balikbayan magazine vol.2 no.2

Volume II number 2

uS$ 5.00•PHP 150.00

balikbayanmagazine.combalikbayanmagazine.com

JUNE – JULY 2010

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5 Keeping A JournAl

Flags of our Fathers By roger lAgmAy oriel, puBlisher

6 editor’s noteBooK

Conversations on Love of Country By lito ocAmpo cruz, editor-in-chief

8 personA

Heaven Knows Lydia Floro CruzBy Art vAlenciA And cyhthiA de cAstro

22 Business & treAsure

Traveling in Good LeatherBy Jose Jorge gAviolA And louie Jon A. sAnchez

24 Leap of FaithBy mArie Angeli syJueco

28 scenic roots

Historicity: MalolosBy Joel pABlo sAlud

33 The Age of HeritageBy rene luis mAtA

36 the unguided tour

Sweet Victory: The Culinary Shrines of MalolosBy louie Jon A. sAnchez

41 essence of plAce

The Miracle TownBy louie Jon A. sAnchez

43 Write of PassageBy Joselito d. delos reyes

46 nAtive son

Reclaiming Memory: National Artist for Literature Virgilio AlmarioBy rochelle c. pAngilinAn, louie Jon A. sAnchez And mArie Angeli syJueco

49 Bulacan BardsBy romulo p. BAquirAn

50 pAst food

Memories and Recipes from Aling Asiang’s Kitchen By nAncy reyes lumen

52 tourBuzz | museo de lA sAlle

Archer’s NookBy soc gutierrez

58 inn focus

Hotel 878 Libis: Where you get what matters mostBy mArie Angeli syJueco

Publisher & CeO | roger l. OrielPresident & CO-Publisher | Cora M. Oriel

editOr-in-Chief & eVP AsiA | lito Ocampo Cruz

AssOCiAte editOr | louie Jon Agustin sanchez

COntributinG editOrs | nancy reyes lumen, rene luis Mata, d.M. reyes, Althea lauren ricardo, Joel Pablo salud, Walter Villa

COntributinG Writers | Alma Anonas-Carpio, Jewel Castro, Mark Anthony Cayanan, susan lara, ruben nepales, Janet susan nepales, rochelle C. Pangilinan

COntributinG PhOtOGrAPhers | Joe Cobilla, Phillip Kimpo Jr., ted Madamba, raphael John Oriel, Miko santos, Andy tecson

Art direCtOr | le Grande dee PedrocheAssistAnt editOr | Marie Angeli s. syjueco

ViCe President fOr AdVertisinG | noel O. GodinezViCe President fOr sAles | sharon Ann Z. bathanVP fOr CirCulAtiOn & sPeCiAl eVents | Vince samson

stAff Writer | billy dela Cruz

stAff Artists | edward dy, napoleon laurel, Jr., Valory lim, bienvenida salazar, Kendrick tan, Joyce diane balansag

CirCulAtiOn MAnAGer | Arthur sibulangcao

ACCOuntAnt | ria fabro

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bY rOGer lAGMAY Oriel, Publisher

Keeping A JournAl

our LATEST BALIkBAyAn TrIP via our “scenic roots” was a journey back to where the Filipino nation began. In this issue, we share with you the landmarks of that journey.

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We found ourselves in the Bulacan, traversing the bustling cities of Malolos and Meycauayan, and the thriving towns of Guiginto, Bulacan, Paombong, and obando. In Malolos, we paid homage to our revolutionary forebears and walked their old ways to obtaining our independence.

But Bulakenyo heroism could be very much anywhere, and we found it even before we set foot in Bulacan, through the person of the philanthropist Lydia Cruz, who inspired this issue. no other than the very reverend Archbishop of Los Angeles roger Cardinal Mahony praised Mrs. Cruz and her better half Dr. Leonard Cruz, for their significant contributions to the various causes. Hailing from the town of Meycauayan, Mrs. Cruz heads the Filipino Friends of the Cathedral Foundation in California. Her story, which is part of the issue is indeed one for the books.

We revisited the Malolos Cathedral where the centuries old Siar tree, popularly called the “kalayaan tree”, still stands, a faithful witness to the discussions of our leaders. We also learned that the church once became the presidential palace of President Emilio Aguinaldo, the first president of the Philippine republic.

After visiting the bahay na bato known as Casa real—now a memorial to the group known in history as the “Women of Malolos”, a brave crop of Bulakenyas who appealed for a creation of a school for women—we remembered the historic event of the Malolos Congress and the institution of the very first constitution.

We walked down the halls and cloisters of the Barasoain church, a few blocks away from the cathedral and the provincial capitol. Barasoain used to grace the face of the Php10 bill, until it was turned into a coin.

We also hopped into a magnificent ancestral house near the cathedral and found ourselves transported through time. The Bautista house, as it is known among Malolos locals, stands in the historic kalye kamestisuhan, an ilustrado street where the affluent and influential established residences.

The house is now maintained through local tourism efforts, and surprisingly houses some priceless Juan Luna sketches, among other interesting antiques and heirloom pieces. It is a testament to the life of this historical city through the years. Perhaps there is more where it’s coming from.

our travels in Malolos also brought us to meet interesting individuals showcasing pride and heritage. Welcoming guests in the city is Eurobake, a quaint bake and coffee shop frequented by tourists and locals alike. The owners, the ramos family, welcomed us into their sweet haven and treated us with astounding stories about their beginnings and their old Concepcion Bakery near the kapitolyo.

Before going around town, we were also introduced to one amazing lady, Mrs. Luz ocampo of San Miguel, Bulacan, the 82-year-old Malolos culinary treasure known for her intricately designed and beautifully crafted pastillas wrappers—the pabalat.

Artistry and ingenuity were also apparent in our immersion with people and places. this was what we’ve seen with our recent visit at the Chelsi Leather Services, Inc. in Meycauayan. Providing truly world-class leather products, the company, now led by Mrs. Mary Lazaro, is a pioneer in the local tanning industry.

Another moving trip is the one we made in Sta. Maria, the town of “Balagtasan king” Jose Corazon de Jesus. In his pilgrim center, the man known today as Bro. Carmelo showed us that miracles still happen in this day and age.

The real essence of the journey, we surmise is memory. All throughout the trip, we could not help but to wax nostalgic about our fascinating history and heritage. g


bY litO OCAMPO CruZ, editOr-in-Chief

editor’s notebooK

Exemplifying Mata’s point, we feature in this issue a whole gamut of heritage stories of a very historical province. Bulacan, the cradle of Asia’s first democracy, is a showcase of a multifaceted culture. We began this magical history tour in Malolos, and found ourselves once again in the presence of patriots and the women behind them. Philippines Graphic Managing Editor Joel Salud brings us back to the life and times of the Ilustrado in an essay on the city which gave birth to the Filipino nation.

In obando, Associate Editor Louie Jon Sanchez explores the popular May fertility rites honoring St. Claire, St. Pascal, and the Lady of Salambaw. Accompanying this magnificent piece is a hometown homage by award-winning poet Joselito delos reyes, who grew up in the nostalgic world of obando. Assistant Editor Marie Angeli Syjueco meanwhile visits Meycauayan to celebrate a family’s answered prayer for good leather, and Sta. Maria, to meet a miracle man. Indeed in this issue, the saints come marching in, in style.

Malolos is in itself a culinary haven, and our associate editor savors a whole day’s pilgrimage. He celebrates sweet victory in his culinary march to the historic town that inipit and ensaymada conquered. And he took no crumbs and prisoners. Meet culinary heroes like Luz ocampo the grand old pastillas lady known for the art of the wrap. In the outskirts of Malolos, Louie left no kakanin uneaten. All in a day’s work.

If words cannot explain enough the beauty of Bulacan, we let the old bards like Francisco Balagtas do the talking. In these pages, we also witness the changing of the guards with national Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario.

We followed the arrow sign to Dasmariñas, Cavite where contributor Soc Gutierrez visited Museo De La Salle, truly an Archer’s nook of memories. A memory villa.

“The Adobo Queen” nancy reyes Lumen, who belongs to the famous artistocratic clan, reveals her Lola Asiang’s secret memories and recipes.

Here, heritage is all at once a glorious tapestry that illustrates our continuing love affair with country, history and the majesty of memory.

Talk about love of country, here’s one for the books. g

Conversations on Love of Country


kEEPInG our heritage in this day and age takes more than lip service to accomplish. Heritage conservationist rene Luis Mata, in his essay here, is an interesting case. He writes with all wit about his own journey, searching for that thing called Filipino in Philippine architecture. The uP architecture faculty was trained in Europe and today mentors students on the value of heritage.


| persona | By ArT VALEnCIA • CynTHIA DE CASTro | THE AJPrESS

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Her life story has been a steady source of awe and inspiration for countless immigrants in the uS particularly middle-aged working Filipino mothers. It portrays the sometimes under-appreciated role of a working mother, her difficult struggles in a male-dominated corporate culture, and her incredible ability to overcome overwhelming odds and eventually become the greatly admired and highly respected woman that she is now.

Let us revisit Lydia’s focused journey.

Aimed for the Moon Focused Dreams is the first published biography detailing

Lydia Floro-Cruz’s humble beginnings, her growing years and her journey to the unknown. noel T. Castorillo a master of the art of writing, penned his observations. He noted: “Lydia Floro-Cruz’s phenomenal rise from a mere medical records clerk to executive administrator and eventually sole owner of a chain of convalescent hospitals and skilled nursing facilities in Southern California, is almost a fairy tale, a story too good to be true.”

“Her story is neither fiction nor a fairy tale. It is a true story, perhaps too good, but nonetheless, an honest account of one’s life dreams, the struggles, and victory. By no means is it a statement of justification, rather, it is a declaration of faith in the goodness of life, in the sweetness of victory that comes from every struggle to persevere and overcome-however scarred. That the quest to succeed is cast not in the wind of chance and uncertainty, rather upon the guidance of the Lord Almighty and accompanied by hard work, prudence and keen judgment.”

“Lydia Floro-Cruz indeed aimed for the moon and reached the stars.”

In Hulo, Meycauayan, Bulacan In the Floro-Cruz residence in upscale La Canada, California,

the library houses several white leather bound and gold embossed photo albums. The real gems, however, are the well preserved black and white photos taken over half a century ago which offer a glimpse of an extra-ordinary family legacy and the rich history of an era gone by.

Page number 2 of album number 3 contains a slightly discolored piece of paper measuring 3: x 4 ½” displayed just below a faded family picture.

MEET LyDIA FLoro Cruz, entrepreneur, retired corporate executive, faithful wife, loving mother, super grandma, devout Catholic, generous philanthropist, loyal friend and pride of Hulo, Meycauayan, Bulacan.

| persona | By ArT VALEnCIA • CynTHIA DE CASTro | THE AJPrESS

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The top left corner outside the thin double-lined frame reads “P.W.C. Form no. 2” and across is the word “orIGInAL”. The logo on the upper mid-left shows a woman in traditional “Maria Clara” cradling a newborn. The heading is printed in an old English bold, Puericulture Center no. 349812. Inscribed in hand written India ink--- “Meycauayan, received from Mrs. Floro the amount of P2.00 for the service rendered in her delivery. Date 12-26-1937, signed, Mrs. Pingson – P.C. nurse.”

The innocent looking priceless document is Lydia Floro-Cruz’s original certificate of birth. In this paper-less, high tech age, Lydia still insists on originality by preserving her personal history.

