to them ready for rolling since, they claimed, they were not being paid for the added tasks of cleaning and stretching the leaves. In response, management acted immediately and favorably on all their complaints and demands.

The job of cigarrera ranked first as a career option for Filipino women in the 19th century Manila mainly because the tobacco monopoly, which was at the time a huge government business, aggressively recruited the women into the factory system. As a result, the demand created a shortage of women labor force; thus, it was the men who got the jobs of housemaid, washer, or nurse.

There were also the enterprising Filipinas, from the upper and lower class, who engaged in lucrative commerce inside or outside the home. Many educated natives or mestizas operated stores that sold exquisite fabrics and materials of sinamay, jusi and piña wherein they employed embroiderers. Oftentimes, these store owners also became principal moneylenders in their town or barrio. On the other hand, for those in the lower class, being an entrepreneur meant peddling betel nuts or fruits in season. Others became milkmaids.

Besides the manual and semi-skilled jobs, there were also the licensed professions which many Filipinas took prominent roles in, such as that of being a teacher or midwife.

There were also those who engaged in the world's oldest profession -- prostitution. They were called many names at that time: mujeres publicas, vagamundas, indocumentadas, prostitutas. Such line of work was frowned upon back then as now, but 19th century Manila society, including the almighty church, were surprisingly more forgiving: if caught, a prostitute could languish in jail or deported to far-flung Davao or Palawan; however, one could be saved from such wretched fate by an offer of marriage or by the parents' petitions certified by the friar-curate.

Without a doubt, Manila during the 19th century was neither an idle nor a dependent existence for the Filipinas. On the contrary, there were those who attribute the wealth of some prominent Filipino families as having been the direct result of the tireless enterprising energies of the Filipino woman.

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Labels: Manila history

posted by Señor Enrique at 7:16 AM | 22 comments

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

PICTURE OF A FILIPINA AS A FEMINIST

This photo was taken during last year's election at Mabini Elementary School in Quiapo. It shows an elderly woman about to cast her vote.

Such right by the Filipino women was won on September 15, 1937, when President Manuel L. Quezon signed the law which extends the right to vote to Filipino women. This historic moment was largely attributed to the intense national campaign launched by the members of the Filipino feminist movement who used every possible means to draw women to register and vote for their own right to vote.

In the end, their tireless efforts paid off when they met the quota of 300,000 affirmative votes required by the suffrage law of the 1934 Constitutional Convention. The pillars of this feminist movement were invited to Malacañang Palace to witness the signing of the law that gives the Filipino women the right to vote and the privilege of being elected into public office.





The role of women in the arena of politics and legislation was first heightened by the Suffragist Movement (1898-1937) which gained for the Filipino women the right to vote and be voted upon.

The suffragist movement brought to the fore the activism of such women as Concepcion Felix de Calderon (founder of the Asociacion Feminista Filipina), Rosa Sevilla de Alvero, Trinidad Almeda, Miss Constancia Poblete (founder of Liga Femenina de la Paz), Pura Villanueva Kalaw, Paz Mendoza Guazon, Pilar Hidalgo Lim (president of the National Federation of Women’s Clubs) and Josefa Llanes Escoda (president of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines).

Read more here.

Additional recommended reads:

Women's rights in the Philippines today - Philippine Human Rights Reporting Project

Empowering the Filipino Woman - The Manila Times

Philippine Suffragette - Women in World History

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Visit: MANILA PHOTOJOURNALISM


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Labels: Philippine history, women's movement

posted by Señor Enrique at 8:50 AM | 8 comments

Monday, October 27, 2008

NATIONAL ARTIST: FRANCISCA REYES-AQUINO

Popularly known as the Mother of Philippine Folk Dancing, Francisca Aquino-Reyes was born in Lolomboy, Bocaue, in the province of Bulacan, on March 9, 1899. She was the eldest of three children of Felipe Reyes and Juliana Santos Reyes of Manila.

Although born in Bulacan, she received her early education in Manila: the Meisic Elementary School, Tondo Intermediate School and Manila High School in Tondo, Manila. She obtained her High School Teacher's Certificate (H.S.T.C.) in 1923 and her Bachelor of Science in Education degree in 1924 from the University of the Philippines (U.P.). The Master of Arts in Education degree was soon to follow from the same state university.

She worked as instructor of physical education in UP wherein her great interest in folk songs and dances were noted by the university president Jorge Bocobo, who sent her throughout the Philippines to undertake research on folk songs and dances. And together with Antonino Buenaventura, and Ramon Tolentino (her first husband who died in 1939), she was tasked to collect and record native songs, dances, music and costumes.

It has become a tradition for the three to travel to the remotest barrios every summer to gather materials from various indigenous groups. As she took notes of the dance steps and movements, Buenaventura recorded the music, while Tolentino took still and moving pictures.

She had documented about 50 basic steps and 200 folk dances of various modes and colors. Her research indicated interesting patterns: people near the sea danced about fishing and rowing; those in the coconut regions made use of coconut shells in their dances; and those in the rice-producing provinces depicted various steps in planting and harvesting. She also observed that people from economically self-sufficient regions produced lively dances and music, while those in the provinces were livelihood was a constant struggle created slow, melancholy and mournful dances and music.

Francisca Reyes-Aquino also took graduate studies in physical education in the college of Physical Education at Boston University. She also attended a summer session at Harvard University.

When Jorge Bocobo became Secretary of Public Instruction, he appointed Aquino to the Bureau of Education. In her new post, she actively promoted the revival of of folk dances through the public schools. She organized the bureau's Folk Song and Dance Club. The other organizations she founded were the Philippine Folk Dance Society and the Filipiniana Dance Troupe (as part of the US Special Service during the liberation). She also served as consultant to the Bayanihan Dance Company.

