Monthly Archives: November 2012

Philippine Air Force Aerospace Museum – Indoor Exhibits (Pasay City)

Posted on by — 3 Comments ↓

While waiting for my father-in-law’s arrival from Kalibo (Aklan) at the NAIA 3 Terminal, I decided to kill time at the nearby Philippine Air Force Museum.  I have visited this museum before, but only got to explore, with Jandy, the 16 “retired” planes and helicopters at the museum’s outdoor Aircraft Park.  The indoor exhibit was just one hour to closing time during that visit.

Philippine Air Force Aerospace Museum

This military heritage and science technology museum was established way back on May 2, 1974 (as the Marcos Museum) but it only opened at its new location on July 1, 2001.  The world-class museum building was inaugurated on June 29, 2007, the 60th foundation anniversary of the PAF.  Surprisingly, this tidy, neat and quite impressive, 2-level museum, a good 2-hr. diversion for those who are also waiting for their plane connections, had a number of weekday visitors.

Science and Technology Section

The Science and Technology Section, at the ground floor, is highlighted by by an indoor static aircraft of various eras  – from pre-World War II to the present – all immaculately restored.  Of World War II vintage is a single-engine, 2-seater, open cockpit and fabric-covered Boeing PT-13D “Kaydet” (also known as Stearman Model 75) primary trainer biplane, a standardized U.S. Army/Navy trainer aircraft created by Boeing-Stearman from 1943-45.  Before World War II, the Philippine Army Air Corps (now the PAF) had Stearman model 73L3 trainers and the armed 76D version.  As part of the U.S. Military Defense Assistance Program (MDAP), the PAF Flying School acquired 50 PT-13/PT-17 “Kaydets.”

PT-13D “Kaydet”

The one on display is PT-13D “Kaydet” 76-7551 code 551 equipped with a 220-HP Lycoming R-680-17 radial engine (max. speed: 125 mph) and fitted with a ground-adjustable McCauley steel black propeller.  The aircraft has a 32-ft., 2-in. wing span and is 24 ft. 10 in. long and 9 ft. 2 in. high.

P-51D “Mustang”

Also of World War II vintage is a propeller-driven  P-51D “Mustang” fighter, manufactured by North American Aviation, the best fighter aircraft of World War II.  Around 100 of these fast and maneuverable aircraft, with 6 wing-mounted guns, were delivered to country in 1952 and assigned to the 6th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 5th Fighter Wing in Basa Air Base (Floridablanca, Pampanga).

SF-260

Beside it is a modern, Italian-made SIAI Marchetti SF-260, a light military trainer with low wings and tricycle undercarriage that is still in use.  The PAF acquired 2 variants in 1967 and initially received 2 SIAI Marchetti SF-260 operated by 102nd Training Squadron (now the PAF Flying School). The one on display had a tail number 15-44 and bore a tactical code 644.  Aside from being used by the flying school, it is also used for counter-insurgency roles.

“Cali” Super Pinto

Also on display are PAF experimental projects presented in ways to inspire young generations of Filipinos to learn on aerospace-related sciences. Of special interest is a prototype of the “Cali” Super Pinto, the first indigenous jet trainer and light attack aircraft in the country.  This turbojet-propelled, mid-monoplane aircraft has a TEMCO model TT-1 Pinto air frame with 2-place tandem seating.

U.S. space capsule
Replica of Wright Brothers’ 1902 glider

Suspended on the ceiling is a locally-made, full scale model of the Wright Brothers’ 1902 glider  and a U.S. space capsule.  The Science and Technology Section also exhibits aircraft mock-ups and miniatures. There is also a souvenir shop on this floor.

Dodge WC-57 Command Car
A row of ejection seats
Canopy and ejection seat systems

Also within this floor is a Dodge WC-57 Command Car (used by former Philippine presidents);  armament and gun system of a Northrop F-5A; F-86F nose landing gear system; canopy and ejection seats (F-86F “Sabrejet,” F-4 “Phantom” and F-5A “Freedom Fighter”); a portable rescue hoist and jet engines.  Kids may sit in the cockpit of an F-86D fighter jet simulator.