Lydia’s father was Tiburcio G. Floro, a tall, fairly built and ruggedly handsome graduate of Business Science at Jose rizal College. He was a successful businessman. Her mother was Filomena Allarilla Cruz. Filomena’s family was engaged in the tannery business although she was a pharmacist by profession. Both were born and raised in the jewel of Bulacan, the town of Meycauayan.

F-L-O-R-O The name Lydia was chosen by design. Tiburcio, just like his

firstborn Lydia, was a very methodical, deliberate and highly organized individual. He never took anything for granted. He planned everything including the names and the manner in which the names of his children will be chosen.

Tiburcio decided that the first letter of his wife’s and the first letter of their future children’s first names shall be the same as the letters that spell his family name, F-L-o-r-o. As if by some stroke of fate or perhaps just sheer coincidence, letter F was taken by his wife Filomena. The couple agreed the first born if a girl would be named Lydia, and the rest would be assigned accordingly as new additions to the Floro family came along.

The couple’s wish came true. The additions were, ofelia, rosita and olivia.

In June 1944, Lydia had her first taste of ABC’s. The Floros could have easily opted for an exclusive schools for Lydia but they decided to have her stay in Meycauayan and enroled her at Meycauayan Elementary School. The wonders of learning made her life almost normal. It shielded her from the horrors of World War II and the wholesale destruction that came with it.

As a child, Lydia experienced her first tragic lesson in life. on January 16, 1946, ofelia died of complications from liver infection. The concept of death was too complex and horrifying for her young mind.

For Lydia, it was almost a childhood epiphany. Her spirituality began where ofelia’s life ended. Spirituality perhaps made Lydia a much more focused and mentally strong person. To date, she still draws strength from this spirituality.

She went to St. Mary’s Academy also in Meycauayan to finish her secondary education.

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The Family Cruz. (From Left to Right): Ron, Scott, Joyce, Trent, Cameron, Lydia, Leonard, Joseph, and Ana Marie.

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The Floro siblings posing in front the old family car.

The Floro Ancestral Home at Hulo, Meycauayan, Bulacan.


Lydia’s college graduation photo.


The Teacher and the Guest In 1954, Lydia enrolled at the university of Santo Tomas.

Founded in 1611, this world- renowned institution endured centuries of upheavals and colorful history. The school was actually her father’s choice. Even in college, Lydia’s life was considerably sheltered. While most envied her position, she felt it was more of a handicap. She never had the freedom and independence college students like her usually had.

Despite the Spartan environment, Lydia admits, “I enjoyed college more than high school. I was more active and less shy. I gained confidence. I did better, too, in terms of getting good grades. I’ve always been an average student but absolutely no failing grades.

I was encouraged to be more creative and assertive. My leadership qualities, repressed for many years, suddenly got exposed from out of nowhere. I even headed a couple of small college organizations.”

on March 15, 1957, Lydia C. Floro graduated from the university with a Bachelors degree in Education, major in History & Political Science, minor in Filipino language. Among her notable mentors were Philippine literary icon Jose Villa Panganiban, and national historian Mrs. Mercedes Santa Maria.

At 18, Lydia was teaching high school at St. Mary’s Academy, her alma mater. It was a baptism by fire. Some of her students were older, if not the same age she was. Initially, they intimidated her, made fun and even whistled at her. Eventually, she won them over.

As fate would have it, 1962 was a very good year for Lydia. She was appointed chairperson of the school’s Alumni Homecoming reunion organization committee. Among her assignments was to personally inform and invite people to the event’s “1962 Alumnus of the year Award”.

Leonard Cruz was a soft spoken, tall, handsome and extremely intelligent bachelor from the neighboring town of Bocaue. He was an engineering professor at the Mapua Institute of Technology, the Philippines’ premier engineering institution. Shortly before the event, he was conferred a Master’s degree in Engineering by Thailand’s Asian Institute of Engineering.

Immediately after the awards ceremonies, the dance segment started. Even before the band had a chance to play the first few notes of their opening slow dance number, Leonard was already walking at a brisk pace towards Lydia. When he was about an arm’s length across from her, their eyes met, he leaned slightly forward, extended his slightly trembling hand and whispered in a soft but obviously nervous voice, “ May I have this dance?”

The usually shy and reserved Lydia looked at him, pretended to be surprised, gave a conscious but sweet smile and took his hand.

It was the start of a very solid relationship and lifetime partnership.


Family and the Land of Opportunity Following the death of Filomena, Lydia moved to the united

States to join Leonard who was finishing up his doctorate studies at Duke university in Durham, north Carolina.

At 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 27, 1967, Leonard and Lydia exchanged marriage vows at the historic St. Patrick’s Cathedral in new york.

The Cruz family was blessed with two children, Joseph Anthony and Joyce. Lydia soon joined the ranks of the working moms. Just like any other working mom, she went through the motions. Soon enough, she realized how difficult it was to work and raise children at the same time, without the benefit of household help, and “yayas”. It truly was a rude awakening.

It did not take long for the Cruz family to be convinced that Los Angeles was much more desirable for them than new york City. The pace was much slower and the warmer weather was a definite plus. When ralph Parsons Co. opened its door for Leonard, the family moved to Burbank, California.

A few long and hard years of dedicated, loyal and unwavering service in domestic engineering was more than Lydia could bear. She was 37 and had nothing to show for it, career wise. She felt that personally and professionally, a few idle and unproductive years were enough of a sacrifice. Lydia decided it was time to move on and to focus on her dreams.

“Maybe a little late to some but just right for me because I really wanted to be with my children in their growing years,” she reasoned. She opted to get into the health care field, a complete departure from teaching, her first professional undertaking in the Philippines. And like everyone else who were trying to get their feet wet, she started from the bottom, and took a job not even remotely related to what she has studied and used to do. First, she worked as an entry level medical records

clerk, almost a thankless job. “Suited me fine,” she would later relate. “I knew beggars can’t be choosy. It perfectly applied to my situation. I treasured my new job and took pride in what I did.”

Against All Odds The road Lydia traveled while in America was bumpy at best.

yet, there was no doubt in her mind that it wasn’t going to be easy for middle-aged housewife and mother like herself to start on a new career especially in a very highly competitive field such as the health care industry. All the odds were stacked against her. She wasn’t exactly a fresh, youthful worker she used to be. She classified herself as a matured worker, a rather polite way of saying “less productive, over-aged employee.” neither did she have impressive credentials nor a solid work experience that compensated for the mediocre qualifications she then had.

And obviously, Lydia had the world’s biggest handicap, one she shared with at least half of the entire American population --- her gender.

It was rough sailing at first. But, Lydia was never the type to get easily discouraged. She is a headstrong, determined woman who firmly believes in her credo … “If others can do it, I don’t see any reason why I can’t.”

To say that Lydia is a confident woman is an understatement. She has given new meaning to the word “confident”. She knew exactly who she was, what she wanted, what she was capable of doing, where she wanted to go, how long it would take her to get there, and even better, what she would do when she gets there. She was keenly aware that she only needed four things to get her through the pursuit of her new career; a solid work ethic, a firm conviction, a burning desire to succeed, and a dream … to make it to the top and feel good about it.

Growing stronger: On their 40th Wedding Anniversary...


In less than two decades, Lydia Floro-Cruz did with relative ease what most success driven professionals, businessmen and wall-street types can only hope to achieve in their lifetime, become the chief executive officer of a chain of healthcare entities. She became the sole owner of a top level corporation that employs over two thousand mostly Filipino employees.

All these and much more, she did on her own. Her basic principle was work hard and the money will follow. She insisted on doing everything by the book. She earned money the old fashion way; she worked hard for it.

Focused Dreams Lydia Floro-Cruz of Hulo, Meycauayan, Bulacan was a dreamer.

What distinguished her from other dreamers is that she stops at nothing to make her dreams come true.

She dreamt to be an efficient and reliable worker. She became one. She dreamt to be a capable manager. She taught herself to be a good one. She dreamt to be an effective and highly respected corporate executive. She was one.

She dreamt to be a successful entrepreneur and become financially independent before she reaches the retirement age. She did. She dreamt to be instrumental in caring for the elderly. Her facilities care for them now.

She dreamt she would someday unselfishly share her bounty with those in need. She does now through her numerous charitable deeds and philanthropic activities.

She dreamt of being a grandma. She is blessed with three

wonderful grandchildren. She dreamt to someday be on top of the world. She is there,

now.

Recognition Lydia Floro-Cruz’s personal and business accomplishments

did not go unnoticed. The accolades and recognitions are too many. But a few worth mentioning are: Corporate Achievement (kalampusan Award) – SIPA April 24, 2010, 103 Most Influential People in the Cities of Glendale, La Canada, La Cresenta & Montrose, Philanthropist of the year – Filipino Chamber of Commerce, ulirang Ina Award – Greater Inland Empire Filipino Association, Helena Hunt Award – WISE Senior Services, Commendation for Service – County of Los Angeles, Woman of the year – Manila u.S. Times, Distinguished Humanitarian & Philanthropist – County of Los Angeles, and DAnGAL nG LIPI – Province of Bulacan.

Retirement Many retired employees, career professionals, and even

entrepreneurs have a hard time and experience great difficulties coping. Some are caught unprepared to deal with mostly monotonous and repetitive post retirement activities. A few are unable to handle the loss of power, authority, leverage and perhaps identity. In extreme cases, a considerable number suffer acute depression.

not Lydia Floro-Cruz.

With other friends at the Vatican Library.

With Los Angeles Archbishop Cardinal Roger Mahony.

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The couple in an audience with Pope Benedict XVI.

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She found life after retirement. In fact, she is mildly surprised that there are times when her schedules are much more hectic than before.

Last May, 2006, Lydia Floro-Cruz officially retired as President and C.E.o. of Trinity nursing Home Management. She left the reins to son Joseph Cruz, Joyce Carey and adopted daughter Ana Marie Levita.

Barely a week after retirement, she picked up the phone and enrolled herself to a private computer crash course. It was in fact very first time she touched a computer key board. The Grandma from Meycauayan is now computer savvy.

When not spending quality time with the grandchildren, Cameron, Trent and Scott, Lydia and Leonard like to visit their vacation homes in Las Vegas and Beaumont, and favorite places like Sidona, Arizona or Durham, n.C.

Leonard and Lydia travel out of the country at least four times a year. Since her retirement, they have toured or cruised to Tahiti, Panama Canal, Scandinavia, South East Asia, Antarctica and South America.

on their wedding anniversary this September 27, 2010, the couple will go around the world by a private jet sponsored by the National Geographic.

rather than slow down, Lydia’s community service activities picked up considerably since she has more time now to attend to her favorite charities and foundations.

Lydia Floro-Cruz is considered as one of the most influential and successful Filipino-American fund raisers in Southern California. A phone call from Lydia could literally translate into tens of thousand in donations from benefactors and donors who are always more than willing and honored to participate and contribute to her noble causes. Some of Lydia’s highly successful fund raising projects are for the following: The Filipino Friends of the Cathedral Foundation, Inc., Sponsorship for Scholarships at St. Francis High Scholl in La Canada, Meycauayan Association of Southern California, St. Bede the Venerable Church, Sponsorship for Seminarians in the uS and Philippines and the Biblioteca Apostolica Vatican.

