Monthly Archives: October 2015

Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria (Luna, La Union)

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Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria

Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria

After a merienda of bibingka at Orang’s in the town proper, we walked to the nearby Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria.  Built by Fr. Mateo Bustillos (parish priest from 1695 to 1697) at its original site in Darigayos (a barrio of Namacpacan), it was transferred to its present site in 1741. In 1829, it was reinforced with masonry and covered with a galvanized iron roof.

The Baroque facade

The Baroque facade

The church was severely damaged during the 1854 earthquake, repaired in 1863 and restored by Fr.  Marcelino Ceballos.  The convent, also damaged during the 1854 earthquake, was also enlarged by Fr.  Ceballos in 1876.  The church is now listed as a National Cultural Treasure.

Side entrance

Side entrance

Just like other Philippine churches built in earthquake-prone areas, this Earthquake Baroque church has thick muros (walls) of brick and stone and buttresses connected to a brick exterior stairway of different designs and shapes.  At the church’s entrance is a capilla possa (ceremonial archway). Its 3-level Baroque-style façade, built in 1872, is painted in an eye-catching white, light blue and pale gray, the official colors of the Image of Our Lady of Namacpacan, the church and the town. Even tricycles are painted in light blue.

One of the church buttresses

One of the church buttresses

A unique step buttress that leads up to the roof

A unique step buttress that leads up to the roof

The first level has 3 sets of two pairs of engaged columns and 2 sets of single columns while the second level has two sets of Tuscan columns, all with double capitals, plus 6 sets of paired columns at the center.   The curved pediment, complemented by semicircular arched openings and blind niches, is reinforced by the heavy architrave.

Plaque

Plaque

The twin 3-storey, hexagonal bell towers, flanking the facade, have blind and real fenestrations and is crowned by a pointed Baroque-style, balustered dome. Part of the brick convent ruins is now used as a school (Sta. Catalina Academy).  Inside the church is a wooden altar, a Spanish-era stone pulpit and a wood relief of the Baptism of Christ, probably polychromed.

Convent ruins

Convent ruins

Sta. Catalina Academy

Sta. Catalina Academy

The church interior also enshrines the supposedly miraculous 6-foot 4-inch high (the tallest known image of the Virgin in the country) wooden image of Our Lady of Namacpacan (the original name of the town, it is an Ilocano term meaning “one who feeds), enshrined in the church in 1871.  The patroness of travelers and of the town, it is said by experts to be the image of Our Lady of the Cord.

Church interior

Church interior

Main altar

Main altar

Also called Apo Baket, the image has been credited with many miracles and devotees flock here every year to honor her.  On November 24, 1959, by a special decree of Pope John XXIII, Our Lady of Namacpacan was canonically crowned by the high-ranking officials led by Papal Nuncio Salvatore Siino.

Statue of Our Lady of Namacpacan

Statue of Our Lady of Namacpacan

In 1871, an Augustinian priest ordered an image of the Virgin Mary from Spain to be brought to the Immaculate Conception Seminary in Vigan, Ilocos Sur in a galleon. However, a typhoon forced the ship and its crew to seek refuge at Darigayos (a barrio then named Namacpacan). When the storm subsided, they tried to resume their voyage, but the high winds forced them to return to the port.

The captain of the ship then decided to bring the statue to the port and then have it carried overland to its original destination. While making preparations, the statue was brought to the convent.  The church at that time was undergoing repairs on the damaged portions brought about by a strong earthquake. The following morning, they commenced their trip to Vigan but the natives had some difficulties in carrying the box containing the figure of the Blessed Virgin. So, after several failed attempts, they presumed that the Blessed Virgin has chosen the town of Namacpacan as her haven.

Rev. Fr. Marcelino Ceballos, the parish priest of Namacpacan, negotiated with the Augustinian friar Camilo Naves to let the image stay in Namacpacan.  It was agreed upon that the Catholics from Namacpacan would reimburse all expenses incurred.  The parishioners contributed joyously and generously to the extent of selling portions of their fields to raise the amount. An altar at the northern portico side of the church was constructed to house the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, now Our Lady of Namacpacan.

Later on, many miracles happened. The lame, 13 year old Rosa Roldan, claimed that, one day, an old woman knocked on the door of their home and asked for drink and food. She let her in and gave her some leftover food.

The old woman drank some water and some of it fell on Rosa’s feet. Before she left, she told Rosa to meet her at the shrine and from there, Rosa began to walk. When she came to the shrine, she was surprised to see the figure of the Our Lady of Namacpacan and recognized her as her visitor. Since then, Rosa has become a devotee of the Our Blessed Lady and started healing the sick and offering charity service to those in need.