Hiroo Onoda Exhibit
Wall of Heroes
Evolution of PAF Uniforms

The Heritage Section, at the second floor of the museum, presents a variety of galleries displaying different military uniforms and their evolution (Evolution of PAF Uniforms); flying gear; dioramas and sand tables of important events involving the Air Force (Dioramas/PAF Model Aircraft); model planes, memorabilia, vintage guns, locally made bombs; a display of things left by Japanese straggler Lt. Hiroo Onoda while hiding in the jungles of Lubang in Mindoro; and skilled drawings and paintings of early military aviation and PAF history.

Past Commanding Generals of the PAF

There are also photographs of past commanding generals of the Philippine Air Force; recipients of the Philippine Medal of Valor and Distinguished Conduct Star (Wall of Heroes); old photographs depicting the history of the Air Force and its Blue Diamonds aerobatics team (Birth of Philippine Aviation) and a photo exhibit of the historic May 29, 1936 Arnacal (short for the names of Filipino pilots Antonio Arnaiz and Juan Calvo) flight from Manila to Madrid (Spain).

Photo exhibit of Arnacal flight

This floor also has a 150-200-pax function room for seminars, workshops, symposia, expositions and other cultural activities, plus a 45-pax mini-theater for small group film showings.\

Philippine Air Force Aerospace Museum: Gozar cor. Alia St., Col. Jesus Villamor Air Base, Pasay City.   Open Mondays to Fridays, 8 AM to 5 PM, Saturdays, 8 AM to 12 noon. Admission is free.  Tel: (632) 832-3498, 854-6729 and 762-6628.

Pulilan Town Proper (Bulacan)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

From Pulilan Butterfly Haven and Resort, Jandy and I made our way back to Manila via NLEX which we plan to enter via the Pulilan Exit. Along the way, we passed through the center of Pulilan town and made a short stopover there for merienda, parking our Toyota Revo at the plaza in front of the town’s Diocesan Shrine of St. Isidore the Farmer (San Isidro Labrador).  The church was closed during our visit and I could only admire it from outside.

Check out “Pulilan Butterfly Haven and Resort“

Church of St. Isidore the Farmer

During the Carabao Festival (May 15, Feast of San Isidro Labrador), the  church is the site where carabaos (water buffalos) are made to kneel or genuflect with its two front legs as a sign of reverence to the patron saint. Like the Church of St. Augustine from the nearby town of Baliuag, the church is also known for featuring one of the longest Holy Week processions with at least 110 floats.

Check out “Diocesan Shrine of St. Isidore the Farmer“

Pulilan Municipal Hall
Museo de Pulilan

From the plaza, we walked, along a side street, to the municipal hall where we had some burgers and soft drinks at a nearby refreshment stand.  Across the municipal hall is the Municipal Trial Court Bldg. which also houses the Museo de Pulilan.

Aguirre Ancestral House, home of Pulilan Butterfly Haven and Resort

From the town proper, the back of Aguirre Ancestral House (home of the aforementioned Pulilan Butterfly Haven and Resort) can be seen.  After merienda,we retraced our steps back to the car and proceeded on our way back to Manila.

Diocesan Shrine of St. Isidore the Farmer (Pulilan, Bulacan)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Church of St. Isidore the Farmer

The 19th-century Church of St. Isidore the Farmer (San Isidro Labrador), dedicated to Saint Isidore, the Laborer, was first built, with light materials, immediately after the erection of the parish. In 1826, Fr. Juan Rico started the construction of a new church. It was greatly damaged during the June 3, 1863 and July 19, 1880 earthquakes and was rebuilt by Fr. Miguel de Celis a few years after.

The triangular pediment with the Augustinian emblem in the center

Its plastered, predominantly Baroque  and Neo-Classical façade, punctured by rectangular openings (three rectangular windows and one canopied rectangular main portal), contrasts greatly with the bare stone walls on the side and interior of the church.  It is divided, by rectangular pilasters (the ones at the ends are topped by urn-like finials), into three vertical sections capped off by a triangular pediment.  The 3-storey bell tower, on the left side, with the top level done in concrete, has a balustrade on the second level.

The 3-storey bell tower

Devoid of heavily detailed ornamentation, only the Augustinian emblem, motifs on the cornice and the balustrade on the belfry break the monotony of design. 

Church of St. Isidore the Farmer: Brgy. Poblacion, Pulilan, Bulacan. Tel: (044) 676-1294.  Feast of St. Isidore the Farmer: May 15.

How to Get There: Pulilan is located 50.5 kms. (a 1.25-hour drive) from Manila an 19.8 kms. (a 45-min. drive) from Malolos City.

