Category Archives: Metropolitan Manila

Church of St. John Bosco (Makati City, Metro Manila)

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Church of St. John Bosco

The Church of St. John Bosco, probably one of the famous churches in the city and now one of the most famous landmarks of Makati’s Central Business District, is noted for its unique and breathtaking geometric architecture.

This church, standing humbly amid the skyscrapers of Makati City, was designed by the late National Artist for Architecture (2014) Jose Maria V. Zaragoza, one of its parishioners and a daily mass goer.

Plaques expressing gratitude to the patrons and sponsors of the church

The relatively new parish was established on March 2, 1976 (just a year after I graduated high school in adjacent Don Bosco Technical Institute), with Fr. Godrey Roozen as the first parish priest.

Plaques paying tribute to the late church architect and National Artist Jose Ma. Zaragoza (left) and the 35 anniversary of the church’s dedication (right)

Zaragoza, one of the well-known architects of the 1970’s, was commissioned by the Salesian Congregation because of his remarkable use of concrete which show unstagnant flow of forms.

The church interior

One of a significant body of ecclesiastical architecture of about 45 religious structures across the country designed by Zaragoza, he was the same architect behind the postwar Santo Domingo Church, the old Union Church of Manila nearby, and the 15-storey Meralco Building, among others.

The starburst tabernacle and its anahaw leaf-inspired backdrop

Though not be as prominent as the aforementioned works of his, Zaragoza’s work on the church is still an iconic one.

The suspended metal and wood cross designed by the late sculptor Eduardo Castrillo

For the design of the church, Zaragoza employed a clamshell-inspired contemporary design with a semicircular interior layout. Cardinal Jaime  Sin laid the cornerstone of the church on April 15, 1977 and, on its completion, also dedicated it on March 4 1978. Its exterior is reminiscent of the edge of a leaf.

Statue of St. John Bosco and St. Dominic Savio (Eduardo Catrillo)

The distinctive and iconic concave interior features flowing lines.  The starburst tabernacle has a golden anahaw or footstool palm (Saribus rotundifolius) leaf as its dramatic backdrop.

Statue of the Madonna and Child (Eduardo Castrillo)

Above the altar, series of widening ripples evoke the graces streaming from the Blessed Sacrament and flowing into the vaulted ceiling.

Cross beams

The exposed white ceiling, accented with diagonal, crisscrossing concrete beams (sort of a stylized net for the “fishers of men”), also gives an impression of outward rays.

Confessionals

The treatment of the ceiling adheres to Pier Luigi Nervi’s thrust in dealing with circular covers or roofs.

The church grounds

A gallery of religious statuary

The statues (St. John Bosco with St. Dominic Savio, the Madonna and Child) and the suspended crucifix (which seemingly rides the crest of a magnificent wave) that adorn the church were done by the late sculptor Eduardo Castrillo.

Statue of St. John Bosco, Dominic Savio and Laura Vicuna

At night, this awe-inspiring interior looks better because of the lighting.

The resurrected Christ

A Station of the Cross

Church of St. John Bosco: Antonio Arnaiz Ave. (formerly Pasay Rd.) cor. Amorsolo St., Makati City 1200, Metro Manila. Tel: +63-2-8894-5932 to 34. Website: www.sjbmakati.com.  E-mail: info@sjbmakati.com.

Sanctuario de San Antonio (Makati City, Metro Manila)

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Sanctuario de San Antonio

The Sanctuario de San Antonio, in the heart of upscale Makati City, was built by the Franciscans after the San Francisco de Asis Church, their mother church in Intramuros was destroyed during the 1945 liberation of Manila in World War II.

The Baroque-style church was built on 2 hectares of once-idle grassland in Forbes Park that was donated by Joseph McMicking of Ayala Corporation (the pioneer behind the rise of Makati as the country’s premier financial district that it is today) in July 17, 1951.

The church interior

On August 24, 1951, the Most Rev. Gabriel M. Reyes, Archbishop of Manila, granted permission for the church’s construction and, August 1, 1951, the cornerstone was laid.

The main altar and retablo

Built in the Californian Mission style, the church was completed and blessed by the Most Rev. (later cardinal) Rufino Santos, Archbishop of Manila, on December 8, 1953 and was given the name Santuario de San Antonio.

The left-side altar

The right side altar

The late National Artist Fernando Amorsolo was commissioned to create the pair of hand-painted mural paintings, based on the paintings done in the 13th century by the Italian artist Giotto for the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, located on opposite sides near the church entrance.

The Stigmatization of St. Francis (Fernando Amorsolo)

One painting, The Stigmatization of St. Francis depicts the stigmata or the wounds of Christ received by St. Francis of Assisi (the founder of the Franciscans Order) while the other is The Sermon of the Birds which depicts St. Francis and another preaching to the birds.

The Sermon of the Birds (Fernando Amorsolo)

On August 26, 2014, a contract agreement was signed with the Roberto M. Lopez Conservation Center of the Lopez Museum for the art restoration of these two works of art.  The restoration was completed in 2015.

Baptistery

The nearly 70 old church features cross-shaped layout with a dome-shaped ceiling.

The candle gallery

A century-old statue of St. Anthony of Padua (after whom the church is dedicated), a war survivor from the patio of the original San Francisco Church in Intramuros, can be found in the central plaza between the church and the multipurpose hall.

The century-old statue of St. Anthony of Padua

Aside from masses, the church is now a popular venue for weddings (especially for couples belonging to some of the country’s most influential families) in the Makati area.

The central plaza

 

Santuario De San Antonio Church:  3117 McKinley Rd, Forbes Park, Makati City 1220, Metro Manila. Tel: (632) 8843-8830 to 31.  Website: www.ssaparish.com.  Feast of St. Anthony of Padua: June 13.

Church of St. Alphonsus Mary de Liguori (Makati City, Metro Manila)

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Parish Church of St. Alphonsus Mary de Liguori

The Parish Church of St. Alphonsus Mary de Liguori in Magallanes Village in Makati City, also known as Magallanes Church has, for a long time now, been a big part of our family life.  On August 1, 2003, my son Jandy and daughter Cheska were both confirmed here while my grandson Kyle was baptized here on September 29, 2012.

Jandy and Cheska after their August 1, 2003 confirmation at the old Magallanes Church

It was also Cheska’s and my son-in-law Bryan’s first choice for their wedding venue but they had to settle for the Shrine of St, Therese of the Child Jesus as their preferred time slot was already taken.  However, they did get Fr. Lorenzo Ruggiero, Magallanes Church’s parochial vicar, to officiate at their December 14, 2019 wedding.  We also frequently attend the Saturday (6 PM) anticipated masses here and, even during this pandemic period, patronized their online mass.

Kyle’s baptism at the church baptistery on September 29, 2012

The church, then and now, is a showcase of works of a number of National Artists of the Philippines. The original, intimate and low structure, started on July 11, 1968, was designed by my late uncle and National Artist for Architecture Leandro V. Locsin in his signature Brutalist-style.

The then 800 sq. m. parish church, much like a smaller version of the former Folk Arts Theater (now the Tanghalang Francisco Balagtas), had a perfect square plan (28 m. each side), with a 4 m. high wooden coffered ceiling and a central aisle that ran along the diagonal of the square. The church, with narra pews, had a seating capacity of 300.

The concrete buttresses

Along the perimeter were 28 massive, 4 m. high concrete buttresses, wide at the base and narrow at the top, which actually just supported a tall parapet wall (not a roof slab) that shielded the corrugated G.I. roof. Later, a PhP12 million airconditioning system was installed.

Within its 36 years of existence, Makati grew to become the country’s financial capital and it became one of the busiest churches in Metro-Manila. In 1991, the 22-storey Asia Pacific college building (on the lot once occupied by the Karilagan Finishing School) was built across it and the South Superhighway beside it became a two-level highway. On March 24, 2002, Palm Sunday, the Garden of the Way of the Cross, designed by late 2006 National Artist for Architecture Ildefonso P. Santos Jr. during the tenure of Monsignor Ernesto Cruz, was dedicated.

The church after the September 9, 2004 fire.  The carillon beside it survived unscathed (photo: www.stalphonsusrebuilds.blogspot.com)

On the morning of September 9, 2004, a fire (starting around 2 AM and extinguished 5:32 AM) gutted the nearly four decade old church. While the interior was razed, there was only minimal damage to the façade, with only the glass windows destroyed.