Left side altar

Left side altar

Right side altar

Right side altar

The stone pulpit

The stone pulpit

Today the church is flocked by devotees who are expected to fetch water from a well that is believed to cure diseases. The well was created because of a dream of a “balikbayan” woman, who said that Apo Baket appeared in her dream and told her to dig a well near the church. The woman then asked volunteers to dig a well and some people, after attending the mass, drank water from the well and many professed that they felt stronger.  A physically ill man also claimed that the water from the well cured him. Afterwards, the Department of Health (DOH) sent a delegate to investigate the water’s chemical substance and discovered that it is alkaline which is safe for drinking.

Well

Well

Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria: Namacpacan Rd., Luna 2518, La Union.

How to Get There: Luna is located 267.48 kms.  from Manila and 34.8 kms. north of the City of San Fernando.  Air conditioned buses from Dominion Bus Lines, Philippine Rabbit, Partas, Fariñas, Maria de Leon, and Viron depart from terminals in Manila that is bound for Ilocos. Destinations can either be La Union, Narvacan, Vigan, Laoag or Abra. Just tell the bus attendant that you are going to Luna.

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Bahay na Bato Open Art Gallery (Luna La Union)

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Bahay na Bato Open Art Gallery

Bahay na Bato Open Art Gallery

Upon checking in and lunch at Sebay Surf Central  Resort, we began our half day tour with Mr. Lawrence Fontanilla “Amar” Carbonell as our guide.  We proceeded to the nearby town of Luna where we first visited the Bahay na Bato Open Art Gallery, the newest tourist destination in Luna. Built way back in 2000, the attraction was originally just meant to be a family rest house for its owners, Dr. Edison and Dra. Purita Noble.

Bahay na Bato welcome sign

Bahay na Bato welcome sign

Gravel and flagstone pathway

Gravel and flagstone pathway

Vong Kim (third from right) with media group

South Korean artist Kim (third from right) with media group

However, in 2014, Luna Mayor Marvin Marron saw the potential of this property as a tourist attraction, thinking that the house could attract visitors.  Marron persuaded the owners to open the property to public and the municipal government extended help in the development of the new tourist spot, putting up promotional materials along the town’s major roads and helping in processing the registration of the site as a full-fledged tourist attraction.

Entrance door

Wooden entrance door

Lower level

Lower level

Art-lined hallway

Art-lined, gravel and flagstone hallway

The Bahay na Bato premises offers numerous stone carvings, masterpieces created by South Korean national Mr.  Vong Kim, the in-house sculptor for the tourist site. Imelda Montison and Gloria Dizon, the rest house caretakers, and their families serve as the staff for the Bahay na Bato. Other residents were hired to serve as security and maintenance aides. Montison’s daughter, Beverly, who serves as the manager is married to Kim.

Stairway leading to second level

Stairway leading to second level

Author at the second level balcony

Author at the second level balcony

World War II canteens and lamps

World War II canteens, mess kits and lamps

Second level

Second level

Luna’s shorelines are covered, not with fine sand, but with an unending supply of stones of various colors, shapes and sizes that seem to be replenished year by year, a mystery that has long baffled the community, some of whom believe that these stones are gifts from heaven.  These stones are  sold to become construction materials or garden ornaments.

Pebble beach

Multi-colored pebble beach

Bahay na Bato Open Art Gallery (32)

Sun dial

Sun dial

Using handpicked stones, Kim, with a great deal of imagination, carved figures out of the stones and boulders and these creations are now displayed in the Bahay na Bato Open Art Gallery. Kim also trained the local artisans on stone carving, a new way of making money out of these jewels for the locals who live near the beach area.

Figure 8 swimming pool

Shallow figure 8 swimming pool

Function hall

Function hall

Cooking pavilion

Cooking pavilion

Today, droves of tourists come here to visit this new attraction and its magnificent works of art. The local tourism office has recorded a staggering number of visitors. In December 2014, it registered more than 10,000 visitors, and another 7,800 for January 2015. On one corner, stone faces greet us with cryptic smiles while on the other, stones are piled according to size and color. Further on, we saw boulders shaped as turtles, fish, flowers, hearts and even phalluses.