Bulacan Doll Museum (Pulilan, Bulacan)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Bulacan Doll Museum

The Bulacan Doll Museum, a museum located within the Pulilan Butterfly Haven, a popular ecological and swimming resort, exhibits a 17-diorama doll collection that pays tribute to Filipino craftsmanship.

Check out “Pulilan Butterfly Haven and Resort“

 

Alamat ng Ibong Adarna

Fertility Dance

Among the historical events depicted in the dioramas are the Birth of Katipunan in Bulacan, the Battle of San Rafael, the Declaration of Philippine Independence, the Biak-na-Bato Republic; the Capture of Calumpit by the Americans, the Japanese Occupation in Bulacan, the Independence Day celebration in Bulacan, the Malolos Congress, and the Defense of Kakarong de Sili in Pandi.  

Fluvial Parade of Bocaue

Good Friday Procession

The Folklore of Juan Tamad

The museum also features the Carabao Festival, the Sta. Clara Fertilization Dance in Obando, the fluvial parade of Bocaue, the Good Friday procession in Baliwag, Bayanihan and Pamanhikan (pre-nuptial entreaty ceremony); Alamat (fable) of Ibong Adarana; the folklore of Juan Tamad; the neighborhood cooperative endeavor; and Bulacan industries such as Paombong vinegar (suka) industry, the making of polvoron and other native delicacies, jewelry-making, embroidery and hat-weaving.

Pre-Nuptial Entreaty Ceremony

The Biak-na-Bato Republic

Pulilan Butterfly Haven: San Francisco St., Poblacion, Pulilan, Bulacan.  Tel: (044) 676-1377 and 910-1388.  E-mail:  pulilanbutterfly@yahoo.com.  Website: www.pililanbutterfly.ph.

Pulilan Butterfly Haven and Resort (Bulacan)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

From Calumpit, Jandy and I entered the town of Pulilan and made a stopover at the Pulilan Butterfly Haven, a popular ecological and swimming resort house within the Aguirre Ancestral House.  Jandy had been here before, during a field trip in February 2005.

Check out “Pulilan Town Proper“

A haven for butterfly enthusiasts and nature lovers, it has a collection of breeding and flight area for 8 species of colorful butterflies (tree nymph, lacewings, etc.), an ornamental garden, orchidarium (including the famous vanda sanderiana) and a 1,600 sq. m., butterfly-inspired swimming pool (admission: PhP100/pax), all creating a refreshing and cool atmosphere, plus a museum (Bulacan Doll Museum, admission: PhP50 ) and overnight cottages (PhP1,500).

Pulilan Butterfly Haven
Upon entry, we met up with caretaker Ms. Fe Magtalas who toured us around the Bulacan Doll Museum.  Located within the unassuming old ancestral house of owner Ms. Estelita A, Caleon-Aguirre (poetess, CPA and deputy commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue), this museum houses the Bulacan Doll Museum, a 17-diorama doll collection that pays tribute to Filipino craftsmanship.
Check out “Bulacan Doll Museum“
Bulacan Doll Museum


Pulilan Butterfly Haven: San Francisco St., Poblacion, Pulilan, Bulacan.  Tel: (044) 676-1377 and 910-1388.  E-mail:  pulilanbutterfly@yahoo.com.  Website: www.pililanbutterfly.ph. 

The "Real" Bagbag Bridge? (Calumpit, Bulacan)

Posted on by — 2 Comments ↓

On our way to Pulilan, I was on the lookout for the Bagbag Bridge, site of, according to Wikipinino.org:

“the first battle between Filipino and American soldiers during the retreat of Aguinaldo to the Ilocos Region and of the longest battle during the Filipino-American Wars (sic) led by Gen. Gregorio del Pilar on April 25, 1899.  The bridge commemorates the bravery displayed by the Filipinos as they victor (sic) in the battle against the American forces.”

Bagbag Bridge

Upon crossing a concrete bridge, I espied the much lower, similarly concreted bridge on the right.  This old, now disused bridge was impassable as one span has fallen into the river.  I guess I got the right bridge as pictures at the the Bulacan provincial government website depicts it as such.  However, looking at it, it begs the question “Was it the actual bridge that was the site of that battle?”  “We’re Filipino forces really victorious in that battle?”  First, let me state the facts, on the Battle of Calumpit, as I researched it at “Philippine-American War, 1899-1902” (written by Arnaldo Dumindin).