The church interior after the fire (photo: www.stalphonsusrebuilds.blogspot.com)

However, several small images of Mother Mary used in the procession celebrating the Feast of the Virgin Mary, some made of expensive ivory, were also consumed by the fire. Miraculously, a wooden statue of the Crucified Christ was recovered, relatively unscathed, from the fire and has been restored and again installed inside the rebuilt church.

The relatively unscathed wooden statue of the Crucified Christ recovered from the fire

After much deliberation, the parish decided that it would be more economical and symbolically pithy to preserve the concrete structure that survived the fire by salvaging the 28 buttresses that remained, rather than demolishing them and starting from scratch. The parish commissioned Dominic Galicia (who also designed the church’s Adoration Chapel in 2000) to lead the church rebuilding project with Ronald Santiago as the structural engineer.  During the duration of the construction, masses were held in a bahay kubo (originally a venue for social gatherings) at the back of the rectory.  The new church was dedicated on August 1, 2007, the feast day of St. Alphonsus Mary de Liguori.

Dedication plaque

The new rebuilt church, a symbol of a community transforming tragedy into grace, has an aesthetically pleasing facade, with a soaring roof that increased it height from 6 m. to 28 m.. A new mezzanine was added to increase seating from 300 to 900.

The new mezzanine

Spiral stairs leading up to the mezzanine

The existing structure was reused as the springboard for the soaring roofs. The new structure consists of 13 roof vaults (thin-shell concrete membranes clad in unglazed clay tiles, which will help reduce heat gain), representing Jesus and the 12 Apostles, resting on new composite columns.

The ascending vaults of the soaring roof

The 28 hollow buttresses, originally designed for aesthetic effect, now fulfill a new structural purpose as they were filled with concrete to of providing lateral support to the new composite columns. The 8 m. wide central roof vault, traveling the longest distance (which is the diagonal of the square plan), rises to a height of 28 m..

The roof vaults seen from the interior of the church.  The vaults are cladded with acoustic ceiling boards (for sound absorption) on aluminum T-runners

Independent, 4.5 m. wide roof vaults, ascend parallel to it on either side, beginning at 11 m. from ground level, then 14 m., 16 m., 18 m., 21 m., and 25 m., like the 12 apostles who accompanied Jesus Christ. The vaults are separated by clear glass windows which, in the upper reaches of the building, are also operable. The presence of these windows now provides a bright interior.

The massive church doors

The wooden church doors, featuring carvings of scenes from the life and death of Christ, were inspired by the 13th century frescoes by the Italian painter Giotto and made by the seasoned craftsmen of Betis (Pampanga).

The well lit church interior

The Art Deco-inspired interior features a simple wooden and glass altar, modern, Minimalist-looking pews and high ceilings.  The altar wall, made with wood-clad concrete, incorporates stained glass panels which depicts the burning bush where God appeared before Moses. Above it is the dove which represents the Holy Spirit. The altar pews are oriented so that all attention is on the altar, an arrangement somewhat reminiscent of the Church of the Holy Sacrifice in Diliman (Quezon City), another Locsin masterpiece.

Check out “Church of the Holy Sacrifice“

The altar wall with its stained glass depiction of the Burning Bush

September must be an unlucky month for the church as, on September 23, 2009, flash floods inundated the church at the height of Tropical Storm “Ondoy” (Typhoon Ketsana). The baptistery, a separate facility in the area, was was completed and blessed in October 2009. 

The Minimalist-style carillon.  In the background is the Asia Pacific College where Jandy finished college

Nest to the church entrance is the unique and splendid,  Minimalist carillon with four pointed steel arches of increasing height, the tallest at 17 m., which follows the design of the roof vaults of the main church facade. Dedicated on December 14, 2002 and spared from the 2004 fire, it carries 18 bronze bells from the Netherlands.

The Garden Way of the Cross

The Garden of the Way of the Cross, containing 14 Stations of the Cross (each a work of a noted artist, two of which are National Artists) is, outside the local community is practically unknown, despite being kept in a garden along one of the country’s busiest thoroughfares.

Station I – Last Supper (Napoleon V. Abueva)

Station II – Agony at the Garden by Abdulmari “Toym” Imao. His art is known for its commentary on Filipino social conditions, as well as for its pop culture sensibilities. Among his most notable early sculptures include the Tandang Sora National Shrine (Quezon City), the Andres Bonifacio National Shrine (Maragondon, Cavite), and the Dr. Jose P. Rizal statue (Carson City, California), ] In 2015, his exhibition “Desaparecidos” at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani was widely recognized as an important commemoration of the abuses of Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos.

Dedicated on March 24, 2002, it has glass canopies that shield them from rain and falling branches. A 1 m. wide running stream separates the sculptures from a reaching hand, without blocking the view and a wall of black java helps secure the garden and minimizes the noise coming from the highway.

Station III – Jesus is Condemned by Rosalio “Ros” B. Arcilla Jr.)

Station IV – Crowning with Thorns (Raphael Arcilla)

Parishioner and landscape architect Ildefonso P. Santos Jr., assisted by landscape architect Cecile Herras Tence, planned the plants that would go with the sculptures and designed a curvilinear landscape to soften their sculpture’s hard materials. A persisting threat to these prized artworks is the dust, grime and air pollution coming from the nearby South Luzon Expressway (SLEX).

Station V – Jesus Carries the Cross (Tito Sanchez)

Station VI – Jesus Falls (Jose M. Mendoza)

The stations, commemorating Jesus Christ’s Passion and Death through 14 contemplative markers, feature masterpieces by a virtual Who’s Who of contemporary Philippine art. All the sculptures were limited to 4 ft. in height, minus the base and all but one of the works were commissioned by the parishioners and donated to the church.

Station VII – Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus (Ramon Orlina)

Station VIII – Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem (Juan Sajid Imao)

Mary and John at the Foot of the Cross (Station XI), a metal tableau of Mother Mary and the Apostle John at the foot of the cross, was a donation from the late artist himself, Solomon Saprid.  The Last Supper ( Station I), a creation in stone, was done by the late 1976 National Artist for Sculpture Napoleon V. Abueva, hailed as the father of modern Philippine sculpture.

The 1 m. wide running stream

The Agony in the Garden, another bronze statue of Christ, was done by the late 2006 National Artist for Sculpture Abdulmari “Toym” Imao. Jesus Dies (Station XII), a bronze of Jesus nailed to the cross, was fashioned by the late Eduardo Castrillo, the man behind the Edsa People Power Monument. Simon of Cyrene Helps Jesus (Station VII) is a chunk glass depiction of the encounter between Christ and Simon of Cyrene on the way to Calvary, was rendered by the renowned glass sculptor Ramon Orlina.

Station IX – Jesus is Nailed to the Cross (Francisco Verano)

Station X – Jesus Forgives a Thief at the Cross by Priscillano “Jun” Vicaldo Jr.. A native of Camarines Sur, Jun is dept in both classical and modernist styles. A graduate of the University of the Philippines (U.P.) College of Fine Arts (CFA), studied along with other noted artists such as Agnes Arellano and Peter Tiamzon de Guzman, under National Artist for Sculpture Napoleón Isabelo “Billy” Veloso Abueva. Vicaldo continued his studies at the La Salle SIA School for the Arts, in Singapore; and worked under Manuel Casal. His commissioned works include pieces at the Subic and Olongapo, Adamson University, National Historical Commission Building, Naga City Robredo Museum, Naga Cathedral and Penafrancia Shrine.

Jesus is Nailed to the Cross (Station IX), by Francisco Verano, depicts a muscular but proportionately formed Jesus Christ fastened to a large cross attached diagonally (instead of the usual upright) on a slab of slanting concrete.

Station XI – Mary and John at the Foot of the Cross (Solomon Saprid)

Sation XII – Jesus Dies (Eduardo Castrillo)

Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem (Station VIII), by Juan Sajid Imao, the younger brother of Abdulmari Imao, evokes the scene in a narrative composition. Two stations were also done by brothers, the  late Rosalio “Ros” B.  Arcilla Jr. (Jesus Is Condemned, Station III) and Raphael Arcilla (Crowning with Thorns, Station IV).