Dragon head made with driftwood

Dragon head made with driftwood

Native-style gazebo

Native-style gazebo

Dirty finger sculpture

Dirty finger sculpture

The 2-storey main house by itself is not entirely built with stones as wood also encompasses the area surrounded by green trees that dance with the sound of the waves coming from the beach.. As we passed through the entrance, huge carved art stones welcomed us. The ground floor, with speckled, palm-size pebbles for flooring,has two private rooms, one facing the beach area and the other one facing the swimming pool area.  The reception area has fabulous dining wood furniture.

Stone bridge

Stone bridge

The horny author

The “horny”” author

Bahay na Bato Open Art Gallery (62)

Carved stones, of various shapes and sizes, are cleverly placed along the hallway. The second level, with its panoramic view of the pebble beach and the lawn is surrounded by various carved stone artifacts, showcases World War II items such as kerosene lamps, charcoal iron, water canteens (kantina), carbide lamps, wooden trunks and stainless steel kitchen utensils .

Local artisan at work on a piece of driftwood

Local artisan at work on a piece of driftwood

Bahay na Bato Open Art Gallery (63)

Bahay na Bato Open Art Gallery: Brgy. Nalvo Norte, Luna, La Union. Open daily, 6 AM to 8 PM. Admission: PhP20.00 (kids below four years old are admitted in for free).

How to Get There: Luna is located 267.48 kms.  from Manila and 34.8 kms. north of the City of San Fernando.  Air conditioned buses from Dominion Bus Lines, Philippine Rabbit, Partas, Fariñas, Maria de Leon, and Viron depart from terminals in Manila that is bound for Ilocos. Destinations can either be La Union, Narvacan, Vigan, Laoag or Abra. Just tell the bus attendant that you are going to Luna.

 

Bahay at Yaman ni San Martin de Porres (Bustos, Bulacan)

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AAP participants at Bahay at Yaman ni San Martin de Porres

As part of AAP’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the drive caravan drove to Bahay at Yaman ni San Martin de Porres (BYSMDP) in Bustos, a sprawling retreat center that also serves as an orphanage, housing abandoned children of different ages that were rescued from the streets of Manila. To reach the center, we weaved through rice fields and paddies.

The center had its beginnings in 2002 as a feeding center in Tondo for the street children of Manila (the “Bambang Kids”) through the initiative of Rev. Fr. Florentino S. “Father Boyet”  Concepcion. In December 2003, as the number of children in the center grew in number, Fr. Boyet transferred the “community” to a lot in Bustos, Bulacan donated by a good-hearted couple.

The center, sustained by volunteer psychologists and social workers, along with financial donors, now houses and cares for as many as 120 children in crisis (e.g. street children, runaways, orphans, homeless, destitute, abandoned and physically-abused), ranging in ages from 6 to 17.

Capilla of St. Martin de Porres

Chapel interior

The center has dormitories, surrounded by moat-like fishponds, where the children live, a chapel (Capilla de San Martin de Porres, built from November 2007 to February 2009), and special stone houses (several can be rented by solitude-seekers) just like the ones of the Ivatans of Batanes, another must-see in Bustos.

Dormitories

The lovingly designed and colorful Social Hall cum dining area, right across the dormitories, is artistically decorated with a makeshift chandelier made of dried twigs and branches, with empty bottles hanging on it.  In this special place, the children gave a special performance.

AAP participants at the Social Hall

Chandelier using recylcled materials at the Social Hall

A group played the violin while a thin but very energetic boy showed off his break-dancing moves.

Children performing before the APP participants

Beauty is everywhere and the vibrant colors, the Minimalist décor and the ingenious artistry combine to create an atmosphere of love and community.

Bahay at Yaman ni San Martin de Porres: Mission Road, Brgy. Bonga Menor, Bustos 3007.  Bulacan Office Tel:+63 2 710-7033. Manila Office Tel: +632-367-0272. Mobile number: (0918) 517-4492, (0917) 517-4492 and (0922) 872-1016.

Automobile Association Philippines (AAP): 28 EDSA, Greenhills, San Juan City.  Tel: (632) 655-5889.  Fax: (632) 655-1878.  E-mail: info@aap.org.ph. Website: www.aap.org.ph.

Daily Bread Organic Farm and Resort (Bustos, Bulacan)

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Daily Bread Organic Farm and Resort

AAP’s drive tour caravan also highlights farm tourism, the newest trend in travel, moving around the various farms near Metro Manila to explore, immerse in and experience the culture of a farm. From the East West Seed Farm, the caravan headed to the 3.1-hectare Daily Bread Organic Farm in Bustos for a sumptuous lunch at their poolside restaurant.

