Indung Kapampangan

Holy Week reflections on culture

2008-03-14T00:23:00.001+08:00

by Robbie Tantingco

Once again, all roads lead to San Pedro Cutud next week. There will be thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, crowding the long and narrow path leading to the hill of crucifixion, like a scene from a Cecil B. De Mille movie. When you have a crowd like that descending upon your town or village, their safety and comfort becomes your responsibility, whether you like it or not and whether you invited them or not.

Which is why local government units are now scrambling to cope with the situation. I’m sure it’s still going to be a nightmare out there, no matter how the organizers try, because Cutud simply attracts more visitors than it can take.

But the more important problem to solve is really the cultural authenticity of the Holy Week practices, not just in Cutud but in many other places in Pampanga. There is no other region in the country during Holy Week where so many things happen in so many different places at the same time. In fact, Lent in Pampanga is more festive than Christmas.

In their excitement to cash in on the arrival of so many tourists and media people, local officials and organizers should prioritize the authenticity of a tradition more than its tourism value. The reason for this is simple: Tourists come to see folk traditions in their original, unadulterated form, not stylized or updated versions. You lose their authenticity, you lose the tourists.

For example, tourists prefer seeing penitents who carry crosses made from banana trunks or logs from their own backyard, rather than mass-produced crosses donated by a local official or businessman. In Cutud, I’ve always wondered why someone has to use a microphone to annotate the proceedings for the benefit of the crowd, unless the organizers treat the whole thing as a show instead of a religious ritual that the crowd is only privileged to witness.

Tourists come to Pampanga during Holy Week because Kapampangan penitents perform their acts of penitence—and not Kapampangan penitents perform because tourists come to Pampanga.
What our penitents do is a very personal and sacred act, and we should protect them from media who sensationalize, and tourists who trivialize, this act. When a man has himself nailed to a cross, I am sure he does it not for show or for money, but because he is fulfilling a vow, or asking God a favor, or expressing his gratitude for a favor already granted—any motive that I’m sure is private and definitely not for a reporter, interviewer or cameraman to want to know, record and broadcast to the world.

Tourists should be treated as, well, tourists, to be accorded the usual courtesy and hospitality and given the necessary amenities. But tourists should not be allowed to distract or interact with the penitents; they should merely watch and observe, with as much distance from, and reverence for, the penitents as possible. I’ve seen cameramen calling out to a man who was nailed on a cross to turn his head and face the camera, and I did hear some people in the crowd actually poke fun at one crucified man.

I have nothing but compassion for the men and women who flagellate themselves or allow themselves to be nailed to the cross every year. What they do is a continuation of a long tradition that’s found nowhere else but in the Kapampangan Region. You know that it’s unique here because our word for it is as original as it is beautiful: “magdarame.” It comes from an ancient Kapampangan word “dame,” which is defined in Bergaño’s 1732 dictionary as “to voluntarily take part in someone else’s situation or predicament.” Thus, when a Kapampangan picks up a cross or flagellates himself on Good Friday, he is doing it not just in imitation of Christ, but in fellowship with Him—it’s a mystical relationship in which the penitent, believing that Christ still relives His Passion every Good Friday, offers to alleviate His suffering by imposing on himself, or trying to approximate, or at least taking part in, Christ’s own suffering.

Flagellation as a religious ritual started in medieval Germany and may have been brought here by the Spaniards, because even Mexicans still do it. But then so do Hindu mystics in parts of south and southeast Asia, so it’s possible that we got the practice from our prehistoric ancestors and the colonizers merely Christianized it.

It really amazes me that of all the people in the Philippines, it is the Kapampangans—known for their vanity and love for the good life—who still cling to this tradition. It also amazes me that instead of vanishing, like what’s happening to most other cultural practices in Pampanga, the tradition of flagellation continues to thrive and even prosper. Last year, there were more Kapampangan boys and men who carried crosses and mutilated their bodies than there were in the previous years, and I’m sure next week the number will increase again.

This, despite the continuing Archdiocesan ban on flagellation, which goes against the Church doctrine that God’s forgiveness is readily available through the sacrament of confession alone. You ought to see the multitude of flagellants converge in Mabalacat at sunrise on Good Friday. It’s a sight that will make your jaw drop to the ground, and it would make you wonder what overwhelming social stress, trauma or dysfunction is driving all these Kapampangan boys and men to self-mutilation.

Yes, there are other destinations in Pampanga other than San Pedro Cutud and yes, we want tourists and media to discover them. But let’s remind ourselves that culture should never be sacrificed on the altar of tourism.

Holy Angel is forever

2008-03-06T10:30:00.000+08:00

by Robby Tantingco

I love my alma mater, St. Louis University, dearly and with all the affection and nostalgia that an alumnus holds for the school that nurtured him, but there’s another school in my life that has my equal devotion.

Still, despite serving Holy Angel University for 23 long years—practically all the best working years of my life—I have no right to call myself an HAU alumnus. When you’ve worked that long for a certain school, cared for it and grown old with it, you sometimes begin to feel like an alumnus yourself, until you go home and see another diploma hanging on your wall.

This week, as Holy Angel University opens its Diamond Jubilee Year, I would like to cheer the thousands upon thousands of HAU alumni out there, those who carry their alumni card proudly and those who take it for granted, those who know how lucky they are and those who don’t realize it. As an administrator, I can only join in the celebration as a worker in the background, but the party belongs to all the students, past and present, who can claim that their lives have been molded and their destinies shaped by this great institution.

St. Louis University and Holy Angel University are actually alike in many ways: both are the biggest in their respective regions, both charge relatively low tuition fees, both aren’t contented with just being big—they risk their enrolments by upgrading their academic standards. As a result, both SLU and HAU are now recognized as the most prestigious universities in their areas, being the only private schools north of Manila with most of their programs given Level III accredited status by PAASCU.

Many schools in the country find it difficult to balance low tuition fees (to attract students) with high salaries (to attract faculty and administrators). Some schools sacrifice one for the other, and as a result, they become big but poor quality, or they get good quality but small population. SLU and HAU are successful in both.

But it is no secret to the community that Holy Angel has struggled with this in the past. The social unrest after World War II, followed by the ravages of the Marcos dictatorship, followed by the eruption of Pinatubo, followed by the relentless lahar devastation, wreaked havoc on the school. Faculty and students alternately and sometimes simultaneously held strikes and boycotts. I remember seeing Vice President Noli de Castro, then still a TV newscaster, walking in to interview administrators and student leaders during one particularly nasty boycott, and I remember wondering how a campus issue would interest him and the rest of the nation.

Well, with 15,000 students and nearly 1000 employees, multiplied by the number of their families and friends and the people in their respective neighborhoods, plus the thousands of alumni again multiplied by the number of their relatives and acquaintances—indeed, anything that happens on campus has the potential of becoming the topic of conversation in practically every household in the region.

I can even go farther and say that with all the government officials, businessmen, educators, civic leaders, artists, etc. as well as ordinary citizens acquiring their values and their education from HAU, not to mention the thousands whose present and future livelihoods directly depend on the school—the University’s ups and downs actually help shape the destiny of the whole region.

When I first joined the school in 1985 as an employee, the new President, S. Josefina Nepomuceno, OSB was just beginning to undertake the sweeping reforms that would ultimately take it to where it is today. She is a member of the great Juan D. Nepomuceno branch of the Nepomuceno family tree, the same branch that built the electric plant, the ice plant, the shopping complex, the premier subdivision, and of course, Holy Angel University.

The founding of the school is credited to Don Juan and the parish priest at the time, Fr. Pedro P. Santos, but two other people played equally crucial roles in the story. Don Juan’s eldest son, Javier, who convinced his father to open a new school after he and his classmates had decided not to reenroll in their old school (they didn’t like some school policies), and Ricardo Flores, a teacher at Javier’s old school who had also quit along with other teachers (same reason). Flores, in fact, had already returned to his hometown in Laguna and started a new job with the government when Don Juan and Javier wrote and convinced him to return to Angeles. His role cannot be underestimated because it was really the laymen like him and Don Juan who managed the initial years of the school, which prompted historian Dr. Luciano Santiago to call Holy Angel “the country’s first Catholic school run by laypersons.”

On Saturday, March 8, Angelites all over the world will join the Holy Angel University community, in person or in spirit, in opening the school’s Diamond Jubilee Year. I know many in your own family, in your company and in your neighborhood are graduates of HAU, and they probably don’t think much of their alma mater.

Well, tell them about this billionaire software developer from Silicon Valley who has a Holy Angel diploma in his room, or this alumnus who helped build the Ayala empire, or the Dean of the Ateneo School of Law, or the former Secretary of Trade and Industry, or those Catholic bishops, Benedictine abbots, Olympic athlete, Miss International, US state legislator, Grammy Award winner, and even the patriots who founded Kabataang Makabayan and the New People’s Army—all of them started at Holy Angel, they got their education there, they are proud of it, and they are grateful for it.

I don’t have a Holy Angel diploma at home, only an ID card that says I work there. All of you who have an HAU diploma, cherish it like a diamond. Make sure to dust it off this week, or if it’s tucked away in some cabinet, take it out, have it framed and hang it on your wall, and on Saturday, March 8, join all the alumni, wherever they are, in cheering Holy Angel University for all the great and wonderful things it has done to you, to this region, and to the world.

Pampanga and people power

2008-02-29T10:10:00.000+08:00

by Robby Tantingco

The handsome coffee-table book “Luid Ka!” launched last Sunday in Betis, should remind us Kapampangans that, whatever they say about People Power-—that it is outdated, it won’t work again, it will hurt rather than help the nation—-and despite all the bad reputation that People Power has acquired through the years due to abuse and misuse, we Kapampangans did get a glimpse of it in its purest form last May 2007, and yes, it was beautiful! Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.

And thank God they made a book that captured the moment and preserved it for all generations, so that our children, their children and their children’s children will never forget that once upon a time, Kapampangans came together, created a piece of heaven on earth, and took a direct hand in altering the course of history.

That moment, unfortunately, is gone. All the heavenly glow that surrounded the key players and their supporters on that night at the convention center—captured so vividly in photographs—has evaporated in the harsh daylight of political realities.

I hope the book will remind us once again that doing good is more important than being right, and that we have the capacity to transcend our daily battles and create moments of miracles where anything is possible.

The book also made me ask why a people power movement succeeded so spectacularly in Pampanga last year, while the rest of the country today is failing so miserably in trying to organize another.

One possible explanation is that People Power is really the desire to install someone, not the desire to oust someone. The People Power in 1986 was fueled by the popularity of Cory Aquino, not the unpopularity of President Marcos, because had the presidential candidate been Doy Laurel instead of Cory, I don’t think millions of Filipinos would have risked their lives at EDSA.

In Pampanga, had the candidate not been as charismatic as Fr. Ed Panlilio, whose spirituality defined the election as a classic battle between good and evil, and whose inexperience made him the underdog against one candidate’s showbiz-style popularity and another candidate’s huge campaign funds—people power would not have happened in Pampanga.

I think People Power, in its purest form, occurred only twice in history: in 1986 at EDSA, and in 2007 in Pampanga.

The one that ousted President Estrada and installed Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (now known as EDSA 2) was motivated by a desire to unseat a corrupt, uncouth President, not by a desire to install Vice President Arroyo. I remember watching on TV how wildly the crowd in front of the EDSA Shrine cheered when they heard the news that Erap had fled Malacanang; however, the moment a giddy Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was introduced as the new President, the crowd applauded only politely. That was the moment, I think, when Filipinos got disenchanted with People Power. The attempts that came after that (EDSA 3, EDSA 4, etc.) did not succeed anymore.

Today, as the political situation in the country continues to deteriorate, Filipinos remain reluctant to do another People Power because there is no overwhelming desire to install anybody, just an overwhelming desire to unseat the President. They’re probably thinking: Whom are we going to risk our lives for—Noli de Castro?? Why change a defective TV set when the replacement is another defective TV set?

Well, come to think of it, why not?

Just because President Arroyo is doing a good job at improving our economy doesn’t mean we have to turn a blind eye to a crime she might have committed. We want her out not because she is not a good manager (she is), but because she may have committed a crime, which leaves the nation no option but to punish her. Even the class valedictorian loses his medal if proven he cheated, and even the company’s best employee gets fired if caught he stole money. No amount of good behavior or excellent accomplishments can immune or rescue you from the consequences of one terrible mistake.

That’s what we call responsibility and accountability, and that’s what we should teach our children. Every time we say GMA should stay even if she may have cheated or stolen money, because she is doing a good job with the economy anyway and her replacement will not do as well—what values are we teaching the next generation?

If indeed she is guilty as charged, and she refuses to go, then the people will have no other option but to summon People Power. Don’t blame the people for resorting to it; blame Malacanang for forcing the people to resort to it.

Last Sunday, the book launching of “Luid Ka” in Betis reminded me how beautiful People Power can be, and yesterday, the 22nd anniversary of the 1986 EDSA Revolution reminded me how proud we all were then. People Power was “our gift to the world.” Today, they’re forbidding us to give that gift again.

Pampanga may have something to teach the rest of the nation.

Our Kapampangan President

2008-02-19T09:53:00.001+08:00

by Robby Tantingco
SunStar Pampanga

When I watch on TV the thin crowds that gather for anti-GMA rallies, I can’t help feeling sad—not so much for the opposition as for the country as a whole. Rallies are the yardsticks for measuring not only the popularity or unpopularity of a President, but more importantly, the level of people’s interest in their country’s affairs.

When people stay away from rallies, it doesn’t mean they are pro-GMA; the surveys already tell us that she is a very unpopular president. The thin crowds in rallies simply mean people no longer care whether GMA stays or goes. And that’s bad.

Some call it people power fatigue, others think it is a sign that Filipinos have matured politically because they now rely more on the electoral process than on people power to change their leaders.

Well, I have a more cynical explanation.

The world today is so much more complex than the world that produced the People Power movements in the 1980s and the 1990s. Whereas before we only had five TV channels, now we have over 50. We also have cell phones and iPods and malls and DVDs and the Internet.

In other words, people today are so distracted by so many things happening at the same time that they can’t focus on any single thing. They tune in to the Senate hearing for a few minutes, then switch to American Idol and Desperate Housewives. They drop by the rally in Makati and after a few boring speeches under the sun, they rush to Greenbelt to cool their heels at Starbucks and later to Glorietta to catch the last full show. And how can corruption in government arouse anger in a teenager whose head is swimming with Justin Timberlake’s music from earphones plugged in all day?

Of course they read the papers and follow what’s happening in politics, and for a few moments they probably feel stirrings of patriotism and even send their politicized thoughts to their friends and co-workers through text messages, but to go beyond that—like march in the street and risk being hosed down by the PNP—that’s probably stretching it a bit.

It will probably take a tyrant like Marcos to reignite people power, and for all her repressive policies and dictatorial tendencies, GMA is no Marcos. I think it will take a series of earth-shaking events, instead of just one, to really create the critical mass that will erupt in a phenomenon called people power. In the 1980s, the assassination of Ninoy began the chain of events that led to the rigged Batasang Pambansa elections and the snap elections and the walkout of Comelec tabulators and the mutiny of Defense Minister Enrile and Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Ramos. In the case of Erap, the nightly TV coverage of his trial that showed a steady procession of witnesses and damning revelations, with defections by friends like Chavit Singson and even Nora Aunor, sustained the people’s outrage long enough to finally push them to spill into the streets.

In the case of GMA, the scandals are as earth-shaking as the others, but they are spaced so few and far between that the people’s anger keeps rising and falling. The Hello Garci episode could have been it, except that the crowds didn’t show up. FPJ’s wake and funeral aroused people’s sentiments for about a week, then also fizzled out. Joey de Venecia’s expose came and went, too, and now, this Jun Lozada thing looks like a noisy circus that is also doomed to fade away, like all the others before it.

Well, I sincerely hope not.

This government has corrupted itself with such impunity that if the people would not bring it down, I am certain God would.

As a Kapampangan, I truly wish GMA well and I am grateful for all the preferential treatment she has given Pampanga. However, as a Filipino, I cannot be so selfish that I don’t care if she robs the rest of the nation blind as long as my province benefits from it. Our love for our province should stop where our love for our country begins.

Sometimes we should sacrifice provincial interests for the sake of the nation—I emphasize sometimes, because other times, we shouldn’t (like in the case of language). Whether we like it or not, all the regions and tribes in these 7,100 islands came together at one point in history and decided to be one nation, so even if our own Kapampangan Nation antedated the Philippine State by 400 years, this is where we find ourselves now, struggling to coalesce with other regions under one flag.

We cannot privilege our province at the expense of the nation. The attitude that we should stick to the President because she is a Kapampangan or because she has done so much for Pampanga—is selfish and unpatriotic.

As the political events unfold in the next few days, we Kapampangans should start thinking as Filipinos instead of just Kapampangans so that we can assess the situation more objectively. I support GMA for her wise decisions and enlightened policies, and I will abandon her if she is proven to be a crook. Our cabalen who will stand by her come what may, who will stick their neck for her and even take the bullet meant for her—that’s their choice.

But when you are loyal to one person, you can expect reward only from that person. Those who put the country’s welfare above all—they can expect the gratitude of an entire nation.