Station XIII – Jesus is Laid in the Tomb (Antonio T. Mondejar)

Station XIV – Resurrection (Dominic Galicia)

The Resurrection (Station XIV), a marble and black granite interpretation done by Dominic Galicia himself, features a black granite fountain that resembles a tabernacle with a wide, white marble basin on its top. A local marble wall, behind it, has a niche on the side that represents the empty cave following Christ’s resurrection.

The other stations were done by Tito Sanchez (Jesus Carries the Cross, Station V), Jose M. Mendoza (Jesus Falls, Station VI), Priscillano “Jun” Vicaldo Jr. (Jesus Forgives a Thief at the Cross, Station X), and Antonio T. Mondejar (Jesus is Laid in the Tomb, Station XIII).

Garden of the Risen Christ

Beyond the Stations of the Cross is the Garden of the Risen Christ, an impressively-designed memorial garden, surrounded by rows of tombs, featuring a sculpture of a risen Jesus Christ above a pond.

St. Alphonsus Mary de Ligouri Church: Humabon Place,  Lapu Lapu St., Magallanes Village, Makati City 1232. Tel: (02) 8851-0275, 8852-2750 and 8852-8228. Email: info@saintalphonsus.ph.

Chapel of Sto. Niño de Paz (Makati City, Metro Manila)

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Chapel of Sto. Nino dela Paz

The modern, dome-shaped, open-sided Chapel of Sto. Niño de Paz (Holy Child of Peace), set amidst the verdant lushness under the leafy canopies of the tree-filled Greenbelt Park, a green oasis in the heart of the concrete jungle and chaos of the city.

Checked out “Greenbelt Park”

Amidst skyscrapers in the financial district, it stands as a quiet retreat floating in the middle of a pond and accessible by a narrow pathway through dense vegetation. It has. Surrounded by a tranquil pond, green plants and spectacular sculptures, the park is an idyllic escape from the cacophony of the city.

The church’s open air interior

Commonly called the Greenbelt Chapel, it is perhaps the only church hidden in the lush and landscaped gardens of a bustling retail, dining and commercial center and is one amongst the most impressive and outstanding buildings of the city. It is also one of only two known round chapels in the country (the other is the Church of the Holy Sacrifice in Diliman, Quezon City).

Check out “Church of the Holy Sacrifice”

 Unlike traditional Roman Catholic churches with thick enclosed walls, this chapel is open air and it mostly resembles a pavilion, with a roof built in the shape of a soldier’s cap and a covered walkway leading to the center of the church from the entrance.

The lagoon

Originally, the church was not part of the plans of owner Ayala Corporation, developer of the country’s financial capital. In the 1970s, the chapel’s site used to be an aviary, a particular attraction at Greenbelt Park, then the breathing space of the old Makati Commercial Center.

Dominating the landscape then were spacious parking lots, a popular supermarket and stand-alone restaurants and shops. Today, the Greenbelt Chapel is the only existing landmark among its contemporaries in the park within the steel and concrete enclave of Makati.

The author

The chapel was a brainchild of Ms. Fanny Del Rosario Diploma (a cancer survivor) and her husband, Atty. Nordy Diploma. Coming from a wealthy family, they decided to build a chapel as thanksgiving for Fanny’s new lease on life.

Jandy

Approaching the Ayalas, they offered to build a church if a site was made available for them in the largely still undeveloped Central Business District. After seeing seen the master plan, Fanny pointed at a very unlikely place to build anything – the center of the lagoon.

The Ayalas agreed, on condition that nothing permanent would be built on the site.  Anytime it was needed, the chapel can be removed. Contrary to popular belief, the Greenbelt Chapel was not made of thin shell concrete and was not designed by National Artist for Architecture Leandro V. Locsin. For this very special project, the couple called their architect, Enrique “Jess” Dizon (architect-on-record) who, in turn, called the young Topy Vasquez, his former staff who was, at that time, working for Architect Gabriel Formoso. Dizon rendered the circular pattern of the building while Architect William Fernandez designed the structure.

The suspended cross

Given the condition that the structure be temporary, both architects used a simplistic yet amazing design that featured a steel-framed dome clad with staggered 6 mm. (1/4”) thick marine plywood (at the time, the Diplomas owned one of the largest plywood manufacturing companies), waterproofing and paint. In case Ayala Corporation decided to assert their right over the “temporary” chapel’s site, it can be lifted and moved by helicopter.

One of the confessionals

Originally, the design called for a dome that would seem to float over water plus a basement (to be ventilated underneath the concrete cantilevers, just above the water line) where the sacristy and offices would be housed. However, due to budget constraints, the basement was scrapped.  Instead, small extensions at the sides and back of the dome were built for the sacristy and offices.

The Mudrass Cross

During the construction, Ramon Orlina, another young architect, approached Architect Dizon and proposed glass sculptures (Orlina further studied glass sculpture techniques in Europe) to become part of the chapel. Complementing the simple yet powerful architecture of the chapel, the now renowned master glass sculptor fabricated the ceiling, the Dove of Peace, tabernacle, sacristy, the Mudrass Cross (the cross at the entrance outside the chapel), the altar table (made of glass and narra wood) with its tabernacle (that seems to miraculously rise out of nowhere) and the God the Father resin image (made with plexiglass wood) on the dome.  All these dazzling commissioned artworks, beautifully integrated into the architecture, has not seen before in any church by the secular population.

God the Father resin image (Ramon Orlina)

A year after the chapel was granted a 30-year contract by the Ayala Corporation to use its present site at the Greenbelt Park, the chapel was completed and inaugurated and dedicated on July 28, 1983 by His Eminence the late Cardinal Jaime Sin with Jaime Zobel de Ayala, Atty. Nordy and Fanny Diploma and numerous benefactors and guests.

The church bell

In the last 30 years, the dome-shaped chapel has seen the completion of the high-end, Ayala owned Greenbelt Chain of Malls around it.  When the chapel’s lease contract with Ayala Corporation expired on March 31 2012, Ayala Land Inc., its property arm, decided to retain the chapel in its present location, turning over its management to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila.

The chapel offices

The beautiful chapel’s unorthodox design sports a domed ceiling that curves all the way to the ground in places. Today, Fanny’s temporary open-air chapel has outlived her and the chapel remains untouched and looks exactly the way it was designed in the early 1980s (the only practical additions were the corner office cubicles and the roofs at bridge entrances). It is now recognized as one of Makati’s tourist attractions. 

Chapel of Sto. Nino de Paz: Greenbelt Park, Ayala Center, Makati City, Metro Manila.  Tel: (632) 7729-8173.

Church of St. Andrew the Apostle (Makati City, Metro Manila)

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The modern, tent-like Church of St. Andrew the Apostle

The modern, beautifully designed Roman Catholic Church of St. Andrew the Apostle, a unique monument of sorts that honors a community’s Catholic faith, a legacy of a visionary businessman, and the artistry of the Filipino, all rolled into one, has the eye-catching form and a unique layout that reflects the ingenuity of its creator, my late uncle and National Artist for Architecture (1990) Leandro V. Locsin and, overall, the church structure  pays homage to the Space Age era of the ’60s.

The author with the church in the background

In 1965, a group of residents belonging to the village communities of San Miguel and Bel-Air dreamed of having a parish that they could call their own.  Rufino Cardinal Santos approved the establishment and formation of the parish and appointed Msgr. Emilio Bularan as the first parish priest.

There dream came true when Don Andrés Soriano Jr., President of the conglomerate  San Miguel Corporation, offered to have a church built in honor of his late father, the loved and respected Don Andres Sr.. The parish was to be named after St. Andrew the Apostle, the patriarch’s namesake (“Andres” is Spanish for “Andrew”), the patron saint of Metro Manila and Bel-Air Village in Makati.

My son Jandy

On February 8, 1967 (the 69th birth anniversary of the late Don Andres Soriano the Feast of St. Andrew), the cornerstone of the proposed church was laid at the 3,494-sq. m. (37,610 sq. ft.) lot donated by the Ayala family through the Makati Development Corporation.

The church interior

The construction of the church employed the round, concrete-heavy design of Leandro V. Locsin, then an up and coming architect, whose first notable work was the Church of the Holy Sacrifice in the University of the Philippines Diliman campus, itself a round concrete church completed in 1955. It’s interesting to note that, around this time, the future National Artist for Architecture was also busy in the design of the Cultural Center of the Philippines Main Theater, considered his magnum opus.