Check out “East West Seed Farm”

 

The poolside restaurant

This organic farm is the brainchild of Ms. Luzviminda “Baby” Tancangco, the first non-lawyer and woman commissioner of the Philippine Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and also its first female acting chairman (1998–1999).  Now retired since 2004, she is now an organic farm, health and wellness advocate.

Fresh lumpia

Being an advocate of healthy living and organically grown foods, she has put up facilities for relaxation, team building activities, and growing areas for vegetables, native pigs and other small animals like chickens and rabbits. Today, her organic farm is known for their mushroom culture as well as vermi composting, ornamental plant production, herbal plants, native pigs and other poultry products which uses the organic way of caring them.

Swimming pool

The center had a library, restaurant, greenhouse, swimming pools, clubhouse, conference area and several cottages which reflect several different architectural styles. The farm resort had been featured in several television shows and is an ideal venue for weddings and convention.

The organic restaurant, along the highway, caters to health-conscious customers. The income from the restaurant is used to finance further development of the organic farm. Here, we feasted on lumpiang sariwa (fresh vegetable roll), buko pandan and corn coffee, among others.

Baby has developed a network of suppliers of organically grown farm produce (mushrooms, various vegetables, turmeric powder, coffee from Sagada, honey from the wild, coco sugar, rice, organic wines, etc.). A consolidator of various organic products, she has helped small farmers increase their incomes. For example, the Dumagats are making money from the turmeric they supply to the organic restaurant and store.

Daily Bread Organic Farm and Resort: Don Claro Santos St., Brgy. Bonga Menor, Bustos. Mobile number: (0999) 883- 0779 (Ms. Anna  Katrina D.C. Tangcanco). Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/DailyBreadOrganicFarm/?rf=104503639662998. Coordinates: 14.9581, 120.918.

Automobile Association Philippines (AAP): 28 EDSA, Greenhills, San Juan City.  Tel: (632) 655-5889.  Fax: (632) 655-1878.  E-mail: info@aap.org.ph. Website: www.aap.org.ph.

East West Seed Farm (San Rafael, Bulacan)

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East West Seed Farm

From the Bulacan Pasalubong Center, the participants next visited the East West Seed Farm, the demonstration farm of East-West Seed Company, Inc.  The company is the brainchild of 6th generation Dutch agriculturist, Simon Nanne Groot and Filipino seed trader, Benito M. Domingo.

Check out “Bulacan Pasalubong Center”

Years ago, the vegetable seed industry in Southeast Asia was little more than a seed trading system and vegetable plant breeding was just a dream Simon Groot had. In 1982, when he saw an opportunity to locally-develop hybrid seeds that are adaptable to local conditions and with remarkable characteristics, he teamed up with 50 year old Benito Domingo and formed Hortigenetics Philippines, Inc. in a 5-hectare lot in Lipa City.

Later that year, as a gesture to show that a partnership between a European and Asian is possible and could succeed, the company’s name was changed to East-West Seed Company, Inc. After the establishment of East-West Seed companies in the Philippines and Thailand, they eventually conquered Indonesia and Vietnam’s vegetable seed market.

AAP participants

Together, they bred vegetable varieties that were adapted to tropical markets and growing conditions, and could generate increased yields and productivity for farmers. In 1985, East-West Seed introduced the Jade Star ampalaya (biiter gourd), the first locally developed commercial hybrid seed in the Philippines and the whole of Southeast Asia.

Grafted bitter gourd (ampalaya)

Soon, tomato and eggplant varieties followed, plus pumpkin, several brassicas and leafy vegetables such as kangkong.

Chili peppers

Eggplant

Tomatoes

Today, East-West Seed Company, one of the 10 largest seed companies in the world, distributes high-quality vegetable seeds to over 18 million farmers in about 60 countries worldwide in tropical areas of the world. From Africa to Asia, Australia to America, East-West Seed Company continues to give farmers better seeds for better yields.

NOTE:

On June 8, 2018, East West Seed Co. co-founder Benito M. Domingo passed away at the age of 85 and, on June 10, 2019, Simon N. Groot was awarded the prestigious World Food Prize.

Greenhouse

During our visit, we were toured by Eduardo A. Arro, Jr., Farm Ready Business Manager, and AAP participants got a glimpse of East-West Seed’s plant operations such as seed processing and storage, quality control, packaging and finished goods.

Farm Ready is a subsidiary of East West Seeds responsible for aiding farmers through growing seedlings in their greenhouse nursery and researching on pests and diseases.