Abe, Larry Cruz and my begukan

2008-02-13T12:09:00.002+08:00

By Robbie Tantingco

My friends often told me that my begukan (pork pieces sautéed in shrimp paste) was the best in the world. They told it so often that I had started to believe it. Until Larry Cruz walked into my life and tasted my begukan.

I first met Larry Cruz two years ago when a common acquaintance, Vic Torres of the Intramuros Administration, linked us up for a book project. Before I made that trip to Makati to meet him, I Googled his name to make sure I had my facts right about the man I was going to do business with.

I learned that Larry Cruz headed the LJC Restaurant Group which owned a chain of restaurants that included Café Adriatico, Café Havana, Bistro Remedios, Larry’s Bar, Abe Restaurant and Bollywood. I also learned that Larry Cruz was credited for popularizing the so-called bistro lifestyle in Manila, i.e., the subculture that thrived in the Ermita-Malate area, specifically around the Remedios Circle, where the culturati and the literati mingled with tourists and transvestites in coffee shops, bars, antique shops and restaurants, dining, drinking and who knows what else until the wee hours.

Larry Cruz, being a native of Magalang town, was a Kapampangan who, like Ricco Ocampo of San Fernando, was one of the country’s best-known restaurateurs and, like Claude Tayag of Angeles, was one of the country’s most sought-after culinary consultants. Like Claude, he had an art-house filled with antiques and paintings, where he loved to entertain friends and visitors with the best that Kapampangan cuisine had to offer, but unlike Claude, he didn’t cook.

We met in his Bollywood Restaurant, located on the third level of Greenbelt 3 in Makati. I sat facing him, a little intimidated by the combined gravitas of his personality and reputation, and as I pretended to know exactly what to do with the exotic Indian food on my plate, he pretended not to notice my clumsiness. But there I was, a probinsyano being asked by Larry Cruz to be the publisher of the biography of his father—writer, painter and diplomat E. Aguilar Cruz—written by no less than the greatest Filipino writer in the English language, Nick Joaquin. It was Nick Joaquin’s certified last book before he died (I emphasize certified, because there are other books claiming to be the National Artist’s last works), and it was to be Larry’s tribute to his father.

To cut the long story short, the book was launched on the same day Larry’s Abe Restaurant opened. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that it was probably the cultural and social event of the year, because it had everything in it: Larry Cruz, E. Aguilar Cruz, Nick Joaquin, the hottest restaurant at The Serendra, the most upscale spot in the upscale Bonifacio Global City, performers that included Ballet Philippines and the country’s top soprano Rachelle Gerodias, the emcee a Binibing Pilipinas title-holder, and the guest list with such names as Carmen Guerrero Nakpil, Bencab, Gilda Cordero Fernando, Armando Doronilla, Ambeth Ocampo, Claude Tayag, Adrian Cristobal, Kit Tatad, Gemma Cruz, Krip Yuson, Patis Tesoro, Serafin Quiason, Manolo Gatbonton, Italian Ambassador Rubens Fedele, Rep. Cynthia Villar, the Mayors of Taguig and Magalang and the family of Nick Joaquin. I was grateful to Larry Cruz for the honor of being a part of such an important book, and Larry was equally grateful to me for convincing Holy Angel University to publish it.

Larry Cruz and I became text mates after that. He never failed to invite me to parties and meetings, sometimes at Café Havana where Carmen Guerrero Nakpil’s group regularly met, and other times at his art-house in Magalang, at the foothills of Mount Arayat, which has now been converted into a spa and events village called Abe’s Farm. Sometimes I went, but often I didn’t.

But one time I brought along a friend to Abe’s Restaurant; I think we came unannounced but still, Larry sat with us and told us we should order his green salad which came from his farm’s produce in Magalang, and his begukan. When he heard ‘begukan,” my companion’s face lit up.

“Oh, you don’t serve begukan to Robby,” he told Larry. “Why?” Larry asked, and my companion replied, “You can’t beat Robby’s begukan. Wanna bet?”

I don’t know if Larry took it as an insult or as a challenge, but he left and came back with his chef. My hand instinctively crept towards the knife on the table as I expected the worst, but Larry smiled and said, “Robby, I want you to teach my chef your recipe!” My companion clapped and said, “Go, Robby! This is your chance to have a recipe named after you! At Abe Restaurant no less!”

If you saw the movie “Ratatouille,” the scene where the rat was discovered and everyone in the kitchen stopped for one second and stared at the rat in disbelief and in disgust—that’s how I felt when I entered the kitchen and everyone turned to face me. From the corner of my eye I saw one cook with a chopping knife exchange glances with another cook holding a slicing knife, and I honestly feared for my life. I only relaxed a bit after the chef’s assistant smiled at me and told me he knew me because he’d graduated from HAU and lived just across my parents’ house in Mabalacat.

The chef tried to maintain a straight face as I lectured him on how to cook begukan—my way, or rather, the way my mother had taught me. First parboil (sinkotya) the pork pieces (really tiny pieces), then sautee in baguk until brown, before adding the leftover stock from the parboil. Add a dash of sugar to slightly caramelize.

Larry walked in to tell me to cook, not lecture, it. So I did. You could hear a pin drop as I peeled the garlic and cut the onions; the chef shook his head when I sautéed longer than I should, and when I sprinkled sugar on it, I swear someone gasped.

So, did Larry like it? You can measure the compassion a man has in his heart by his willingness to tell a white lie to save you from getting hurt. That begukan I cooked in Abe’s kitchen was the worst, because when I cook my begukan, I want to take my time and I don’t like people watching and waiting. And I have to cook it in my own kitchen using my own pots and pans.

Yet Larry said it was good, and I knew it was a lie because when I came back to eat at Abe Restaurant months later, the menu still didn’t say Robby’s Begukan.

(Larry died last week in the United States while being treated for cancer. I join his family and friends in praying for his eternal rest.)

Gov. Ed Panlilio is Inquirer’s Filipino of the Year 2007

2008-01-13T15:00:00.000+08:00

Philippine Daily Inquirer, 01/13/2008

MANILA, Philippines -- “Among” Ed Panlilio, priest turned plain-dealing prophet of hope, is the Inquirer’s Filipino of the Year for 2007.

The governor of Pampanga, according to Inquirer sources, is facing a do-or-die struggle with the 3 Rs of no-holds-barred political resistance—recount, recall and ‘‘requiem.”

The first refers to the election protest his closest rival in the May 2007 polls filed against him; the third to the death threats he has received. The second is an unusual and rarely used tactic in Philippine politics—a recall petition to remove him from office, which his political enemies are poised to file as soon as the one-year condition is met.

All three offer proof that the almost miraculous election victory of Panlilio is a silver dagger thrust at the heart of the vampire known as transactional politics—and the vampire is fighting back.

His victory and the improbable campaign that made it possible will be studied by election strategists and political analysts for a long time to come. His practical but principled approach to governance, which includes both directing the work of idealists and carefully diagnosing festering ills before prescribing a cure, is both exemplary and empowering.

Not least, his first months in office are a showcase of effective executive action.

In the most dramatic turnaround he has engineered, lahar quarrying fees have jumped from less than P30 million during the last full year of his predecessor, Gov. Mark Lapid, to almost P120 million in his first six months in office.

For all these—his inspiring election victory, his surprising political savvy, his initial success despite great difficulty—the Inquirer names Gov. Ed Panlilio as 2007’s Filipino of the Year.

The choice reflects the sporadic outbreak of optimism that brightened an otherwise bleak year. Many other harbingers of hope emerged out of the political darkness: Chief Justice Reynato Puno inaugurated a new era in judicial statesmanship by leading the Supreme Court in hosting an unprecedented summit on extrajudicial killings and in launching extraordinary new legal remedies; the Sandiganbayan special division trying deposed President Joseph Estrada on plunder convicted him on two of the four charges, reaffirming the primacy of the rule of law in a well-reasoned and highly convincing decision; the first three Filipino women to climb Everest did so on their first attempt, thrilling a grateful nation; not least, the Overseas Filipino Worker continued to labor in other countries at great personal cost, helping through regular remittances to stabilize the entire trillion-peso economy.

Any of these icons of inspiration would have richly deserved being named Filipino of the Year. But Inquirer editors ultimately chose “Among Ed” Panlilio, in part because the hope he embodies is found where despair is deepest: politics, in the age of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Panlilio, 54, has left an indelible impact on national politics in another, altogether unforeseen way. He exposed the distribution of cash gifts—bundles of cash, contained in paper bags—that took place in Malacañang last October.

In truth, Panlilio did not so much expose the cash gifts handed out to governors (and, as it turned out, also to congressmen) as admit that he received his share: P500,000, handed to him by Bulacan Gov. Jon-Jon Mendoza, who also received the same amount in the same kind of paper bag.

Both governors said they received the money in good faith, and assumed it came from government funds and were to be used for barangay projects.

But the simple act of confirming receipt of the money ignited a political firestorm. Malacañang and its political allies issued many contradictory statements—disavowing any knowledge of the cash gifts, claiming to know their true source, or creating implausible versions of the circumstances.

If the controversial Pulse Asia survey conducted later in October is any gauge, the firestorm quickly consumed much of what was left of President Arroyo’s political reputation. That month, a plurality of voting-age Filipinos thought Ms Arroyo was the most corrupt President in history, outranking even the dictator Ferdinand Marcos. It may well be that that dismal finding can be traced directly to Panlilio’s disclosure.

This may help explain the intense animosity many Pampanga local officials feel toward Panlilio, many of whom are closely identified with a President who is a favorite provincemate. But the priest-on-leave’s candor did not start it. It started when Panlilio dared to throw his social worker’s hat (and his parish priest’s soutane) into the ring. His upset win hurt the political forces allied with former Provincial Board Member Lilia “Baby” Pineda, the wife of alleged ‘‘jueteng” lord Bong Pineda—they were headed for a victory over Lapid, the lackluster reelectionist incumbent, before Panlilio’s entry galvanized the so-called middle forces in Pampanga.

The animosity deepened when Panlilio took his anticorruption platform seriously. When he revamped the lahar quarrying fees collection scheme, he antagonized not only the political forces allied with the Lapids but also many of the local officials who, judging from their incomprehensible reaction to the new arrangement, must have benefited from the old one too.

It is already a part of political lore that Panlilio did not, in fact, intend to run for governor. When he, together with many of his provincemates, realized in 2006 that the looming choice for governor was stark—it was either Mrs. Pineda or the young Mr. Lapid—he joined a concerted effort to look for a third candidate. The group’s objective was to persuade eminent Kapampangans, including former Cabinet secretaries and university professors, to offer their provincemates an alternative.

But while the search was begun in optimism, it eventually ran into the depressing reality of Philippine politics. Entrenched political dynasties, the politics of personality, deep-rooted patronage watered by the irrigation systems of jueteng and quarrying fees: The race for Pampanga governor seemed to be over even before it started.

With such long odds, the search looked destined to fail. In the end, Panlilio heeded the call of like-minded citizens and offered himself, reluctantly, as the alternative.

It was not an easy decision. To run for public office, Panlilio needed to go on leave from the priesthood. For someone who has been a priest since 1981 and parish priest of Santiago Apostol church (in Betis, Pampanga) since 1998, the suspension of one’s priestly faculties was a wrenching, almost impossible, sacrifice. Finally, a few days before filing his certificate of candidacy, Panlilio met with his superior, Archbishop Paciano Aniceto of San Fernando, and asked for and received a dispensation.

The rival political camps had extensive political networks and even (both parties claimed) the tacit support of Ms Arroyo. Lacking both the money and the network, supporters of the third way in Pampanga had yet an abundance of idealism. Volunteers multiplied; donations started to pour in.

What had started as a search had metamorphosed into a movement. Kapampangans from around the world spread the word. Politicians in Metro Manila took special notice. Four of the country’s top election lawyers crossed political lines to offer their services to Panlilio, for free.

The race was tight, violent and dirty. But the groundswell of support for Panlilio that began the day he filed his certificate using a “kariton” helped carry the day. With 219,706 votes, a mere 1,200 over Pineda’s 218,559 and only 9,000-plus over Lapid’s 210,875, the Commission on Elections declared him the winner.

His victory made him the first priest to be elected governor in the country’s history. It also inspired many Filipinos, not only in Pampanga or throughout the archipelago but even those among the OFW diaspora, that the light of hope can shine even in the blackest night.

Catholic Church preserves Art Deco mansion in Pampanga

2008-01-13T14:51:00.000+08:00

By Tonette Orejas
Philippine Daily Inquirer, 01/01/2008

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Philippines -- An art deco-style mansion, designed by architect Fernando H. Ocampo for a relative here and bought by the Archdiocese of Manila as the official residence of Pampanga bishops, is being renovated in time for the 60th year of the Archdiocese of San Fernando.

The Arsobispado de Pampanga, formerly the Dison house on A. Consunji Street in the village of San Jose here, is now 85 percent restored. Hopefully restoration work would be completed in time the 60th anniversary of the Archdiocese of San Fernando as a diocese in 2008, according to Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, who supervised the heritage conservation project.

The house was built in 1935 for the couple Luis Dison and Felisa Hizon, Ocampo’s aunt on the side of his mother Leoncia who married Basilio Ocampo, gobernadorcillo (colonial governor) of San Fernando.

Monsignor Prudencio David, the vicar general of the Archdiocese of Manila, mediated for its purchase in 1948, which was approved by Archbishop Michael Doherty and Auxiliary Bishop Rufino Santos, a Kapampangan who later became the first Filipino cardinal.
Bishop Pablo David called the Pampanga diocese a “daughter” of the Manila archdiocese.

The cost of the two-story structure and the one-hectare lot on which it sits is not known to older priests. Some surmise it went for P300,000.

Ocampo first worked on the Dison house and later became involved in the restoration of the war-damaged Manila Cathedral.

David said Santos not only hired a Kapampangan architect to design the house, he also employed builders and craftsmen from the province.

Thanks to a Japanese gardener that the Dison couple hired to create a genuine Japanese garden, the Dison house survived the ravages of World War II.

Treated fairly by the couple, the gardener, who turned out to be a military officer, reciprocated by protecting the mansion.

After the war, the Dison family relocated to Manila and decided to sell the house to the Archdiocese of Manila. It was not known if the decision to move out of Pampanga was because of the peasant rebellion.

The mansion’s first tenant was Cesar Ma. Guerrero, the first bishop of the diocese of San Fernando. His term was from 1949 to 1957.

The house was witness to Guerrero’s devotion to the Virgin de los Remedios under whose auspices he began the crusade for peace when the province was rocked by agrarian unrest. The Virgin Mary’s canonical image has been enshrined in a chapel beside the house. The devotional practice continues to this day.

So when David agreed to restore the Dison house, he had in a way, come full circle. It was David’s maternal grandfather, Victoriano Siongco, owner of the Catholic Trade Center, who carved Mary’s image in the chapel.

Guerrero’s successor, Bishop Emilio Cinense, lived in the mansion during his term from 1957 to 1975 and three years after when he, as archbishop, saw the transition of the San Fernando diocese into an archdiocese on March 11, 1975.

For a decade starting 1978, Archbishop Oscar Cruz stayed in the room that Cinense built at the Mater Boni seminary, about two kilometers from the Arsobispado.

The present resident, Archbishop Paciano Aniceto, has also stayed here since 1989.

The archdiocese found use for the mansion as the office of the econome (finance officer) and mandated organizations like Adoracion Nocturna, Mayap A Balita publications and the Association of Parochial Schools.

During the Marcos regime and until now, the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines held office here, launching many civil liberty campaigns and fact-finding missions for desaparecidos (the disappeared).

The Social Action Center of Pampanga had its roots here in 1988, providing a venue to development workers, who in 1991, faced a big challenge in disaster management following Mt. Pinatubo’s eruptions.

The mansion, having witnessed so many significant events, was worn out by decades of use. A restoration was in order.
Bishop David said Aniceto, 70, gave him a free hand in the undertaking, working on a P1-million budget.

Before the restoration began in July 2006, Bishop David said the roof was leaking, the gutters were broken and the wooden floors creaked or sagged.

Through years of use, the mansion’s architecture had been altered. Glass panels covered the entire verandas on the first and second floors, shutting out elements harmful to the structure.

Additional panels hid the high ceilings and folding walls. A service staircase from the dining area to the second floor was removed. Some of the callado, originally in harp design, were missing. The French windows were permanently closed. Air-conditioned units were put in the wrong places.

Without formal training, David established the mansion’s original features “by taking a closer look at the house.”

He also relied on his personal familiarity with old houses and tapped a network of workers in the wood-carving village of Betis, his birthplace.

Work, as of the third week of December, was 85 percent completed, Bishop David said, adding that at this rate, the house has once again become a “fitting residence of the archbishop.”

On the first floor, two rooms have been converted into the offices of Bishop David and Bishop Roberto Mallari. The main hall serves as a conference room. The smaller room next to it is an office, complete with computers. The dining area and kitchen are clean and tidy.

The main staircase to the second floor is elegant, leading to a room that has been converted into a chapel. Here, there is an image of the Virgen de los Remedios on a refurbished altar.

The 14 Stations of the Cross, made by wood artisans, fit well in the 14 panels like they belonged there.

Bishop David has reserved the next room for the archbishop. Another room serves as a property office. The bigger hall is now a library with some heirloom pieces donated by Good Shepherd nun Tess Feliciano of Magalang town.