As a prolific writer, she authored 15 books and many articles on folk dances. In 1959, she was elected as representative to the World Conference of Teaching Profession in Washington, DC. And in 1962, she received the much coveted Ramon Magsaysay Award for her valuable role in recording and preserving Philippine folk dances.

When she died at age 84 on November 21, 1983, she was honored with a state funeral. She was buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

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Labels: art matters, national artist

posted by Señor Enrique at 8:36 AM | 13 comments

Saturday, October 25, 2008

A MORE SOLEMN TRIBUTE, PLEASE

The marker is all that's left on this site that only two months ago used to be a memorial intended to preserve the memory of more than 1,000 women -- comfort women -- who were continually raped by the Japanese occupation forces during the Second World War.

As stated on my previous post, Remembering the Victims of Military Sexual Slavery, the original memorial's entire presentation and setting (located on Plaza Lawton facing the Manila Post Office) seemed capriciously smarmy; an outrageous disrespect for the victims.

Hence, kudos to Mayor Lim and his officials for the expeditious removal of the offensive statues.

As replacement, may I suggest a more solemn image and appropriate location. The mayor may want to send a couple of officials from his Historical & Heritage Commission to the Annual Invitational Sculpture Exhibition, currently going on, so as to select the ideal artist or artists to be commissioned to create the new image or set of images for this tribute.

The exhibition, ANYO, a gathering of contemporary Filipino sculptors, is presented by Art Informal. It features the works of Augusto Albor, Salvador Joel Alonday, Noell EL Farrol, Riel Hilario, Renato Ong, Uly Veloso, Jo Gerlado, Leeroy New, Raymar Gacutan Pablo Capati III, Pete Cortes, Joey de Castro, Christina Quisumbing Ramilo, Mervy Pueblo, Stephanie Lopez, Anna Varona, Alex Tee, Angel Inocentes, Clinton Anniversario, to name a few.

The exhibit opened last Thursday and will run until November 8.

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Labels: art matters, Manila history

posted by Señor Enrique at 7:22 AM | 14 comments

Friday, October 24, 2008

FR. ANTONIO SEDENO, THE ARCHITECT

This towering structure is a condominium apartment building on Escolta that overlooks the river. I can only imagine how spectacular the views from one of its top floor units; aside from the glorious sunsets, there's also the layout of the historic Intramuros right before you.

Manila has some interesting architecture, both old and new; though, not as dramatically innovative as those designed by Frank Gehry. Nonetheless, we have a few to be proud of; like the creations of Leandro Locsin which are quite marvelous.

And when speaking of Manila architecture, someone worth remembering is Fr. Antonio Sedeño.

He was one of the first Jesuits to arrive in the Philippine archipelago in 1581 as missionaries and custodians of the ratio studiorum, the Jesuit system of education developed around 1559. Within a decade of their arrival, the Jesuits, they've founded the first school in the Philippines: Colegio de Manila (also known as the Colegio Seminario de San Ignacio) in Intramuros in 1590 (at the site where the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila now occupies). It formally opened in 1595.

When Fr. Sedeño arrived in Manila, its cityscape was comprised mostly of structures made of bamboo and nipa. Thus, in constructing the Jesuit motherhouse, he applied his knowledge in the craft of masonry and the art of architecture, and built it with brick and stone. The innovative structure so impressed the locals; one of whom was Domingo de Salazar, the first bishop of Manila, who immediately commissioned Fr. Sedeño to build him a residence made of masonry. After which, Governor Santiago de Vera tasked the Jesuit to rebuild the city's main fort at the mouth of the river; for which the brittle stone from the Pasig quarries were used. It later became known as Fort Santiago.

Eventually, the architecture of Manila's newly-constructed structures reflected Fr. Sedeños style of stone walls and tile roofing.

Other than teaching the native Filipinos how to make cement, brick and tile, Fr. Sedeño also shared his knowledge in the fine art of painting. And through the school that he founded, his students learned the fundamentals of science and theology. He was of an enterprising spirit as well; starting a local silk culture so the silver might remain in Manila and not be spent on China.

It should also be noted that out in the islands, Fr. Sedeño also built several structures, including those made of lime kiln. You may read about a house he built in Cebu here.

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Labels: architecure, Manila history

posted by Señor Enrique at 10:27 AM | 4 comments

Thursday, October 23, 2008

ON MALLING AND CONSUMERISM IN MANILA

As many know by now, I'm sure, malling has become a verb in Manila; it's definition: the act of going to a shopping mall and whiling away the hours.

Overall, about 80 percent of the Philippines' population go to shopping centers and around 36 million people visit shopping plazas once or twice a month, according to Nielsen Media Research. However, not everyone who goes malling do so to shop. For the most part, people frequent the mall to stay cool; seeking respite from the city's muggy weather.

But of more interest, according to a Newsbreak article, compared to citizens of the developed world, the Filipinos have smaller carbon footprint, which means the local lifestyle is generally less energy dependent.

As listed in the 2008 Philippines in Figures published by the National Statistics Office, the common electrical appliances owned by Filipinos -- the radio and television -- indicate minimal outlets of energy. As of 2000, over 11 million Filipino families owned a radio, while eight million had a television set. Other common household appliances are refrigerators (present in about five million Filipino households), washing machines and video cassette recorders (each of which is present in about three million homes).

The appliances that emit more carbon are those which have bigger power ratings such as the flat irons, microwave ovens and air conditioners. The most energy-exhaustive is the refrigerator as it has to be plugged in 24/7. Likewise, air-conditioners, which have power ratings ranging from 400 to a whopping 3,500 watts, also suck up tremendous amounts of energy.