Check out “Church of the Holy Sacrifice”

The halo-like chandelier above the altar

After about a year’s time, on November 30, 1968, St. Andrew the Apostle Parish was formally opened at half past eight in the morning.  The unveiling of the church marker was witnessed by Andres Soriano Jr. (San Miguel Corporation); Jose Ma. Soriano (Chairman and President of A. Soriano y Cia); Enrique Zobel (President of the Ayala Corporation); and other donors from Roxas y Cia.

Commemorative plaque

In 2002, Msgr. Emmanuel Sunga supervised the improvement of flooring, the provision of airconditioning, building of Parish Office annex, refurbishment of halo chandelier, the altar of the church and the construction of the carillon bell tower.

The copper cross (Vicente Manansala)

Aside from Leandro V. Locsin, the Church of St. Andrew the Apostle also boasts works of two other renowned Filipino National Artists. For instance, the copper cross that hangs on top of the altar is a work of the late Vicente Manansala, National Artist for Visual Arts – Painting (1981).

The white baptismal font designed by Napoleon Abueva

The baptistery also boasts works of the late Napoleon V. Abueva, National Artist for Visual Arts – Sculpture (1976), who designed the white baptismal font. Additionally, the late Eduardo S. Castrillo also created the sculpture as well as the blue baptismal font at the baptistery.

The blue baptismal font designed by the late sculptor Eduardo Castrillo

The sculpture, done by the late sculptor Eduardo Castrillo, of the Baptism of Christ by St. John the Baptist

This project was to be one of many collaborations between Abueva and Locsin.  Aside from this church, they also collaborated on the abovementioned Church of the Holy Sacrifice in Diliman (Quezon City), the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Quezon City (1975), and the Church of St. Alphonsus Mary de Liguori in Makati City (1968).

Check out “Church of St. Alphonsus Mary de Liguori”

The unique cross shape at the top of the church

The design of the unique cross shape, seen in the church’s peak, is symbolic of the manner the martyr died crucified on an X-shaped cross, formally called a saltire.  Christian tradition states that Andrew, one of the 12 disciples/apostles of Jesus Christ, was put to death by crucifixion on such a cross as he felt he was unworthy to be crucified on the regular cross (also called the Latin cross) that Christ was crucified onto. Today, this type of cross has also come to be known as the “St. Andrew’s cross.”

The church carillon

An example of biomorphic architecture, it resembles coconut leaves bundled together to make a giant native salakot.  This parish church is flanked by curved concrete walls while the curved shell is made of thin-shell concrete, considered revolutionary during its time.  The pews surrounding the altar form an octagon.

The arrangement of the church pews

The tent-like church’s butterfly shaped floor plan emanates from this cruciform. A symbolic feature is the giant customized circular chandelier suspended over the cross and the altar which is reminiscent of a saintly halo.

Statue of St. Andrew the Apostle

Church of St. Andrew the Apostle: 62 Constellation cor. Nicanor Garcia St. (formerly Reposo St.), Bel-Air Village, Makati City 1209 Metro Manila. Tel: (02) 8890 1796 and 8890-1743. E-mail: saapoffice@gmail.com, secretariat@saaparish.com and media@saaparish.com.  The parish territories are Bel-Air Village and Salcedo Village in Barangay Bel-Air, Rizal Village and Santiago Village in Barangay Valenzuela, and San Miguel Village in Barangay Poblacion.

Manila Memorial Park (Paranaque City, Metro Manila)

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Manila Memorial Park and its iconic landmark – the Meditation Tower

Due to the COVID 19 imposed social distancing requirement, all memorial parks and cemeteries were slated to be closed from October 29 to November 3.  All Saints’ Day was still a month away but I now decided to make an early visit to the 142-hectare Manila Memorial Park (MMP) where my parents, father-in-law, paternal grandparents and two of my first cousins are buried.

This would be my second travel outside our subdivision since the lockdown started six month ago and the first time with me driving.  Bringing along my son Jandy, I also experienced my first traffic gridlock since the lockdown, with heavy traffic around the City Hall area.

Jandy beside the plot of his grandparents who are buried in a lawn lot (only underground burials allowed), double tierred (you may inter two fresh bodies underground) contained in sealed concrete vaults. Interments are marked with flat markers (lapidas) of uniform size and make

The Manila Memorial Park (MMP) was established in 1964 when Parañaque, now a city and a part of Metro Manila, was still a municipality of Rizal province. The first company to introduce the memorial park concept in the Philippines, in the past, the Filipino idea of burial was to place dead bodies inside protruding stone tombs. Manila Memorial Park changed all that with the introduction of the Western concept of lawn burials where the dead are buried in a lawn setting of open, manicured and green fields, with trees and garden in the perimeter, and with the grave markers on top.

Now the largest memorial park developer in the country (with a total of 427 hectares, 242 of which are fully developed), the flagship cemetery became part of a larger network of burial sites of Manila Memorial Park, Inc. with five other beautifully-maintained memorial parks, under the Manila Memorial Park brand, opened in other parts of the Philippines with three (aside from MMP) in Luzon (MMP – Holy Cross in Novaliches in Quezon City; the 128-hectare MMP – Dasmariñas in Cavite, opened November 1991; the 45-hectare MMP-Bulacan in Plaridel, opened June 1998) one in the Cebu (the 40-hectare MMP – Cebu) in the Visayas and one in Davao City (MMP – Davao) in Mindanao.

Double niche measuring 4 m. x 4.88 m. (19.52 sq. m.) with 8 single tiered underground burials and 2 above ground niches (optional), a total of 10 burials spaces.

After Pope John Paul II lifted the ban on cremation for Catholics in 1983, MMP built a crematorium in August 1985, becoming the first cemetery to host a modern crematorium in a memorial park setting.

Columbarium

Currently, Manila Memorial Park operates four sets of crematories, one in its Sucat Park, the second in Holy Cross in Novaliches, Quezon City., the third in Dasmariñas in Cavite, and the fourth in its Bulacan park.

Administration and Information Center

For the sake of convenience (not to mention sparing the city’s already traffic-prone streets from even worse traffic), wakes can be held at 3 venues all set amidst the Park’s signature lush greenery – the park’s old main chapel and two spacious, clean and modern air-conditioned branches of popular funeral homes in the metropolis.

Funeraria Paz

In 2001, MMP partnered with La Funeraria Paz & the House of Investments to open Paz Memorial Chapels – Sucat, a full-service mortuary set in a modern 3-story edifice right inside MMP’s flagship park. The Rizal Premier Chapel, a new funeral venue, was built from December 2016 to August 2017.

Rizal Premier Chapel

The Main Chapel

Aside from utility, memorial parks, as sacred and serene places for rest, comfort and inspiration, also operate on the concept of beauty, both natural and man-made. Within the park are at least 250 species of trees, flowering shrubs, ornamental plants, cacti, succulents, ferns, orchids and even variegated palms, most of them planted by the park management or by the families. Ayahuma  or cannonball tree (Couroupita guianensis), frangipani (Plumeria rubra, locally called  kalachuchi) tree, dita trees (Alstonia scholaris), fish poison tree (Barringtonia asiatica, locally called botong, bitun, bitung or boton), several ficus trees, bougainvillea hybrids and hedge plants are extensively used in the park landscaping.

At least 2 dozen bird species (Eurasian tree sparrow, Philippine pied fantail, turtle doves, pigeon, etc.) also call the park as home while the the wooded areas also host a number of bats, butterflies and bees. An informal jogging group also meet at the park.

The bridge over the creek

A creek, crossed by bridges, flows within the park. The Meditation Tower, one of the landmarks in the park, is modeled after two hands clasped in prayer. Inside is a large metal-welded sculpture of the Risen Christ flanked by burial niches.

The welded metal statue of the Risen Christ inside the Meditation Tower

Of course, no memorial park, or cemetery for that matter, is complete without mausoleums of all shapes and sizes. Mausoleums stand as proof of a surviving family’s love for their deceased loved ones and some of the grandest and most beautiful mausoleums in the country can be found in the park. Just like luxury residences (in this case, for the dead), some of them are exquisitely designed.

A row of mausoleums

Many consider the MMP as the southern and more contemporary equivalent of the Manila Chinese Cemetery, with many Filipino-Chinese buried here, a lot of them entombed within exquisite and sometimes massive mausoleums. Some have traditional mini censers (where incense is lit to honor their dead) usually seen beside a Chinese tomb.