Eduardo A. Arro, Jr., Farm Ready Business Manager

He explained to us the advantage of planting grafted ampalaya which is more resistant to diseases and yields more than the ordinary ungrafted seedlings.  It also has a longer productive life because its rootstock is a disease-resistant patola.

Sowing seeds in seed trays

We were also taught how to prepare seedlings in a Pro tray (or seed tray) by preparing a media for seed sowing in the ratio of 1:1 (one part coco peat and one part vermin compost.  One seed per one hole with the depth of the seed twice of the seed height.

East West Seed Farm:  Km. 54 Cagayan Valley Road, Brgy. Sampaloc, San Rafael, 3008.  Tel: (044) 766-4952 to 57. Fax: (044) 766-1005. E-mail: info.ph@eastwestseed.com. Website: www.eastwestseed.com.

Automobile Association Philippines (AAP): 28 EDSA, Greenhills, San Juan City.  Tel: (632) 655-5889.  Fax: (632) 655-1878.  E-mail: info@aap.org.ph. Website: www.aap.org.ph.

Bulacan Pasalubong Center (Malolos City, Bulacan)

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Bulacan Pasalubong Center

After our visit to the Alberta Uitangcoy-Santos Ancestral House, participants of the AAP Drive Caravan proceeded to the Bulacan Pasalubong Center, one-stop shop for marketing, promotion and selling of Bulacan-made products.

They include beverages; breads and pastries; chips and seeds; dairy products; processed meat and fish; relishes; condiments and dips; specialty food; sweets and candies and sweet preserves; bags and wallets; fashion and fine jewelry; garments; holiday and home décors; native products; toys; wearables; and health and wellness products.

Check out “Alberta Uitangcoy-Santos House”

Bulacan-made furniture

Managed by the Bulacan Provincial Government through the Provincial Cooperative and Enterprise Development Office (PCEDO), it offers foreign and local tourists a wide variety of Tatak Bulakenyo products.

They include pastillas (carabao milk candies), minasa (cassava cookies), ensaymadang Malolos (cheesy brioche with salted egg), inipit de leche (pressed custard sponge cake); barquillos (biscuit rolls); putok pan de sal de Baliwag (milky bread roll); crispy mushroom flakes and bits; chicharon (pork rind crackling); sukang Bulacan, longganisang Calumpit, buntal products, gowns and barong; jewelry and furniture.

Barong Tagalog and gowns

Here, we had a taste of the mouthwatering local glutinous rice cakes (sapin-sapin, kutsinta, biko, etc.) and arroz caldo (Filipino congee).

An assortment of rice cakes

Bulacan Pasalubong Center: BTTBAC Bldg., Provincial Capitol Compound, MacArthur Highway, Malolos City 3000. Open Mondays to Saturdays, 8 AM to 5 PM. Tel: (044) 791-0884.

Automobile Association Philippines (AAP): 28 EDSA, Greenhills, San Juan City.  Tel: (632) 655-5889.  Fax: (632) 655-1878.  E-mail: info@aap.org.ph. Website: www.aap.org.ph.

Alberta Uitangcoy-Santos House (Malolos City, Bulacan)

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Alberta Uitangcoy-Santos Ancestral House

After our visit to Barasoain Church and its two museums (Museum of the Malolos Republic and Museo Diocesano de Malolos), participants of the Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP) caravan headed to the city’s Kamistisuhan District (a neighborhood of handsome ancestral houses belonging to some of Malolos’s rich and illustrious citizens), making a stopover at restored Alberta Uitangcoy-Santos House.

Here, we attended a lighthearted lecture on the 20 Women of Malolos delivered by Women of Malolos Foundation Inc. President Vicente “Bong” Enriquez.

Check out “Barasoain Church,” “Museum of the Malolos Republic,” “Museo Diocesano de Malolos” and “The Kamistisuhan Houses of Malolos City”

 

The Alberta Uitangcoy-Santos House, an early 20th-century bahay-na-bato (stone house) in the city of Malolos, belonged to couple Paulino Santos (a propetario and cabeza de barangay) and Alberta Uitangcoy-Santos, the fiery feminist Impong Iding who was the leader of The Women of Malolos.

Vicente “Bong” Enriquez, President of the Women of Malolos Foundation Inc.

Alberta is revered for her contributions to Philippine women’s rights, the fight for Philippine independence, and a large part of Malolos’ traditional cuisine during the Spanish and American colonial periods.

Bong touring participants of the AAP Drive Caravan around the museum

The original house, first built in 1890, was destroyed by a fire in 1910 and rebuilt and completed in 1914.