As founder and chairperson of Meycauayan Association of Southern California, she is spearheading an aggressive campaign to raise enough money to fund the construction of a computer lab and the purchase of brand new computer units for Meycauayan Elementary School. The school’s two outdated and barely working computer units and the building that housed them were destroyed during the recent typhoons that flooded the town.

one of Lydia’s most challenging yet rewarding charitable accomplishments was the completion of a state-of-the-art 100-bed building complex and convention facility for the nazareth Street Children, an orphanage located in Bonga Menor, Bustos Bulacan. She personally funded the project including the furnishings, school bus and annual stipend.

Last May 5, 2010 Leonard and Lydia had a pre-arranged audience with Pope Benedict VI. Afterwards, the couple, together with several officers of the Filipino Friends of the Cathedral, Foundation, Inc. handed a check to the Vatican Library. It was part of the funds raised by the foundation under Lydia’s chairmanship.

Gratitude Lydia is keenly aware that she is truly blessed in so many ways.

For this, she is extremely grateful. It is but fitting that she dedicates everything she was, she is and will be to her Maker. g

Lydia’s grandchildren: Cameron, Trent, and Scott.

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| business & treasure | By JoSE JorGE GAVIoLA • LouIE Jon A. SAnCHEz | THE AJPrESS

Chelsi Leather and Services Inc., a pioneer of the Meycauayan leather industry is leading the way in continuing age-old its legacy. The family behind this thriving business has explored the many potentials of leather in their company’s many year’s of existence. Today, it continues to set its sights in further conquering the world through more crafty and artistic leather products.

owner Mary Lazaro, talked to Balikbayan Magazine and discussed the current challenges and possibilities of Meycauayan leather. With the fusion of new technology and time-tested practice, the company has been providing not only the country but also the world, high quality leather.

“China products for one pose a serious challenge. But it’s not an exclusive slowdown though,” Lazaro says. “Merchandise coming from

China are priced so cheap, for instance, you can get clothes for only Php 50 each. you cannot do that here. Just imagine the cost that we allocate for the cloth used and, of course, labor.”

Though it is evident that the leather industry is experiencing a slowdown in the past few years, Chelsi is determined to make a full turn-around with their business, after all, quality trumps quantity any time of the day.

“We have to surmount a few obstacles and truly become competitive. For instance, products that come from China are usually synthetic leather and not the real deal. So, there’s no worry about that.” Lazaro explains.

She further mentions that, “leather is very much in demand abroad and the price tag that they carry is truly hefty, sometimes or well, most of the time these exporters buy their leather from tropical countries where the leather industry isn’t robust, and import it cheap.”

Then and nowTo further augment their efforts, Chelsi has already diversified

its products to meet changing demands, from raw materials to end products. The company produces leather for footwear, bags, belts, accessories, upholstery, and automotive purposes from cow, carabao

THE PHILIPPInE LEATHEr industry is facing manifold challenges. But it keeps itself alive, at least in a locale like Meycauayan, Bulacan, where it has been thriving for centuries.


(buffalo), goat, fish, snake, ostrich, and crocodile. The company does not limit itself to these hides as it can utilize any

kind of skin. Chelsi offers genuine top-class leather of all kinds. It aims not only to scrutinize leather quality, but also to ensure affordability.

Lazaro says that Chelsi distinguishes itself from other companies who only use cow and carabao hide, in jest; she says that only human skin is not on the list of their “leather goods” because it’s too thin.

“Cow hides are good, because the skin is big. you can do a lot with it. ostrich skins, on the other hand, although they’re not too big, are pricey as well. I guess it goes with the territory of being exotic.”

“The brand name figures in the equation, if you ask me. But, you also like the raw materials used. It’s like finding a dress with the best design you’ve ever seen and you would like it to be made with the best cloth you can think of. Same with leather goods, not only are you going to buy the bag for its aesthetically pleasing look but the materials used factor in as well,” she chides.

ProcessA tannery business these days isn’t complete without the much-

vaunted “environmentally compliant” processes to ensure that the business runs with the least impact to the environment, the ecosystem,

and the community. Lazaro opined that, “in those days, the smell was just so abhorrent.

The tanning process just hasn’t been perfected yet the technology was still in its prehistory, so to speak.

“I think the industry would do well to help each other in any which way but the best way that it can,” Lazaro says about the service that Chelsi offers other companies. Chelsi’s advanced technology makes it possible to upgrade leather quality with regards to its tanning, dyeing, and, finishing.

Such advancements have grown favorable results in both clients’ satisfaction and business reaps, that this success has led to the construction of a new building to expand the company. In the interest of being environmental friendly, this expansion includes the treatment of the water systems so as to avoid any hazards detrimental to the environment.

Expertise in leather production, techniques and methods that comes from years of experience, as well as technological advancements in processes and equipments have made Chelsi competent both here and abroad. “Well, we are here to continue what our great, great grandparents have started. Surely it has been a hard road, but I think we will still continuously improve this industry and hope that market becomes more favorable in the future.” Lazaro mentions. g

PHoTo By LE GrAnDE PEDroCHE | THE AJPrESS

bY MArie AnGeli sYJueCO | PhOtOs bY le GrAnde PedrOChe | the AJPress

The Miracles of Sta. Maria


Leap of Faith

| balikbayanmagazine.com | JUNE – JULY �010 | balikbayan | ��

I could only imagine how it felt like. Bro. Carmelo said, “I asked why me? There are a lot of better and more blessed people. I know that I am a sinner. But the Mother of Eucharist and Grace said that she looks at how pure is the heart.”

It is not surprising that Bro. Carmelo felt fear and confusion. “I thought I was losing my sanity. And so I consulted a priest to find out what’s happening to me, and what these visions meant,” he said.

The Mother of the Eucharist and Grace had three wishes, that through Bro. Carmelo, the people would go back to the roman Catholic Church; that the people should receive the body and blood of Christ; and the need for prayer for the priests.

“The church received these manifestations negatively. They questioned the need to pray for the priests,” Bro. Carmelo said. Moreover, he said that when he had the privilege to speak to the late Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, even they believed that the priests need prayer.

It was through the decree of the Bishop of the Diocese of Malolos that the devotion to the Mother of the Eucharist and Grace was permitted. Bishop Cirilo Almario was the head of the Diocese of Malolos back then, and he himself witnessed the miracle of healing through Bro. Carmelo. He was supposed to undergo a bypass operation in 1991 but through the grace of the Mother of Eucharist and Grace, he was healed.

Bro. Carmelo was able to build the Shrine in honor of the Mother of Eucharist and Grace, which is also the first replica of the Holy Land nativity here in the Philippines and the whole of Asia. Through the collective efforts of different individuals from all over the Philippines, they were able to build the House of Prayer, which is the aim of Bro. Carmelo. The shrine together with the chapel forms an L-shape, which for him means love.

The Holy Land replica must be some form of coincidence, or both a miracle and a blessing. “I prayed that I would be able to go to the Holy Land. A month after, my prayers were heard. When I got there, I asked, how would I be able to bring this Holy Land to the Philippines,” Bro. Carmelo said.

When they were doing the excavation, the high grounds collapsed and they discovered caves. They saw human bones, old utensils and metals, which they buried under the main altar of the chapel. “In return, we received a greater treasure from God, which is faith,” Bro. Carmelo said.

The Shrine is house to relics, documents and other replicas which came from the Holy Land. A part of the grounds of the Shrine also has soil from the Holy Land. It means a lot to a Catholic like me to be able to set foot on holy grounds. And it is indeed a blessing

IT’S My FIrST TIME to meet a miracle worker. In Balikbayan Magazine’s recent trip to Sta. Maria, Bulacan, we met Bro. Carmelo Cortez, an ordinary man blessed with special gifts from God. It was in June 12, 1991, Bro. Carmelo, then at 21, first witnessed manifestations of rose petals with religious images, and healing. He saw the Mother of Eucharist and Grace, a young lady dressed in white and bathed in brilliant light. Her heart was visible with the Eucharist at the center surrounded by golden stars. She held a rosary on her right hand and a scapular on her left.

The Mother of Eucharist and Grace seen from the House of Prayer’s main altar.


A look inside the replica of the Holy Land Nativity.


that we have the Shrine here in the Philippines. Through this, we become closer to our devotion and faith.

Bro. Carmelo wants to show the people that solitude, prayer and God are free for everyone. Thus, in the Shrine of the Mother of Eucharist and Grace, they removed all forms of collections for donations from the people. Moreover, the collections done during masses are given to the seminaries for them to be able to help in the education of the less fortunate.

In his mission to help the people, Bro. Carmelo makes sure that for every rich hospital he visits, he would also go to three poor hospitals. Sometimes he would receive gifts like fruits from those he was able to help, thus, he shares these fruits to the less fortunate. Bro. Carmelo’s parents taught him not to ask for anything in return from the people he helps.

Through the replica of the Holy Land he is able to bring the people closer to the Eucharist and the Eucharist closer to the people. His aim is to build little shrines in the hearts of the people. This is similar to the Catholic teaching that the church is not just a structure but rather the collective faith of all the people.

“A true miracle is to be able to continue breathing each day. It is a miracle that you wouldn’t have to go through dialysis. It is a miracle that you are able to eat everyday. And most especially, it is a miracle from God that you have a complete family,” Bro. Carmelo said.

Apart from his mission to serve God, he is also busy managing the Bayad Center, which is under Meralco. He also has a program at the radyo Veritas every Sunday. And as a family man, he fulfills his obligations as a husband to his wife and a father to his three children, one of whom is about to be ordained this year.

As a father, he makes sure that he is able to instill a sense of responsibility to his children. “Ang baon nila depende sa dami ng isinulat nila sa notebook. I do a random check of my children’s

notebooks to make sure that they study well in school. When I see something wrong, I do deductions from their allowance,” he said.

Their house may be open 25 hours a day to all the people who need help. Moreover, Bro. Carmelo knows the value of privacy. He is more of the unpopular healer. He believes that privacy gives him time to stop and pray.

Bro. Carmelo admitted that if he was able to choose, he would want a simpler and normal life. nevertheless, he is thankful to God that he has a family who believes in him. And this must be the greatest gift for Bro. Carmelo that he has a source of strength which is the love and support coming from his family and friends.

I wondered if there were people who didn’t experience a miracle and blamed Bro. Carmelo. Thus, he said, “Even if I wasn’t able to cure some of the people, at least I was able to bring faith and hope to their hearts. And that is what’s important.” He

believes that faith can move a mountain. For him, sickness is not a form of punishment but, it’s a purification of the body.

With his gift, he can’t avoid criticisms. However, Bro. Carmelo receives them with gratitude. He knows that through these criticisms, he would be able to make amends and change.

We were graced with the opportunity to witness the manifestations of images on rose petals. At first, I felt

nervous. Deep within, there was a feeling of doubt that an image would appear on the rose petal.

Bro. Carmelo took the rose I brought to him, and put its petals to my chest, laid his hand on my head and prayed.

Then he told me to raise the petal to the light, and there I saw a clear image of a woman with a veil. Bro. Carmelo told me that it must be St. Therese of the Child Jesus. Coincidentally, St. Therese is also one of my patrons because she is the patron saint of one of my former

schools. Perhaps it is more appropriate to say that the true miracle

happens when the people’s faith strengthen that’s why Bro. Carmelo is able to perform healing. “We don’t want the people

to focus on manifestations but rather to the sacrament. The miracle is not in the petals, not in the laying of hands; the true miracle is in our hearts,” he said. g

Manifestation of the image of St. Therese of the Child Jesus on a rose petal.


| scenic roots | By JoEL PABLo SALuD • PHoToS By LE GrAnDE D. PEDroCHE | THE AJPrESS

A rendition of the meeting of the Women of Malolos with Governor General Valeriano Weyler, on display at the Casa Real in Malolos.