As for cell phones, ownership of which among Filipinos jumped from around 400,000 in 1990 to 2 million in 2000. This figure has more than doubled in the last eight years. Energy wastage in cellular phones actually happen when people charge their phone batteries. Like other appliances, battery chargers which remain plugged in still consume 25 percent of energy. The solution then is to simply unplug appliances and other electrical items when not in use.

As for fuel, aside from the use of diesel and gasoline for transportation, local folks also use fossil fuels right in their own homes. To offset greenhouse gas emissions, Filipinos need to curb the use of fossil fuels. As of 2005, around four million Filipino families still rely on kerosene for lighting. This makes it second only to electricity which is used in some 10 million homes.

For over-all household fuel use, the share of kerosene has been going down, registering a decrease of 23.6 percentage points from 79.9 percent in 1995 to 56.3 percent in 2004. For the same period, the number of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) household users doubled in number from 4.2 million households to 8.6 million households.

To read the complete Newsbreak article, click here.

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Labels: life in Manila

posted by Señor Enrique at 8:09 AM | 24 comments

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

MOTHER IGNACIA DEL ESPIRITU SANTO

This photo of a nun I had taken at Santa Cruz, Manila, reminds me of Ignacia Incua; otherwise known as Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo, a mestiza born in Binondo on February 1, 1663, to Jusepe Incua, a Chinese, and Maria Jeronima, a native Filipina. Her affluent family gave her a Christian education. She grew up very much enraptured by the story and teachings of Jesus.

At age 21, she declined a marriage proposal by a Spaniard, Captain Ricardo de Lodero y Salvacion; opting instead to devote her entire life to God. However, being not of pure Spanish blood, she was denied entry to two religious houses: Beatero de Santo Domingo and Santa Clara Monstery.

Without any other choice, she led a life in seclusion in a house across the San Ignacio church to make it easy for her and her companions to attend mass and engage in other spiritual exercises. This house was later founded as the Beaterio de la Compañia, located at the corner of Calle Victoria and Calle Santa Lucia in Intramuros. It was to become the first all-Filipino religious congregation for women in the Philippines -- Religious of the Virgin Mary (RVM, 1684).

The initial 50 members -- known as the beatas -- were comprised of lay sisters dedicated to prayer and charitable work. They supported the congregation by doing manual work and begging out in the streets. They also helped women make a spiritual retreat following the Ignatian method; assisting them in their preparation for confession and communion, and reading spiritual works for them in Tagalog. The Beaterio also admitted pupils, all girls, who received fundamental education and training in home economics.

Under the leadership of Mother Ignacia, the beatas endured hardships, lived in extreme poverty, garbed in coarse black habit, existed on austere diet eaten on communal banana leaves, and slept in dark rooms. On top of such rigid puritanical existence, Mother Ignacia also led a severe penitential life by practicing self-flagellation and -mortification, such as lying prostrate on the floor and begging others to step on her. At other times, she was seen dragging a heavy wooden cross on her shoulders, or arms outstretched like a cross for hours on end. Hers was an astounding life filled with severe self-inflicted pain, as if desperately absolving herself from some massive guilt that gnawed at her soul.

On the day she died on September 10, 1748, she was found motionless as she remained kneeling on the communion rail of the San Ignacio Church long after receiving communion. During her interment, she was given full honors by the Spanish administration and church authorities.

Pope Benedict XVI has issued a decree bestowing Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo the title "venerable," two steps away from sainthood. The sisters of the congregation she founded, now known as the Congregation of the Religious of the Virgin Mary, currently maintain St. Mary's College for Girls in Quezon City and run 11 colleges, 63 high schools, and 30 elementary schools throughout the Philippines. It owns more than 700 houses in the country and three in America: in Arkansas, in Las Vegas, Nevada, and in Sacramento, California.

Historically, Mother Ignacia is known as the first Filipina to found a congregation for women.

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Please note:
I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.
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Labels: Manila history, religious

posted by Señor Enrique at 10:53 AM | 20 comments

Monday, October 20, 2008

THE GENERAL FROM BINONDO

It was somewhere in Binondo where he was born on October 29, 1866. His father was a revenue inspector, his mother from a prominent family in Ilocos Norte. At the age of eight, he entered the Ateneo de Manila where he nurtured a great interest in literature and chemistry. In 1883, with highest honors, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree.

At the University of Santo Tomas, he endeavored in long hours of research. His paper, Dos Cuerpos Fundamentales De Quimica, was awarded first prize in a university competition. At the University of Barcelona, he earned the Licentiate in Pharmacy. He was conferred the Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 1890 at the Central University of Madrid.

While a student in Europe, he joined the Propaganda Movement and under the pen name Taga Ilog, he published editorials and articles which portrayed the evils of Spanish rule in Solidaridad. Supposedly, For a time in 1891, he single-handedly produced the issues of La Solidaridad.

In 1894, he was summoned back to Manila by his mother. He came home and worked as a professor and director of a laboratory in Manila. He didn't join the Kapitupunan; thinking it was premature to organize a revolution, but he was nonetheless arrested for complicity in the revolution mainly due to his advocated liberalism. After his release from prison, he left for Belgium where he studied military strategy under General Leman, a Belgian war hero.

In 1898 -- although the Filipinos still remember his traitorous acts against the revolution began by Bonifacio two years prior that drove the final nail in Rizal's coffin -- he joined Aguinaldo's forces to help the Americans banish the Spaniards from the archipelago when the United States declared war against Spain; hence, emerged General Antonio Luna.

Subsequently, Dewey's true interest for the Philippines became apparent; thus, barely a year after proclaiming their "independence," the Filipinos found themselves fiercely fighting the American forces -- superior to them in armaments and military training. At almost every encounter, the Filipinos lost, though on December 18, 1899, the Filipinos struck a single victory: General Licerio Geronimo defeated General Lawton in San Mateo.