Museum entrance

Today, the house is owned by Josefa Santos-Tibajia and Lourdes Santos-Herrera, the granddaughters of Paulino and Alberta, and is under the care of the Women of Malolos Foundation Inc, a non-profit organization which spearheads initial efforts of restoration through their “Own a Piece of History, Adopt a Heritage House” project.

Declared a National Heritage House by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, the Alberta Uitangcoy-Santos House was turned into the Museo ng Kababaihan ng Malolos (the Museum of the Women of Malolos), a privately owned museum,  during a soft launch on April 14, 2013 attended mostly by members of the Women of Malolos Foundation and descendants of the 20 women.

 

Towards the latter portion of the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines, a group of young and affluent mestiza–sangley women from the Kamistisuhan District of Malolos, lead by Uitangcoy, signed and presented a petition written by Teodoro Sandico, a notable reformist, asking for his permission to allow them to establish a night school where they can learn Spanish and other academic subjects.

On December 12, 1888, the petition was handed, by Uitangcoy, to Governor General Valeriano Weyler. The other women fended off the furious Spanish friars who wanted to know what was in the letter. Ultimately, despite staunch opposition from the friar curate, the women won the lengthy battle for approval.

Reformist leaders Marcelo H. del Pilar and Graciano Lopez Jaena, after hearing of the women’s victory, wrote about the women in La Solidaridad, the Filipino liberal publication. On February 22, 1889, Dr. Jose Rizal followed suit in his letter “Sulat sa mga Kadalagahang Taga-Malolos” to the group wherein he lauded their brave efforts towards reform.

 

The beautiful embossed metal ceiling

During the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine-American War, a number of the women established the Cruz Roja (Philippine Red Cross) and aided revolutionaries by passing letters and communications hidden in their dresses.

During the American Colonial Period, ten of the twenty women participated in establishing the Pariancillo chapter (one of the five barrio committees that comprised the local Malolos, Bulacan committee) of the Asociacion Feminista de Filipinas, which aimed to tackle several women’s rights issues of the day.

Photos of some of the 20 Women of Malolos

After our lecture, Bong toured us around the house’s Museo ng Kababaihan ng Malolos. Of particular interest on that floor was the beautiful embossed metal ceiling.

The Alberta Uitangcoy-Santos House houses four exhibit halls (showcasing collections of surviving artifacts and other memorabilia relevant to the narrative of the women and the Uitangcoy-Santos family) and a lecture hall.

On January 18, 2017, the museum temporarily closed after Carlo Herrera (a fifth-generation grandson of Alberta Uitangcoy, and then a senior Art Management student specializing in heritage curation and preservation at the Ateneo de Manila University), during a visit to his family’s estate, found that the conditions of the museum and its exhibits were unsatisfactory.

After creating a blueprint for its restructuring, Herrera was named head curator of the museum by the owners and the usufructuary. He then began work on the estate by conducting physical repairs, restoring and preserving all the decaying articles in the museum, re-curating the entire collection, and opening more exhibit halls after clearing out debris stuffed in the home.

On March 12, 2017, Herrera reopened the museum with a newly furnished and restored interior, along with world-class preservation units. A new tour program, which Herrera had produced and conducted himself for the museum and estate, was launched and tours included a comprehensive lecture, visits to all four exhibit halls and two other heritage structures, and an interactive food-tasting exhibit of Alberta Uitangcoy’s recipes prepared by Malolos locals. Throughout February 2017, tickets to the tours were sold via Herrera’s website and were sold out in three weeks.

Alberta Uitangcoy-Santos House: F.T. Reyes St. (formerly known as Calle Electricidad), Brgy. Sto. Nino, Malolos City, Bulacan.

Automobile Association Philippines (AAP): 28 EDSA, Greenhills, San Juan City.  Tel: (632) 655-5889.  Fax: (632) 655-1878.  E-mail: info@aap.org.ph. Website: www.aap.org.ph.

Museum of the Malolos Republic (Bulacan)

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Museum of the Malolos Republic

Museum of the Malolos Republic

From the Museo Diocesano de Malolos, participants of the Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP) caravan moved on to next room which houses the Museum of the Malolos Republic. Here, we were welcomed by Mr. Jose Ruel Paguiligan of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) and curator of the Barasoain Church Historical Landmark.

Members of AAP caravan listening to museum curator Mr. Jose Ruel Paguiligan

Members of AAP caravan listening to museum curator Mr. Jose Ruel Paguiligan

The modernized museum, one of 22 museums throughout the country that the Aquino administration wanted upgraded into digitally-enhanced institutions in order to advance historical studies, was finished in 2012.  It is a rich source of historical data, including documents and artifacts explaining how the Malolos Congress was put together on September 15, 1898.