IT WAS 1898. Life as Filipinos knew it was about to make a radical turn. The fight for freedom was at its tail’s end, and Spain was losing its grip on the colonies. The execution of propagandist Dr. Jose rizal had already sparked a collaborative Tagalog revolution under the Supremo’s katipunan that was to continue till the very edge of the turn of the 20th century. As such, Spanish troops had begun to thin out and funding for war had become scarce. A drastic decision was to be made by the king of Spain: Sell Filipinas, Puerto rico and Cuba for the sum of $20 million. It was Spain’s sleekest strategy ever. The once powerful Castilian nation was losing the war against the efforts of Filipino patriots to be free. And powerful America—relatively fresh out of the cot after a hundred years of independence—was at the foot of the door, knocking, ready to purchase what can now be said were discarded goods after more than three centuries of abuse and misuse.

| scenic roots | By JoEL PABLo SALuD • PHoToS By LE GrAnDE D. PEDroCHE | THE AJPrESS

30 | balikbayan | JUNE – JULY �010 | balikbayanmagazine.com |

Earlier, almost kept out of sight if not for history’s amusing surprises, Jose rizal wrote a letter to the women of Malolos. That it was written with such candor, wisdom and straightforward awareness revealed only its true intentions: The revelation of the man’s intellectual autobiography. Here, rizal spoke of character and religion, of love and faith, of courage the women were already known to possess, and of the things these women, whose innocence was well defined, ought to understand amid the wiles of the powers-that-be. Though history is mum to the possibility that there may had been continuing correspondences between rizal and the women of Malolos, one thing is certain: That single letter was almost prophetic in its declarations, even with rizal scarcely knowing that Malolos would one day become the cradle of our democracy, the “mother” from which our nation’s Constitution would be born.

Stretched along the Calumpit river laid the beginnings of what was to be the quiet town of Malolos, Bulacan. Spanish missionaries had begun to clear the area of lush growth when they stumbled upon a small barrio of natives already living along the river’s edge. Malolos, a derivative of the word in the native tongue, meaning “downstream,” was coined by the Spaniards as the settlement grew. The people were farmers and weavers, diligent to a fault. The Manila-Dagupan railway built in 1892 contributed much to the development of the more than four thousand hectares of what we

now know as one of the country’s rice bowls.What was to be Malolos’ shining moment came in the form

of a revolution that was about to take a triumphant leap: To, at last, declare itself free. on July 18, nearly on the eve of the 20th Century, Aguinaldo had sounded the call for a revolutionary congress of some 50 delegates to represent the people in our first attempt at governance. Two months later, the revolutionary congress took place in Barasoain Church in Malolos, Bulacan, complete with an atmosphere that was both jovial and, may it be said, nationalistic. This was to be known later as the famous Malolos Congress where, among other achievements, the declaration of Philippine independence was ratified, the Philippine Constitution was drafted, and war against the united States was declared.

It was the first of its kind republican constitution in Asia, inspired by such constitutions drafted and ratified by Guatemala, Mexico, Costa rica, Brazil, Belgium and France. The Constitution, drafted by a committee headed by Felipe Calderon and assisted by Cayetano Arellano, was clear: To develop a republic with three co-equal branches of government—Executive, Judicial, Legislative; it called for the separation of church and state; the Legislature will appoint the Supreme Court’s Chief Justice with the consensus of the President and the new Cabinet. With no further changes proposed by Apolinario Mabini, finally, the Constitution of the first Philippine

The Kalayaan Tree in front of the Malolos Cathedral—a proud witness to revolutionary conversations.


republic was set in place in 1899. Aguinaldo stood as President of the infant republican government, with Apolinario Mabini as Prime Minister.

It has been a matter of debate why rizal had written such a poignant letter to the women of Malolos. He wrote, “Important indeed are the duties that women must fulfill in order to relieve the country of her sufferings, but they are not beyond the strength and character of the Filipino woman to perform. Everybody knows the power and the prudence of the women of the Philippines. Hence they blind them, chain them, weaken their spirit, so sure are they that so long as the mother is a slave, all her children can be enslaved also. This is the reason of the enslavement of Asia: the women of Asia are ignorant and oppressed. Europe and America are powerful because there the women are free and educated, their mind is lucid and their character is strong.”

rizal had admitted to doubting Filipino women’s capacity for courage all because the Filipina has been known to exhibit some of humanity’s most endearing qualities. “When I wrote the Noli me tangere I pondered long on whether or not courage was a common virtue of the young women of the country. Though I searched my memory diligently, though I recalled one by one all the young women I have known since childhood, only a few conformed to the ideal I longed for.” That such sweet dispositions and gentle

manners of the Filipina shine without pause oftentimes got them into trouble with the friars who were by nature abusive. In fact, rizal’s advice was clear: “It is no longer the highest wisdom to bow the head to every unjust order, the highest goodness to smile at an insult, to seek solace in humble tear.”

Little did rizal know that these women of Malolos would one day stand as “mother” to a republic that needed, more than ever, courage and resiliency to survive.

The republic proclaimed in Malolos was rather short-lived with the coming of the Americans. But even while under the tutelage of the Commonwealth, the Filipino dream to once more govern himself had never faded. Many believe that the letter of rizal to the women of Malolos was merely a parochial correspondence, specifically written for women; for others, it was prophetic of the blueprint needed for a strong and stable government—the women being a metaphor for the republic.

Barring aside the mysticism that usually follows the epistles of heroes, the letter of Jose rizal to the women of Malolos was nothing less than what it was, and still is: The wise counsel of a hero on courage and expression of wisdom, on possessing insight and strength of character, on learning to listen but never bowing to oppression, on goodness and kindness and courage. For all intents and purposes, it is a letter the men of our generation should do well to also heed. g

The Barasoain Church.


The sala at the Bautista Ancestral Home in Malolos.


When one went to Europe, everybody did England because everything was in English, and rome, because of some strange religion we just happened to have at home, too—nobody went to Spain. All we knew of Spain were the Spanish missions in California, just because there was San Francisco and Los Angeles. And due to the outdated Spain-bashing which the Americans left us after replacing Spanish with Americanese (the American brand of the king’s English), we revered everything Hollywood and democratic, but couldn’t relate to the classic columns and divorce rates of the new masters. our education in schools still cast the Spaniards as villains and the Americans as liberators.

But why couldn’t we say the same thing about our churches? or the old movie houses? or our schoolhouses? or why was it so difficult to find the Filipino? Every single book we read in school talked about apples and snow, and nothing about Noche Buena and castañas. We couldn’t understand the duality of American democracy and the principles of a great Good Friday procession. Much less about how life was in the provinces… and the great times we had turning our faces violet with duhat and climbing the aratiles tree as we played with our neighbors.

There was no real conscious quest for identity, until I realized that the only real place I could practice my newly-learned skill for conservation was back home. Why didn’t I take the next step and jump ship to live in Spain where I took my Masters? or Germany where I earlier had a two-year apprenticeship while freezing in the cold monasteries and palaces. And why didn’t I even decide to move to the States? It was just plain practical I would practice back home. What use was there to practice conservation on—Italian villas or Liberty Bells? It just didn’t seem to be the next step.

All along the way, I just couldn’t find the grand old houses with wide capiz shell windows and the squat massive churches in Spain. Everything was all closed up due to the cold—no wide windows and wide floors, no dirty ice cream outside the school. or the tasty Choc-nut you would buy from big garapons at the neighborhood sari-sari store on our way home.

IT ALL STArTED with a Masters degree in Spain. ostensibly, as an architect, I had decided to take the scholarship to find out once and for all what constituted Philippine Architecture. Everybody said we didn’t have any real architecture. We had a lot of Spanish churches, Spanish houses, etc. But why was it so difficult to grasp? And why was there a need anyway? Everybody wanted to go abroad (funny, though, “abroad” meant the united States).

bY rene luis MAtA

PHoToS By LE GrAnDE D. PEDroCHE | THE AJPrESS


Everything in Spain was so familiar—yet also so strange. on the other end of the spectrum, everything in new york was wonderful, until one learned one had to fend for himself and make do without a cup of steamed rice and dried fish until you get to the neighborhood Asian grocer. It lacked the Filipino sensibility that a gregarious Filipino needed. The ability to shout back at your neighbor in the next house, or the puto vendor who missed your street a day ago just didn’t fit in an American suburb. Just to get your daily ration of taho just didn’t cut it. What was I missing in the subways of new york and the Highways of LA?

Where did it all go?Then it dawned on me, after peeling away the layers of

frustration, that it was still there back home—only years of denial had left all the evidence of the Philippine past in dusty Spanish archives, and in a language that had been banned by colonial policy but had creeped in through the vernacular architecture and lofty Visayan languages all over the islands, which had left it inaccessible to our lazy modern day armchair historians. Even American sources did not relate about how much was lost in the exigencies of the Spanish-American War—much less how the campaigns evolved into the Philippine American War and had almost wiped out what was already an interesting hybrid culture. And hybrid defined as a mix, not as a half-caste concept. Talking about the Japanese devastation later on in 1945 was not even imagined.

So what was Philippine architecture after all? And what was left of it to start with? What made us rearrange space in utterly different ways whether we were in America or Europe or downtown Malate? There must be a continued link to such vast resources.

The journey has been long and rewarding, as the opportunity to educate the young had also presented itself to me along the way, via tenured appointment at the State university. Studies on villages and towns now widened my scope. I now was questioning communities as a Filipino would question how to get from one point to another in one’s search for identity, not whether this or that building looked like poor copies of something in a glossy calendar. What made the bigger picture made more of an impression,

how communities had an air of the Filipino as against whether something looked like a poor copy of a famous edifice abroad. Why did Vigan have to be a Spanish town? Why couldn’t we be satisfied with zamboanga as a unique Fil-Hispanic blend instead of calling it Asia’s Latin City? Perhaps we were missing the forest for the trees.

So now the search for the Filipino had to do with “community,” and not whether buildings looked Spanish enough or American. There even was the insidious concept of the “colonial” as a different perspective all along. That meant dealing with our architecture as Philippine architecture of the Spanish—or American-Colonial Period. We were for all intents and purposes a colony of several masters, so naturally the influence on our built environment. But then that’s as far as it probably went. Influence does not mean style. or way of life. The propensity for man to rearrange his environment denies the concept of purity and originality in culture.

So perhaps what we really missed all along was what we may call a string of related behaviors and experiences. Maybe this is what we may call “homesickness” as against “house”-sickness. What makes the home but the people creating it in habit and familiarity? now if we extend that to a whole neighborhood, then we’ve got a culture—a way of life.

So this was actually what all this Identity Crisis meant. Trying to look for the familiar so that one knows what’s unfamiliar. Maybe that’s what all this conservation is all about. A house of concrete and glass does not have that familiarity as a native hut. one cannot arrange a home of concrete and glass unless he’s decided what made it different from a house of native material. What more if it’s a whole group of concrete and glass. Things just won’t feel the same—it had to be designed to be lived in. Then again, we fashioned great edifices to cope with the tropical Philippine environment—not Antillan or Spanish or Mediterranean—just Filipino. We used material existing in the islands together with introduced ones to satisfy this experience.