Ultimately, it was General Antonio Luna's emotional immaturity that facilitated what could be the Filipinos' most shameful and tragic defeats.

He was so enraged by the unbecoming conduct of one of his subordinates, General Mascardo, that he left the battlefield taking with him his artillery including the cavalry and his men. This he did to teach Mascardo a lesson. But the lesson proved disastrous to the Filipinos.

General Gregorio del Pilar was almost alone in holding back the superior American forces. And without the much-needed artillery and men, the Americans overwhelmed the Filipino defenses. When General Luna returned from Guagua, Kalumpit had fallen to the hands of General Arthur MacArthur and his men.

In the end, he was remembered as having said, "If they kill me, wrap me in a Filipino flag with all the clothes which I was dressed at the time and bury me in the ground ... I will die willingly for my country." Ironically, his death was not caused by the enemy but by his countrymen -- at the hands of Aguinaldo's henchmen, allegedly -- as what happened to Andres Bonifacio.

In Talking History: Conversations with Teodoro Agoncillo, when asked if General Antonio Luna ought to be hailed a hero, Agoncillo opined:

Luna was the leader of the revolution against Spain? Puñeta! Since when? Since when did Luna fight against the Spaniards? He never fought against the Spaniards. As a matter of fact, Luna was a traitor to the revolution of 1896. Luna not only did not join the revolution of 1896, he was a traitor! Nagturo yan a! Nagturo!!! As a matter of fact, I do not consider Luna a hero. How did he become a hero? He never won any battle, papaanong sasabihing hero yan?

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Please note:
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Labels: Antonio Luna, Philippine history

posted by Señor Enrique at 8:15 AM | 18 comments

Sunday, October 19, 2008

NATIONAL HISTORICAL INSTITUTE

The National Historical Institute will be celebrating its 75th anniversary this week. The entire place was abuzz with people who were working on the final stages of the building's refurbishment when I stopped by there last Friday. Even the elevators were being worked on; hence, I had to walk up the stairs all the way to the third floor to get to its bookstore.

Presently chaired by Prof. Ambeth R. Ocampo, and administered by Director Ludovico D. Badoy and Deputy Executive Director Emelita V. Almosara, the National Historical Institute Board boasts of a group of distinguished scholars for its members: Jose Cruz, S.J, Heidi K. Gloria, Benito J. Legarda, Serafin D. Quiason, Corazon S. Alvina (Director of the National Museum) and Prudenciana C. Cruz (Director of the National Library).

And according to its Web site:

NHI’s forerunner was the Philippine Historical Research and Markers Committee (PHRMC) created in 1933 by virtue of Executive Order No. 451 signed by American Governor General Frank Murphy. PHRMC's mission was to identify, designate and appropriately mark the many antiquities of the Philippines. The chosen head of the committee was an American journalist Walter Robb, while other members of the committee included Fr. Miguel Selga, S.J, Prof. Otley Beyer, Prof. Jayme C. De Veyra, Prof. Conrado Benitez, Dean Edward Hyde and Eulogio B. Rodriguez.

The PHRMC, however, was abolished following the inauguration of the Commonwealth Government. Philippine Historical Committee (PHC), though, was created by Executive Order No. 91, dated 23 January 1937, to assume the same responsibilities as that of its predecessor. The PHC performed its mandate for about five years, from its creation until the outbreak of the Second World War. When the country was occupied by the Japanese Forces, PHC was abolished and its functions were absorbed by the Commission of Education, Health and Public Welfare. On 20 January 1947, six months following the inauguration of the Third Philippine Republic, the PHC was reconstituted, and was placed under the Office of the President and later transferred to the Department of Education.

During its 28 years of existence, the PHC was able to install about 444 historical markers all over the Philippines. It was also able to acquire historical shrines such as Mabini Shrine in Tanauan, Batangas and its counterpart in Manila and the Juan Luna Memorial Shrine in Badoc, Ilocos Norte. The PHC was also responsible in reconstructing the Rizal home in Calamba and collect about 600 rare Rizaliana items and took charge on concerns about naming and renaming of streets, plazas, towns and other public sites.

Meanwhile, alongside with the PHC, the Jose Rizal National Centennial Commission (JRNCC) was also created by virtue of Executive Order No. 52 dated 10 August 1954. It was created to take charge of the preparations for Jose Rizal’s birth centenary. For about six months, this commission published books on the works of our national hero. JRNCC was later converted and became Rizal Presidential Committee on 1 July 1962 after President Diosdado Macapal issued Executive Order No. 14.

Before 1962 ended, President Macapagal issued Executive Order No. 28 that amended EO No. 14 which paved way for the creation of the National Heroes Commission with the additional task of conducting preparations for the centennial birth celebrations of Filipino heroes and luminaries. The NHC was placed under the direct supervision of the Secretary of Education. Meanwhile, the Rizal Shrine in Calamba was placed under the supervision of the Director of the National Museum while research and publication works were directed by the Director of the National Library.

In 1962, there was a social and political clamor for the creation of a historical body with functions and duties were broader than those of the existing PHC and NHC. In 1962 three bills were filed, one from the Congress and two from the Senate. The said bills possessed the same objective—the creation of a historical commission. Sen. Camilo Osias and Sen. Eulogio Balao co-authored Senate Bill No. 18 approved by the Senate on 9 March 1964 while House Bill No. 2241 sponsored by Rep. Salih Ututalum was approved by the Congress on 7 May 1965.

To fuse Senate Bill No. 18 and House Bill No. 2241, a conference was held attended by members of both houses on 18 May 1965. Senator Francisco Rodrigo amended the title of the proposed historical body from Heroes Commission to Historical Commission. The fused bill was finally approved on 19 June 1965 as Republic Act No. 4368.