Symbolizing the highest form of immortalizing your loved ones, mausoleums (or family estates) are available in clusters of 18, 24, 36 and 96 lots.  Each lot in the family estate allows for one underground burial, contained in a sealed concrete vault.  The construction of a mausoleum, whether open or closed-type, is subject to inventory and Company regulations.  The incorporation of bone boxes or columbary niches in the mausoleum is allowed and comfort rooms are allowed to be built inside the mausoleum..They are classified into the following:

  • Junior Estate (24 lots) – an open type of mausoleum that may contain not more than six above ground tombs, while a closed structure may contain up to 12 above ground tombs. A comfort room is allowed inside the mausoleum.
  • Garden Estate (15 lots) – may construct a memorial structure or mausoleum which shall not exceed 35% of the property size and not more than 3 m. in height.
  • Prestige Estate – measuring 6 m. x 7.32 m. (43.92 sq. m.) with 18 single tiered lots. Construction of the mausoleum’s height must not exceed 3 m.. A maximum of 4 niches and a comfort room is allowed inside the mausoleum.
  • Senior Estate – Measuring 9 m. x 9.76 m. (87.84 sq. m.) with 36 single tiered lots. Constructions of mausoleum is allowed but not to exceed 50% of the property. Mausoleum’s height must not exceed 5 m.. A comfort room is allowed inside the mausoleum.
  • Premier Estate.(96 lots) – construction of this mausoleum shall not exceed 5 m. in height. An open structure may contain a maximum of 20 above-ground tombs while a closed one may contain a maximum of 40 above ground tombs. A comfort room is allowed inside the mausoleum.

The Parthenon-like Po Family Mausoleum

The largest mausoleum in the park is a huge, multi-column mausoleum, reminiscent of the Greek Parthenon (an ancient temple dedicated to goddess Athena), sitting on a 1,383-sq. m. land or about 500 lots and said to be owned by Po family. In front is a short, Egyptian-inspired obelisk.

In front of the mausoleum is an Egyptian-style obelisk surrounded by statues of female figures. The pediment depicts scenes in the life of Christ, notably his Resurrection

The Memorial Memorial Park is the burial site of notable Filipino individuals which includes a president, four senators, a Cabinet secretary, 2 city mayors, a number of actors, a noted fashion designer and a world champion boxer.

The author at the Aquino Mausoleum. My guess is this is a basic unit consisting of 12 contiguous lots with option to construct 2 above ground tombs with back wall and overhang type of roofing. All sides of the structure are open. Cory Aquino tomb is on the left and Ninoy Aquino is on the right

Yuchengco Family Mausoleum

Manila Memorial Park – Sucat: Dr. A. Santos Avenue,  Sucat, Parañaque, Metro Manila, Philippines. Tel: (02) 820-2392 and (02) 820-1577.  Fax: (02) 826-3917.

How to Get There: From South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), take Sucat exit. Go towards the direction of Baclaran/Airport. Manila Memorial Park-Sucat is on the left side.

Stress Relief at Cartimar Shopping Center (Pasay City, Metro Manila)

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Cartimar Shopping Center

Save for two trips to Robinson’s Supermarket (just a 4-km. drive away) for groceries, it’s been six months since I’ve been out of the house (the last time attending a wake on March 10) due to the COVID 19 lockdown which started last March 17. During that time, all the fishes in my aquarium slowly died, necessitating a return visit to Cartimar Pet Center in Pasay City, the famed Divisoria of the animal kingdom and the place to go to if you’re looking for a new pet, whether it be swimming in a tank or crawling on all fours. My son-in-law Bryan and I drove there in afternoon, exploring the area wearing the mandatory face mask and shield.

During the lockdown, pets act as a buffer against psychological stress, proving to be a lifesaver for many, providing companionship, consistency and even joy.  This pet complex, a one-stop shop for pet owners, is a must-visit for any animal lover.

My aquarium restock with carp

The aquatic pet stores offer plenty of fish breeds for everyone, both freshwater (arowanas, mollies, goldfish, guppies, auratus, discus, tetras, barbs, koi, flowerhorns, cichlids, angelfish, betas (Siamese fighting fish), gouramis, platies, swordtails, etc.) and saltwater (tangs, wrasses, angelfish, triggerfish, clownfish, butterflyfish, groupers, etc.) plus the aquarium tanks to house them, fish food (live worns, pellets, flakes, etc.), aerators, lights and the coral, sand, plants (plastic or the real thing), driftwood and rocks to decorate it.

Freshwater aquarium fishes

There’s also a good selection of pet shops where you can buy dogs (German Shepherds, chow chow, mini pinscher, etc.), rabbits, birds (parakeets, doves, etc.), hamsters, pythons, gerbils, Siamese cats, Malaysian box turtles (I still take care of two of these), Guinea pigs, etc.

Bryan’s aquariums now home to goldfish, mollies, beta and guppies. He is now into breeding the latter three

During the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), there were concerns that pet shops left the animals unattended.  However, pet shop owners said that, although their shop was closed due to the lockdown, they still have caretakers inside to take care of the animals.

Pet birds in cages

The majority of the shops carry pet products like pet food (in kilo or in sacks), pet shampoos, newborn milk substitute, pet toys, toys, vitamins, flea powder and carriers as well as cheap accessories for pets like cages, water bottles, leashes, nest boxes, food, cuttle bone, and collars. There are even veterinarian clinics and pet grooming hubs.

Pet rabbits for sale

We get stress-relieving benefits from being around plants.  On the other side of the complex is the Cartimar Plant Market, a a place filled with stores where, also in the past and present, we bought flowering plants, succulents, orchids, shrubs, herbs, planters, seeds, seedlings, trees, ferns and gardening supplies (pots, fertilizer, topsoil, etc.). Today, more and more people are buying plants while in quarantine.

The Plant Market

During the 6-month lockdown, public transport virtually stopped making biking a viable, sustainable and environmentally-friendly transport option during the pandemic – and beyond.  Two months into the lockdown, bicycle shops started running out of cheaper models of mountain bikes. Today, transport advocates are now pushing for the installation of proper bicycle lanes and infrastructure in Metro Manila and beyond. Cycling also fits the criteria for social distancing to prevent the further spread of the virus.

Cheska’s original 2-decade old bike bought from Cartimar which I now use

Cartimar, cycling’s original melting pot, is thus that place you go to if you’re looking to finally get that brand new city, commuter or mountain bike (Felt, Cube, Scott, Momum, Abloc, Velopac, Velotoze, etc.) or service your existing bike or buy parts.It became the go-to place for bikes in the 1990s.

Bikes for sale

The first bike I bought for my daughter Cheska was bought in this bike mecca for biking enthusiasts and hardcore cyclists.  It’s still being used (by me) to this very day. Big bike shops here, accommodating any level of cyclists, include VeloCity, Ross and Paulina’s.

Cartimar, sitting on 2.5 hectares of land bounded by Taft Avenue in front and Leveriza Street at the back, was opened in 1956, two years before I was born and when rock n’ roll was just starting to fill the airwaves. The country’s first successful shopping center, Cartimar, housing over 1,000 stalls and stores in 8 buildings, was managed by Ernesto Oppen at the time of its inauguration.

Early photo of Cartimar Shopping Center (photo: www.ymail.com)

It got its name from the first names of Ernesto’s parents-in-law CARlos Cuyugan and his wife TImotea Lichauco-Cuyugan, and his only daughter MARgarita “Nuning” Cuyugan-Oppen.  Margarita is the chairperson of Cartimar and mother to Cartimar board president Antonio C. Oppen and its secretary and treasurer Alejandro C. Oppen.

Even for a Saturday, business was slow

When this shopping center sprung up in Pasay, shopping in the Philippines was never the same again. In the 1960s, wealthy Makati residents frequented the place for fresh fish and produce. In the late 1970s and throughout 1980s, Cartimar was the “Greenhills” of shopping addicts as it was the place to go when one has a craving for imported PX goods, with stalls selling the best of what the world has to offer – designer jeans (Levis, Wrangler, etc.), shirts, rubber sneakers, chocolates, perfumes, etc. as well as espadrilles and topsiders to the trendy lot. All these goodies can be found in Cartimar.  Parking then was along the 12 m. wide Cartimar Avenue.  However, unlike with bikes and pets, sales of imported goods hasn’t pick up during the lockdown.