And that’s why I do what I do. Look for the traces of this familiarity and try to retain and conserve it. What better thing to do than find what’s missing in you? g


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the culinary shrines of malolos


In our rECEnT JournEy in the City of Malolos, we not only were struck by the sights and sites of revolutionary history. We were also captivated by the culinary junctures this historic city showcases. Each locale has a culinary secret, and we found out that this city was definitely also a sweet tooth’s haven.

Internet Photo


Just a kilometer drive away from the Tabang Exit at the north Luzon Expressway, at the junction of Malolos and Guiginto, there is this one culinary shrine you will never ever miss. Its front store is always packed with people, carrying back to their vehicles boxfuls of popular Bulacan sweets and pastries, quite a usual scene in any destination.

But these boxes sporting the signature green checkered design contain not just any other pastry. For the people flocking this store right after the Malolos Arch, they are taking home a piece of a well-kept family recipe.

In a span of more than two decades, Eurobake, the brand and the bakeshop, has become a by-word among Malolos and Bulacan locals and pastry lovers. But its history dates back to pre-war times when the ramos Family, who began the baskeshop in 1983, still made bread in that old, quaint panaderia in the Malolos Poblacion.

In the mid-40s, the matriarch, Salome ramos, a natural pastry connoisseur, created in her kitchen what would be a merienda hit among the Malolos folks. Calling it “inipit”, she culled the name from the Tagalog word to describe the pastry which puts in a thick and sweet custard-like mixture spread between two beds of flat sponge cake.

In 1983, two years after going on a European trip, husband and wife rene and Bessie ramos thought of continuing the family

legacy through Eurobake. Buying the property in its present location, the business grew fast and the treats became popular. Aside from Inipit, the bakeshop also carried another one of Malolos’ favorite pastries, the Ensaymada.

Today, Eurobake is at the helm of son raymond ramos, who led us back down memory lane in that first stop of our Bulacan culinary tour. The husband and wife team later on joined the group to show how the tempting pastries are made.

“Ensaymadas are always best with Queso de Bola and Quesong Puti,” says rene, who originally worked in the construction business. “The original ensaymadas are simply baked bread with lard on top. But we Filipinos are so creative, we’ve topped it all up with so many things like ham and salted egg. We always love extras, I think,” chides raymond, while helping out prepare the specialty extra large ensaymadas.

While many have followed suit in selling their own brands of the ensaymadang Malolos, Eurobake is proud that their pastry remains a well-guarded family recipe, a remembrance of the old town ensaymada from the times of their Panaderia Concepcion.

The inipit meawhile remains a hit, as Eurobake continues to expand. With stalls in the Greenbelt Mall in Makati and in the Greenhills Shopping Center, the third generation ramoses of Eurbake continues to carry the legacy which began in the kitchens of their forebears.

The Ramoses in the kitchen: Rene, Richard and Bessie with one of the bakers, as they prepare mouth-watering ensaymada.

| balikbayanmagazine.com | JUNE – JULY �010 | balikbayan | 3�

PHoToS By LE GrAnDE D. PEDroCHE | THE AJPrESS

After the early morning treat of ensaymada and inipit, we drove to the outskirts of Malolos, onto the street aptly named “Inang Wika,” or mother language in Tagalog, in the barangay of Caniogan. There lives a woman who has been known for being the master of a dying culinary paper craft. With the remaining strength she could muster, she attempts to pass it on to the generation of today, through her daughters-in-law and younger relatives.

Much has been written about ka Luz ocampo, 82, the woman known for her wonderfully made pastillas wrappers. But our visit has shown that she remains an enigma. A woman of a few words, she lets her hands do the talking, quite literally. With her small pair of scissors, she creates in an almost sleight-of-hand fashion, intricately designed paper wrappers that adorn the favorite local milk candy.

ka Luz learned the craft at the age of 11. “In our town of San Miguel, schools used to teach this paper craft. It used to be an everyday affair,” remembers ka Luz. “But slowly, it was phased out, and only a few of us have managed to continue doing it.”

ka Luz’s design ranges from the bahay-kubo and Maria Clara to native landscape and figures. “I take my design from nature. I love to observe, to look around. That’s where I get my inspiration.”

Looking in her eyes, one could easily see how perceptive ka Luz is. In our conversation, she opens a box where she keeps finely crafted pastillas wrappers in different shapes, sizes, and colors. She explains how these beautiful wraps are made. “I first think of a design. I already have designs though, which I draw on each piece of papel de japon. After tracing, I do the folding and the cutting. one cutting could make at least four wrappers.”

ka Luz also fondly remembers her mother who made the sweets. “It’s something we did together before,” she recalls. Aside from the pastillas wrappers, the legendary woman is also visited for another crafty product—fruit carvings.

After showing us her wrappers, she brought in a bottle of cooked carved dayap swimming in syrup. The flowery design was astounding. “That’s more complicated to make by the way,” ka Luz adds. “I used to make a lot of those but my dayap tree started to wilt. It died recently.”

ka Luz’s talent has touched so many people, including high profile individuals like the artist Jaime zobel, who recently gifted her with a collage of photographs of her pastillas wrappers. “Don Jaime personally requested that I trace his name in the paper. It’s a wonderful gift,” she says. And her eyes continue to sparkle, as if swimming in the memories of a past she has been able to bring in this at once, forgetful era.

After an afternoon of historical tours, we ended up in what looks like a fast food for kakanins and sweets in Barangay Santa Isabel. known as Citang’s, the store which has open windows and wide tables for diners is frequented here for its sumptuous rice cakes and other Bulacan delicatessen since the 1970s. The treats are very much in demand that by the time we reached the place, many of its favorites are almost sold out. Citang’s is owned by the Encarnados, another old Malolos culinary family.

From the old bakeries to the kakanin stands, Malolos gives that kind of pleasurable sugar rush, almost sinful to some extent. But the history says it all, even the famed Women of Malolos who are supposedly masters of the kitchen. If Malolos is another republic, it must be a republic of sweets. g

The grand old lady of pabalat, Ka Luz

Ocampo. Inset, right: a bottle of Ka Luz’s fruit carving.

| essence of place | By LouIE Jon A. SAnCHEz | PHoToS By LE GrAnDE D. PEDroCHE | THE AJPrESS

The Miracle

Town

oBAnDo In BuLACAn, like many of its counterpart shrines around the Metropolis, is a town full of history and myth. It thrives in the waters surrounding it, and much of its stories have placed these very bodies of water at the fore of the lives of the people. Topographically an estuary, the town is nestled by the rivers Meycauayan and Pinagkabalian, and the creeks Paco, Hulo and Pag-asa. The water world of the obando folks has long been given to fishing, and much of it is still seen in the present day town, which serves as a gateway to Bulacan in the northwestern region of Metro Manila.

Along with the locale of Polo (now the City of Valenzuela), obando, known then as the town

of Catangalan, was part of the present day Municipality of Meycauayan in the 18th century.

Polo became a separate municipality and became a separate entity in 1623, with some of the parts of obando attached to it. In 1753, by way of a directive by then Governor General Francisco de obando y Solis Marquez, the town became a separate entity, and was named after the good governador, who would eventually lose his life in the historical 700 years War in the hands of British forces.



Later on, a group led by Don Francisco Morales y Mozabe initiated taking over the reins of providing order to the town. obando officially became a municipality in 1907, and even managed to reclaim a locale which was part of navotas.

obando is rich known for its bountiful seafood, but it is also popular for its grandiose celebrations. Around mid-May, the town gathers not only locals but many visitors from the different sides of town to celebrate what could be considered the long reign of a holy triumvirate. The obando Town Fiesta, known to many for its festive street dancing, has long been frequented by single men and women wishing for marriage, and couples yearning to have children. The main religious spectacles, San Pascual Baylon, Santa Clara de Assisi, and the Virgin Mary of Salambaw, have been known for granting wishes of good husbands and wives, and even miraculous pregnancies, that the fiesta honoring them became an important fixture of the colorful Filipino cultural landscape.

Who could forget that familiar tune which serenades St. Francis’ sister, she who is known to have carried out a monstrance despite her frailty, to protect her abbey from tormentors?: “Santa Clarang pinong-pino/ Ang pangako ko’y ganito/ Pagdating ko sa obando,/ Sasayaw ako ng pandanggo.” The song is well ingrained in local consciousness that it even earned for itself a astute rephrasing, “Santa Clarang pinong-pino/ Ako po’y bigyan ninyo/ ng asawang labintatlo;/ Sa gastos di magreklamo.” The faithful sings in this tune as a form of novena while they

transport the images of their patrons back to the Church of San Pascual, where dancing and festivities continue. We have heard so many stories of answered prayers from many people who have completed their panata in obando. The testimonials transcended the boundaries of personal history. They became what seems to be lasting folk literature.

The scholar of folklore Damiana Eugenio, for instance, has found two versions of the obando story in her Philippine Folk Literature series. The first involves the discovery of the image of the nuestra Señora de Salambaw, which the teller specifically dates to 1770. “(S)ome fishermen from Malabon reached obando waters where their efforts were rewarded by a big catch… At about midnight, they felt that the salambaw suddenly became heavy… Everyone had to lend a helping hand before they were able to raise the salambaw from the water.” When the fishermen raised their net, they found “a wooden figure of the Virgin Mary, standing and dripping.” “Each made the sign of the cross as a symbol of welcome and respect for the Mother of Christ.” The story consistently recalls the popular iconography of the obando virgin standing in the indigenous net salambaw (or salambao in some accounts), where it obviously got its name. But the story of course didn’t just end there.

The men apparently continued fishing and they “caught more than enough.” After they did, they decided to bring the virgin to Malabon. The virgin seemed to have another place in mind,

and “their vessel would not move to Malabon; instead, it drifted toward obando.” The men gave in to the desires of the virgin, and upon reaching the shore of Bantilan, “a place near the church of obando along the banks of the river,” they were surprised to find “a crowd of men, women, and children all dancing with glee upon seeing them.” Apparently, everyone was “awakened by a woman”

“mcdomeng” and other melancholy memories of obando


From where I used to stay in Valenzuela City, obando—measuring the shortest distance between two points—is just a two-kilometer horizon among parcels of bangus, sugpo, and tilapia ponds. Even on a hazy day, the San Pascual Baylon bell tower and American-era tangke de agua can be seen from our backyard. Kwitis display can be watched and heard during fiestas signaling the start of the morning fertility rites procession, and my family’s fifteen-minute tricycle return to the hometown.

While I only briefly studied in obando, I am still proud of being one of the voracious talaba munchers of my hometown, a habitué of a local greasy burger joint called “McDomeng”, a hole in the wall somewhere in Barangay Catanghalan. The owner was named—you guessed it right—Mang Domeng, who, aside from being the owner of the former burger monopoly in obando, had a minor role as the character “Domeng” in Iskul Bukol, the sitcom of the new wave and Betamax generation. (Last I heard from an obando e-group on Facebook, the burger joint is still lording over the town’s burger industry, but now on a classier establishment.)

At the onset of the Spandau Ballet and Bagets epoch, Sundays were obando days. After attending mass, my family would visit aunts, uncles and cousins. We share the same fried tilapia, paksiw na ayungin, a shrimp variety called “hipong puti” in sampaloc broth and—far from the aphrodisiac notion of my elementary and still tender mind—talaba swimming in garlic-vinegar. During these short but frequent visits, I became the local text (not the SMS but the popular betting game using an inch by two-inch cards, one side printed with drawings of stills from local action movies of Dante Varona and Anthony Alonzo) and rubber band mogul cum plunderer of my playmates.