From 1 July 1965, the NHC and the PHC were merged and named National Historical Commission which started to function as a separate bureau under Department of Education and Culture. Its functions were divided into research, administration of shrines, monuments and markers and general administration. Under the chairmanship of Mrs. Carmen Guerrero-Nakpil, activities were launched in full blast despite limited fund. One of the major projects of NHC was the floating museum dubbed as KASAYSAYAN that brought NHC to various places in the Philippines to reach the public. This effort was continued by the succeeding heads of the agency.

In 1972, in accordance with Presidential Decree No. 1 of 24 September 1972 otherwise known as an Act Reorganizing the Executive Branch of the Government, the National Historical Institute was created. In line with this aim of streamlining government entities performing identical or parallel functions with that of NHI, agencies like National Historical Commission, Intramuros Restoration Committee, Roxas Memorial Commission, Quezon Memorial Committee, Emilio Aguinaldo National Centennial Commission, Gomes-Burgos-Zamora Centennial Commission and the Pinaglabanan Commemorative Commission were abolished while transferring all of their functions, records, appropriations, records and properties to the NHI.

To read more about the history of the National Historical Institute, click here.

To view some vintage photos from its archives, click here.

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Please note:
I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.
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Labels: events, National Historic Institute

posted by Señor Enrique at 7:57 AM | 10 comments

Saturday, October 18, 2008

THE RELIGHTING OF MACARTHUR BRIDGE

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I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.
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posted by Señor Enrique at 8:34 AM | 19 comments

Friday, October 17, 2008

FUGOSO LIBRARY IN SANTA CRUZ, MANILA

For the past couple of years, whenever driving by this nicely-painted library, I've always thought of dropping by to check out its collections of books and periodicals. Early last week, I finally got a chance to do so.

A short walking distance from SM San Lazaro, on Aragon Street corner A.H. Lacson St. (formerly Gov. Forbes), in Sta. Cruz, Manila, the Fugoso Library is very comfortable with ample chairs and tables; the general appearance of its interior is just as charming as its exterior. According to a Manila Bulletin article, it was named after the 13th Mayor of Manila, Valeriano Fugoso. Inaugurated on January 25, 1994, it underwent major renovation two years ago during Mayor Lito Atienza's administration.

Although the library is equipped with 10 computers complete with scanners and printers, all with broadband Internet access, its collection of books and reference materials seem appalling; its Filipiniana section, pitifully in need of new titles.

I didn't stay for too long, but I did return early yesterday to drop off about a dozen books on various subjects to donate. I promised that I will return with some more books on computers and technology; even though years old, they may prove valuable to certain students keen on this subject.

I'm not exactly sure what sort of public funding this library receives, but, it can surely use additional, wider selections of books, periodicals, and reference materials. The librarian I spoke to confided that they are in dire need of a set of encyclopedia and books on Philippine history and culture. Perhaps, some of our fellow bloggers may be able to help by donating some books, especially an encyclopedia set (even an old one). This library does attract quite a steady stream of students and senior folks which I had witnessed during the two times I was there.

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Please note:
I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.
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Labels: public library

posted by Señor Enrique at 7:02 AM | 24 comments

Thursday, October 16, 2008

ON PHILIPPINE POSTAGE STAMPS

Philately is the study of postage stamps. It comes from the Greek words Philos (friends) and Atelei (to be exempt from charge). It is also a term often used to refer to the art and science of stamp collecting. Interestingly, one can learn about a country’s history, culture, passions, nature, and industries through the study and collection of postage stamps.

A year or so ago, Clare Amador of YouthTrip invited me to join the Postal History Walking Tour, which she dubbed as "an afternoon of big words and old stories; a small trip in history guided by black and white images and anecdotes." Regrettably, due to a prior commitment, I was unable to attend. However, the other day at Manila City Hall, I met Lawrence D. Chan, the man who conducts the free Postal History Walking Tour held every third Sunday of the month.

If you're looking for something to do this Sunday, October 19, there is one walking tour being held. And for its highlight, there will be an auction of collectible items -- from vintage postage stamps to pastcards, and from Filipiniana books to old coins and currencies -- to be conducted right after the tour.

Incidentally, until Friday, October 17, at the lobby of the Post Office is the "One Frame Exhibit" sponsored by the Philippine Philatelic Federation National Exhibition.




Here's a couple of trivia on Philippine stamps:

* The first stamp in Asia was issued on February 1, 1854. One carried the word corros instead of correos, a genuine error highly valued nowadays by stamp collectors.

* General Emilio Aguinaldo issued his own set of postage stamps in 1898 under the new republic.

* The Philippines under the American rule issued a set of seven pictorial stamps on May 3, 1932. The vignette for the 18c was intended to show Pagsanjan Falls and is so labeled, but it was erroneously printed with the image of the Vernal Falls in Yosemite National Park instead.

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Please note:
I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.
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Labels: auction, Manila Post Office, Philippine history, postage stamps

posted by Señor Enrique at 7:43 AM | 18 comments

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

A PUBLIC HEARING ON PROPOSED STREET NAME CHANGES

This was the scene yesterday at Manila City Hall's Plenary Session Hall as a public hearing was conducted by the Committee on Arts & Culture, presided by its chairman, Councilor John Marvin Nieto, more popularly known by his screen name Yul Servo.

This public hearing was in relation to the draft ordinances to rename two streets in Binondo: Condesa to Norberto Ty Street and Oriente to Victoria Ty Tan Street. The intention is to 'honor' the ancestors of the family that founded the now largest banking conglomerate in the Philippines, Metrobank.