From the warehouse, they found two posters of national eucharistic congresses in 1929 and 1937 that have been framed. There is a concrete bust of Pope Paul VI and portraits of Pope Pius XII, John XXIII, John Paul II and Pope Benedict.

A mesa altar that Bishop David found in the warehouse of the Dominican Sisters in Apalit town has been refurbished, and now graces a corner in the hallway.

The tiles—Malaga upstairs and bronze-lined on the first floor— have been polished for a bright shine. A few pieces of wooden furniture, capia among them, were put to good use by replacing the worn-out parts with recycled pieces.

The efforts seemed to have appeased the unseen occupants.

“The ghosts are quiet now. On the first night I slept here, I slept soundly. The spirits must be happy now,” Bishop David said.

The heritage conservation work faces a threat, though. The Department of Public Works and Highways plans to raise the road by one meter, which would put it on the same level as the base of the house.

Ed Panlilio and the nation

2007-10-24T13:58:00.000+08:00

by Robby Tantingco, SunStar Pampanga

Dogs never bark at parked cars.

The only reason I can think of for all the undeserved criticisms against Among Ed is that he is moving. Kapampangans have gotten used to absentee governors that when a real working governor comes along, they get disturbed and suspicious.

In the past (I won't say how long ago because you'll know whom I am referring to, but I think you know), on the three or four separate occasions I came to visit the Capitol, the Office of the Governor was always empty, as in nothing was going on—the Governor wasn't around, his table and shelves were clean, the carpet had not been stepped on for days—while across the hall, the Offices of the Vice Governor and Board Members were swarming with people and abuzz with activity.

Today, Governor Panlilio reports for work daily and on time like a regular employee, and what's even better is that, his work ethic has inspired the others to do the same. He was right when he said, during the campaign, that the first thing he would do if he won was to lead by example. He has no family to prioritize, no vices and no extra-curricular activities, so he can devote longer hours at work.

I am saying this because I am really disturbed by the criticisms our fellow Kapampangans hurl against the Governor for what I think is an extraordinary, unprecedented, even historic act—a public official admitting he received money, admitting he may have erred in doing so, and admitting, in effect, his political naiveté.

The Governor's critics, I'm sure, are mad at him because he dared embarrass a sitting President of the Republic, and also because he broke the code of silence which protected the honor among thieves. They probably also suspect that he did this only as an afterthought, or only after a reporter had confronted him with the question.

If you were in his shoes and you attended a meeting at Malacanang, after which one of the President's men handed you a bag, would you peek at its contents before taking it and, finding cash in it, return it? The Governor, in my mind, was merely observing protocol (or at least simple courtesy) when he took the bag with him back to Pampanga, discovered its contents, and then figured out what to do with it. The discrepancy between the stature of the giver and the nature of the gift posed a dilemma to the Governor, for which he needed time for introspection. Given the implications of the situation and his inexperience in politics, why should we blame Among Gob for locking himself up in his room to pray and grapple with it for a while? What is important is, when he finally emerged from that room, he was at peace with himself and had God beside him.

Governor Panlilio's courageous move is probably the catalyst for change that this country has been waiting for. Graft and corruption in this country is already cultural, i.e., it is so ingrained in our way of life that it has become normal—we already expect to find some form of it in everything we do, by everyone and in one way or another. When we pay only P10 for the residence certificate instead of the required amount based on our income—that's graft. When we give someone P100 to fix our driver's license—that's corruption. When we look for our friend or relative in the city hall and sweetly ask him to facilitate our papers ahead of the others—that's corruption, too. These things, I'm sure, also happen in private companies, in schools, in the Church, both in high places and low, by young people and old, by the rich as well as the poor—the only difference is, the poor do it in small scale, involving only a few pesos and centavos, while the rich bribe big-time, in hundreds of millions and even billions, in dollars, not pesos.

And so while millions of poor Filipinos starve, while soldiers die in battle because the military cannot provide them decent shoes and weapons, and while our boys and girls grow up delinquent because their parents are working abroad—our government officials approve overpriced deals so that they can get fat kickbacks and still have enough left to distribute to every visitor in the Palace.

In this country, one of the reasons the rich get richer and the poor poorer is that the rich get into deals that make them richer, and then leave behind the debt for the poor to pay. Another is that the rich shamelessly underdeclare their total earnings and properties, and therefore pay taxes that are only a fraction of their total worth, while the poor work so hard for so little money, a full one-third of which automatically goes to the pocket of government through withholding tax.

If I compute all the withholding taxes I have paid this government since I started working, I can probably buy myself a house and lot with a brand-new car in the garage, and yet, what has this government given me in return for all the millions of pesos it has taken from my salary? The amount it deducts from my hospital bills is so small it's insulting. And the long process it takes to get that amount is even more insulting.

And then I hear about hundreds of billions of pesos floating around in Malacañang and given away in brown paper bags like party goodies—you tell me this government cannot afford to build classrooms and augment social security funds? You tell me this country is poor?

And this disgusting spectacle of politicians (partymates at that) pointing fingers and blowing the whistle on each other—look how greed is making our leaders self-destruct and bring the whole nation down with them, and they don't even realize it.

Just last month, a former Philippine President was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for accepting bribes and kickbacks. Did it scare us? Did it stop our public officials from giving and accepting bribes?

Last week, Governor Panlilio made the simple announcement of receiving and returning potential bribe money, and that's the one that rocked the country.

Why did the conviction of a President not send shock waves and the simple gesture from one honest man did?

It means that good example is more effective than punitive action. Punishment does not deter crime; role-modeling does. Again, Fr. Panlilio was right: he would lead by example.

Last May, when God came down from heaven to protect Fr. Ed Panlilio's votes, I thought He only had Pampanga in mind. Now I think I know: He had the entire Philippines in mind.

What could be a Divine Plan for both the province and the country is probably unfolding right before our very eyes.

San Fernando Fiesta 2007 Schedule

2007-05-23T16:57:00.000+08:00

SCHEDULE

May 21 (Monday) 5:00 p.m.—Rosaryo at Nobenang Panalangin
5:30 p.m.—Banal a Misa
Tema: Ing Balayan ning Dios, Balayan yang
mipasiknangan, Balayan yang mamie sikanan
Magmisa: Rev. Msgr. Mario Ramos
Mantabe king Nobena: Legion of Mary Jrs. and Srs.
Magdaun: MC Rectoral Council

May 22 (Tuesday) 5:00 p.m.—Rosaryo at Nobenang Panalangin
5:30 p.m.—Banal a Misa
Tema: Ing Balayan ning Dios, Balayan yang mangadi,
Balayan yang mipapangadi
Magmisa: Rev. Fr. Marius Roque
Mantabe king Nobena: AP at Honorarias
Magdaun: Barangay Lourdes

May 23 (Wednesday) 5:00 p.m.—Rosaryo at Nobenang Panalangin
5:30 p.m.—Banal a Misa
Tema: Ing Balayan ning Dios, Balayan yang mipnung
tula, Balayan yang mipapamatula
Magmisa: Rev. Fr. Nick Sabile
Mantabe king Nobena: COMLEC Jrs. and Srs.
Magdaun: Barangay Sta. Teresita

May 24 (Thursday) 5:00.p.m.—Rosaryo at Nobenang Panalangin
5:30 p.m.—Banal a Misa
Tema: Ing Balayan ning Dios, Balayan yang
misanmetung, Balayan yang misasanmetung
Magmisa: Rev. Fr. Ramon Torres
Mantabe king Nobena: COMI at KBS
Magdaun: Sitio Ponduan, San Jose

May 25 (Friday) 5:00 p.m.—Rosaryo at Nobenang Panalangin
5:30 p.m.—Banal a Misa
Tema: Ing Balayan ning Dios Balayan yang
mapagmasabal, Balayan yang mipapagmasabal
Magmisa: Rev. Msgr. Cenovio M. Lumanog
Mantabe king Nobena: LAC, DMI, KC, SFO
Magdaun: Sitio Tinajero, Del Pilar

May 26 (Saturday) 5:00 p.m.—Rosaryo at Nobenang Panalangin
5:30 p.m.—Banal a Misa
Tema: Ing Balayan ning Dios, Balayan yang talatuki,
Balayan yang mituburan
Magmisa: Rev. Fr. Israel Garcia
Mantabe king Nobena: CWL, CCD (Cathechists)
Magdaun: B. Mendoza St., Sto. Rosario

May 27 (Sunday) 3:30 p.m.—Rosaryo at Nobenang Panalangin
5:15 p.m.—Banal a Misa
Tema: Ing Balayan ning Dios, Balayan yang
mipabanalan king Banal a Espiritu
Magmisa: Rev. Fr. Resureccion Diwa
Mantabe king Nobena: EMDC at ANF
Magdaun: V. Tiomico St., Sto. Rosario

May 28 (Monday) 5:00 p.m.—Rosaryo at Nobenang Panalangin
5:30 p.m.—Banal a Misa
Tema: Ing Balayan ning Dios, Balayan yang malugud,
Balayan yang micacalugud
Magmisa: Rev. Fr. Lyndon Valenton
Mantabe king Nobena: Holy Face Crusaders
at Cenacle Movement
Magdaun: A. Consunji St., Sto Rosario

May 29 (Tuesday) 5:00 p.m.—Rosaryo at Nobenang Panalangin
5:30 pm—Banal a Misa
Tema: Ing Balayan ning Dios, Balayan yang nuan,
Balayan yang mipanuanan
Magmisa: Rev. Fr. Homer Policarpio
Mantabe king Nobena: BPAC San Jose-Ponduan,
Sta. Teresita, Lourdes at Tinajero-Del Pilar
Magdaun: City Government Officials

May 30 (Wednesday) Feast of St. Ferdinand:
Schedule of Masses:
5:00 a.m.—Guest Priests
6:00 a.m.—Guest Priests
7:00 a.m.—Guest Priests
8:00 a.m.—Most Rev. Paciano B. Aniceto, DD
9:00 a.m.—Most Rev. Roberto C. Mallari, DD
10:00 a.m.—Most Rev. Pablo S. David, DD
4:00 p.m.—Guest Priests
5:00 p.m.—Guest Priests
6:00 p.m.—Guest Priests

6:00 p.m.—Grand Procession

The Comité de Festejos would like to thank the different parishes, barangays and carroza owners for allowing the barrio patrons to join the image of San Fernando in the Grand Procession.

Download the official program here: http://www.geocities.com/heritageconservationsociety/files/fiesta.pdf

Wings over the Candaba Swamp

2006-08-26T04:42:00.000+08:00

By Bayani San Diego Jr.
Inquirer
Last updated 01:29pm (Mla time) 08/23/2006

“Heaven on earth” was how RPN 9 cameraman Ralph Runez described the Candaba Swamp and Wildlife Preserve in Pampanga, where he saw thousands of wild birds the first time he visited the area in February this year.

Runez journeyed to the 70-hectare nature reserve with colleagues from the non-government organization, Kaakbay (Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan) Citizen’s Development Initiatives Inc. including executive director Alain Del B. Pascua and deputy executive director Orlando V. Balbido.

“He never imagined that a place like Candaba existed in the Philippines,” Balbido recounted. “In Manila Zoo, you’d see these birds in cages. But not in Candaba, where over 90 species of migratory, endemic and resident birds congregate.”

Visiting bird watchers and naturalists have visited Candaba—which was declared a bird sanctuary in 2004—reporting sightings of birds such as Garganey, Egret, Chinese Pond Heron, Siberian Rubythroat, Peregrine Falcon, Grass Owl and the Kingfisher.

These migratory birds fly thousands of kilometers, across continents and seas, to spend the winter months in the Philippines.

According to Pascua, the 2006 Asian Waterbird Census recorded “more than 11,000 birds and more than 80 species in Candaba in only three hours of counting.”

Runez, a Caloocan-based cameraman, was there to witness the event.

“He was in awe,” Pascua recalled. “The time of our visit was the peak of migration. There were 11,000 birds in Candaba. He was surprised, but also frustrated because we didn’t bring a zoom lens for close-up shots of the birds.”

Soon after that initial visit, Runez became a “committed” member of Kaakbay, an NGO that aims to protect the bird sanctuary.

“He was brought in by his good friend and fellow cameraman Rene de los Santos when we decided to make a documentary on the birds of Candaba,” Pascua explained.

The 15-minute documentary titled “Wings in the Water: The Birds in Candaba Swamp” was among the 16 finalists in the second Moonrise Festival of environmental films, ongoing at the Gateway Cineplex in Cubao, Quezon City this August.

Jolly person

Balbido described Runez as a jolly person always cracking jokes. He was also soft-spoken and unassuming, according to fellow videographer Rocky Sison/

But when it came to work, he was a no-nonsense person. “He wasted no time and put all his knowledge, skills and even resources into our project,” Pascua said. “At first, we were embarrassed because our organization lacked funds and we didn’t have the money to pay a professional cameraman like him.”

To everyone’s surprise, Runez volunteered his services and equipment as videographer and film editor. “He used his own video camcorder, a Canon XL1, when we shot for four days in Candaba. He had his personal computer upgraded so he could edit the documentary at home,” Balbido said.

Those crucial days of editing the documentary solidified the group.
“We edited the docu for five days nonstop and without sleep. It was during that time that we got to know Ralph better,” Balbido said.

Nominated docu

“Photo finish kami; we finished editing and submitted the docu only three hours before the Moonrise festival’s deadline on June 30,” Pascua said.

The group’s hard work paid off when the docu was nominated in the Best Cinematography and Special Citation for Rivers and Lakes categoriesl.

Runez was credited as videographer along with De los Santos and Sison. Although the docu didn’t bring home any award, the group felt like winners “because we were all first-time filmmakers, and we pulled it off,” Pascua said.

On July 26, during Kaakbay’s “critiquing night,” the group decided to make improvements on the docu. “The group gave the assignment of implementing the changes to Ralph,” Balbido said. “He became our group’s official technical person.”

Tragedy

“He edited out the shaky footage; he put in bird calls and natural bird sounds,” Pascua said.

In fact, Runez was “working on the documentary all through the night until the dawn of July 28—the day he was murdered,” he recalled.

“He took a break from editing to withdraw P35,000 from a Metrobank branch in Lagro, Quezon City. He was going to lend the money to a friend,” Balbido said.

On his way home to Caloocan, Runez was accosted by robbers who shot him twice.

“He was declared dead on arrival at the Tala Hospital,” Pascua said. “Ralph was only 35 years old.”

Although suspects in Runez’s murder have been arrested, his friends and colleagues could only hope “that justice would be served in Ralph’s case because a policeman had been implicated.”

“At his wake, his 4-year-old son Rafael looked as if he was oblivious that his father was gone,” Balbido said.

Determined to pay homage to Runez. Kaakbay gave a special screening of “Wings in the Water” last Aug.19 at the Gateway Cineplex. “He will forever be a part of Kaakbay. Rocky reedited the ending to include a tribute to Ralph,” Balbido said.

Mountain of myths

2006-08-18T07:39:00.000+08:00

Ever since I can remember, Mount Arayat has been my one and only constant visual reference of Pampanga. It was the mountain of my childhood, the mountain I passed by thousands of times each morning in my daily commutes to Angeles, and in my college years -- the mountain that signalled to me “You’re almost home”, as I rode a Philippine Rabbit bus from Baguio. Indeed, the ancients considered old bunduk Alaya the navel of the earth, from which all directions, all movements of the Kapampangan universe were reckoned. Arayat was, and still is Pampanga’s most famous landmark, a twin-coned mountain that dominated our eastern landscape rising in solitary majesty from the flatlands unlike the Zambales mountain range—although Pinatubo took a bit of the limelight away from her with its 1991 eruption.

Nevertheless, Arayat was the original, a 3,564 foot high natural wonder that inspired the many myths and stories I heard with fascination in my youth. In the turbulent 70s, I found quiet entertainment in my Classics Illustrated fairy tale comic books which recounted immortal tales of Greek gods and heroes. In my child’s mind, Arayat became my Olympus, the abode of gods and the scene of their thousand and one adventures. Early on, we thrilled to the tale of the Kapampangan sun god Sinukuan who was supposedly imprisoned in a cave sealed with a “white rock” visible on the mountain side. (The “White Rock” became a bastion for Kapampangan revolucionarios in our wars with Spain, America and the Japanese). If Olympus had Vulcan working in the bowels of the mountain, we had our own fabled Sinukuan trapped inside Arayat’s belly. On car rides to Manila, we would actually inspect the white speck on Arayat from afar, although the resolution of the legend was never clear to us. There was also a vague story about an ancient battle between Apung Pinatubu and Apung Sinukuan, with the two giant creatures engaging in a rock-throwing fight that went on for days.

Another Sinukuan also figured in a legend that will rival that of Mariang Makiling. Mariang Sinukuan, it is said, was in fact, Maria Makiling’s sister who made Arayat her home. She made the forest primeval thrive with fruit-bearing trees which she cared for daily. A person who eats the juicy fruit is liable to get lost forever in the woods.It is also claimed that one can see from atop the mountain the silhouette of Mariang Sinukuan in quiet repose.