Since then, a new Cartimar wet market building has been added, right across the road from the old one.  The three-storey structure has a ground floor allotted for the market plus the upper two serving as parking space, convenient now as, in the past, scoring a parking slot here has always been a gamble. The market, arranged by row, starts with fruits and vegetables at the front, then transitioning to pork and beef, and eventually ending with fish and fowl. The poultry stalls offer free-range chickens, black chickens and ducks.

The shopping center’s fire truck

There are also grocery stores that provide a wide range of selection of imported Asian (Korean, Japanese and Chinese) goods at reasonable rates.  Tiong Hwa sells mostly soy-based products such as taho, tokwa, soya milk, etc.. The New Hatchin Japanese Grocery Store sells coveted Japanese goods (bento boxes, Kikkoman, wasabi, uni, maki, chopsticks, nato, sea weed, etc.) whether inanimate or organic or in bulk, as well as takoyaki.  A Savemore grocery store, with a pharmacy (Watson’s) within, is also located here

A pet grooming center

Cartimar Shopping Center, Flea Market and Pet Store: Cartimar Ave. cor. Taft  Ave., District I, Pasay City 1300, Metro Manila.  Tel:  +63 (02) 8 831-2261, +63 (02) 8 831-1303, +63 (02) 8 833-7826, +63 (02) 8 831-1141 and +63 (02) 8 831-8425. Mobile number: (0906) 361-8142. Open daily, 10 AM – 8 PM. E-mail (general manager: Jaime Genota): jgenota@yahoo.com. Website: www.cartimar.com.ph.

How to Get There: Cartimar can be accessed by taking the LRT to Gil Puyat station, then riding a jeep going to Libertad or Baclaran. You can then ask the jeepney driver to drop you off in Cartimar. Similarly, you can take the LRT to Libertad, and ride a jeepney going to Gil Puyat (i.e. reverse).

Bamboo Organ Museum (Las Pinas City, Metro Manila)

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The old convent housing the Bamboo Organ Museum

Just before Christmas Eve, Jandy and I picked up Vicky Dionela, my wife’s balikbayan first cousin at my brother-in-law Mark’s residence in Citadella Village (Las Pinas City) to tour her around Manila before she returns to Vienna (Austria).  I decided to bring them to the nearby Church of St. Joseph, home of the world-famous Bamboo Organ.  This would be my second visit (the first was in February 2005) and the first for Jandy and Vicky.

Check out “Church of St. Joseph”

L-R: the author, Vicky and Jandy posing beside the old church bell

After our arrival, we decided to first visit the Bamboo Organ Museum situated within the old Spanish convent beside the church. Welcoming us at the main entrance is the huge original church bell with its wooden yoke (or headstock).  The bell’s inscription reads “Siendo Cura-del Pueblo de Las Peñas el M.R.P. Padre Diego Cera se Fundio este equilon ano de 1820.” During the time of Fr. Diego Cera, the name of the town was “Las Peñas” until it was changed to “Las Piñas.”

Our BOFI Lady guide explaining the history of the church and the Bamboo Organ

After paying the admission fee, we were assigned a lady BOFI (Bamboo Organ Foundation, Inc.) tourist assistant.  She narrated to us the humble beginnings of the church, how it was built and the important contributions on how it came to its present existence. She also narrated how Padre Diego Cera made the organ, how it was retrofitted in Germany, and finally its reinstallation at the church.

Check out “Bamboo Organ”

Artifacts from the Bamboo Oragan – old keyboard, metal and bamboo pipes

During our tour, we also learned that Spanish Augustinian Recollect missionary St. Ezequiel Moreno was once a parish priest in Las Piñas (from July 1876 to mid-1879). Now the patron saint of cancer patients, he was canonized by St. Pope John Paul II on October 11, 1992.

Posing beside an old chair of the parish priest and a bust of St. Ezequiel Moreno

Inside the museum, we also enjoyed a comprehensive series of displays of religious artifacts, busts, priestly chairs, and the original parts of the organ (keyboard, the manually-operated giant bellows used to supply air to the organ; metal and old broken bamboo and pipes; etc.). There’s also a mini mock-up of the bamboo organ (also made of bamboo) which we can actually play.  Our lady guide patiently explained to us its inner workings.

The old manually-operated bellows

Hanging on the walls are old photographs relating to the famed Bamboo Organ and the church, showing the various stages of the church as time passed, as well as posters (declaration of the Bamboo Organ as a National Cultural Treasure, first Bamboo Organ Festival on Mar 6-11, 1976, etc.) and paintings.

Vicky playing a mock up of the Bamboo Organ

We then went up an old stone staircase to the choir loft of the church where we saw the highlight of our tour – the world famous and majestic Bamboo Organ itself.

Jandy ascending the stone stairs up to the choir loft

I’ve never seen the Bamboo Organ this close and I was surprised that there are a lot more pipes at its back than what’s seen from ground level.

Posing at the choir loft with the Bamboo Organ in the background

After our guided tour of the museum, we toured the rest of the church before buying some souvenirs at the souvenir shop.

Bamboo Organ Museum: Padre Diego Cera Hall, St. Joseph Parish Church Compound, Diego Cera Ave., Brgy. Daniel Fajardo, Poblacion, Las Piñas City. Open Tuesdays – Sundays, 8 AM – 12 noon and 2 – 6 PM. Admission: PhP100 (adults), PhP50.00 (children).  Admission includes a postcard, brochure and a guided tour. Tel: (02) 8825-7190 and (02) 8820-0795. Email: bambooorganfoundation@gmail.com. Website:  bambooorgan.org/museum.

How to Get There: From the Star Mall in Alabang (formerly Metropolis), board a jeepney bound for Zapota Bayan and ask the driver to drop you off at the ‘Bamboo Organ.’ From Alabang, the church is on your left side.

Bamboo Organ (Las Pinas City, Metro Manila)

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The Bamboo Oran

The centerpiece of the Church of St. Joseph in Las Pinas City is the famous Bamboo Organ and it is with this obra maestra (masterpiece) that  Augustinian Recollect Fr. Diego Cera de la Virgen del Carmen, resident  Catholic parish priest (its first) in Las Piñas from 1795 to 1830, was to gain undying fame as an organ builder.  A native of Spain, this organist and organ builder was a gifted man, a natural scientist, chemist, architect and community leader.

Check out “Church of St. Joseph“

Church of St. Joseph

So unique is this church organ made with bamboo, the tallest grass in the world (only the trumpet stops are made of metal), that it was even mentioned by Robert L. Ripley (of Ripley’s Believe It or Not fame) in his book on “Great and Strange Works of Man.”  The choice of Bambusa sp. (Gramineane), identified to be indigenous to Batangas and the Luzon area, was probably both practical and aesthetic as bamboo was abundant and used for hundreds of items of both a practical and an artistic nature. The Bamboo Organ is described, by many international organ masters, as one of the finest old organs in the world and its construction, with bamboo, is noted as being one of the major factors that gives it a truly unique and lively sound. 

Fr. Diego Cera

Of the three built, one was intended as a gift for the Queen of Spain.  It never arrived for unascertainable reasons. However, some good came out of it as the Queen donated a church bell, now displayed at the old church convent.  The second was installed in the Capuchin Church of San Nicholas in Intramuros.  One of the 33 stops of this organ was made of bamboo.  The organ was, however, heavily damaged in 1898 and completely destroyed by fire during the American liberation in 1945.

The third and only existing one left was started in 1816 (while the church was still under construction) and completed in 1824.   With the help of the Las Piñas community, Fr. Cera started cutting the bamboo in 1816, selecting 950 pieces of different sizes and volumes.  These he buried in beach sand from six months to a year, curing them with salt water, thereby protecting them from wood-boring termites.  In 1817, Fr. Cera unearthed the bamboo pieces.

Together with the natives (whom he trained prior to the gathering of materials), he proceeded with the construction of the organ. At first, he attempted to use bamboo for 122 pipes but this experiment failed and, eventually, the bamboo pipes were used as ornamental pipes located at the rear side. Secretly working with Swiss chemist Jacques E. Brandenberger (who was employed by Blanchisserie et Teinturerie de Thaonbut, the cellophane inventor for the air bags to be used in the construction but without the trumpet stops), the organ was already playable in 1821. After Fr. Cera decided to make the trumpets using metal (musical characteristics of which he could not replicate with bamboo), the organ was finally completed in 1824.