In a nutshell, the Metrobank group at yesterday's hearing stressed that the city's concession to rename these two streets -- Condesa and Oriente -- to honor their founder's ancestors would be a mere token of appreciation by the City of Manila for the jobs Metrobank had created, including the millions of pesos of charity money and grants that Metrobank had doled out through the years.

Ms. Gemma Cruz-Araneta, who headed the group representing the Heritage Conservation Society and the Manila Heritage and Historical Commission, reminded the committee that 'stories' give life and color to the city.

As an example, she cited the Sampaloc streets that were named after the virtues -- Trabajo (Work), Industria (Industry), Pureza (Purity), Honradez (Honor) -- because back during the 1920s-'30s, this part of Sampaloc was comprised of working class folks who treasured these basic human values. However, this 'story' has now been broken by the change of Trabajo into M. de la Fuente to honor a certain mayor of Manila.

Oriente street in Binondo, Ms. Gemma argued, commemorates the famous hotel in Rizal's time where Rizal himself stayed when he came back from his travels in Europe in 1892. Other names are whimsical and funny. For instance, Hormiga (Ant) in Binondo is called such because it is small and narrow. She then asked why can't we have a city full of romance, virtues and humor rather than one which honors mainly business tycoons and politicians?

And if indeed the goal is to honor a businessman or politician, will changing the name of a street really inspire people to remember him/her? Granting that Oriente is changed to Ty, how many people will know who the person is and why that person is being commemorated? Only a handful, she lamented.

She then asked what guarantee is there that after 20 years, the name of the street will not be changed again? In the 1950s, she pointed out, the main street in Ermita was Isaac Peral after the Spanish inventor of the submarine. Then in the 1970s, it was changed to United Nations. Now in the 2000s, there is pressure from the Romulo clan to change it to Carlos P. Romulo.

Finally, Ms. Gemma offered some suggestions like affixing a commemorative ceramic plaque to the wall of a street where so-and-so used to pass during his/her lifetime? The plaque should be beautifully made and should summarize the achievements of, say, the Tys. If a portrait in bas-relief is included, so much the better, she said, for the public can have a clear picture of who is being honored.

At the same time, she suggested that there should be a law stipulating that the ceramic plaque must remain in that given area even if the building to which it is affixed is torn down. The new building that will arise should carry the ceramic plaque. Such ceramic plaques, if well done, can in fact make our streets more attractive and more colorful. They will necessarily be bigger than the ceramic street signs from the Spanish period.

This public hearing on the draft ordinances to rename Condesa to Norberto Ty Street and Oriente to Victoria Ty Tan Street, conducted by the City of Manila's Committee on Arts & Culture, will continue. The committee plans to invite representatives from the National Historical Institute on its next session.

Related link:

Old Manila streets lose names to politicians - PDI - Augusto de Viana

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Labels: street name change

posted by Señor Enrique at 7:06 AM | 28 comments

Monday, October 13, 2008

ON CORDUROYS AND MACOMBER STORE

I was cleaning my closet the other day and came across a favorite pair of corduroy trousers (above photo), which I tend to wear only when in Baguio since I find this fabric unsuitable for Manila's muggy weather.

These trousers, by the way, I bought years ago one autumn day at Banana Republic, one of my favorite stores in New York. In fact, I started shopping at its original store located on Broadway in the Upper West Side. At that time, it was a specialty travel wear and accessories boutique. Bought by The Gap, it's now a very popular store with branches all over America.

These days, whenever corduroys and the city of Manila arise in one single thought, the store Macomber comes to mind as well. It was one of the pioneering ready-to-wear stores in the city, at a time when RTW was basically unheard of. Macomber specialized in denim (maong) and coduroy jeans.

My memory placed the Macomber store as being on Avenida Rizal in Santa Cruz, but a cousin argued that it was somewhere on Quezon Boulevard in Quiapo. Be that as it may, even though I had only purchased one pair of corduroy jeans at this store (when I was in high school, wanting to be hip), I've come to regard Macomber as Manila's answer to Levi's.

Recently, I learned that the man behind the Macomber Store was Florentino Mariano Maliwat, who happened to be the best friend of Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim.

The friendship between the two men stemmed from the late 1940s when the mayor was still a working FEU high school student at a haberdashery shop in Tabora. Mr. Maliwat, on the other hand, was a budding entrepreneur who bought fabrics per kilo for mass production -- during the early years of his RTW enterprise, at a time when everyone favored customized tailoring.

According to a tribute article by People Tonight, Mr. Maliwat would hand over his list of buttons, threads and other needs for his growing factory to Mr. Lim who would put his orders together and help carry the boxes all the way to Azcarraga (now Recto) where Maliwat’s old jeep was parked.

A lifetime friendship flourished soon thereafter between these two young men. Last April, Mr. Maliwat passed away much to the mayor's deep sorrow.

To read more about the admirable friendship between Mr. Maliwat and Mayor Lim, please click here.

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Please note:
I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.
Thank you!

Labels: business, life in Manila

posted by Señor Enrique at 8:12 AM | 16 comments

Saturday, October 11, 2008

A VISIT NOT SO FABULOUS FOR THE FAB FOUR

Out of all the photographs I had taken of the Manila Yacht Club, this has got to be my favorite. It was once selected as Photo of the Week by the editors of Manila Bulletin's Picture Perfect section.

I have never in my life gone inside the Manila Yacht Club, but there's one striking memory I treasure from when I was a kid in which it played a prominent role. This happened one Saturday, the 3rd of July, 1966, when the Beatles arrived in Manila.