My imagination often ran wild when it came to musings about the day when Arayat would blow its top. Would it be something like the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius which swallowed whole towns as recounted in my Classics Illustrated comic book “Last Days of Pompeii?” In actuality though, Arayat is quite an extinct volcano whose last eruption was over 500,000 years ago. But then again, the Pinatubo eruption, dormant for over 600 years, is a grim reminder of the fickleness of Mother Nature.

In the 1950s to the 1970s, Arayat took on another unflattering monicker—Huk Mountain, a lair of communist activities and a hideout for the country’s peasant rebels. But it quickly shed off this image with the establishment of tourist-friendly ecopark---the Mount Arayat National Park in Barrio San Juan Baño, which boasts of natural pools, refreshing springs, picnic areas and mountain trails. To this day, Arayat is a favorite haunt of mountaineers and campers. Within its forest sanctuary are animals like local civet or musang, wild boar, monkeys and rarely-seen birds like the delectable pasdan.

Like Mount Banahaw, Arayat too has a mystical side for it is in her foothills that Rizalistas gather every December to honor the national hero in quiet ceremonies. The cult was brought to Arayat by the late Apo or Mahal na Inang Birhen Sinukuan in 1947, acknowledged as Rizal’s female incarnation. An earlier cult leader, Felipe Salvador, who established “Santa Iglesia” in the 1890s in Apalit and who organized a peasant guerrilla warfare against the Americans, relocated his church to Arayat as well. It comes as no surprise that Leo Parungao, a former press secretary and journalist known for his paranormal research and writing is from this town.

To remind myself how beautiful Pampanga is amidst the rising concrete jungles and the crowded megamalls that are threatening to cover our landscape, I need only to drive through Clark and exit through the Mabalacat or Main Gate, look through my car window where I can have a grand view of my mountain of legend and lore, of my past and present, the enduring symbol of all things Kapampangan: Arayat!

Giant Lantern Festival 2005

2006-08-13T09:50:00.000+08:00

Here are some of the lanterns from the Giant Lantern Festival in 2005. The first one is that of Barangay Sto. Rosario which won top honors...

For more information on the festival, click here.

Nicolasa Dayrit Re-interment Ceremonies [September 9 to 10, 2004]

2006-08-12T00:48:00.000+08:00

Here are some videos of the re-interment ceremonies and military honors for the remains of revolutionary heroine Nicolasa Dayrit held on September 9 to 10, 2004...

Military Ceremonies on September 10, 2004

Arrival Honors on September 9, 2004

A Petition to the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines: Please Stop the Further Defacing of Philippine Heritage Churches

2006-06-23T16:33:00.000+08:00

Most Reverend Eminences and Excellencies:

Almost every town in the Philippines has at least one church built during the Spanish colonial period, all of which are inherent parts of the architectural heritage of Filipinos and stand as testaments to the excellence and creativity of Filipino artisans and craftsmen of yesteryears who labored to create these works of art.

These properties of the Filipino people are under the custodianship of the Roman Catholic Church and their representatives in the Republic of the Philippines.

It must have come to your knowledge that several parish priests have taken it upon themselves to modernize and renovate heritage churches under their care without proper consultation with conservationists or representatives of agencies mandated to protect cultural and historical heritage. In their desire to "leave their mark" on the churches, parish priests have caused irreversible damage to our old churches during their short stints in their parishes.

Sadly, there have been instances where parish priests sold off priceless antiques and other church property to unscrupulous antique dealers and collectors to fund these renovations, with the treasures of the Church ending up in homes and other private collections.

In many occasions, the renovations are costly and unnecessary, and at times ostentatious. Priests and parish pastoral councils have undertaken and continue to undertake large-scale fundraising campaigns for these renovations when such funds could be put to better use, especially in a Third-world country such as the Philippines.

The funds could instead be directed toward the three-fold pastoral program of action of the CBCP, to build character, capability and community. Instead of spending on renovations, the various parishes could use the funds “to empower those who are needy to construct a better future” by supporting “social action programs, training programs and institutions, research centers, schools, charitable agencies and organizations, religious orders and congregations, lay organizations and movements, Basic Ecclesial Communities,” that would “help people grow in capacities, such as the capacity to govern themselves, the capacity to develop their abilities, the capacity to find meaningful and fruitful employment and work, the capacity to care for our environment, the capacity to make leadership accountable.”

We, the undersigned petitioners, thus urge the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to protect the cultural heritage of the Philippine Catholic Church from further damage by ordering the immediate stop to all ongoing and proposed renovations to heritage churches that have not been approved by the CBCP Committee for the Cultural Heritage of the Church or reviewed by representatives of agencies mandated to protect cultural and historical heritage.

We also urge the CBCP to declare all Catholic churches in the Philippines fifty years or older as part of the cultural heritage of the Church and create a comprehensive list of all these churches for the information of the Filipino people and to aid the CBCP Committee for the Cultural Heritage of the Church in monitoring the said churches.

It should also empower the CBCP Committee for the Cultural Heritage of the Church by giving it the sole authority to approve any restoration, construction or further improvements of heritage churches, with the aid of representatives of agencies mandated to protect cultural and historical heritage, and the power to order the halt any restoration, construction or further improvement that it deems damaging to a heritage church.

Finally, we urge the CBCP to adopt a policy of frugality with the renovation of churches. It would be best to channel the funds for unnecessary renovations to the pastoral program of action of the CBCP.

---

To sign the petition, visit http://www.petitiononline.com/cbcp/

War museum at train station eyed

2006-06-15T17:01:00.000+08:00

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/pam/2006/06/15/news
By Albert B. Lacanlale

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- A granddaughter of a war veteran is sharing the City Government’s enthusiasm to convert the old San Fernando Train Station in Barangay Sto Niño here into a World War II museum.

Indira Manaay Kane, descendant of a soldier who died in the hands of the Japanese soldiers at Camp O’Donnell Concentration Camp in Capas, Tarlac, said the train station is rich in history.

“Though it had been historically significant even before World War 2, it played a crucial role in the history of WWII because it is where the Death March ended, and where the hell trek to Capas, Tarlac started,” Kane said.

The train station, historical accounts say, was where Dr. Jose P. Rizal disembarked on June 27, 1892 to recruit members of the La Liga Filipina.

On April 9, 1942, Gen. Edward P. King surrendered the Luzon Force in Bataan to the 14 Imperial Army under the command of Lt. Gen. Masaharu Homma. The surrendered men were ordered to gather in Mariveles, Bataan.

The Filipino and American soldiers were then forced to form columns of 100 to 400 men. These columns, guarded by Japanese soldiers, were forced to march to the train station in San Fernando, Pampanga.

The first two columns began the march on the evening of April 9 and the last column left Mariveles on April 16, 1942.

This march was to be completed in two phases: first, was from Mariveles to Balanga, Bataan; second, from Balanga to San Fernando, Pampanga.

This forced, four-to-six-day march was later memorialized by the name “Bataan Death March,” which for Filipinos and Americans symbolizes the greatest example of patriotic sacrifice, heroism and man’s inhumanity to man.

Upon arriving at the train station in Barangay Sto. Niño, the malnourished, dehydrated and diseased men collapsed from exhaustion in the area around the train station. Many citizens of San Fernando risked their lives, in full view of the Japanese, by attempting to give the Marchers food and water.

Most of the marchers ere kept in those open fields over night -- many died there. The next day, they were packed like sardines into steel box cars for their train ride to Capas, Tarlac.

Although the end of their journey was Camp O’Donell in Capas, the marching portion of the Death March ended in San Fernando.

“I believe that if we enforce that part of history in the minds of our people, we don’t only re-educate them, we are also making them aware of its importance, thus, we can get their support for this project,” Kane said, referring to the idea of housing WWII memorabilia in the train station.

Recently, the National Historical Institute (NHI) declared the train station as among the country’s protected historical sites.

“We need to develop the train station as tourists get to visit it all year round. Its preservation is a must. There are lots of WWII veterans here and abroad who are supporting this project so there is a need to make the people of Pampanga aware about it,” Kane said.

Kapampangans told to unite in nation-buidling

2006-06-15T16:59:00.000+08:00

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/pam/2006/06/15/news

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The local citizenry and all Filipinos were urged Monday to unite in order to achieve the freedom and prosperity for which thousands of Filipino revolutionary forces have laid their lives in the struggle for sovereignty against the Spanish colonizers.

This call for unity was aired by officials all over the province during their respective celebrations of the 108th Philippine Independence Monday.

At the Capitol, provincial executives said the people must be more nationalistic to realize unity, peace and development for the Filipinos, while at the City Hall, the Independence Day celebrations served to heighten the nationalism and patriotism of the government officials for the interest and welfare of the Filipinos.

In Angeles City, city officials said it is only through unity that the bickering among political forces would end and allow real economic progress to set in.

The Independence Day celebrations in the City of San Fernando started with a flag raising ceremony and the releasing of white doves in front of the City Hall, led by Mayor Oscar S. Rodriguez, Vice Mayor Edwin Santiago and councilors.

In his speech, Rodriguez reiterated the sacrifices of our heroes, who gave their lives for us to attain freedom.

“Many people forget these sacrifices that our heroes did for us to be free — a privilege they themselves did not enjoy at the hands of oppressors,” Rodriguez said.

This was then followed by a parade of floats together with students carrying flags who were accompanied by their teachers from Barangay Dolores to the Pampanga Sports Complex.

Among the guests during the parade were former tourism secretary Gemma Cruz Araneta, who is now the chairwoman of the Heritage Conservation Society; and Tofa awardees Eddie Chua and Ivan Henares.

Angeles top city councilor Vicky Vega Cabigting, meanwhile, said during Angeles City’s Independence Day celebrations, that if each and everyone of the Filipino people would continue to strive to become good citizens, the country would eventually realize the aspirations for sovereignty of Filipino revolutionary soldiers who shed their blood against the Spanish regime and later, the American forces.

The Kuliat Foundation Inc. (KFI), Angeles City’s keeper of historical and cultural heritage, also highlighted the city’s role in the revolution against the Spaniards and subsequently the Americans in a reenactment of the first anniversary of the Declaration of Philippine Independence at its actual site — the Pamintuan Mansion in Barangay Sto. Rosario.

Carmen McTavish, KFI president, said the foundation is committed to continue the annual reenactment to increase everyone’s awareness of city’s role in Philippine history, with the Pamintuan mansion serving as the headquarters of revolutionary forces and being the seat of the short-lived First Philippine Republic.

KFI presented the reenactment in cooperation with the Angeles City Tourism Office (Acto) headed by Ethel Galang.

Galang said the event highlighted the shining moment in Philippine history when Angeles was in the center of the struggle of the revolution.

Galang said actors from the local theater group The Academy’s Theater Ensemble (Tate) of The Academy of Performing Arts, composed the cast

“The Pamintuan Mansion, where the Central Bank Clearing House is presently located, is the very place where the said first and only celebration actually happened. The mansion became the general headquarters of Filipino Revolutionary Forces, and the seat of the first but short-lived Philippine Republic,” Galang said.

“The historical mansion was recently given its due recognition by the National Historical Institute, when its temporary stone marker was placed,” she added.

Meanwhile, the local government unit of Guagua, in observance of the Independence Day celebration, also held a civic military parade which coincided with the unveiling of the monument of the late President Diosdado Macapagal.

During the program,” 2nd District Representative Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo called for unity to obtain a strong republic.

“We must be united as one and work for peace, progress and prosperity for us to move as one nation towards a stronger republic,” the young Arroyo stressed.

Lack of support frustrates foundation

2006-06-07T10:06:00.000+08:00

http://news.inq7.net/regions/index.php?index=1&story_id=78117

By Tonette Orejas
Inquirer

ANGELES CITY, Pampanga -- Officials of a foundation organizing commemoration rites for the first and last anniversary of Independence Day here held by the short-lived first Philippine Republic said they were frustrated by the national government’s lack of recognition of the event.

Despite invitations, no representatives from the executive, legislative or judicial departments had graced the reenactment of the June 12, 1899 episode at the Pamintuan mansion here since its centennial, according to Jose Paras Jr., Kuliat Foundation Inc. vice president and museum curator.

Paras said the events had remained local occasions although the National Historical Institute (NHI) installed a marker at the mansion in 2004.

The NHI recognized the mansion as the general headquarters of Filipino revolutionary forces led by Gen. Antonio Luna and the seat of the First Republic and a presidential palace.

It was President Emilio Aguinaldo who led the celebration of the first anniversary of the declaration of independence in Kawit, Cavite, on June 12, 1898. Generals Gregorio del Pilar of Bulacan and Manuel Tinio of Nueva Ecija led the Army parade.

From one of the windows of the stately European-style Pamintuan residence, Aguinaldo was said to have waved the original flag sewn in Hong Kong and raised during the Kawit rites.

However, the event turned out to be the last celebration because the republic started to crumble, leading to the eventual capture of Aguinaldo by Americans in Isabela province on March 23, 1901.

Paras said Aguinaldo regarded the 1899 rites significant.

A copy of an English translation of his speech that day quoted Aguinaldo as describing the event as a commemoration of the “greatest event in our political evolution.”

“[It was] the date on which the [Filipino] people, thirsting for liberty, justice and the exercise of their proper rights, thronged to Cavite, to carry out this highly patriotic manifestation, the beginning of a new era of progress and well-being for our idolized country, to the cry of ‘The Philippines free and independent,’” said Aguinaldo.

“The Philippines is for the Filipinos,” he said.

Luna protected the seat of the republic by putting up a defense line in the towns of Sta. Rita, Porac, Magalang, Mabalacat and Angeles.

These areas were secured by 25,000 soldiers with about 10,000 riflemen protecting Angeles as American forces captured Malolos in Bulacan and advanced toward San Fernando, Pampanga, according to local historian Daniel Dizon, 76.

The mansion served as headquarters of Gen. Arthur MacArthur until after the Filipino-American war in 1901.

“We are frustrated. Our national officials have given no value to this event when there are so much proof about its historical importance and to think that President Macapagal-Arroyo hails from Pampanga. We don’t know their reasons for not coming. We hope it’s not [because of] indifference,” Paras told the Inquirer on Thursday.

“We’re still not losing hope that they would come. Their presence is a statement that the 1899 event is just as important in the struggle for freedom,” he said.

The mansion still stands intact because the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, through its former governor, Jaime Laya, rescued it from dilapidation as well as sale by the heirs.

In 1976, the BSP spent P25 million to buy the lot and restore the house, said Dizon.

The BSP uses the mansion as an office, lending it only to the foundation every June 12.

HAU stage country’s oldest zarzuela

2006-05-17T23:15:00.000+08:00

The Center for Kapampangan Studies of Holy Angel University will present Ing Managpe on May 27, 2006 at the HAU Main Building quadrangle.

The Kapampangan zarzuela written by Mariano Proceso Pabalan Byron of Bacolor, Pampanga was the first zarzuela ever written in any Philippine language. It is older than Severino Reyes’ Walang Sugat and Crisostomo Soto’s Alang Dios, the best known Tagalog and Kapampangan zarzuelas, respectively.

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Filipino Heritage Festival, Inc. headed by Ana Maria “Bambi” Harper, are co-sponsoring with the Center the production of Ing Managpe.

The play was first staged at the Sabina Theatre in Bacolor on September 13, 1900. Its original music, composed by Amado Gutierrez David and the first published by Cornelio Pabalan Byron on May 19, 1909, has been reconstructed for this revival production by Stan Palma, a scion of the popular Palma clan of Bacolor.

Ing Managpe revolutionized Philippine theatre at the turn of the century by introducing the theme of Filipino family and using drab domestic setting, instead of the usual European pomp and pageantry of colonial zarzuelas. The play’s plot revolves around the domestic quarrel between Doña Juana and Don Diego; a subplot involves their maid and househelps. The title, which means “The Patcher,” refers literally to the name of a dog and figuratively to the character who patches the feud.

The cast and crew of the zarzuela is composed of HAU students: Remijia Lacson (Doña Juana), Edgar John Ocampo (Don Diego), Rona Reyes (Sianang), Roillingel Calilung (Fermin), and Daniel Madlangbayan (Pablo). The play is directed by Michael M. Manabat and Peter Joseph “PJ” B. Nepomuceno, the the newly designated University Special Projects Officer. Their adviser is Ms. Erlinda Cruz, also an officer of the Center.

The play starts at 6 PM. Admission is free.

The ‘Parthenon’ gets a facelift

2006-03-30T11:05:00.000+08:00

http://news.inq7.net/regions/index.php?index=2&story_id=70904

By Tonette Orejas
Philippine Daily Inquirer

THESE buildings are called the Gabaldon. Three, perhaps more, generations of Filipinos learned the Three Rs (reading, ’riting and ’rithmetic) in what are now regarded as the “Parthenon” of the golden years of Philippine public education system.

The structures count by the thousands and are spread out all over the archipelago, with some towns or cities having two or more.

Almost a century since Assemblyman Isauro Gabaldon of Nueva Ecija in 1907 authored Act 1801 that set aside P1 million for their construction, the buildings—many of them run down by time, the elements, looting and neglect—are enjoying a restoration boom with a strong thrust for conserving the original, functional design.

Yale graduate William Parsons, the consulting architect of the Bureau of Public Works from 1905 to 1914, designed the school buildings that were later named after Assemblyman Gabaldon.

The Department of Education and the Heritage Conservation Society (HCS) are leading efforts through the heritage school building restoration program.