Museum of the Malolos Republic (26)

With the magic of modern technology, learning history lesson is now more fun and interesting. The upgraded museum was jointly funded by the NHCP and the Provincial Government of Bulacan headed by Gov. Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado.

Museum of the Malolos Republic (9)

It has five galleries, with the first two explaining the backdrop to the Malolos Congress to visitors. It boasts of interactive digital displays that allow students and other visitors to respond (however, it interacts only in Filipino) to a history quiz about the Philippine Revolution, making the presentation of history more interesting and, at the same time, more engaging.

Museum of the Malolos Republic (10)

It also includes an E-learning room (designed for students and equipped with 22 computers containing interactive lessons in Philippine history), research facilities and an audio-visual room.  Permanent collections of the museum include the original carriage used by Pres. Emilio Aguinaldo during the opening of the Malolos Congress and reproductions of stereographic cards of the Philippine-American War.

Carriage used by Pres. Aguinaldo

Carriage used by Pres. Aguinaldo

Gallery 1, the ante room, presents a 7-minute video introducing the museum and the evolution of the idea of freedom and the struggle of Filipinos as a prologue.  Gallery 2 traces the events leading to the establishment of the Malolos Congress namely the constitution of Biak-na-Bato, the proclamation of independence at Kawit, Cavite and the decrees of the revolutionary government headed by Gen. Aguinaldo.

Museum of the Malolos Republic (27)

Its two touch screen monitors display the historical overview of facts, from 1882 to 1899, and sources about the first Philippine Congress (headed by Pedro Paterno, it was convened on September 15, 1898 inside the Barasoain Church) and the events that preceded and followed it.

Museum of the Malolos Republic (42)

Gallery 3, at the main hall, and the smaller hall Gallery 4 focuses on Malolos, the Constitutional Congress; the Malolos Congress and the Constitution. Gallery 3 centers mostly on the downfall of the Spanish rule in the country and the succeeding events that led to the formation of the Constitución Política de la República Filipina.

L-R - Mariano Trias, Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, Pedro Paterno, Gregorio Araneta, Baldomero Aguinaldo, Benito Legardo and Pablo Ocampo

L-R: Mariano Trias, Trinidad Pardo de Tavera, Pedro Paterno, Gregorio Araneta, Pres. Emilio Aguinaldo (seated), Baldomero Aguinaldo, Benito Legardoaand Pablo Ocampo

It also offers a 7-minute light-and-sound presentation, with a diorama with life-size resin statues of the leading figures and prominent delegates of the Malolos Congress – a sitting Emilio Aguinaldo, president of the First Philippine Republic, flanked by key figures of the Malolos Congress. A pew, which is said to have been used during the actual convention of the revolutionary congress, can also be found in this particular exhibit.

List of the names of all the representatives who joined the Congress

List of the names of all the representatives who joined the Congress

In Gallery 4 is a list of the names of all the representatives who joined the Congress.  There were 193 delegates, none of whom were paid for their work.  Only 42 were elected while the rest were appointed.  The gallery also has a bust of Don Felipe G. Calderon, who penned the Malolos Constitution.

Bust of Felipe Calderon

Bust of Felipe Calderon

Gallery 5 provides the epilogue and dwells on the theme—Defense of the Republic—by featuring how Filipinos went to war against a new colonizer, the United States of America to defend the republic and the freedom and sovereignty of the people.

Museum of the Malolos Republic (36)

Museum of the Malolos Republic: Barasoain Convent, Paseo del Congreso Road, Brgy. San Gabriel, Malolos City, Bulacan.

Automobile Association Philippines (AAP): 28 EDSA, Greenhills, San Juan City.  Tel: (632) 655-5889.  Fax: (632) 655-1878.  E-mail: info@aap.org.ph. Website: www.aap.org.ph.

Museo Diocesano de Malolos (Malolos City, Bulacan)

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AAP at the Museo Diocesano de Malolos

AAP at the Museo Diocesano de Malolos

From Ciudad Victoria, our 14-car Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP) caravan proceeded on the second leg of our day-long tour, this time to Malolos City, the provincial capitol, where we made a stopover at historic Barasoain Church.

Museo Diocesano de Malolos (1)

At the convent, we first visited the Museo Diocesano de Malolos, a museum managed by the Malolos Diocese.  It houses relics, artifacts, regalia and religious items containing and illustrating the ecclesiastical history of Central Luzon.