Write of passage

bY JOselitO d. delOs reYes

noT THAT I don’t have a hometown, but I used to long for what my college buddies and colleagues have—a hometown brimming with pastoral air, a

two-month preparation for a journey during extended holidays, the challenge of landing a discounted airfare ticket, and bringing in goodies after vacation. not with obando,

my minimum-fare hometown because of her proximity to the bustling metro. Jeepney-fare as

of this writing: Php 15 from Monumento, the heart of Caloocan City.

I have so many hometown memories. It was there where I first puffed a Marlboro, gulped my first bitter brown bottle on a family reunion, and first blurred my vision courtesy of the pricey thirty-peso long-necks and cheaper bilogs and lapads in between tabo-servings of tahong and silvery fish creatively called buwan-buwan and bidbid fresh from Barangay Binuangan, a motorized bangka-ride away from the bayan. It was in obando where I first experienced the primal palpitation from a first year high school crush named Cherry San Diego of Barangay Lawa (Where is she now? I don’t know, some foreign lakes maybe. Facebook has its limits). It was also on my minimum-fare hometown that I learned the mystic rhythm and chant of Pasyon, voice amplified by gargantuan servings of biko, kutsinta, palitaw, and scalding cupfuls of chicken sopas, sweetened mongo and salabat. It was on rebecca, the lone bedbug-infested movie house in town now turned into a Christian fellowship quarters, I marvelled the first three big screen movies of my life, all re-runs I believe: the first “Superman” starring Christopher reeve, Dino de Laurentiis’ “kingkong”, and “The untouchable Family” starring Chichay and redford White, a parody of Brian De Palma’s 1987 hit “The untouchable”. Take this local quiz. How would you know if a native of obando is watching the movie? Answer: if the guy is bringing in sacks of talaba instead of popcorn inside the movie house.

Before I read Doña Pia’s ordeal under Padre Damaso in rizal’s noli Me Tangere (in-passing during high school and college, and in full when I became a college instructor), I have always known that obando is famous for her fertility rite processions. My cousins and I would always slither our way in the crowd to catch glimpse of pairs wanting to have a baby amidst the symphony of the blaring Musikong Bumbong and Magsikap Band. Always, a middle-aged and sun-baked couple gracefully led the dancing procession. I was told by my nanay, though I never had the chance to confirm, that the said former childless couple came from Cebu, and had become a permanent devotee of the procession performing their panata, even after the three patron saints—Sta. Clara, San Pascual Baylon, and nuestra Señora de Salambao—granted them three kids. I was told, though again unconfirmed, that they named their children Clara, Pascual, and Virginia.

once there was neighborhood news that Vilma Santos, who was then still childless with second husband ralph recto, would finally grace the dance floor that is obando to have a child. Faster than shouting “Darna!” or “Ding, ang bato!”, news spread to town. It seemed that all fair-minded people who owned TV sets in obando trooped the church grounds to see Vilma and ralph in the flesh to dance the “Santa Clara pinong-pino...”. I have never seen the Darna of my youth in person. The following morning, the third and last day of fiesta, another wildfire of a gossip emerged; allegedly because of a looming crowd management crisis of the hermano mayor and the local police, Vilma and ralph would just attend the morning pre-procession mass and would no longer swing on the parade. They were no-shows. That also happened to Sharon and kiko years after. I no longer fell for the news.

Fiesta processions traversing the major artery (J.P. rizal Street) and minor streets of obando (Claridades and Plaridel) usually lasted three hours, in time for sumptuous lunch of seafood at the local market called punduhan. Food is good here with atsarang dampalit, a variety of grass growing on the river and fishpond banks of obando. Fiesta afternoons were spent haggling with calamay, sinigwelas, and kasuy street vendors, if not looking for bargain goodies at the church patio turned pre-Made-in-China tianggehan. A nightly perya awaits the locals. Because of countless Ferris wheel rides, I learned to muster the courage to ride mammoth roller coasters and erased acrophobia on my vocabulary. I have seen the carnival’s Amazona who gorged on live chickens (not real, though she can kill the hapless white leghorns with a dinosaur-strength bite on the neck) and Babaeng Oktopus (again, not real; the girl has upper and lower limb deformities). It was in the same peryahan where I temporarily got hooked to beto-beto, a dice game on saucers tapped on ply boards.

My studies in Manila prompted me to lessen my obando adventures. The visits eventually became occasional and we soon found ourselves in obando during weddings and wakes. nanay was no longer around to let me into obando’s briny atmosphere. It is not an irrevocable dispersal but dispersal nonetheless. I still momentarily pause to take sight of obando in television especially during this time of mushrooming festivals. I can still remember the very meaning of a fiesta in its splendor. g

“mcdomeng” and other melancholy memories of obando


who had asked to be met at Bantilan. The “legend” sort of, was collected by Ester de Los reyes, a professor of the university of the Philippines “from her grandfather, Facundo Perez. It was narrated to him by his mother, who had in turn heard it from her mother”—a lovely piece of oral lore.

The other story, still by De Los reyes, was also heard from her grandfather in their old house during one of the obando town fiestas. Talking about the times when “children used to be considered a necessity for happiness in married and home life, when taking care of babies was never looked upon as a nuisance,” it recounts how the fertility cult began under the patronage of San Pascual Baylon, whose iconography, like Santa Clara, is also the holy eucharist. In the story, there lived during the Spanish occupation, a “rich and childless couple” from Arayat, Pampanga. While the wife was opening the family’s granary, “three aged beggars, two women and a man,” approached her and begged for alms. The kind-hearted wife began to fill sacks of palay for the three. “After a while,” the story narrates, “the owner chanced to glance at the old man. Her eyes widened with surprise when she saw the container just about half filled… She became frightened.”

The old man was however quick to relieve her from her worries. “Don’t worry,” he says. “We won’t get your palay. you are sterile. If you wish to have a child, come to obando on the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth of May. Pray for a child. your prayer will be granted, I assure you.” The beggars left the woman perplexed. She told her husband what had happened, and the man immediately checked on the palay provisions. Surprisingly, the old man kept his word and “the box which a few hours before had been almost empty was filled to the lid.” The couple went to obando the following May to pray to the town patrons—who clearly had just come to test their goodness. A year later, they went back to obando to thank God for their child—a girl they named after Santa Clara.

Another Clara—Maria Clara, the love of the protagonist Crisostomo Ibarra—was also named after Santa Clara, and as in the child of the previous story, was a gift from the obando trinity. Illustrating the ironic religiosity of kapitan Tiago, Jose rizal in his Noli Me Tangere, details the birth of the trader’s unica hija, granted, upon the request of Padre Damaso, through the intercession of the Virgin of Salambao, Santa Clara and San Pascual. This is what a 1912 translation by Charles Debyshire narrates: “Thanks to this wise advice, Doña Pia soon recognized the signs of approaching motherhood.” unfortunately, “like the fisherman of whom Shakespeare tells in Macbeth, who ceased to sing when he had found a treasure,” the good and beautiful wife “once lost all her mirthfulness, fell into melancholy, and was never seen to smile again.” “A puerperal fever put an end to her hidden grief, and she died, leaving behind a beautiful girl baby for whom Fray Damaso himself stood sponsor. As St. Pascual had not granted the son that was asked, they gave the child the name of Maria Clara, in honor of the Virgin of Salambaw and St. Clara, punishing the worthy St. Pascual with silence.”

These parallel texts of the story not only explain the history of an old town but also help us re-imagine and consequently understand the unique and colorful culture of obando. on hindsight, obando speaks of the primal water world of the womb where creation first flourished for all humanity. Dancing is also a way of swimming, and we could not help but remember in the obando ritual the fetal journey of life.

In dancing to the obando tune, we not only recall the presence of this collective creative space but also invoke the primal powers in manifesting our realities. The miracles of childbirth are just one in the many possibilities which shared faith could help create in the many years of the obando fiesta, perhaps the most popular in Bulacan. The three are the guardians of the town, the very keepers of its histories. g


As Virgilio S. Almario, he is a quintessential literary historian who in this day age assessed and summed up what was Filipino in Filipino poetry. Long after his highly acclaimed researches in traditional versification and his formulation of a uniquely Filipino way of critically reading poetry called “Bagong Formalismong Filipino” (new Filipino Formalism), he continues his work in the academe, delving on genre studies and even in the difficult task of seeking the concept of the Filipino nation. His convictions extend his work in the field of a cultural management, and he had found himself countless times in the role of promoter of Filipino artistry. Back in early 2000s, he served the national Commission for Culture and the Arts (nCCA) as executive director, and benchmarked various projects that support writers and artists. True to his faith, he continues to champion the empowerment of culture by leading artists recently in presenting a cultural agenda for the new presidency. He also continues to mentor young poets in Filipino through the Linangan sa Imahen, retorika, at Anyo (LIrA), which he founded 25 years ago. The critic Isagani Cruz offers an explanation on his phenomenal work and reiterates how the critic exemplifies what he teaches. “Ipinakikita niya na hindi galing sa labas ng panitikan ang kanyang kaalaman, kundi galing sa loob, sa loob ng panitikan, sa kalooban niya bilang manunulat. Ang awtoridad niya ay galing sa pagka-awtor (He shows us that what he knows comes not from outside of literature, but from within himself as a writer. His authority stems from his authorship).”

The other persona, rio Alma, is yet another creature. Cruz, in another occasion, described him this way: “Kung hindi ko lamang

siya kaibigan ay sasabihin kong “rio Alma” ang sagot sa bugtong na ‘hindi tao, hindi hayop, tumutula’ (If he wasn’t a friend, I would say that “rio Alma” is the answer to the riddle, ‘not human nor an animal, but writes poetry.’).” Cruz was clearly referring to the poet’s prolific record of putting out book after marvelous book. His recent work, Ang Huling Hudhud, is a modern epic that not only recalls our heroes of local lore, history and popular culture, but also investigates how the reclamation of memory becomes a collective project for all. Thus, the Palanca Hall of Fame honoree and poet roberto Añonuevo emphasizes, “(m)asisilip, sa aking palagay, ang malaking bahagi ng kasaysayan ng panulaang Filipinas sa lawas ng mga tula ni rio Alma (we can catch a glimpse, I suppose, of the bigger picture of Philippine poetic history in the body of poems of rio Alma).” He continues: “Ang nasabing kasaysayan ay hindi estatikong hulagway, bagkus rolyo-rolyo ng pelikulang patuloy na umaandar at tayo ang kalahok; at hanggang ngayon, naghahanap ito ng pangwakas na hantungan o karugtong na lunsaran (That history is not merely a static image, but rolls of film running, with us playing the parts; until now, it begs an end or another point of beginning.”

But both personas also converge in certain planes like personal history. In this interview, the Virgilio Almario, national Artist for Literature, remembers his humble beginnings in San Miguel, a small town north of Bulacan. San Miguel, remembered for its heritage and history, reared Almario in a culture rooted in the land. In this piece, he recalls a childhood inspired by oral poetry, his growth into a socially conscious man, and his maturity and wisdom that almost always made him remember. Louie Jon A. Sanchez

national Artist for literature virgilio Almario

| native son | By roCHELLE C. PAnGILInAn, LouIE Jon A. SAnCHEz & MArIE AnGELI SyJuECo | THE AJPrESS

MAkE no MISTAkE ABouT IT—the critic Virgilio S. Almario, and the poet rio Alma are one and the same person. But both personas have quite literally made names for themselves. They are to say the least, persons of their own.

| balikbayanmagazine.com | JUNE – JULY �010 | balikbayan | �7PHoToS By PHILLIP kIMPo, Jr.