“Pioneering” is how architect Augusto Villalon of the HCS calls the partnership.

The idea, Villalon said in a recent column in the Inquirer, came from former Education Secretary Armand Fabella, and was pushed by his successors, the late Br. Andrew Gonzalez FSC and Edilberto de Jesus, as well as Undersecretary Juan Miguel Luz.

The program has completed the restoration of the Rizal Elementary School in Bacolod City, the Pampanga High School in the City of San Fernando in Pampanga, and the Baguio Central School in Baguio City, according to HCS member Ivan Anthony Henares.

Up for restoration are the West Central Elementary School and its adjacent home economics building in Dagupan City, said Henares, who has created a web log or blog (gabaldon.blogspot.com) to link individuals, groups, institutions and donors to the effort.“The sheer number of Gabaldon schools all over the country and the lack of funds to restore these buildings would not make it possible to include all in the program,” he said.

Heritage resources
The buildings are “an inherent part of our country’s heritage resources,” he said.The project has the support of the locals.

In Naga City, Councilor Lourdes Asence has authored a proposed ordinance that seeks to create a task force for the preservation and restoration of all historical structures, including six Gabaldon buildings in that city and in Camarines Sur.

In Bohol, the provincial government spent P2.5 million in 2004 to repair some of its Gabaldon buildings.

In their respective websites, historians in Infanta, Quezon, and in Leganes, Iloilo, have cited the history of their towns’ Gabaldon buildings and their impact on the people’s education.

Party-list Rep. Florencio Noel (An Waray) has filed House Bill No. 4392 proposing the rehabilitation and repair of Gabaldon school houses nationwide to “preserve their historical significance and to address the need for more school buildings.”

History
Some have indeed etched their place in history.

For instance, the Gabaldon building in Dagupan became a temporary residence of American Gen. Douglas MacArthur during World War II, according to Carmen Prieto, chair of the city’s heritage commission.

Others served as hospitals, town halls or evacuation centers in times of war and calamities.More importantly, it was in the rooms, libraries and wide grounds of the Gabaldon buildings that American and Filipino educators helped unlock the potentials of students, many of them poor.The Pampanga High School, for one, nurtured many of the country’s leaders like the late President Diosdado Macapagal (Class 1929).

But perhaps one of the most poignant memories of the Gabaldon and a vivid description of the edifice comes from one who passed through its halls.

Former Quezon Board Member Frumencio “Sonny” Pulgar, in his website, said that as a student, he was a habitué of the “Gusaling Gabaldon” or “Bagong Iskul,” the elementary school in his hometown of Calauag.

“For me, Gabaldon was the biggest edifice I had ever seen and played in,” he said.“True, it is not a multistory structure; in fact, it’s a mere one-story affair, but I looked at it with awe. Its ceiling was high, about five meters. I thought giants walked through the corridors of Gabaldon. It had a long five-tread flight of stairs leading to its elevated portico, which we used as stage on special occasions,” he said.

The Gabaldon’s center rooms were divided by a collapsible wooden partition that could be folded and converted into a pavilion, he said.

“Gabaldon’s windows were huge … The windows were sashed and made of latticed capiz-tagkawayan. Its façade had those Romanesque Doric-like pillars I’d seen only in pictures like the Parthenon,” Pulgar said.

“Its rooms were big and wide, with lauan floors. Its doors were imposing and made from thick and heavy narra. It had a cavernous silong (basement)—home of the kabag (bats), ahas tulog (snakes), alupihan (centipede) and giant rats. Though it stank in there, we used it as (a) hiding place whenever we were late in flag rites,” he said.

The Gabaldon buildings are “attuned to the tropics,” Villalon noted.

Breezy and cool
“The building is breezy and cool. Being inside the restored building today proves that old-style tropical architecture is still the best for our climate,” he said.

There’s a practical sense to ongoing, albeit slow, efforts.

“Instead of being rendered obsolete, old structures can still be recycled for modern academic uses,” Villalon said.

“By restoring classrooms, the DepEd drives home the lesson that patrimony lives and continues to be relevant to our lives. Classes in heritage classrooms provide experiential learning on patrimony with a stronger impact than textbook instruction,” he said.

Pampanga High School soars above lahar

2006-03-21T02:29:00.000+08:00

After that anxious wait, the restoration of the Pampanga High School main building, a Gabaldon schoolhouse built in the early 1930s, is finally complete. As always, members of the Heritage Conservation Society trooped to the inauguration and turnover ceremonies. And since this time around, the event was in my own turf, I was the designated driver... hehe! In the group was HCS president Gemma Cruz-Araneta, restoration architects Toti Villalon and Melvin Patawaran, Carmen Prieto of the Dagupan Heritage Foundation and myself.

With a current enrollment of 11,000 students, the Pampanga High School is the biggest public high school in Pampanga. Its early roots can be traced back to 1902 when the Americans established the first high school in San Fernando. But due to the lack of students who made it to senior year, students were forced to finish their secondary education elsewhere. So it was not until 1912 that the first class graduated from the Pampanga High School.

The restored main building is actually the second one since there was an earlier Gabaldon building completed around 1908 together with the Pampanga Capitol building. When the current building was completed in 1935, the older structure was reused as an annex. From 1980 up to 1995, it was used by the University of the Philippines Extension Program in San Fernando, Pampanga. What remains of that historic structure today is a result of the merciless looting and pillaging by some public officials. It stands as a harsh reminder of how badly certain leaders value their own heritage.

But even the newer Gabaldon almost became a victim of well-meaning but misinformed efforts of certain indiviuals and groups. Good thing the Department of Education, through Undersecretary Mike Luz, intervened and saved the structure from a merciless renovation, including it in the DepEd-HCS Heritage Schoolhouse Restoration Program.

Today, it stands as a testament to how heritage should and could be conserved. The Pampanga High School itself is a monument to the many leaders it molded, most prominent of which is former president Diosdado P. Macapagal of the Class of 1929. As a young kid, I was already familiarized to this outstanding group since my grandfather, Mariano D. Santos, his sister Felicidad, and their first cousin renowned pre-war journalist Amando G. Dayrit, were all members of the Class of 1929. And my lolo always beamed with pride when he showed us photos of himself together with the former president. A sampling of PHS' prominent graduates can be found here.

After the program, the group proceeded to Betis and Bacolor to visit their heritage churches. And our visitors were not disappointed. PHS photos courtesy of Arch. Melvin Patawaran.

Related articles
PHS alumni, city government clash over heritage building

The lantern industry of San Fernando: Pampanga's model for "One Town, One Product"

2005-10-14T06:44:00.000+08:00

PIA Press Release
09/16/2005

San Fernando, Pampanga (16 September) -- See a parol or Christmas lantern, think of Pampanga! This has been the case for sometime now but the lantern makers of San Fernando and the city government want bigger things for the lantern industry.

Seeing its big potential waiting to be tapped, the lantern industry of San Fernando had been identified as the model for Pampanga's One Town, One Product (OTOP) program, a significant part of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's ten-point agenda.

Indeed the parol industry has come a long way but it can go a longer and better way towards fueling economic activity, not just in Pampanga, but in the whole of Central Luzon.

Best lantern makers
Roland Quiambao wears several hats - chair of the City Arts and Culture Council; chair of the recently formed Lantern Makers Association of San Fernando. He is also a major awardee twice over - Most Outstanding Fernandino in the field of arts and culture in 2004; Kabuhayan awardee in 1998 presented to him by then President Fidel V. Ramos in Malacañang.

He had done a variety of jobs before he concentrated on his true love - lantern making. He worked as an OFW for three years in Dubai; he came home and became a jeepney driver, In between, he was a "musikero" - playing the trumpet in cultural shows. His musical experience started at the University of the Assumption in San Fernando where he enjoyed a scholarship by virtue of his being a member of the school rondalla. He graduated with a degree in Commerce which he finds useful in his prosperous lantern making business.

Much farther back, Roland started at lantern making at age 10, assisting and learning from one he considers the master, the late Mario Datu, the sole record holder of winning the annual parol contest for nine consecutive years, a record unbroken to this day.

Roland and several others learned the ropes from Mang Mario. They apparently learned very well since he and his peers eventually became winners of the annual lantern contest, alternately winning over one another, to this day.

Big break from lahar
Roland started his lantern business in 1986 but his big break came in late 1995. In October that year, a big lahar flow hit San Fernando suddenly and hard. A month later, just before a Christmas which would be understandably bleak, then San Fernando Mayor Reynaldo B. Aquino asked Roland if he could decorate the city streets with Christmas lanterns as an attempt to brighten up the place and buoy up the sagging spirits of the residents.

"Tinanggap ko ang challenge, kahit hindi ko tiyak kung kaya ko," Roland admitted.

But he rose to the challenge, beyond anyone's expectations! The sight of his lanterns adorning the streets and major spots in the city certainly gave the weary residents a reason to smile and find new hope in the future. This opened up doors of bigger opportunities for Roland, opportunities which he enjoys and nourishes to this day.

In 2003, he was a recipient of a Php200,000 loan under President Arroyo's One Barangay, One Product program. This was a "no collateral, no interest" loan amounting to one million pesos and given to a group of five entrepreneurs, each getting Php200,000. It was given through the city government under the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) assistance program of the President. Roland started paying this loan every month without fail in 2004 and shall have been paid in full in October 2006.

He has also formed a tie up with television stations who have their backdrops and other set décor done by Roland. His continuous innovation and attempts to revolutionalize lantern making has paid off. Even during the off -Christmas season, he gets orders for various lantern-like décor such as the ones found in his workshop cum residence in Barangay San Felipe- butterflies, plants, flowers, fruits.

"One should not limit himself to the traditional but instead, continue to explore new ideas, improve their products," Roland advises new entrepreneurs not just in the lantern industry but in any field.

He has also been joining the annual Likha ng Central Luzon (LCL) held every October at SM Mega Mall, even providing for free the main décor of the event. In return, he gets free space or a stall where he displays and sells his products. Through the LCL, he has also attracted the interest of foreign clients who have become his regular customers.

He has come a long way from the time when he would offer his services/products to would be clients, they now come to him and he could hardly cope with all the orders that pour in. He has 30 regular workers and sub-contracts to 60 others in San Felipe and neighboring barangays.

LGU factor
Apart from implementing the loan assistance program to SMEs, with the assistance of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the local government of San Fernando has been a big help, writing to other LGUs and corporations, offering the lantern makers' services to decorate their municipalities.

They are currently working on major support activities for the lantern makers and other entrepreneurs. One is the Christmas lantern strip which the Lantern makers Association is putting up from October 15 to December 31 this year. The venue is a 5000 sq m.vacant lot owned by businessman Eddie Chua who offered it for free use of the project. It is strategically located along the Gapan-San Fernando-Olongapo (GSO) Road, very near the Paskuhan Village.

The city government shall put up the stalls which the association members could pay back once or twice later. Or, better still, if the corporate sponsors that the LGU has approached agree to shoulder expenses for the stalls, much better for the lantern makers! They would just have to pay for their electric bills but even this would be negotiated with the San Fernando Electric and Power Company; if discounted rates could be given,! No let up in the city government's support for the lantern makers.

It will also try to work out the possible transfer of the Paskuhan Village's management to the city government. According to Fer Santos of the City Tourism Office, they could do much for the huge yet, largely unused Paskuhan Village, also along the theme of San Fernando being the country's Christmas capital.

But whatever the outcome of these plans, the city government is serious about maintaining, even upping, the quality of San Fernando products, lanterns or otherwise. They plan to come up with the quality seal on all local products to ensure that indeed, "Gawang Fernandino, Gawang Filipino" is world class!

Gearing up for Ligligan Parul
The Lantern Makers Association of San Fernando has only 17 members presently. The city government is encouraging other makers to join the association knowing that there is strength in an organized act.

Roland Quiambao can attest to this, and so does Daisy Flores, secretary of the association. Organized only in May this year, the members have felt the vibrancy of being in an association. They are very much into the thick of the preparations for the planned Christmas fiesta strip starting in mid-October.

Within their ranks, there is also specialization. There are production people doing the creatives - designing and execution of the lanterns, like Roland Quiambao. There are members who focus on the commercial side, the marketing of their products, like Daisy Flores. This way, there is specialization and focus, according to Roland.

But Daisy has started producing her own lanterns and she finds a new excitement in it. In fact, she is challenged by the fact that she and her workers shall decorate the streets of Angeles City and Mabalacat this Christmas.

Roland's Christmas décor, as in the past years, shall be seen in Parañaque, Quezon City, and the Ortigas area. Their production usually starts in March, during the off season, to make it in good time for their regular orders.

Roland is busy with San Felipe's entry to this year's giant lantern festival which they call "Ligligan Parul" in Kapampangan. While his entry remains a secret, he gave away enough clues for one to conclude that it is going to give other entries a run for their money. His concept is timely, relevant and universal - proof that Roland is committed to revolutionizing the lantern making industry in San Fernando.

What sets San Fernando lantern craftsmen from those in other places is the cultural depth that lantern making has reached in their consciousness. They have a history of the origins of parol making, culled from the stories from the folks of old; when the candle was used to light the path of a procession during the nine consecutive novena nights before Christmas. How the intricate designs and technically simple, straightforward parol of yore evolved into the less ornate designs yet highly technical features of the modern Christmas lantern.

A giant lantern has an average of about 2,500 to 3,000 light bulbs and costs anywhere from Php300, 000 to Php500, 000. The high cost of producing an entry to the contest is partly subsidized by the city government and assisted by other sponsors. The play of color, lights and music and artistry during lantern festival night makes a spectacle of the grand scale.

A trophy and prestige are the stakes in the annual lantern festival. Roland is a candidate for the grand slam win this year so that he would get the revolving trophy coveted by all the barangays entered in the contest.

An added incentive is the possibility, nay probability, of having the winning entries displayed at the United Nations Headquarters and other lanterns hanging at New York's 5th street, again through the efforts of the city government of San Fernando in coordination with the officials of the Philippine consulate in New York.

Continuing partnership
Even with the current energy crisis and the call of the government for conservation measures, the lantern makers have more job orders than they could handle. Christmas has such a magical pull among Filipinos that they would not pass up an opportunity to light up their homes and streets, whatever the state of the world's energy supply.

The continuing partnership among the lantern makers, the city government of San Fernando, the DTI and other support groups augur well for the future of the lantern making industry in San Fernando.

Fer Santos of the city tourism council summed it up beautifully when he said "as long as may Pasko, may parol". Since Christmas is forever, it is safe to say that San Fernando's parols will remain in demand and that the talent and craftsmanship of Roland and other lantern makers shall live on in their heirs from family and friends and neighbors. (PIA-MMIO http://pia.gov.ph/news.asp?fi=p050916.htm&no=30)

San Fernando's bells sing again

2005-05-09T14:48:00.000+08:00

Since the Philippines is a Roman Catholic country, church bells have played a big part in its history. Primarily used to call the faithful to prayer, the tolling of church bells has also been used as heralds of good news, marking times of celebration or announcing the arrival of visiting dignitaries, as gestures of honor or sadness, marking the passing of a prominent citizen for example, and as presages of disaster, forewarning the townsfolk of things such as great fires that were fast spreading or invading troops ready to wreak havoc. It was said that the boundaries of a parish were defined by how far the sound of its bells could reach. And thus, church bells also united each Filipino community.

The church bells of the 250-year old City of San Fernando, Pampanga are no exception. This is why concerned civic leaders, hearing the waning peal of the centuries-old bells of the City’s Metropolitan Cathedral, sought to revive old memories by bringing the church bells back to life.

The San Fernando, Pampanga Heritage Foundation, Inc. was formed on July 31, 2003 as a contribution to the heritage conservation and cultural revival campaign of the City of San Fernando. It’s founding trustees include Chairman Levy P. Laus, President David L. Jimenez, as well as Senen P. Quiambao, Antolin P. David, Antonio O. Koh, Quirino T. Kehyeng, and Ivan Anthony S. Henares.

It was during one of its initial meetings some time in the latter part of 2003 that the bell project was brought up by Chairman Levy P. Laus and historian Ivan Anthony Henares. After preliminary conversations with Cathedral Rector Msgr. Cenovio M. Lumanog, it was discovered that the three remaining centuries-old bells were in a bad state – two were cracked and no longer functional while the largest produced a bad sound as a result of wear and tear due to the many years it had been in use. There was thus a need to replace them soonest and a meeting was set with the Archbishop Paciano B. Aniceto, D.D. to propose the project.

The church bells project actually struck a chord with the members of the young foundation. Laus himself remembers going up the belfry as a young kid growing up in San Fernando. And hearing the bells peal again would elicit good memories and call the San Fernando community back to its roots.

Upon the recommendation of Prof. Regalado Trota Jose of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, it was decided that new bells would be purchased. According to Jose, marks on church bells such as cracks and bullet holes are part of its history. Thus, instead of “restoring” church bells, they should instead be decommissioned and displayed in a prominent place, as a tribute to their historicity.

For the new bells, the group contacted the Philippine agent of Petit en Fritsen b.v. Holland, a foundry that has been manufacturing bells since 1660. Although there were some initial problems, funding the bells was a breeze thanks to the generous donations of four families. The total cost of the three bells ordered amounted to a little over two million pesos. The largest of the bells, which weighed half a ton, was funded by Levy P. Laus and family. For the second bell, Msgr. Lumanog solicited the support of the Singian-Lazatin family, descendants of Don Serfain Lazatin and Doña Encarnacion Singian, who immediately obliged knowing the significance of this historic project. The cost of third bell was divided among the families of Antonio O. Koh and Senen P. Quiambao.