Their handlers' plan was to fly them by helicopter from Manila International Airport to a waiting yacht owned by Manolo Elizalde docked at Manila Bay. However, should the crowd of fans were to be less-frenzied and manageable, as compared to those in other cities which the Beatles had visited, a likely option called for a typical motorcade, as afforded to visiting heads of state. This way, many local folks would get a glimpse of the Fab Four as they headed from the airport to their awaiting yacht. I intensely prayed for the latter.

Besides the anticipated presence of riotous and hysterical fans that usually crowded the Beatles' live performances, the cost of buying tickets for the entire family to see their concert at Rizal Stadium proved prohibitive for my father. Neither did he have the heart to merely pick and choose only a couple to see the concert, for everyone was stricken with Beatlemania, including the household help. So the decision was for everyone to stay home. And that was that.

After many years of growing up in a household with a soundtrack from other family members' record collections -- a repertoire that consisted of a steady stream from my father's favored jazz artists and big bands to my older siblings' mushy and rocking hits of the '50s -- the Beatles' music I claimed as truly my very own. Darn, even my vocal range, pitch and enunciation matched perfectly that of Lennon's and McCartney's. Spurred by childhood dreams of grandeur, I was truly under the impression that I could be a potential fifth Beatle. Hence, under such compelling illusion, no one could possibly thwart my determination to see the Beatles in person, in one way or another.

Prior to their weekend arrival, a Manila Times article highlighted the upcoming visit replete with a map of their motorcade route from the airport to the Manila Yacht Club. Needless to say, that article inspired me to hatch a plan unbeknownst to all, except for my sister Inday and four more childhood friends who range in age from 11 to 15 (I was to celebrate my fourteenth birthday the following week).

On that momentous Saturday, the 3rd of July, 1966, all dressed up as if headed to a children's party, we got on a cab on Avenida Rizal that took us to Dewey Boulevard and Quirino Avenue. According to the motorcade route as illustrated by the Manila Times article, this was where the cars heading north from the airport would have to make a u-turn if they wanted to go to the yacht club. Hunch told me the motorcade had to slow down to a crawl in order to accomplish such maneuver; thus, this would be the ideal ground for us to claim.

There was a lot of traffic on that Saturday afternoon and when we finally reached our destination -- at the service road that paralleled the boulevard near corner Quirino -- the motorcade with the white Cadillac limousine (obviously with the Beatles in it) were fast approaching; only a hundred or so meters from the u-turn. After silently offering a prayer of appreciation -- that the Beatles weren't flown by a helicopter instead -- we all jumped out of that taxi like a bunch of thoroughbreds bolting out of the starting gate; racing over to the boulevard as if our lives depended on it. Years of playing 'tag' and tumbang preso certainly gave our legs the much needed sprinting power.

And as it in lockstep, as we neared that particular u-turn junction, the white Cadillac also began to decelerate. For a few precious seconds, Ringo, John, Paul and George were all within our arms' reach. As evidenced by the wide smiles on theirs faces, they were all apparently enthralled by the sight of our group of nicely-dressed kids running alongside their limousine while screaming out their names.

John Lennon removed the shades that covered his eyes, and his seemingly heartfelt smile and enthusiastic waving hand made my knees and legs suddenly felt rubbery. As the white limousine completed it's u-turn on its way to the yacht club, we headed for the grassy ground along the boulevard where I fell, tripping everyone else behind me in the process. We remained laying on the grass for a few minutes before we slowly got up to brush ourselves off and get back to the taxi waiting for us. The cab driver patted our backs; very much delighted that we all had seen the Beatles in person and up close.

We had the cab driver drop us off at the same spot where he had picked us up -- on Avenida Rizal, a safe and far enough distance from our house. I paid him with the money that I've managed to save the past few months. We then headed to Manong's sari-sari store where I treated everyone to a bottle of Cosmos sarsaparilla and hopiang hapon. Afterwards, Mang Fermin came by and we all enjoyed a cone of dirty ice cream as well. Everyone was rather giddy while discussing in hushed tones what we had experienced earlier that afternoon. Everyone promised to keep it as our very own secret.

When we all went home, my sister Inday and I found our father alone in the downstairs living room reading the newspaper. After pressing his hand on our foreheads, my sister raced upstairs while I sat next to my father. He asked how the birthday party was. I told him the truth: I said it was my upcoming birthday that we celebrated. And that we took a cab to Dewey Boulevard to see the Beatles' motorcade. I was prepared to accept whatever punishment he thought appropriate for such roguish act. Instead he just calmly told me not to mention what we had done to anyone else, especially to my mother. Unlike my sister who had immediately gone upstairs when we got home, I chose to remain sitting on the sofa next to my father, lost in thought. For some strange reason, I was feeling that my childhood, my age of wonder, was finally coming to an end.

I was aroused from my pensive mood only when my brother Pepsi came down and turned on the radio. The top ten program he tuned into was playing the Beatles' Paperback Writer. After the song was finished, I went upstairs to change my clothes.

The Beatles' concert performances in Manila during that weekend set a record-breaking phenomenon in terms of attendance. Some estimates placed the figure as high as 50,000 for each performance. Regrettably, what could have been a historic musical event soon got marred by 'political' controversy.

Supposedly, a miscommunication between their local promoters and manager, Brian Epstein, resulted to Imelda and her friends getting insulted by the Beatles' nonappearance at a Palace reception. Consequently, incited by the Marcos' media machine, Beatlemania turned into Beatlephobia. Hence, the Beatles, including their entire entourage, were roughed up at the airport as they were leaving Manila. Undoubtedly, it was a concert tour that proved less than fabulous for the famed Fab Four.

Nevertheless, what I deemed more unfortunate for the Beatles was the missed opportunity to enjoy a glorious Manila Bay sunset. At that time, since they may have already been experimenting with mind-altering substances such as LSD, God only knows what words and music might have come from Lennon and McCartney after enjoying a spectacular Manila Bay sunset. A more psychedelic tune than Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, I bet.