The old keyboard, metal and bamboo pipes of the Bamboo Organ, now on display at the Bamboo Organ Museum

The finished product was 6.7 m. high, 4.17 m. wide, 1.45 m. deep and weighed 3.5 tons.  From its 1,031 pipes emanate dulcet tones.  There are 902 pipes made of bamboo consisting of 747 “speaking” pipes, 36 “blind” flue pipes and 119 “blind” reed pipes. The 129 metal trumpets, horizontally placed reeds of soft metal imported from Mexico, are composed of 112 metal pipes, 10 “speaking” reed pipes and 7 others for the “bird” stop.   The five-octave keyboard has 23 stops arranged in vertical rows and a full pedalboard.

Despite its single manual and small pedals, the organ has an unusually high tonal range.  Its special birdstop tube (pajarito) was, to quote, “designed to imitate the song of birds when a small quantity of water was poured therein.”  The tambor tube, on the other hand, gives out the boom of a kettle drum.  The organ was originally powered by a windmill.  However, an electric blower, installed in 1932 (the centennial of Fr. Cera’s death) by Fr. Paul Hubaux, is now used.

The old manually-operated bellows of the Bamboo Organ (now at the Bamboo Organ Museum)

Over the years, natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods took their toll on the Bamboo Organ. Major repairs were undertaken in 1863, 1867 and 1872. The July 14, 18 and 20 earthquake of 1880 and the October 1882 typhoon  destroyed the galvanized roofing of the church, causing rain and stones to fall on the then disassembled organ, rendering it unplayable for several years.

In February 1883, through the combined contributions of the government, town residents and the Archbishop, repairs on the organ, costing a total of 270 pesos were carried out.  In 1888, Fr. Saturio Albeniz headed the project of improving the organ.  However, it was not fully completed, further degrading the condition of the organ. In 1891, the organ was repaired once again but, during the Philippine Revolution, the pipes were then dismantled and kept in the old sacristy.

The author (left) with son Jandy and cousin Vicky beside the Bamboo Organ

Around 1909, there was an attempt to sell the organ and replace it with a harmonium.  It was aborted when a certain Kapitan Pedro opposed this and offered to pay the expenses of the organ.  Unfortunately, only two stops were repaired.  In 1911, the organ was rediscovered by tourists and reassembled.  Several concerted efforts were also made to save the organ.  In 1917, the organ was in such a bad state that only two stops were working.

Fr. Victor Faniel (term: 1915–1920), of the C.I.C.M. (Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary) or Belgian Fathers, attempted to restore the organ but could not repair the bellows.   In order to solicit voluntary contributions for the repair of the organ, Fr. Faniel authored and published Historical Facts, a pamphlet featuring substantial historical data about the bamboo organ.

The bellows currently used by the Bamboo Organ

In 1917, the organ was reassembled by the Las Piñeros but the repair works were not conducted in an expert manner. In April 1932, Fr. Paul Hubaux, C.I.C.M., saw the difficulty of pumping air and physically manipulating the bellows  so he installed a one-horse power Wagner electric motor in order for the bamboo organ “to be heard again in full and sufficient volume.”

In 1943, during the Japanese Occupation, it was partially repaired and overhauled by two technicians, Carmelo and Jose Loinaz.  However, the lack of expertise did little to improve its condition.  Some of the repairs that were intended to preserve, actually almost destroyed it.

In 1960, German Ambassador to the Philippines H.E. Friedrich von Fürstenberg, offered a donation worth 150,000 DM. However, the restoration work needed be done in Germany. The restoration project was temporarily shelved because of the risks of transporting the organ from Manila to Germany and back.  However, by 1962, the organ was in such a bad state that only one-fifth was working as there were many leakages in the air supply.  All horizontal trumpets were disconnected and the same was true for all the base pipes.  Only three stops out of the 23 were working and some disconnected pipes were piled inside the organ.

The organ’s cornet

In 1962, the Historical Conservation Society offered its services to restore the organ, in anticipation of the second centennial anniversary of Las Piñas. A total of Php 4,975.00 was donated for the instrument alone. However, insufficient funds only allowed partial repair works by Mr. Jose Loinaz. An organ builder, Fr. Hermann Schablitzki, S.V.D., also attempted to conduct repair works to the bamboo organ. The condition of the bamboo organ reached its “terminal stage” – disconnected horizontal trumpets and bass pipes, three functional stops out of twenty-three, leakage of air from the chest, and piling of disconnected pipes inside the bamboo organ. Only 1/3 of the Bamboo Organ was functioning during that time.

In the early 1970s, Belgian Rev. Fr. Mark Lesage (C.I.C.M. parish priest in June 1969) and assistant parish priest Fr. Leo Renier (who happened to be a musician and organist) set out consulting with several authorities on the bamboo organ. Mr. Jose Loinaz and Fr. Schablitzki strongly suggested a total repair. On the other hand, Fr. John van der Steen, C.I.C.M., echoed the need for total restoration. Lesage and Ranier, as well as the townspeople, decided on the total rehabilitation of the dying organ and the implementation of the restoration work was firmed up.

On December 2, 1972, during the inauguration of the Las Piñas Church, Mr. Johannes Klais the expert organ restorer scion of the organ builder firm of Johannes Klais Orgelbau, visited, personally inspected and assessed the Bamboo Organ which he had heard about when he was still a child. With a rich and extensive experience in the restoration of Spanish organs, he expressed his desire to help.  He remarked that the organ could still be repaired, but only in the Klais factory in Bonn, Germany. The crucial and sensitive work was awarded to the firm.

In March 1973, two technicians of the Klais firm, Joseph Tramnitz and Joseph Pick, arrived at Las Piñas and dismantled the bamboo organ. Due to concerns about shrinkage in the cold German climate, the repair of the bamboo pipes was done in Japan under Mr. Tsuda, also trained by Mr. Klais himself. The other parts of the organ were crated and shipped to Germany. On September 1973, upon its repair, the bamboo pipes were also shipped to Germany and installed in the “Klimakammer,” a special room built in the factory with the same Philippine humidity and temperature to prevent shrinkage of the bamboo.

On February 1974, actual repairs were started.  Klais enlarged the original plan of Fr. Cera and the old bellows of the organ were replaced. At present, the new bellows were located at one side of the choir loft and beside the belfry.  Parts that could not be used anymore were replaced with very durable wood.  Only the best materials were used.  Mr. Klais also trained Mr. Marciano Jacela, a Filipino scholar of the Carl Duisberg Foundation, on how to take care of the organ in the future in case any repair was needed.  Mr. Jacela also actively participated in the difficult and complicated restoration work.

During all that time, the 200,000 German Deutchmarks (PhP460,000 at that time) needed (excluding transportation, tickets for technicians and other expenses) for the organ repair was  raised from various sources. In the true bayanihan spirit, money for the organ repair, as well as church renovation, came in with the help of the Las Piñas community and the neighboring area, coming in the form of donations from businessmen as well as coins from schoolchildren.

On February 17, 1975, the Bamboo Organ, now with 89 completely new pipes (35 were trumpet pipes and 53 were bamboo pipes) was presented to guests invited by Mr. Mauro Calingo, the Philippine ambassador, at a one-hour concert held at the Philippine Embassy at Bonn, Germany, with world-renowned organist Wolfgang Oehms (organist of the Trier Cathedral in Germany) playing the Bamboo Organ. After that historic event, the launching of the first long-playing album of the bamboo organ was released.

On March 16, accompanied by Mr. Marciano Jacela (responsible for reassembling the bamboo organ), Robert Coyuito (then President of the Pioneer Insurance Companies who donated the insurance premium for the bamboo organ) and German technician Ulrich Bisacker, a dozen crates containing all the parts of the restored Bamboo Organ were finally returned, via Sabena Airlines,  to a joyous welcome here after an absence of almost two years.   A joint motorcade and foot parade was held the next day.  The organ was finally reassembled on March 17.  A month later, Klais arrived in Manila to a hero’s welcome.

For around thirty years, minor repairs and improvements were performed on the instrument under the general restoration conducted by Klais Orgelbau.  In 1990, Helmut Allgaeuer Orgelbau replaced the bone plates of the keyboard and, in 1993, Helmut’s apprentices Cealwyn Tagle and the late Edgar Montiano, both members of the Las Piñas Boys Choir turned organ builders and trained in Grunbach, Austria,  took over the maintenance of the instrument, doing minor jobs on broken trackers, hairline cracks, and keyboard adjustments.