Each bell contained 20 percent tin, half a percent of lead, 1.5 percent zinc, antimony with iron and the balance of some 78 to 80 percent in copper. The clapper is made of construction steel and the clapper balls of manganese bronze, a metal softer than the bells themselves. It is said that the reason bells in the Philippines easily crack was because of the fact that their clappers were made of the same metal or one that was harder.

With the bells ordered and scheduled to arrive in December 2004, plans were made for their inauguration. To make it meaningful, the foundation decided to coincide the first pealing with the first simbang gabi on December 16, 2004. And to even make it more meaningful, the foundation invited none other than Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as guest of honor. And to ensure her attendance, members of the foundation trooped to the White House in Clark during one of the president’s visits on November 13, 2004 to personally hand her the invitation. The president immediately obliged.

On December 6, 2004, the bells finally arrived at the Manila International Container Port in North Harbor. As part of the ceremonies to welcome the bells, members of the foundation and other guests, who rode to Manila in CarWorld’s brand new Rosa van, were personally seen off by City Mayor Osacar S. Rodriguez. At the port area, Msgr. Lumanog, and SFPHFI trustees Laus, Jimemez, Kehyeng, Quiambao and Koh welcomed the arrival of the bells, with the assistance of Deputy Collectors of Customs Mssrs. Ronnie Silvestre and Philip Bartolome.

The following Monday, December 8, 2004, the three bells were blessed in solemn ceremonies by Archbishop Aniceto together with all the parish priests of San Fernando, the trustees of the foundation, the donors and their families, as well as city officials lead by Mayor Rodriguez. And finally, as had been planned, President Arroyo led the inauguration of the new church bells during the early hours of December 16, amid a lot of fanfare and celebration. After the inauguration, a traditional Kapampangan breakfast was served at the Plaza Vidal de Arrozal in the City Hall of San Fernando.

The centuries-old church bells were housed at the side of the Cathedral in a bell house donated by the San Fernando Jaycees Senate. This was blessed and formally turned over to the Archdiocese on March 8, 2005, which coincided with the induction of new officers of the San Fernando Jaycees Senate together with the San Fernando Cabalen Jaycees.

As the SFPHFI puts its first project to a close, it looks forward to more projects that aim to preserve and promote the rich history and heritage of the City of San Fernando, Pampanga.

Jose Abad Santos: An apotheosis

2005-05-07T08:19:00.000+08:00

by ABRAHAM F. SARMIENTO

JOSE Abad Santos was a victim of a wanton war, a pitiless destruction. Like the many other victims, he died in the service of his country. Unlike most of them, however, he chose his manner of dying. And unlike most of them, he could have lived had he wished to. But he preferred to die; his death has now become one of the glorious epics of our age.

At the outbreak of the war, Jose Abad Santos was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court; he had been continuously serving in that capacity since his appointment on June 18, 1932, interrupted only when he was drafted by President Quezon as Secretary of Justice from December 6, 1938 to May 23, 1941. On December 24, 1941, he was appointed Chief Justice. Concurrently, he performed all the functions pertaining to the Department of Justice, pursuant to Executive Order No. 396, issued on the same date of his appointment. In accordance with the said order which reorganized the Executive Department of the Commonwealth, Chief Justice Abad Santos was also designated acting Secretary of Finance, Agriculture, and Commerce. President Quezon later took him to Corregidor with Vice President Osmena, General Basilio Valdez, Major Manuel Nieto, and Father Pacifico Ortiz. While there, Abad Santos assisted President Quezon and the Commonwealth officials with him in disposing of and securing the funds of the Government that were deposited in the vault in Corregidor.

At the inauguration of President Quezon for his second term on December 30, 1941, Chief Justice Abad Santos administered to him in Corregidor the oath of office. Together with Quezon and his party, he stayed in Malinta Tunnel until February 22, 1942, when he left with them by submarine for the Visayas, arriving in Occidental Negros two days later. The presidential party shuttled from place to place as a precautionary measure, sojourning first at Talisay in the home of Governor Lizares and from there to the Del Rosario hacienda. Then they moved to a place called Buenos Aires and later to the government sugar mill at Binalbagan. Cognizant of the risk and difficulty of moving in a big group the party split two ways, the Chief Justice staying most of the while with Vice-President Osmena.

Jose Abad Santos was in bad health at the time. He was suffering from asthma. Nevertheless, although physically unfit for strenuous duty, he did not relax in his work. He continued indefatigably to discharge the duties of his triple position, i.e., Chief Justice, Secretary of Justice, and Secretary of Finance, Agriculture, and Commerce over the unoccupied territory. The departure of President Quezon for the United States via Australia in the latter part of March 1942, multiplied not only the tasks of Abad Santos but also the dangers to which he was exposed. The President offered Abad Santos the choice to go with him or to remain in the Philippines. Indeed, the thought of America with its promise of haven at the time of great danger could have enticed the mind of an ordinary man. But Jose Abad Santos was not the common run of men. He told President Quezon: "I prefer to remain, carry on my work here, and stay with my family."

There has been much controversy as to who was appointed by President Quezon to represent him in the Philippines. During the occupation, not a few designing men presumptuously claimed the honor. President Quezon is dead and his lips are forever closed. Nonetheless, he wrote a letter dated March 17, 1942, addressed to Chief Justice Abad Santos. The letter settles the question and belies the claims of opportunists. It reads in full:

March 17, 1942

My dear Chief Justice Santos:

In addition to your duties as Chief Justice and acting Secretary of Finance, Agriculture, and Commerce, I hereby designate you as my delegate with power to act on all matters of government which involve no change in the fundamental policies of my administration of which you are quite familiar. Where circumstances are such as to preclude previous consultation with me, you may act on urgent questions of local administration without my previous approval. In such cases, you are to use your own best judgment and sound discretion.

With reference to the government-owned corporations, you are also authorized to take such steps as it will protect the interest of the government either by continuing, curtailing or terminating their operations as circumstances may warrant.

Sincerely yours,
(Sgd.) MANUEL L. QUEZON

The responsibility placed upon Abad Santos was enormous. But he proved equal to the situation. The many years of service to his credit were more than ample preparation of the trust suddenly reposed upon him. At this juncture it is proper to digress and trace briefly his early life.

II

Jose Abad Santos was born in San Fernando, Pampanga, on February 19, 1886, the sixth of the ten children of Vicente Abad Santos and Torribia Basco. When only eighteen years old, he went to America as a government pensionado to complete his education. He studied for sometime in the Santa Clara College at San Jose, California, and then enrolled at Northwestern University where he obtained the degree of Bachelor of Laws. He pursued further studies in the George Washington University, where he was granted the degree of Master of Laws. Upon his return to the Philippines, he became on December 1, 1909, a clerk in the Executive Bureau with a salary of P960 per annum.

On July 31, 1914, he was appointed assistant attorney of the Bureau of Justice, after which he became attorney for the Philippine National Bank. He was the technical adviser and ex-officio member of the first Independence Mission to the United States in 1919. In 1922, he served for three months as Under-Secretary of Justice, immediately after which he became the Secretary. Because of the Cabinet crisis under the Wood administration, he resigned on July 17, 1923. In 1926, he headed the Philippine Educational Mission to America. He resumed in 1928 the Justice portfolio under Governor-General Stimson, which position he occupied until his appointment to the Supreme Court on June 18, 1932.

Jose Abad Santos devoted the best years of his life to the public service. He was President of the Philippine Bar Association and of the Young Men's Christian Association, member of the Abiertas House of Friendship, educational adviser of the Columbian Institute, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Philippine Women's University. He was actively identified with the Protestant movement of the Philippines and was prominent in Masonic circles.

III

And now we go back to the last days of this great man. The nature of his position necessitated communication with the capitals of the different provinces not yet under enemy control. Therefore, he had to travel by ferryboat and car through the length and breadth of Negros, Iloilo, and Cebu. On Ascension Day, April 11, 1942, while traveling somewhere around Carcar, Cebu, with his son, Jose Jr., Colonel Valeriano of the Philippine Constabulary, and some enlisted men, he and his party met truckloads of soldiers. Unaware that the enemy had landed in the vicinity, they stopped the trucks, thinking all the time that the passengers there were USAFFE soldiers. Finding out too late that the soldiers were Japanese, Jose Abad Santos and his companions calmly went down from their cars. They were ordered to surrender. Upon inquiry, Abad Santos identified himself as the Chief Justice of the Philippines. The Japanese confiscated the pistol of Colonel Valeriano and those of the enlisted men. The captives were then taken to the Japanese concentration camp in Cebu City. For the first time, the Japanese learned that Abad Santos was actually the head of the Commonwealth Government. Evidently, because of the importance of their prisoner and fearing rescue or escape, father and son were moved from one camp to another. The senior officers of the Japanese Army in Cebu, General Kawagutsi and Colonel Kawakami, "played the role of high priest and Pontius Pilate," respectively, towards Jose Abad Santos. For almost twenty days, he was subjected to gruelling and mortifying inquisition. The exact nature of the investigation is still shrouded in secrecy. Jose Abad Santos Jr., the only available witness was never present on the spot whenever his father was interrogated. One significant remark, overheard by the son from his father on one occasion, revealed the man's indomitable courage and unflinching loyalty to a cause he served long and well. He said: "I cannot possibly do that because if I do so I would be violating my oath of allegiance to the United States." What the Japanese asked him to do is still a matter of conjecture. Previously, however, he had been asked to contact General Roxas somewhere in Mindanao who up to that time had not yet surrendered. In all probability, the Japanese wanted him to induce General Roxas to surrender. Apparently, the very idea was revolting to Abad Santos' conscience. There is ground to believe that this demand prompted the utterance of those brave words of defiance by a prisoner in the face of his captor. That refusal cost Jose Abad Santos his life.

On or about May 1, 1942, father and son were taken from Cebu to Mindanao on a Japanese transport which formed part of a convoy sent on a military expedition to Mindanao. They landed at Parang, Cotabato, under fire from the USAFFE. About this last portion of their fateful odyssey, Jose Jr. relates:

"We were placed together with the troops in one of the landing barges. While we were moving toward the beach, the USAFFE force entrenched on the shore were firing at the landing barges. At that moment, I recall that my father was standing straight and the Japanese shouted at him: 'Hey! You get down!' and they signalled him to lie low. I also told him but he had an indifferent attitude at that time. After landing, we hiked for about three hours through mud and heavy luggage until we reached the Constabulary barracks at Parang. After one night in Parang, in the afternoon they placed us in a truck. We were not able to proceed farther that day because they had not cleared up the other parts to which they were supposed to be headed."

On or about May 4, 1942, they reached Malabang. For three days father and son were confined in a school house. For three days, they waited for further developments, doing nothing but read whatever they could get hold of.

The fatal stroke of fate was slow in coming. But slow as it was, there was that tragic inevitability, that powerful surge of destiny noticeable even from the dry, humid air of that summer afternoon. At approximately two o'clock in the afternoon of May 7, 1942, the Japanese interpreter, Keiji Fukui, went to the Chief Justice to summon him to the Japanese Headquarters. After a few minutes, Jose Abad Santos returned and called for his son. Both went into a small hut nearby and there the father stoically informed his son: "I have been condemned to be executed." Thereupon Jose, Jr. broke down and wept. But the father smilingly and affectionately reproved the son: "Don't cry. What is the matter with you? Show these people that you are brave. It is a rare opportunity to die for one's country and not everybody has that chance." What brave words, what sublime soul was thereby revealed by their utterance!

After exhorting all of his family to live up to his name, father and son said a short prayer. In final parting they embraced each other. And in a few minutes the son heard a volley of shots. Jose Abad Santos was dead, martyr to a very worthy cause.

No less than an enemy, the Japanese interpreter who witnessed the execution, admired the courage and stoical unconcern with which Jose Abad Santos confronted his end. Pointing out later to the son the father's grave Keiji Fukui remarked: "Your father died a glorious death."

Ostensibly, Jose Abad Santos was executed upon the imputation of having been responsible for the destruction of the bridges and other public works in Cebu. The charge was entirely unfounded, nay malicious. But he was never given an opportunity to disprove the accusation. In truth, the acts imputed to him had nothing to do with his duties; he was a civilian and it is too well-known that demolition activities more properly belonged to the military.

The Filipino people and the rest of the world stand aghast at the horror of such brutal sadism. Caught in the cruel circumstance of a violent war, Abad Santos was too rare a man to have been sacrificed at the altar of human destruction. But irreplaceable and rare as he was, his very act of supreme dedication has consigned him to immortality. Jose Abad Santos stands now as a towering monument to the idolatrous devotion of our people to the ideals of democracy, justice, and liberty: a shining obelisk that rises to the altitudes of the skies.

Human justice may not be able to devise a means to avenge fully the crime committed by the Japanese murderers. But at this time, our concern is not so much any more to return in retribution whatever injustice may have been committed; but more, we are interested to perpetuate the things for which he died. For only in doing so may we hope to justify his supreme love to the Fatherland.

[This Biography was awarded the first prize in the Jose Abad Santos Biography Contest, sponsored by Justice George Arthur Malcolm, who founded the College of Law of the University of the Philippines in 1911, a Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines for many years, who was the professor of the author in Legal Ethics, when Justice Malcolm returned to the Philippines for the last time to teach that subject in the College of Law, of the University of the Philippines, open only to senior law students in the College of Law of the University of the Philippines in 1948-1949 and awarded a first prize of P200.00 plus an exemption from thesis for the graduation, and a grade of "1" in Legal Ethics. Justice Malcolm, after teaching this class of the author, left for the United States where he died soon after.]

Ka Luis M. Taruc (June 21, 1913 - May 4, 2005)

2005-05-04T19:59:00.000+08:00

This biographic sketch was taken from the Aldo ning Kapampangan 2001 Souvenir Program. December 10, 2001 was the first time I got to meet Ka Luis. We were both Most Outstanding Kapampangan Awardees that year, he for social justice and I for youth leadership. Despite our close to sixty-six years age difference, I learned a lot from Ka Luis during the few times we met or spoke with each other on the phone. We have indeed lost a great part of our history.

Luis Taruc
Social Justice

The great patriot and former Huk Supremo Luis Taruc at 88, is a picture of a man who never yielded to foreign aggression.

Luis Taruc of San Luis, Pampanga is not only an important historical figure in the province but of the nation as well. Accounts of his contribution to the Filipinos' endless fight for freedom and his achievements in promoting social justice, as champion of the common man, are countless, if not unequaled.

As the founder of the Hukbo ng Bayan Laban sa Hapon (Hukbalahap) who fought the Japanese invaders, he helped the smooth and speedy liberation of the country from the alien forces.

History reveals that the great majority of Philippine people mounted a remarkably effective resistance to the Japanese occupation, particularly through the leadership of Luis Taruc.

Investigations after the war showed that 260,000 Filipinos had been actively engaged in guerilla organizations and an even larger number operated covertly in the anti-Japanese underground.

The largest guerilla organization, Hukbalahap (People's Anti-Japanese Army) had armed some 30,000 guerillas who controlled most of Luzon.

The cornerstone of Luis Taruc's movement was land reform, as well as industrialization.

A US Army study corroborated this idea, saying that Huks' "main impetus was peasant grievances, not Leninist designs."

According to Leslie E. Bauzon during her delivery of the conceptual framework for the study and teaching of history at the 2nd National Conference on the Teaching of Philippine and Asian History and Culture in UP Diliman on April 12 to 16, 1999, the Huk revolution from 1947 to 1954 led by Luis Taruc had been a great catalyst to Filipino elites and anti-peasant groups.

"I am referring to the Huk revolution - even if it failed I would still classify it as a revolution since it aimed at fundamental social change - led by Luis Taruc. The Huk revolution stemmed from the age-old problem of caciquism or landlordism in the Central Plain of Luzon, from deterioration of tenancy conditions, from usurious moneylending practices that reduced landless tenants to debt peonage, and from the impoverishment that tenant farmers wanted to do away with," Bauzon said.

Due to his effective clamor for social change, Luis Taruc, and several other reformists were later elected to the newly-formed Filipino Congress (three to the Senate and seven to the House). But they were not allowed to take their seats due to unsupported allegations that coercion had been used to influence votes.

He went back to the mountains as a rebel, fought for democratic ideals, and advocated a new deal for the masses that remained under an exploitative socio-political system.

Then President Ramon Magsaysay convinced him to lead his Huk forces to a new way of life, with promises of social reforms, peace, and a vision for the poor.

Taruc left the hills, joined Magsaysay and from then, never stopped his original patriotic advocacy, his love of freedom and independence, and his hatred of colonial exploitation and oppressive policies.

He is a Pampanga hero in his own right, no less patriotic and proud than the Abad Santos brothers, Ninoy Aquino, and those who fought foreign oppression and justice.

Rebuilding a legacy of heroism

2005-05-03T00:35:00.000+08:00

Last Easter Sunday, March 27, 2005, I had the distinct pleasure of being invited by Ka Luis Taruc to the join him during the 63^rd anniversary celebration of the HUKBALAHAP which was held in Tulaoc, San Simon, Pampanga. It was during this assembly that he handed me a copy of a letter he sent to the Securities and Exchange Commission passing on the Pedro Abad Santos Memorial Foundation (PASMF) to our care.