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Please note:
I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.
Thank you!

Labels: Beatles in Manila, Growing up memoirs, music

posted by Señor Enrique at 9:31 AM | 50 comments

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

NATIONAL ARTIST: F. SIONIL JOSE

Much to my great delight, I've finally located and visited Solidaridad Bookstore yesterday. Hailed as the finest in the Philippines, it reminds me of the quaint specialty book shops in New York that have been made extinct by the superstores like Barnes & Noble and Border's. However, unlike those specialty Manhattan bookstores now long gone, Solidaridad has managed to thrive for more than forty years now.

The foreign titles it carries -- in fiction, poetry and other subjects like humanities, philosophy, history and political theory -- including its impressive inventory of Filipino books, makes Solidaridad a favorite haunt by serious book collectors and wordsmiths. Its name was inspired by the fortnightly journal La Solidaridad, mouthpiece of leading Filipino nationalists during the Spanish rule.

According to a PDI article by Tina Santos, each and every book sold in Solidaridad is painstakingly scrutinized by its owner, making sure that it is interesting, important or have a permanent value. For my initial purchase, out of deep respect for its owner, F. Sionil Jose, I got two books he authored: Ben Singkol and To the Young Writer and Other Essays.

Fortunately, on that particular morning, Mr. Jose was in his office at the store's mezzanine; thus, the store clerk was able to have him sign my copies. Although I didn't meet him, I did get to meet his wife, Teresita. We enjoyed a brief, though lively, conversation that revolved around her travel experiences abroad, as well as the couple of years she had lived in California with her daughter. Incidentally, our fellow blogger Noypete was her son Tonette's college buddy.

As a prolific essayist and novelist, Mr, Jose prefers to write in English rather than in Tagalog or Ilocano. His works have become some of the most widely-read in the English language.

It was in 1962 when his first novel, The Pretenders, was published. And since then, his catalog of published works has grown to include twelve novels, seven books of short stories, a book of verse, and five important books of essays.

His writings, which are available in 28 languages, often depict the social underpinnings of class struggles and colonialism in Filipino society,

He has been awarded numerous fellowships and awards; two of which were the 2004 Pablo Neruda Centennial Award from Chile and the notable and most prestigious award of its kind in Asia, the 1980 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature, and Creative Communication Arts. On June 11, 2001, Mr. Jose was awarded the prestigious title of National Artist for Literature in an official ceremony at Malacañang.

Born in Rosales, Pangasinan on December 3, 1924, Mr. Jose started writing while in grade school. As a fifth grade pupil, he frequented the school library and immersed himself in the novels of Jose Rizal and those of great foreign authors.

According to Wikipedia, "reading about Basilio and Crispin in Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere made the young Jose cry, because injustice was not an alien thing to him. When Joe was five years old, his grandfather who was a soldier during the Philippine revolution, had once tearfully showed him the land their family had once tilled but was taken away by rich mestizo landlords who knew how to work the system against illiterates like his grandfather."

Recently, Mr. Jose reportedly walked out during the tribute to Lucrecia Kasilag at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. The reason: he couldn’t stand finding himself in the company of Imelda Marcos; worse, seeing the former first lady mount the podium to eulogize Kasilag and then regale the audience with her own major role in the birth of the CCP. That was too much for Mr. Jose, so he decided to get up and leave.

In his statement to the CCP officials, Mr. Jose begged them not to honor Imelda Marcos in any of the CCP activities. Furthermore, he asserts:

In ostracizing her and denying her honor, you honor the memory of Ninoy Aquino and the thousands upon thousands who were unjustly jailed, tortured, killed or salvaged by the Marcos dictatorship.

In honoring the plunderers of this nation and letting them off easy without any punishment (like Erap) we not only condone their infamy; other rapists of this nation will also feel redeemed, convinced that they did no wrong. Then, they pave the way for future criminals to do the same, sure that, like Imelda and her gang, they will not be punished and that after their foul deeds, they can even preen in the limelight before a people without memory.

The Marcoses were in power for more than 20 years — they gave patronage with the people’s money to many. These recipients of their patronage are grateful. I can very well understand that, but keep in mind that the evil that they did far outweighs the miniscule good that they achieved, the Cultural Center is one and the appointment of King is another.

The Center and King helped deodorize a little a murderous dictatorship. And don’t you ever forget, it was your money, my money, OUR money that built the Cultural Center — not Imelda’s.

In his book To The Young Writer and Other Essays, Mr. Jose asks our young writers:

Be an honest witness to your time, and be strong when they revile you for telling the truth. Your vocation will also condemn you to solitude, but remember -- he who stands alone is the strongest. Even in our shattering loneliness, remember you are writing, not for critics, academics, or other writers, but for your own people who, in their silence and perhaps poverty, cannot express the aspirations and anguish. You are their voice but only if you have not deserted or betrayed them.

These days, Mr. Jose and his wife continue untiringly to mind their bookstore's daily grind.

Solidaridad Bookshop
531 Padre Faura Street
Ermita, Manila
Telephone: (632) 523-0870

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Please note:
I very much appreciate my articles and photos appearing on fellow bloggers' sites, popular broadsheets, and local broadcast news segments, but I would appreciate even more a request for permission first.
Thank you!

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Visit: MANILA PHOTOJOURNALISM


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Labels: Featured Writer, national artist

posted by Señor Enrique at 7:25 AM | 74 comments

Life in Manila as observed by a former New Yorker who with a laptop and camera has reinvented himself as a storyteller. Winner of the PHILIPPINE BLOG AWARDS: Best Photo Blog in 2007 and three Best Single Post awards in 2008.

 

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