After taking Quingua (now Plaridel), Calumpit, only 8 kms. (5 miles) north of Malolos, became the next American objective. Gen. Antonio Luna, however, was nowhere near the town as he left for Guagua to punish Gen.  Tomas Mascardo, the military commander of Pampanga, for leaving his post to inspect troops (others say to attend a fiesta or visit a girlfriend) at Arayat (Pampanga). 

Gen. Mascardo, with around 21,000 men under his command at the time, had been supposed to strengthen the defense of the Calumpit–Apalit Line by providing reinforcements in the area when needed.  Luna took most of the defending cavalry and the artillery with him, leaving Gen.  Gregorio Del Pilar to counter the advancing American troops. Aguinaldo had ordered Luna to retreat and burn the railway bridge spanning the Bagbag River, but Luna ignored the order.

However, on April 23, 1899, Gen. Del Pilar did cut the iron girders of the railway bridge, with the intention of making the bridge collapse once the enemy’s armored artillery transport train, with 6 pounders and rapid fire guns, passed over it. However, the section of the bridge prematurely collapsed, under its own weight, before the train had reached it. Chinese porters pushed the train to the mouth of the river.  

Col. Frederick Funston, with 6 men, crawled, under heavy fire, across the ironwork of the bridge and, upon reaching the broken span, dropped into the water and swam to the opposite shore, where Filipino trenches were located. Upon reaching the opposite bank, they charged the trenches and killed 25 Filipinos.  Other troops promptly repaired the bridge to let their supply wagons cross over the river.

By nightfall of April 25, Luna had returned from Guagua with only Filipinos in the barrio of Sta. Lucia holding out against the Americans in the Bagbag sector. Gen. Luna tried to fight and repulse the Americans, but he was eventually forced to retreat, destroying bridges as his troops fell back to slow the American advance.

Based on this research, the bridge in question was actually a railway bridge made of iron, not concrete.  The bridge in the recent photo I took was probably a more recent replacement but the location may be the same.  Here’s an actual photo taken of the damaged railway bridge, then being repaired by American troops, taken after the battle.  Aside from the difference in the materials used, I also noticed that the bridge supports are also different in size and shape.

Second, there was no Filipino victory in this battle.  Probably, the victory being referred to was the April 23, 1899 (not April 25) Battle of Quingua (now Plaridel) where the same Gen. Gregorio del Pilar, with 700 to 1,000 men, halted the advance of 62 Scouts plus a troop of the 4th Cavalry, all led by Maj. James Franklin Bell; or of their subsequent halting of the cavalry charge of Col. John M. Stotsenberg (who was killed together with 6 of his men).  This all happened in Quingua, not Calumpit.  In spite of these small victories, the Americans still triumphed in the end and took the town. 

This moment in history deserves a second look ……..

Church of St. John the Baptist (Calumpit, Bulacan)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

After a jobsite inspection in Calumpit and lunch at a local Max Restaurant outlet in Malolos City, Jandy and I still had time on our hands so we decided to go on a sightseeing tour.  We drove to Calumpit town proper and made a stopover at the Church of St. John the Baptist.  Built in 1575 under the supervision of Augustinian Fr. Diego Vivar-Ordonez, this church is one of the oldest in Bulacan.  Both church and convent were finished before 1779.  It was originally built with underground escape tunnels which led to the river to provide an avenue for escape for priests with the church treasury if attacked by robbers.  Revolutionaries and Spaniards are also buried in the tunnels.   During World War II, it was Japanese Gen. Tanaka’s last battlefield. 

Church of St. John the Baptist

Originally built in red brick, recent renovations have plastered it in cement (some portions still show the original red brick).  A newer triangular pediment was placed on top of the undulating raking cornice of the original.  Four Corinthian columns, resting on pedestals, support the cornice and pediment.

The bell tower

Its rectangular facade is divided into three segments.  The first level has two rectangular windows on the side panel for balance and contrast.  The main entrance has a trefoil arch, embellishments, huge scroll-like decorations and a rose window on the pediment, half-framed by curvilinear moldings, integrated with the second level. Its interior is profusely decorated in the ornate Baroque style.  The simple 5-storey, hexagonal bell tower, on its left, was reconstructed in 1829 by Fr. Antonio Llanos, but was burned by revolutionaries in 1899.

The church interior