On November 24, 2003, the Bamboo Organ was declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines. In 2004, the Las Pinas-based company, Diego Cera Organ Builders Inc. (considered as the first Filipino pipe organ building company, it was founded by Tagle and Montiano In March 1994), carried out a general overhaul of the Bamboo Organ, replacing some leather parts and making improvements in the wind system, particularly the re-installation of a multi-fold parallel bellows which was patterned after the bellows of the Baclayon (Bohol) pipe organ, which is believed to be constructed by Fr. Diego Cera.

Through this organ-building priest’s genius, plus the dedication of Klais and the untiring efforts of the Las Piñas community, then and now, the legacy of this centuries-old National Treasure has been preserved, continually bringing unique angelic music from the earthly bamboo. Today, the famous organ, as well as the church museum at the old convent house, is a popular tourist destination for Filipinos and foreign visitors alike in Las Piñas.

Check out “Bamboo Organ Museum”

The organ is now the cornerstone of the International Bamboo Organ music festival.  First held from March 6 – 11, 1976, the inaugural concert featured Wolfgang Oehms complemented by the Las Piñas Boys’ Choir, the Cultural Center of the Philippines Orchestra (under the baton of Maestro Luis C. Valencia) and the Maharlika Rondalla. Oehms played standard European compositions and two Filipino works – excerpts from Misang Pilipino by former dean of Philippine Women’s University College of Music, Lucrecia R. Kasilag (who later became a National Artist for Music in 1989) and commissioned Parangal by organ, rondalla, brass, woodwind and percussion conducted by Prof. Alfredo S. Buenaventura, the composer himself.

Now the longest-running annual international music festival held in the country, the festival is a series of cultural performances centered on the unique Bamboo Organ.  The  classical music compositions of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 to 1750), Giovanni Gabrielli (1557 to 1612), Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 to 1809), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 to 1791), Antonio Vivaldi (1675 to 1741) and other famous composers are performed by local and international artists, orchestras and choirs (notably the Las Pinas Boy’s Choir) with the accompaniment of this famous organ. Since 1992, Prof. Armando Salarza has been the titular organist of the Bamboo Organ as well as the Artistic Director of the International Bamboo Organ Festival

Bamboo Organ: St. Joseph Church, Diego Cera Ave., Brgy. Daniel Fajardo, Poblacion,  Las Piñas City. Tel: (02) 8825-7190 and (02) 8820-0795. Email: bambooorganfoundation@gmail.com. Website:  bambooorgan.org/museum.

How to Get There: From the Star Mall in Alabang (formerly Metropolis), board a jeepney bound for Zapota Bayan and ask the driver to drop you off at the ‘Bamboo Organ.’ From Alabang, the church is on your left side.

National Shrine of St. Michael and the Archangels (Manila)

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National Shrine of St. Michael and the Archangels

The century-old National Shrine of St. Michael and the Archangels, also known as San Miguel Church or Malacañang Church (as it adjoins the Malacañang Palace complex, the official residence of the President of the Republic of the Philippines), is located on the former site of La Fábrica de Cerveza de San Miguel (now San Miguel Brewery).

The church’s Neo-Classical facade

This Catholic church of the Latin Rite is dedicated to the seven archangels who fought against the Lucifer, the fallen angel who rebelled against God – Saint Michael, Saint Gabriel, Saint Raphael, Saint Uriel, Saint Selatiel, Saint Jhudiel, and Saint Barachiel.

An archangel is supposedly assigned to a person depending on the day he is born – St. Gabriel for Monday, St. Raphael for Tuesday, St. Uriel for Wednesday, St. Sealtiel for Thursday, St. Jhudiel for Friday, St. Barachiel for Saturday and St. Michael for Sunday.

Historical plaque

Here are some interesting trivia regarding this church:

  • It is the only shrine in the whole world dedicated to the aforementioned seven archangels
  • As it almost next door to the most important address in the country, a number of presidents have heard Mass at the shrine – Carlos P. García, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (usually accompanied by her husband Mike Arroyo) and Fidel V. Ramos (who is not even Catholic but Protestant). Then-Ilocos Norte Representative (and later President) Ferdinand E. Marcos also married then-beauty queen Imelda Romuáldez in the shrine (at that time a pro-cathedral) on May 1, 1954. Their wedding, tagged as the “Wedding of the Year,” followed almost two weeks of courtship.  President Ramon Magsaysay stood as Principal Sponsor.
  • Unlike most Catholic churches in the country that are usually overflowing with parishioners on Sundays, the prominent location of this church seems not to entice parishioners to hear Mass here. St. Michael only has about 1,500 parishioners, some of whom are descended from old-rich families (who were the benefactors of the church) in San Miguel District (most of these families, however, left this district during Marcos’ time).  One reason churchgoers might be staying away is the abundance of checkpoints all over the Malacañang Complex.
  • It only holds three Masses on Sundays – two in the morning and only one in the evening.
  • The national shrine is also, notably, the only Catholic church in the country where priests (instead of bishops) are canonically permitted to administer the sacrament of Confirmation twice a week (on Thursdays and Sundays).
  • A few blocks away is the National Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of desperate cases
  • Among those buried in San Miguel are Don Enrique M. Barreto (founder of San Miguel Brewery) and Don Domingo Roxas (patriarch of the Zóbel-de Ayala-Roxas-Soriano clans). Archbishop Gabriel M. Reyes, the Archdiocese of Manila’s first Filipino ordinary (served from 1949 to 1952), was initially buried in the shrine before his remains were transferred to the crypt of Manila Cathedral.

The church has a Neo-Classical façade with a semicircular arched main entrance and windows, a rose window at the second level and flanking, symmetrical bell towers with melon-shaped domes topped by turrets.

The church’s interior

Here is the historical timeline of the church:

  • In 1637, San Miguel Church was first built in stone by the Jesuits, along the left bank of the Pasig river (where the Tabacalera,  Mirador Hotel and the old PCSO office are now located) in Paco, Manila (formerly known as Dilao).
  • During the 1645 Luzon earthquake, the church was damaged.
  • In 1779, a provisional church, along the north bank of the Pasig River, was started by Fr. Malo de Molina.
  • In 1783, it was transferred to its present site and placed under the jurisdiction of the Quiapo Parish.
  • In 1835, the first church on this site was built by Franciscan Fr. Esteban Mena
  • In 1852, after an earthquake, Fr. Francisco Febres repaired the church and rebuilt the destroyed bell tower.
  • During the July 19, 1880 earthquake, the church was destroyed.
  • In 1886, the church and its bell towers were repaired by Fr. Emilio Gago.
  • In 1913, the church was rebuilt by Fr. Hipolito Arce (parish priest from 1900 – 1940), through the generous assistance of Doña Margarita Róxas de Ayala, on its present site and inaugurated on September 29, 1913.
  • From 1946 till December 8, 1958, following the city’s destruction in World War II, the church was designated as the pro-cathedral of the Archdiocese of Manila by Monsigñor Michael O’Doherty while Manila Cathedral was being rebuilt.
  • On February 22, 1986, the church was elevated to the rank of National Shrine by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), with Ricardo Cardinal Vidal of the Archdiocese of Cebu and Papal Nuncio Bruno Torgigliani in attendance.  The CBCP made the decision via de jure, citing the church’s rich history.

Its main altar, built with fine wood and stately marble and designed by Fr. Ramon Dodero, an Opus Dei priest, in 1985, is a replica of the old altar built in 1800.  It has a statue of St. Michael crushing the enemy, in the center, with the other six archangels flanking him.

In front of the church is the beautiful 12-ft. high bronze statue of St. Michael in his traditional pose, triumphantly looming over a dragon (Satan). Done by renowned Filipino sculptor Florante “Boy” Caedo, it was blessed in September 29, 1984 by Papal Nuncio Bruno Torpigliani with His Eminence Jaime Cardinal L. Sin, D.D. and Col. Antonio Cabangon Chuas as unveilers.

Bronze statue of St. Michael the Archangel

National Shrine of St. Michael and the Archangels: 1000 Jose Laurel St. cor. General Solano St., San Miguel district, Manila, Metro Manila.  Tel: (632) 735-1611 and 734-1271.  Fax: (632) 736-1105.