Indeed, it is sad that he may never witness our dreams and aspirations see light. However, I firmly believe he will always be with us in spirit as we continue to enlighten our countrymen on the importance of a strong sense of nationalism in each Filipino, for us to become a truly progressive nation. We need not die for our country like Pedro and Jose Abad Santos. But like them, we can be noble and true to the fiery spirit of heroism by simply being proud to be a Filipino!

It was the dream of Ka Luis, through the PASMF, to repurchase the Abad Santos property in Barangay San Jose, City of San Fernando, and rebuild the house that once stood there as a testament to the heroism of its former occupants. Help us achieve that dream. He is in the ICU right now and his life support has been removed. Let us pray for him.

Ivan Anthony S. Henares
3 May 2005

March 16, 2005

Mga Iginagalang kong Komisyonado ng
Securities and Exchange Commission-SEC

Ito po ay sinadya kong nabalam na pag-uulat sa inyo. Atas ng mga sumusunod na mga Dahilan:

Una, hanggang sa huling sandali, ngayon na nga, naghanap – naghintay at umasa ako na may magpapatuloy sa pagpalawak ng PEDRO ABAD SANTOS MEMORIAL FOUNDATION, sa halip na ito ay isara, at ihinto na lamang. Ang dakilang ala-ala at Kabayanihan: nila Josa Abad Santos lalupa ni Pedro Abad Santos, kanilang pamangkin si Agapito Abad Santos del Rosario dapat maidikit sa ala-ala ng bawat salin ng ating lahi.

Pangalawa, Umaasa po ako sa inyong unawa at makatarungang pagpapala sa katandaan ko (92 years old) na ang buhay na lubhang maralita, walang gamit na sasakyan, walang mautusan upang umasikaso sa mga dapat gawin ugnay sa Foundation (PEDRO ABAD SANTOS MEMORIAL FOUNDATION).

Pangatlo, Ngayon pong nakakita – nakatagpo ako ng isang organisasyon na handang magpatuloy sa Foundation (PASMF) ay sina Ivan Henares, at Fernando Santos – coordinators ng iba’t-ibang grupo sa City of San Fernando, sa tulong ng City Mayor Honorable Oscar Rodgriguez, nakikiusap po ako sa inyo, tulungan sana ninyo sila na gawing madali at maayos ang pagpapatuloy nila sa Foundation (PEDRO ABAD SANTOS MEMORIAL FOUNDATION) – upang ang kadakilaan nila Jose at Pedro Abad Santos, ay manatiling maalab sa isip at puso ng Sambayanang Pilipino.

Gumagalang,

Ka LUIS M. TARUC
Chairman Emeritus – HukVets
Commander in Chief
HUKBALAHAP (1942-1945)

Off the beaten track in San Fernando

2005-04-17T04:09:00.000+08:00

Most tourists have only visited the elegant and well-preserved heritage houses of San Fernando. But as seen from the list below, there are a lot more gasping for attention and possible conservation and adaptive reuse. Maybe you or your organization could adopt one of them.

Here are photos of some of heritage structures in San Fernando. Many of them like the Train Station and PASUDECO, are in need of revitalization for them to be tourist worthy.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/ivanhenares/album?.dir=3c2c&.src=ph

Heritage conservation is a norm in other countries here in Southeast Asia. Check out the website below. First on the list is an ordinary looking warehouse which served as the offices of the Sarawak Steamship Company. This "useless" old structure was converted and is now making money since it houses a restaurant, fastfood chain and convenience store. How we wished Filipinos also thought the same way! If they are proud of that in Kuching, imagine what could be done with PASUDECO? In the adjacent lot alone, it has a number of wooden structures (former staff houses) which could be converted.

http://www.isarawak.com.my/kuching/ts2.html

San Fernando: a city rich in architectual heritage

2005-04-15T20:35:00.000+08:00

The City of San Fernando Heritage District covers the historic core of San Fernando, including Barangay Santo Rosario and parts of Barangays San Jose (Panlumacan), Santa Teresita (Baritan), Lourdes (Teopaco), Del Pilar, Santa Lucia and Santo Niño. The important sites in this area are the following:

Churches and other Religious Structures

Cathedral of San Fernando (A. Consunji Street, Barangay Santo Rosario) The first structure of wood and thatch was built on the current site by the Agustinian friars in 1755 under the patronage of San Fernando III, King of Castille. On October 17, 1757, towsfolk petitioned the governor-general for exemptions from tribute to enable them to build the church and convent. It was transferred to the care of secular priests in 1788. The construction of the present church started during the same year under the supervision of Fr. Manuel Canlas, its first secular cura parroco, and a committee composed of the principales of the town led by then gobernadorcillo Don Bernabe Pamintuan. Construction was completed in 1808 and was rededicated to the Assumption of Our Lady. Italians artists Giovanni Divella and Cesare Alberoni were said to have been commissioned to paint the trompe l’oeil ceiling murals.

President Emilio F. Aguinaldo and his cabinet viewed the Philippine Revolutionary Army from the windows of the convento on October 9, 1898. The church and convento were burned by the Philippine Revolutionary Army on orders of Gen. Antonio Luna, on May 4, 1899. It was again destroyed by fire in 1939, and later restored by architect Fernando H. Ocampo.

Church of San Vicente (Barangay Calulut) – heavily damaged by renovations

Virgen de los Remedios Church (Barangay Baliti) – damaged by recent renovations

Heritage Houses

Hizon-Singian House (A. Consunji Street, Barangay Santo Rosario) Built in 1870 by the couple Don Anacleto Hizon, gobernadorcillo of San Fernando from 1877-1879 and 1886-1887, and Victoria Singian de Miranda y de Ocampo. Inherited by their daughter Victoria Hizon y Singian who was married to Godofredo Rodriguez y Yabut from Bacolor. It was occupied during the 1896 revolution by Spanish General Antonio Ruiz Serralde, appropriated by the Japanese Imperial Army to serve as a military hospital and barracks from 1943 to 1944, and served as headquarters of American General Walter Krueger of the 6th American Army during the liberation period until the end of 1945. Inherited by their son, the late Gerry Catalino Rodriguez Y Hizon, former president of the Pampanga Sugar Development Company (PASUDECO), who was married to Aurora Angeles.

This bahay na bato of the Spanish colonial period was declared a Heritage House by the National Historical Institute on 27 January 2003 by virtue of Resolution No. 4, S. 2003.

Henson-Hizon House (V. Tiomico Street, Barangay Santo Rosario) Built by the couple Saturnino Henson y David, gobernadorcillo of San Fernando from 1882-1883 and 1896, and the first tesorero municipal from 1900-1902, and Maria Lacson. Inherited by their eldest daughter Juana Henson y Lacson who was married to Florentino Hizon. Inherited by their son Vicente Hizon y Henson who was married to Concepcion Dizon y Dayrit. Inherited by their son Vicente Hizon y Dizon who was married to Anastacia de los Reyes. Purchased by the couple Pablo Panlilio y Dayrit and Dolores Arguelles.

This bahay na bato of the Spanish colonial period was declared a Heritage House by the National Historical Institute on 27 January 2003 by virtue of Resolution No. 3, S. 2003.

Lazatin House (A. Consunji Street, Barangay Santo Rosario) Built in 1925 by the couple Serafin Lazatin y Ocampo, sugar farmer and former president of SFELAPCO, and Encarnacion Singian y Torres. It was appropriated by the Japanese Imperial Army during the Second World War to Serve as a residence of the 14th Army Commander of the Japanese Imperial Army, General Masaharu Homma, in San Fernando, Pampanga.

This ancestral house, which exemplifies the architecture prevalent during the American colonial period was declared a Heritage House by the National Historical Institute on 27 January 2003 by virtue of Resolution No. 6, S. 2003.

Dayrit-Cuyugan House (MacArthur Highway, Barangay Dolores) Built in 1920 by the couple Joaquin Dayrit y Singian, sugar farmer, and Maria Paz Cuyugan y de Leon. Inherited by their eldest daughter Luz Dayrit y Cuyugan who was married to Ulderico Rodriguez from Bacolor.

This ancestral house, which exemplifies the architecture prevalent during the American colonial period was declared a Heritage House by the National Historical Institute on 27 January 2003 by virtue of Resolution No. 5, S. 2003.

Consunji House (A. Consunji Street, Barangay Santo Rosario) Residence of the presidente municipal of San Fernando during the Philippine Revolution, Don Antonio Consunji y Espina.

Tabacalera House (A. Consunji Street, Barangay Santo Rosario) Built by Tabacalera owned by Don Ramon Lopez. The first floor of the house served as the office of Tabacalera. The property was owned by Simeon Ocampo. During the Japanese Occupation, it was sequestered by the Japanese Imperial Army together with other residences in San Fernando, and served as the headquarters of the Kempeitai. Its current owner is Marco Lazatin.

Hizon-Ocampo House (A. Consunji Street, Barangay Santo Rosario) The first residence of Anacleto Hizon and Victoria Singian de Miranda, it has inherited by their daughter Leoncia Hizon who was married to Basilio Ocampo, gobernadorcillo of San Fernando. Among their children was renowned architect Fernando H. Ocampo.

Santos-Hizon House (A. Consunji Street, Barangay Santo Rosario) A turn-of-the-century Victorian-style house was built by the couple Teodoro Santos and Africa Ventura, it was later purchased by Maria Salome Hizon, a volunteer of the Red Cross during the Philippine Revolution. The property was acquired by her brother Ramon Hizon and is currently owned by the heirs of his son Augusto Hizon.

Pampanga Hotel (A. Consunji Street, Barangay Santo Rosario) Residence of Asuncion Santos, daughter of Don Teodoro Santos, Sr. (Dorong Tola), who married Andres Eusebio. It was the first site of the Pampanga High School when it first opened in 1908. Later became the site of the Harvardian College and the Pampanga Hotel and Panciteria, now Pampanga Lodge and Restaurant.

Singian House (A. Consunji Street formerly Sto. Niño Viejo, Paroba, Barangay San Juan)

Ocampo House (A. Consunji Street formerly Sto. Niño Viejo, Paroba, Barangay San Juan)

Santos Cuyugan House (A. Consunji Street formerly Sto. Niño Viejo, Paroba, Barangay San Juan)

Archdiocesan Chancery (A. Consunji Street, Barangay San Jose) This former residence of Luis Wenceslao Dison and Felisa Hizon was designed by Arch. Fernando H. Ocampo and completed in the mid-1930s. It was later purchased by the Archdiocese of San Fernando, Pampanga and is now being used as the Archdiocesan Chancery.

Cuyugan-Baron House (Cuyugan Road, Barangay Del Pilar) Residence of Vivencio Cuyugan y Baron, it was sequestered during the war and served as the Municipal Hall of San Fernando during the Japanese Occupation.

Dayrit-Galang House (A. Consunji Street, Barangay San Jose) Built by the couple Florentino Singian Dayrit and Juana Gatchalian Galang, among their children was Amando G. Dayrit, a popular pre-war columnist known for his Tribune column “Good Morning Judge.”

Santos-Miranda House (A. Consunji Street, Barangay San Jose) Built by the couple Teodosio Pekson Santos and Josefa Panlilio, it was purchased by the Miranda family.

Bamba House (Levi Panlilio Road, Barangay Sta. Lucia)

Sengson House (Levi Panlilio Road, Barangay Sta. Lucia)

The Chalets of Teopaco Subdivision (Barangay Lourdes) During the American colonial period, Teopaco Subdivision became the new residential area of San Fernando. The area was badly-damaged as a result of the 1995 floods. Several chalets still stand in the area despite the fact that street level has rose by at least one meter.

Aquino House (Barangay del Rosario)

Government Buildings, Schools, and Hospitals

Municipio of San Fernando (A. Consunji Street, Barangay Santo Rosario) The first casa municipal was built in the present site in 1755 out of stone and thatch. Burned by the Philippine Revolutionary Army on orders of Gen. Antonio Luna, on May 4, 1899. The building was again reconstructed in 1917 during the term of municipal president Antonio Abad Santos. Again burned during the Japanese invasion of the town, the municipal government was temporarily transferred to the residence of Vivencio Cuyugan in Barrio Del Pilar. After the war, the present City Hall of San Fernando was reconstructed using the original adobe stonework.

Pampanga Provincial Capitol (Capitol Boulevard, Barangay Santo Niño) Seat of government of the Province of Pampanga, the original building was constructed shortly after the provincial capital of Pampanga was transferred from Bacolor to San Fernando in 1904. Annexes were added before the war. It was the site of a major battle between guerilla forces and the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II.

Presidio (Artemio Macalino Street, Barangay Sto. Niño) Among the buildings built in 1907 when the property of the current Provincial Capitol was acquired. It used to house the courts of Pampanga before serving as the Pampanga Provincial Jail.

Provincial High School Building (Capitol Boulevard, Barangay Santo Niño) - heavily damaged by looters. Completed shortly after 1910 it served as the main building of the Pampanga High School until 1935 when it was transferred to its present site. The building was then used as an annex of the school. It also served as the site of the University of the Philippines Extension Program in San Fernando, Pampanga until floods hit San Fernando in 1995.

Beginnings of the Pampanga High School could be traced to the Eusebio Residence located near the town plaza of San Fernando where classes first began in 1908. Due to the lack of students, it was unable to form a senior class until 1911-1912. Its first principal was Mr. John W. Osborn. The school was later moved to this building near the Provincial Capitol in order to accommodate more students.

Pampanga High School Building (High School Boulevard, Barangay Lourdes) The current main building of Pampanga High School was completed in 1935. It follows Standard Plan No. 20 of Gabaldon schoolhouses and was restored as part of the Heritage Schoolhouse Restoration Program of the Department of Education and Heritage Conservation Society.

San Fernando Elementary School (B. Mendoza Street, Barangay Santo Rosario) Built in 1907, the main building of the San Fernando Elementary School follows Standard Plan No. 20 of Gabaldon schoolhouses.

Old St. Scholastica’s Academy (Pedro Abad Santos Road, Barangay Sta. Teresita) The former building of the St. Scholastica’s Academy of Pampanga, the third Benedictine school in the Philippines. Formerly known as the Assumption Academy, it was established in June of 1925 in the house of the Singian family. The first high school was eventually added. In March of 1930, the first secondary graduates of the Assumption Academy were presented.

Due to the large number of enrollees, and the zeal of its biggest benefactor, Monsignor Prudencio David, the school was relocated to its second site in 1931, and ownership of the school was passed on to the Benedictine Sisters in 1938. With the outbreak of World War II, the building was used as a military hospital. In 1966, the school was renamed St. Scholastica’s Academy of Pampanga. The school was transferred to a bigger site in 1972, leaving the old building without occupants.

Pampanga Provincial Hospital (Barangay Dolores) Built during the American colonial period, it is currently part of the Jose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital.

Virgen de los Remedios Hospital (A. Consunji Street, Barangay San Jose)

Commercial Structures

The Arcaded Shop Buildings of Consunji Street - 1950s (Barangay Santo Rosario)

Industrial Structures and Sites

San Fernando Train Station (Barangay Santo Niño) Inaugurated by Governor-General Eulogio Despujol and Bernardino Nozaleda, Archbishop of Manila, on February 23, 1892. Jose P. Rizal debarked from the station on June 27, 1892 and again the next day en route to Bacolor. During the Death March in April 1942, it was the ending point of the 102-km Bataan Death March, from which Filipino and American prisoners-of-war were carted to Capas, Tarlac en route to their final destination, Camp O’Donnell.

PASUDECO Sugar Central (Capitol Boulevard, Barangay Santo Niño) In January 1918, a group of prominent Kapampangans gathered at the home of Gov. Honorio Ventura in San Fernando to form an organization that would construct a native-financed central. These included Jose de Leon, Augusto Gonzales, Francisco Liongson, Serafin Lazatin, Tomas Consunji, Francisco Hizon, Jose P. Henson and Manuel Urquico. The organization was formally incorporated in April 1918 as the Pampanga Sugar Development Company.

Finished in March 1921, the PASUDECO Sugar Central was the first Filipino-financed sugar central in Pampanga. Built through the initiative of the Pampanga Sugar Development Company, it was constructed by the Honolulu Iron Works. Its existence became a catalyst for the exponential growth of San Fernando, the capital of the rich sugar-producing province of Pampanga.

On July 12, 1939, tragedy struck when Jose de Leon, Augusto Gonzalez, and Constabulary Captain Julian Olivas were gunned down at the administrative offices of PASUDECO. At that time, de Leon and Gonzalez were the two richest men in Pampanga and the biggest PASUDECO shareholders. Together, they had made the central perhaps the most successful and progressively operated one in the archipelago.

Today, the PASUDECO Sugar Central stands as a testament to the resiliency of the Kapampangans as a people and their continuous drive towards progress and development. Indeed, the City of San Fernando and the entire Province of Pampanga owe a lot to the PASUDECO Sugar Central.

PASUDECO Staff Houses and Commissary (Capitol Boulevard, Barangay Santo Niño) Several wooden staff houses and commissaries of PASUDECO still stand in the lot adjacent to the sugar central.