Balikbayan Magazine: What was your childhood like?

Virgilio Almario: Miserable.

BM: Seriously? (Laughs)VA: I grew up in a barrio of farmers—

that is my background. So I basically grew up in the fields. There, I learned all types of work—from the plowing of fields and harvesting of rice grains. I know how to take care of carabaos. I used to take care of three carabaos then, feeding them everyday. During weekends, I take them to the pastures.

BM: What is the childhood memory that you hold dear the most?

VA: There are so many. In the cultural sense, for example, I always say that I have a wide background in traditional literature because in our barrio before, oral literature was very popular. I can say that my experiences have been enriched because of the fiestas, the zarzuelas I watched, the moro-moro, I also got to watch a panunuluyan which is held before Christmas. I joined pangangaluwa during All Saints Day. These are things which people of today do not get to experience anymore. If there was death in the barrio then, that was a good thing. I would

consider that as a colorful thing because a lot of things happen during the wake. There are a lot of music, a lot of games, so I got to compose my first verses during those days.

BM: Do you still recall those first verses you composed at the time?

VA: yes, there were a lot. For example one game where even the kids could join in, this was called Juego de Prenda. The boys would be in one row then the girls will be on another. If you make a mistake in answering, you will be punished—either you will be asked to sing, do errands or to recite a poem. So from those, I got to compose poems. The others were for fun, because the game should be fun. The poems were sang, so for example, the form dalit, would be composed—four lines with each line containing eight syllables:

Ang babae kung matulogBalot na balot ng kumot Kaya pala nakabalot may binatang nanunulot.So there is a chorus for that. After you

sing a dalit like that, everyone will join in singing the chorus. The chorus was:

Sa diyos ating ialaykaluluwa ng namatayPagkawari kaawaanSa nagawang kasalanan. That activity would be until midnight so

there were a variety of songs. For us at the time, we wanted to make a mistake because that meant we would get to sing. We made mistakes on purpose so we would sing.

And then one time—and this was the most memorable for me—I don’t remember if I was in first grade at the time, but one of the people who died was a very well-known folk poet, a duplero. you know what a duplo is? It’s a type of game that is sort of a drama for the master poets. There was a bit of drama in it then but actually it was a debate done in verse. That was the start of the balagtasan.

So when the master folk poet died, and it was the last night of the wake, poets were invited. All the popular poets from other barrios and nearby towns arrived. They were old but were very generous, they wore barong Tagalog and the women wore the traditional baro at saya. So they presented a duplo, which started at 9 pm and ended until 4 am. It was that long but I was engrossed—I listened, I watched, I was fascinated by the way they recited the verses. So when morning came and it ended, I had to head home. I lived far from the place where the wake was held, and I had to walk home. I didn’t

get to arrive home. So around 7 am, my mother was searching for me. Where is Berling? I was called Berling then. one of our companions at home said that I went to the wake of Mang Pekto Galicia. My mother said it was already late, the wake would’ve been finished by then so where was I? So my father, he went to the neighborhood where the wake was held to look for me. And they found me lying in a canal. I was so sleepy at that time.

BM: How old were you then?VA: I was five or six then. one

more fun experience I had, we had a companion who was a Hukbalahap. He was also a writer in Hukbalahap who was from the barrio. He was captured in Arayat Mountain, he was ill at the time and was taken to our place. At the time of the Hukbalahap rebellion, the camp of the Anti Hukbalahap Army Batallion was in our town, so that was where he was taken. When the relatives learned of his capture, they went to my father to seek his help. My father was well-known in our town, he was involved in politics. So the relatives requested that my father help to look for their relative and he did. The man was released from the camp and was given a temporary release. My father was the guarantor that the man won’t do anything bad so he was made a helper in the field.

Later on, I discovered one time when I attended a wake, that the man ruled the Juego de Prenda of the old people there. If you were a king there, that meant you are a great poet. not only did he recite verses in Tagalog, he recited them in kapampangan as well. He was bilingual and he was so good. So when I found out about that, I always went to the field to see him. Every time I was there, I asked him to teach me how to compose verses. I would say that he was my first teacher—that was kuya Pitong.

So all those short verses I memorized, I found out from him. A few rules on rhyme and meter I learned from him through examples of the verses which he composed himself.

BM: How old were you when you started to write?

VA: I knew how to recite verses at five years old. I was a judge at Juege de Prenda for the kids. In fact, it was like an advanced stage for me to acquire knowledge then.

BM: So would you consider yourself as a prodigy?

VA: I suppose so. I just lost it... through drinking (laughs).


In our barrio then, we had a neighbor who carved marbles, and in the whole barrio, he was the only one who was literate. Why? Because he was the only one who had comics and Liwayway magazine. There were no books. At our house, we had no books. In any household in the 1950s, you could not find anything to read. I loved to read, but I didn’t know how. So what I did was–I was probably four years old—I always went to this man. I pretended I was there to watch how good he was at carving marbles into a piece of furniture or picture frames—the picture frames at the time were huge. Those were what he did. So after a time, when he wasn’t looking, I would creep into his basement where he kept the comics, all the back issues. So I ended my day with that—I kept turning a page of the comics. And then one day, I just said to my mother,”Mother, I know how to read.”

Maybe the carver taught me, I just don’t remember. Maybe I would ask him,”What letter is this?” Something like that. So my mother said,”Are you crazy? How did you learn how to read?” So I answered I would get a comics and show you that I know how to read. So I borrowed a comics then brought it to my mother. I read it to her. She was shocked to know that I knew how to read.

When classes began, I was enrolled at a school as a Grade one student. The problem then was the strict requirement that all Grade one students must at least be seven years old. I was only five at the time, so I was just a saling pusa. I had my own chair which I brought to the school and they would have me seated at the back. But I was the only one who knew how to read in the whole class even though every one there was older than me.

So after a month, I was accelerated to Grade one as recommended by the teacher. She went to Malolos with a letter of recommendation so I got accepted, and I graduated as a valedictorian.

Before my “Impo” died, he would tell that story to everyone who interviewed him. And how I recited a poem during graduation—the microphones then were high as if they were only meant for the tall Americans. So what I did was I stood up on a pail, and recited a poem I wrote. I don’t remember which one was that, but I would consider that as my very first original poem.

BM: How did growing up in Bulacan play a role in your works?

VA: I would definitely say that all of my experiences have been a basis for all things I have written. I always talk about the plight of the farmers, the poverty in the barrio, the exploitation being done to the people in the province, things like that. The “backwardness” that was prevalent then exists until now in the rural areas. There was no assistance to get these farmers out of poverty. At the time, schools were really very few. now, it’s better somehow. When the classrooms were flooded, we would hold classes in the chapel. We had no books. At the time, it was a propaganda. There was something called uSIS mobile library which was a propaganda of the uS against communism. So the mobile library, which was a van, contained novels from the uS pertaining to democracy. For me I didn’t care about propaganda because I didn’t know what it was at the time. What I cared about was that a lot of books were made available for us to read. I used to read a lot of cowboy novels at that library.

BM: But it must have affected your thinking somehow...

VA: Well, definitely. When I was younger, I was very pro-American especially when I saw those fights and the deaths which ensued during the Hukbalahap rebellion. We had a lot of neighbors who died, who were tortured.

BM: So how did your way of thinking change?

VA: I guess when I reached college, I got exposed to other things. I was a Political Science major so I was exposed to activism. And then after graduation, I taught at our high school and I advised the Student Government. I organized the Student Government, literally. So I brought the old leaders here including Luis Taruc, raul Manglapus. They were different in so many ways then, so it was a big thing to expose them to those people.

BM: So how often do you include

Bulacan or your childhood memories in Bulacan in your writings?

VA: Many times. In fact almost all my books have something about Bulacan and my childhood there. I wrote a collection on Bulacan, particularly on San Miguel. That was Retrato at Recuerdo. It was a special book. There was one photographer who wasn’t famous then who also had roots in San Miguel. I asked him to collaborate with me. I told him,”I don’t have money to pay you but we can team up. I am planning to publish a book of poetry and photographs. I’ll handle the poetry and you handle the photographs. We’ll work on pictures to go well with my poems.” We worked together for around three months. We went to Bulacan every weekend. We took photos of eveyrthing we found beautiful. Wherever there were fiestas being celebrated, we would go there. Wherever there were cock-fighting, we would go there. Wherever there were deaths, we would go there. We’d take photos. So the book came out as my memories of Bulacan, of San Miguel. I would say it was good. Many people liked it when it was released but unfortunately only limited copies were available. There are no copies of it anymore. I would consider that as my first coffee table book.

BM: How often do you go home to Bulacan?

VA: nowadays not much. But I recently started to build a house in San Miguel. That is where I plan to retire. That is where I would put my library.

BM: Have you ever decided to migrate?

VA: I have never even gave that a thought. But my siblings, yes, they have. I was about to go to the States to settle there because one of my sisters was about to get married. I was supposed to be the one to walk her to the altar, but Martial Law was declared. I was not able to go. I went underground. My sister was planning to let me stay if I had just come. But it was a good thing I didn’t. I realized I could never leave.

BM: What became of your ancestral house?

VA: We were never wealthy. When my father was still in politics, we once hosted an event in the house. our balcony gave in because of too many people. My mother was really upset. Since then, I had sworn off politics. Interview by Marie Angeli Syjueco and translation into English by Rochelle C. Pangilinan


What is with the province that fosters literary talent among its children? nothing more than a rich culture of fiestas and rituals, dupluhans and balagtasans that make the young aware of a tradition in literature that goes back centuries and is still thriving among the people of Bulacan. The creativity of a living language is imbibed by each new generation.

When the conquistadors and the friars met the Tagalogs, they noticed that many of the Indios were adept at performing highly metaphorical literature in verse. Communal gatherings invariably featured such impromptu stagings of verbal jousts, songs, and dances. Later, these would develop into the awit and korido, the karagatan and the duplo, then into the twentieth century phenomenon called the balagtasan.

Scholar Bienvenido Lumbera said Francisco Baltazar was able to consolidate the features of the salawikain and the bugtong and the Spanish poetic influences into his magnum opus Florante. Ilustrados Jose rizal and Apolinario Mabini saw in the work the emerging idea of the kalayaan or freedom. The Noli me Tangere follows its narrative structure and even characterization and do share common motifs, i.e. return of the son. The masses admire the melliflous tone and eloquent wisdom of Baltazar’s verses, it is lyrical and allegorical, and gave shape to the concept of the Filipino nation. Its most famous lines goes:

Sa loob at labas ng bayan kong sawi/Kaliluha’y siyang nangyayaring hari.(All over my hapless country/treason has established its reign)

During the American period, Jose Corazon de Jesus (1894-1932), also known as Huseng Batute, embodied the figure of makatang bayan, or people’s poet. This charismatic poet was born in Manila but raised in Sta. Maria, Bulacan. Through his versified column in popular dailies, he enthralled a wide audience with his sharp wit and sweet lyrics. In 1924, he became the star of the newly invented poetic joust called the balagtasan, sharing the lime light with the likes of Florentino Collantes and Amado V. Hernandez. They drew crowds of more than 50,000. Their avid fans went into heated arguments of who was the better poet, and into fist fights that made it to the tabloids.