Museo Diocesano de Malolos (10)

The exhibits include the original nineteenth century baptismal records of Bulacan native sons Marcelo Hilario (the Great Propagandist also known as Marcelo H. del Pilar), Francisco Baltazar (he Tagalog equivalent of William Shakespeare also known as Francisco Balagtas) and Gen. Gregorio del Pilar (the “Leonidas of the Philippines”).

Robes of priests embroidered with gold-plated silver threads

Robes of priests embroidered with gold-plated silver threads

Replica of the Black Nazarene of Quiapo

Replica of the Black Nazarene of Quiapo Church in Manila

Statues of the Holy Family and processional crucifixes

Statues of the Holy Family, candle stands and a processional crucifix

There’s also a bone fragment of St. Vincent Ferrer encased in glass; priestly robes embroidered with gold-plated silver threads; a Sto. Entierro (meaning “Holy Burial”);  a replica of the Black Nazarene from Quiapo Church; and antique prayer cards, church bells, religious statues, candle stands, processional crucifixes and antependiums (altar frontals) from different churches.

Altar frontals

Altar frontals

Antique church bells

Antique church bells

Sto. Entierro

Sto. Entierro

Museo Diocesano de Malolos: Barasoain Convent, Malolos City, Bulacan. Director: Fr. Vicente Lina Jr.. Open Tuesdays to Saturdays, 8 AM to 4 PM.

Automobile Association Philippines (AAP): 28 EDSA, Greenhills, San Juan City.  Tel: (632) 655-5889.  Fax: (632) 655-1878.  E-mail: info@aap.org.ph. Website: www.aap.org.ph.

Ciudad Victoria (Bocaue, Bulacan)

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Ciudad Victoria

For the second time around (the first was in Mindoro Oriental), I was invited by the Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP) to join another of their drive tourism caravans (the 10th in AAP’s series), this time to Bulacan. The caravan is a tourism program wherein, instead of driving straight to the destination, it moves through a tourism highway or road network that allows participants to see many attractions in between the start and end destinations.

Participants of the AAP Drive Caravan at the Philippine Arena

With the theme “Enjoying Bountiful Harvest and Exploring the Off Beaten Path of History and Culture,” the 57 participants (AAP directors, members, friends and the media), in 14 cars, flagged off one early morning from the Petron Marilao station where we had breakfast and availed ourselves of their clean restrooms.

The event was co-organized by Petron Blaze 100 Euro 4, in partnership with the Department of Tourism Region 3, the tourism office of Bulacan under Gov. Wilhemino Sy-Alvarado, the Tourism Promotions Board, Manila North Tollways Corp. and Aeromed, the official ambulance partner.

The Philippine Arena

Participants first visited the 140-hectare Ciudad de Victoria (also known as the Philippine Arena Complex), a 140-hectare tourism enterprise zone in Bocaue and Santa Maria that integrates residential and office buildings, as well as a complex dedicated to shopping, entertainment, leisure, education, business and sports.

The Philippine Sports Stadium

Ciudad Victoria, owned by the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), a Filipino-based indigenous Christian religious organization, through its educational institution, the New Era University, and operated by Maligaya Development Corporation, houses the magnificent Philippine Arena (a 55,000-seater indoor domed arena that is the world’s largest mixed-use indoor arena) and the 20,000-seater Philippine Sports Stadium (the largest stadium in the Philippines). In commemoration of INC’s centennial celebration on July 27, 2014, it was inaugurated, after three years of construction, on July 21, 2014.

Entrance of the Philippine Sports Stadium

Other buildings within the complex include the Eraño G. Manalo (EGM) Medical Center (an 11-storey, 1st class modern hospital which is the first of its kind in Northern Luzon with 1,000-bed capacity) an Iglesia ni Cristo Chapel (dedicated on May 18, 2018) and the New Era University Bocaue Campus. The landscape for the arena and the whole complex of Ciudad de Victoria was designed by PWP Landscape Architecture, the firm who landscaped the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.

Lobby of the Philippine Sports Stadium

Ciudad Victoria: North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), Bocaue.  Entrance: Php450.  Parking: Php50.  Photography is limited to mobile phones. DLSR cameras are not allowed.

Automobile Association Philippines (AAP): 28 EDSA, Greenhills, San Juan City.  Tel: (632) 655-5889.  Fax: (632) 655-1878.  E-mail: info@aap.org.ph. Website: www.aap.org.ph.