The San Fernando Water Reservoir (Barangay Lourdes) Referred to as the “Leaning Tower of San Fernando” the San Fernando Water Reservoir was built during the term of municipal president Jose M. Valencia sometime in the 1920s. It was catapulted to national attention when several local government officials tried to lobby for its demolition. As a result of joint efforts of the City Tourism Office and the Heritage Conservation Society among others, a win-win solution was reached between the heritage advocates and the barangay officials.

The Sugar Pugons (Greenville Subdivision and Barangay Quebiawan)

Calulut Train Station (Barangay Calulut) – heavily damaged by illegal settlers. This wooden station was built during the American colonial period as an additional station along the Manila-Dagupan Railway.

Baluyut Bridge (Gen. Hizon Avenue, Barangay Santo Rosario) - bombed in WWII. Formerly know as Puente Colgante. Reconstructed in 1896 using iron and stone. Destroyed during the Philippine-American War in 1899. Reinforced concrete arch bridge later designed by Sotero Baluyut for his Bachelor’s thesis in the University of Iowa in 1909.

Witness to the historic events of the Philippine Revolution, Philippine-American War and World War II. Renamed the Sotero Baluyut Bridge in honor of his contributions to the province and the country, serving as governor, Secretary of Public Works and the Interior, and Senator.

The impact of San Fernando's heritage conservation program

2005-04-05T15:53:00.000+08:00

In the belief that heritage should be used as a tool towards progress, the City Government of San Fernando enhanced the poblacion area which was still suffering from the effects of the 1995 devastation. And with competition from nearby shopping malls like SM City Pampanga and Robinsons Starmills, the poblacion needed a new environment to remain alive and bustling. And that new environment was the revival and restoration of the old heritage structures which eventually became new attractions for the City.

Of the proposed projects in the original City of San Fernando Heritage District Development Proposals of 2001-02, several projects were already implemented and completed such as the restoration of Baluyut Bridge in February 2003, the installation of period lamp posts and sidewalk pavers along Consunji Street, the restoration of the City Hall of San Fernando in October 2003 and the Clock Tower in February 2004. An imposing thirty-foot bronze monument by renowned artist Abdulmari “Toym” Imao, Monumento Fernandino, was also inaugurated in December 2004 which now serves as a landmark welcoming visitors to the poblacion.

The history of the City is also depicted in artworks found in the City Hall of San Fernando such as the Pasbul ning Kasalesayan, the main entrance of the City Hall, which has five bas-relief panels depicting different historical and cultural scenes, as well as images and symbols of the City; and the imposing 14 feet (average height) by 48 feet (total length) staircase mural, depicting the history of San Fernando. At the center of the City Hall Compound is the newly-constructed Plaza de Arrozal, named after the first gobernadorcillo of San Fernando in 1755, Don Vidal de Arrozal. City Historical Markers have also been installed to mark heritage and historical edifices. People can now read the history behind each building or residence as they pass by.

On legislation, the ordinance creating the City of San Fernando Heritage District and its governing body proposed in May 2002 was unanimously approved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod in February 2004 further increasing the socio-cultural impact of the heritage conservation aspect of the program, which will definitely bring back the former elegance of the poblacion in the coming years.

The immediate changes seen in the poblacion in just a period of one year (February 2003 to February 2004) were praised by several sectors in the City. Together with the current heritage conservation legislation as well as other pending heritage-related ordinances in the Sangguniang Panlungsod, these were indeed moves towards a higher level of consciousness and political maturity on the part of the City Government as a whole. As a result, several of the candidates for local chief executive in the coming elections have included arts and culture in their proposed programs of governance.

These observed changes will also serve as a measure for the next administration. The concurrence of the business community in the belief that heritage must be used as a tool for progress is seen in an August 2003 column of Ram Mercado in SunStar Pampanga entitled “Levy Laus’ quest for a new leader.” Mercado writes, “With its achiever mayor on the way out in 2004, a replacement of City Mayor Rey Aquino is the biggest problem confronting San Fernando residents.” Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Levy P. Laus was quoted to saying “It’s a tall order finding the mayor’s successor.” Mercado adds, “But LPL is dead serious in the search for a new city mayor who will lead Fernandinos to the future, move the city to its premier status as a first class community, and retrieve its lost glory as the economic and cultural center of the emerging Kapampangan megalopolis. Laus said a master plan, based on the storied culture and past history of San Fernando, with a perspective of forward-looking initiatives, is the collective dream of Fernandinos.”

The cityhood anniversary celebrations also featured more cultural and historical activities, as well as new festivals. In 2003, the theme of the 2nd Cityhood Anniversary Celebrations was “Panyulung ning bukas, balikid king milabas” which means “moving forward by looking back at the past.” This year, the 3rd Cityhood Anniversary Celebrations had the theme “City of San Fernando: Celebrating 250th years of history and progress.” Two ideas are always seen side by side, the past and the future, since the City at present sees its past as an instrument in achieving a great future.

In the social context, the program uplifted and continues to elevate the spirits of the residents of San Fernando, most especially the senior citizens who are delighted to see that the current generation of Fernandinos has learned to value the legacies left behind the past. Local and national media have become partners in relaying to the public the status of the different historical sites, and problems encountered along the way so that citizens become emotionally involved in the plight of the remaining architectural heritage of the City. These include the looting of the old Pampanga High School building in May 2003, the public disappointment on the negligence which resulted to the fire which gutted Abad Santos Hall, one of the four Gabaldon schoolhouses in the City, in October 2003, and the latest being the proposed renovation of the Pampanga High School Main Building in March 2004, which all came out in the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

This vigilance in the protection of the heritage of the City is a strong indicator of the effect of the program on the identity and sense of pride of the Kapampangans in San Fernando.

The rationale of preserving San Fernando's heritage

2005-04-03T22:36:00.000+08:00

Preserving Heritage for Progress
URBAN RENEWAL ON THE LINES OF HERITAGE CONSERVATION AND CULTURAL REVIVAL

PROGRAM BRIEF

The year 1995 was a demoralizing one for San Fernando. The Municipality was hit by floodwaters and lahar from Mount Pinatubo leaving the town submerged for several weeks. In following years, aggravated by the annual floods, there was rampant destruction to property, with it the architectural heritage of the City. Progress also posed a threat. But the climax of this destruction was the loss of one of the symbols of San Fernando’s rich history, the Abad Santos Ancestral House.

The property was privately owned. At that time, the Municipal Government did not have the funds to purchase the property because it was still facing problems brought about by the annual floods. Despite the strong efforts of the Municipal Government to lobby for funding with the NHI, DOT, the National Centennial Commission, and other agencies; the effort was rendered helpless in saving the structure from the demolition ball. The experience left a thorn in the soul of the Fernandino culture and spirit.

Architect Augusto F. Villalon, in his regular Philippine Daily Inquirer column on heritage conservation, described clearly the problems which the urban renewal program of the City Government of San Fernando, Pampanga wants to address: “Driving through the center of San Fernando in Pampanga last week was depressing. The place was another of those generic, typical, nondescript Philippine cities. All around us was the same urban chaos that the Filipino now takes for granted. It must have become a national karma, our turning the opposite way to avoid seeing the dismal conditions that we are forced to live in. In San Fernando, absolutely no clue exists of its former grandeur; no hint is present of the special quality of life that its residents are supposed to enjoy. But things aren’t that bleak. San Fernando Mayor Reynaldo B. Aquino is carrying out a recovery program. He seeks to recapture the city’s former glory as the capital and as a center of excellence of Pampanga.”

To add to the problems was the fact that Kapampangan and Fernandino culture was fast disappearing because of the close proximity of San Fernando to Metro Manila. There was also a lack of local cultural and historical awareness among the citizens. Few knew that many of the local personages made contributions which changed the face of the entire nation. Moreover, no one realized that the City would be celebrating its 250th founding anniversary in 2004. Thus, there was a need to strengthen local history and culture, and honor the many unsung heroes of the City.

After 1995, it was an upward battle for San Fernando. Mayor Rey B. Aquino was just a few months in office. And for the next three years, it was a struggle for survival. The three years which followed was a struggle for progress and cityhood. And when it became a City in 2001, the next three years became a struggle to save the very heart and soul of the City, its rich history and heritage. That is when the urban renewal program of the City on the lines of heritage conservation and cultural revival became most relevant.

This program has several objectives, among which includes the preservation and restoration of the architectural heritage of the City as well as ensuring its protection for future generations of Filipinos, increasing the awareness and knowledge of its citizens on local history and culture, honoring the unsung heroes of the City, strengthening advocacy among all sectors to ensure that the Abad Santos experience will not happen again, and finally, creating an identity for the City in order to unite its citizens through its rich history and culture.

In the same column of Architect Villalon, his last statement regarding the proposed Kapampangan Cultural Center at the Pampanga High School Building could very well speak of the objectives of the entire urban renewal project of the City. He writes, “The project seeks to keep the San Fernando story alive before what little is left of the town sinks into the lahar that covers most of the city. It keeps the hope that heritage will be rediscovered and conserved for the future in San Fernando.”

In order to achieve its objectives, the urban renewal program reached out to all sectors of society. From young students in the different public and private schools to senior citizens who really wanted to see the heritage preserved as a legacy for all, to the various civic, professional, sectoral and religious organizations, the local media, and the business community, the program tried to affect the way of thinking of each Fernandino. The fact that the program raised the very consciousness of each Fernandino about his cultural heritage makes this program noteworthy given the uncontrollable circumstances the City had to face.

It did this through actual large-scale restoration projects to small but meaningful cultural activities and competitions. Aggressive historical research is also ongoing to bring back to life unknown facets of the local history. Several executive orders and ordinances were also released to reinforce this cultural revival in the City. But most significant of these strategies was the commissioning of Palafox Associates to create an urban renewal master plan on the lines of heritage conservation. And in just a span of a few months, several of the proposed projects were implemented and completed.

Note: The program "Preserving Heritage for Progress" of the City Government of San Fernando, Pampanga was among the Top 10 Best Practices for 2004 of the League of Cities of the Philippines, and the twelve Trailblazing Programs of the Galing Pook Awards 2004.

Preserving Heritage for Progress

2005-04-02T22:23:00.000+08:00

URBAN RENEWAL ON THE LINES OF HERITAGE CONSERVATION AND CULTURAL REVIVAL

The City of San Fernando, Pampanga, home of the world-renowned giant lanterns, is one of only two cities in the Province of Pampanga, and serves as the provincial capital and regional seat of government of Central Luzon (Region III). Located 67 kilometers north of Manila, 16 kilometers south of the Clark Special Economic Zone, and 50 kilometers east of Subic Bay, San Fernando is composed of 35 barangays with a land area of 6,774 hectares, and a population of 221,857, with a “third class city” income classification.

At the heart of Downtown San Fernando is the historic poblacion, replete with remnants of the rich architectural heritage and history of the City. These architectural legacies, together with the endangered intangible culture of the City, are the focus of the urban renewal program of the City of San Fernando which began on August 2, 2001 with the creation of the City of San Fernando Historical and Cultural Society under the Office of the City Mayor. In line with a popular salawikain which goes “Ang hindi lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makakarating sa paroroonan,” the City firmly believes that its history, heritage and culture are vital tools in the advance towards further progress.

“Preserving Heritage for Progress” transcends the sectoral boundaries as the program tries to reach out to all 221,857 residents of the City of San Fernando as well as the approximately 1 million transient workers who earn a living within the City limits. All these people are the beneficiaries of this program which endeavors to raise the consciousness of each individual and the entire community as a whole, by increasing their awareness on the importance of preserving the architectural heritage of the City and promoting local history and culture as instruments in the drive for genuine progress and development.

Note: The program "Preserving Heritage for Progress" of the City Government of San Fernando, Pampanga was among the Top 10 Best Practices for 2004 of the League of Cities of the Philippines, and the twelve Trailblazing Programs of the Galing Pook Awards 2004.

Protecting San Fernando's Heritage

2005-04-01T18:13:00.000+08:00

It was a painful lesson for San Fernando. Way back in 1999, the City of San Fernando lost one of its most important heritage houses, the Abad Santos House. Ironically, Fernandinos remained silent. No one fought to save the house, apart from the Office of the Mayor, which found itself powerless amidst the bigger threat of lahar.

The second residence of the Abad Santos siblings, children of the couple Vicente Abad Santos and Toribia Basco, in that house at one time or another lived: Pedro (founder of the Socialist Party of the Philippines and Assemblyman); Jose (Secretary of Justice, Justice of the Supreme Court, Patriot and Martyr); Antonio (Municipal President of San Fernando); Quirino (Municipal Councilor of San Fernando) and his son Quirino, Jr. (Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals and Secretary-General of the House of Representatives); Salvador (Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals); and Agapito del Rosario, son of their daughter Emilia, (Mayor of Angeles, Patriot and Martyr). It was an abode where great people once lived. And nothing was done by San Fernando or even the national government to save it.

San Fernando has to learn from this experience before more of these structures are lost. That is why the City of San Fernando Historical and Cultural Society, together with the City Government of San Fernando, had pushed for the creation of the City of San Fernando Heritage District since 2001. This heritage zoning in San Fernando was already enacted through City Ordinance No. 2004-003.

In 2003, the National Historical Institute acceded to our request to send a survey team to San Fernando to determine which sites could be considered for national recognition. Among those which were considered top priorities for markers were the City of San Fernando itself, the Cathedral of San Fernando, the old Pampanga High School Building, the San Fernando Train Station, PASUDECO, and several heritage houses. To date, four heritage houses have been declared by the NHI; the San Fernando Train Station was declared a historical site as well.

We call on the Sangguniang Panlungsod to continue helping us in this effort. More local legislation is needed to protect the poblacion area. It is ironic that several members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod are even first to call for the demolition of a heritage structure, the 83-year old San Fernando Water Reservoir. Nothing out of the ordinary and leaning precariously as it may seem, the said water tower is part of the San Fernando story and an integral part of its industrial heritage.

As we safeguard our historical structures, we must also ensure that any new building put up must not destroy the beauty of these old edifices. Many heritage conservationists complain that the trend in Filipino architecture, for quite a while now, is designing new buildings without taking into consideration its surrounding structures. Thus, almost all the time, modern-looking buildings destroy the elegance of areas dotted with century-old houses. Why not make even just the exterior of these new buildings look old? Or at least exist in harmony with old edifices that surround it?

The sad news is that San Fernando can no longer be declared a national historical landmark. And the reason behind that is that fact that there are already so many alterations, unsightly buildings sprouting here and there, destroying the elegance of our historic core. We may not be a Vigan, but if heritage conservation was done early on, we could have found ourselves at the level of other heritage towns such as Taal in Batangas, Silay in Negros Occidental, and San Miguel de Mayumu in Bulacan.

The town of San Fernando was founded in 1754. Last year, in 2004, we celebrated our 250th founding anniversary. Another celebration was the centennial of the transfer of the capital of Pampanga from Bacolor to San Fernando in 1904. And many activities were lined up to commemorate these events. But that is not enough as more heritage sites need to be protected for future generations of Filipinos. And the success of these endeavors will mainly rely on the amount of support that Fernandinos are willing to give to keep the culture and history of the City alive.

The business community could also make projects of their own, to revitalize our historic core. The Pampanga Lodge, for example, could be converted into a first-class bed and breakfast facility. In fact, cultural tourism is the trend in other countries. The PASUDECO Sugar Central could improve its facilities in order to be an educational destination as well. If done, students as far as Manila could be invited to visit, in order to learn how sugar is made, as well as the history of sugar farming and its contribution to the province and the nation. A museum could even be created to augment these educational trips.

The San Fernando Train Station could be converted to a Death March Museum and Memorial. It is ironic that when American veterans fly back to the Philippines, they visit Bataan and Capas, but rarely pass by San Fernando, despite the fact that it was a major transit point. And this is mainly because the train station was left to rot.

That is why we laud the efforts of the Foundation for Lingap Kapampangan, Inc. for their efforts to restore the old Pampanga High School Building, to become the future Kapampangan Cultural Center. In fact, once completed, the Museong Kapampangan in Clark will be transferred to this historic building.

Currently, the Heritage Conservation Society is restoring another Gabaldon school building, the current Pampanga High School Main Building along High School Boulevard as part of the Heritage Schoolhouse Restoration Program of the Department of Education.

Monuments, fountains, and small parks can also be erected around the historic core. And we thus call on the city's architects, artists and landscapers to assist us by offering their services and help us actualize these dreams. In the end, all these projects cannot be realized without funding, so we call on all civic groups such as the various Rotary Clubs in San Fernando, the Cabalen Jaycees, Quota International Pampanga, Soroptimist International Pampanga, Homeowners Associations and other professionals groups, to help by adopting a project. Some have already adopted projects and have in fact completed them such as the San Fernando, Pampanga Heritage Foundation, San Fernando Jaycee Senate and the Council of Women. We hope more would follow suit.

Finally, the celebration of our heritage will not be complete without awareness among Fernandinos of our rich cultural and historical heritage. We thus call on the ordinary citizen to join our efforts even just by understanding and learning what our City has stood for during these past 250 years. Only when we look back and value our rich history and heritage can we finally make real our vision of a progressive city that will be a catalyst for development in Central and Northern Luzon, and a major contributor to the global community.