As a young man, Huseng Batute recited verses in Bulacan riverbanks—he was regine Velazquez’s precursor—to the amusement of farm boys taking a dip in the murky waters. He finished law but spent his talent as writer, film actor, and balagtasero. His liaisons were passionate and contributed much to his image as a lover boy. Such real life desires found expression in his poetry, as in:

Ang marunong na umibig, bawat sugat ay bulaklak:/Ang pag-ibig ay masakim at aayaw ng kabiyak.

(The one who knows love sees each wound as a flower:/Love is selfish and never wants to share.)

When de Jesus died in 1932, new writers took over his title as “Hari ng Balagtasan.”

bY rOMulO P. bAquirAn Jr.

BuLACAn IS THE HEArTLAnD of many Filipino poets. Francisco Baltazar, author of Florante at Laura, was born in Bigaa. This town is now called Balagtas in honor of the great writer. Marcelo H. del Pilar, the propagandist and revolutionary, was a Bulakenyo and the town Plaridel is named after him. The national Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario hails from San Miguel, the town bordering Pampanga.

As expected, these writers all came from Bulacan. one of them was Emilo Mar Antonio. He was a teacher and journalist from Bulacan, Bulacan who challenged Florentino Collantes, the arch rival of Huseng Batute, to a balagtasan in 1951. The result was a draw. Finally, in 1954, Mar Antonio won the much coveted title and nobody was able to take the title from him. Through the years, he continued his reign through balagtasan aired over the radio. Mar Antonio’s more known works include “Ang nayon ko” (1937) and “Ilaw” (1938). In 1998, the Ateneo de Manila university Press issued his book Ang Nayon Ko (1999).

His son, Teo T. Antonio, carries the family tradition of performing impromptu Tagalog verses, a talent which has become as rare as the balagtasan itself. As a boy, he entertained guests—much like what he does today—with virtuoso verse recitations. In the 1970s, he gained recognition as a modernist writer with the sensibility of the folk poet, as can be read in his Biro-biro Kung Sanlan (1982). He has won the major literary prizes, including the title “Makata ng Taon” (Poet of the year) in 1976 awarded to him by the Institute of national Language.

Antonio is the best seller of Ateneo de Manila university Press’s Tagalog poetry series. His poetry collection includes Taga sa Bato (1991), Bagay-bagay (1992), Pira-pirasong Bituin (1996), Kalawang sa Patalim (1998), Karikatura at Iba Pang Kontra-Banda (2000), and Pagsunog ng Dayami (2003).

Antonio continues to be productive as an author, sharing his skills with young authors and sometimes joins the balagtasan staged by cultural groups in the Philippines and the united States.

Today, Bulacan is proud to say that its claim as the birthplace of great poets still holds. national Artist Virgilio S. Almario, better known as rio Alma, said that he owed his talent to the nurturing cultural milieu of San Miguel.

He was the town’s precocious boy, then serious high school teacher, and now the venerated writer.

The local poetical practices were what really changed the boy’s world view. Dupluhan and balagtasan events fascinated him. The magic of Tagalog rhyme and meter, with its metaphorical flourishes, gripped his heart and mind. He dreamed of someday becoming a poet who will give voice to his kababayan’s hopes and aspirations.

rio Alma steadfastly brought his dream to fruition. Many people would agree his life and career could not be more writerly.

He is thankful his hometown nurtured his talent. g


According to stories, Aling Asiang became the family cook while her siblings were assigned to other house chores. She also landed the daily duty of feeding the fighting cocks of her father—a chore she hated. It was said that at times, she would try to wring the necks of the roosters in hopes they’d stop eating so as not to crow so early in the morning.

At a young age, in the early 1900’s, her household chore was to help her mother boil offals and tough meats for various dishes which the carinderias would need them for. She handled them all: dila ng baka (ox tongue), dila ng baboy (pork tongue), oxtail for kare-kare, the hooves for callos, tripe for arroz caldo, the cheeks, the small intestines for chicharon bulaklak, the skin for chicharon, beef bones for broth, etc.

All the tough meats they would clean up, wash well, marinate, then season and slowly boil to near tenderness so that what all the carinderias had to do was to continue the cooking process and finish these with their specific seasonings. These were Aling Asiang’s early cooking lessons on the spot—and what better way to start on slowfood at a young culinary age.

| past food | By nAnCy rEyES LuMEn

Aling Asiang’s Best Kept memories and recipesIn THIS DAy AnD AGE, who would highly regard a cook who only finished grade school? one who, throughout her culinary life, did not own a chef’s uniform or a cook’s and most times, would not sport aprons but cook all day in her cool cotton house dress? It was the better for her to keep cool in her kitchen, the comedor at roxas Blvd. I am talking about my culinary icon, the country’s national treasure, and my grandmother, Aling Asiang.

Lola Asiang (far right) with Foreign Affairs Sec. Carlos P. Romulo (second from right)


These are the foundations of flavor that shaped the Reyes palate, and for that matter, the middle class Filipino with great need and love for excellent home-style and international dishes.

The making of sofrito—sautéed garlic, shallots and over ripe tomatoes in rich pork fat oil colored with annatto seeds. The over ripe tomatoes are crushed by hand to release the umami taste in them and this is what makes sofrito so good, tasty and practical. She cooked big batches of this when the vegetables were cheap and in season and then portioned them before freezing. Whenever something had to be sautéed (vegetables, meats, etc.) she just grabbed a few portions from the freezer and saved her cooking time because of her pre-cooked sofrito. It was always a lifesaver for unannounced guests!

Use of pork fat for sautéing—need I say more on how “badly” delicious these sautéed dishes came out to be? Yeah, pampabata!

Use of achuete oil—by heating pork fat or other cooking oil, one could render a bright, almost saffron color from annatto seeds. This was used for all sautees, as a base for slow-cooked dishes, to improve the look of the food, on sofrito and for almost any purpose in the kitchen.

The use of overripe tomatoes rich in umami taste. The glutamates released from overripe tomatoes produce the fifth taste: umami. This was where I first tasted natural goodness of food, natural sweetness and fruitiness of the tomato without the need for any more seasonings. The umami power she was able to harness by merely using over ripe tomatoes and nothing less, nothing more.

Use of overripe fruits in season for low-cost jams. When banana splits were just being introduced to Filipinos, she decided to shift from strawberry jam to mango jam by purchasing all the overripe mangoes she could find in San Andres market or Divisoria. The natural fruity-sweetness was something you could not find in any expensive jar of jams.

Use of duck eggs to thicken Luglog sauce.Very rich tasting soup stock from bones and trimmings to make hearty

broths and soups.Use of duck eggs for batter, omelet to be sliced into threads for sotanghon,

hard-boiled for garnishing Pancit Luglog.Fried chicken neck posed as “faux drimsticks”. Yes, we enjoyed this special

treat. Chicken necks were boiled till almost drop off the bone, then smothered in light batter and fried. You couldn’t tell a real drumstick from the fake one, and given the former, we still would choose the chicken neck.

Luglog noodles had to be dunked only in rich broth. Using water meant you were asking for a scolding!

All meats cooked were fresh, chilled, never frozen.In making white sauce, Asiang used evap and broth and then she thickened

it with dayap or calamansi, thereby making it a milky, creamy curdled sauce.Sinigang: tomatoes and onions had to be mashed and if there was time, over ripe

tomatoes were torn by hand, not sliced with knives.Lumpiang Ubod—the pork fat was cut like the ubod cut in order to disguise it

yet to allow it to flavor the lumpia. Remember, fat is flavor! She also used ubod in sukiyaki—did you ever think of that? Asiang did! She was so good in substituting Filipino ingredients to new recipes.

How to eat chicharon na may laman the Asiang way? dunk it in strong vinegar with bagoong!

Sangkutsa—long, slow, low-fire sauté to pre-cook dishes that needed long hours of cooking. Braising the meats for adobo was sangkutsa, cooking the tomatoes till the skins curled was sangkutsa. We were not done with sautéing not until Lola Asiang inspected the tomato skins.

Use of first class patis and none other. After sautéing, turn the flame to high and then splash or spurt patis on the hot pan and let it whistle as it dries but not before putting more umami taste to the dish being cooked.

Adobo—use of kasim cut with skin for Pork Adobo. Big cuts for long and slow cooking a day ahead. She used extra “yardage” of pork skin to add stickiness and taste to the sauce and to counteract the sourness. Chicken Adobo was marinated this way: first with the vinegar and soy sauce and pepper, and laurel leaves. 30 minutes before cooking, she added the freshly ground peppercorn and garlic. She never added garlic early in the marinating time. g

Because of the nature of their food service, Aling Asiang’s mother got to be called Luisang kare, by which Asiang grew up with. In effect, Luisang kare and daughter Asiang provided the commissary works in her time. Here was where she learned the ropes of no-nonsense business (money in one pocket and money out the other pocket, whatever was left at the end of the day was the profit!) and the technique of cooking for big batches.

Through her young culinary life, she eventually turned from ingenuous (naïve) to a resourceful ingénue. Her life revolved around ingredients, cooking for others, teaching others to cook, and developing and/or innovating recipes to fit the Filipino palate. She got used to cooking for big batches that for her family—our family even now—have grown to become certified foodies.

From her big family of 16 children, the five going on six generations that followed engaged in food and drinks businesses. Aling Asiang’s eldest daughter and kitchen sidekick Teresita, for instance, became a byword herself in the world of seasonings.

What lifestyle Asiang lived “Mama Sita” and the others copied—the joie de vivre, the pursuit of excellence in taste when cooking something, the joy of work–tough or easy— and most of all, and service: serving the food well and with honor.

one of the secrets of Mama Sita’s success in life and in her business is that she followed her mother’s values and developed her own cooking instincts by naïve curiosity about the physics and chemistry of food coupled with endless but practical food experiments. In their passions for cooking, both Asiang and Mama Sita and her other children extolled the values of service. Cooking with love and serving with love was their natural instinct and one of the reasons for success in things they aspired for.

By joie de vivre, I mean to say that Asiang’s cooking lifestyle went this way: her kitchen work was her playground as well as her laboratory. on the days when she was in the comedor to cook for family and guests, the energy was fun, changing, there was lightness of being and lots of passion for cooking the best dishes for the day. Her ways were simple but firm in putting discipline in her kitchen and the staff, or even more so on us, her grandchildren.

We were also asked by our parents to spend summers with Lola Asiang and her kitchen aides to learn the art and joy of cooking. Back then, I would rather be in Baguio wearing mini skirts and bangs and not the midi apron and hairnet we donned while cooking away, mashing the tomatoes, conking the hito (mudfish) on the head to channel it to hito-heaven, or pulling out the intestines of fresh chickens if not gathering the chicken blood on a mound of rice for the Tinola lunch.

I believe she awoke to planning the day’s menu and went to bed thinking of tomorrow’s market list. Aling Asiang’s passion for cooking was au naturel and if you were ever a Johnny-come-lately-foodie, you would be contaminated by her high energy and sampling her cooking. Service to others is good in itself and cooking well, cooking right is next door to excellence. Aling Asiang had only the best resolve in perfecting Filipino fare, and that she did!

Little did she realize that her passion in the native comedor, her instinctive kitchen wisdom and her sincere passion would touch people’s lives even after 75 years. Balikbayans, alisbayans, and people from all walks of life would remember glancing at her during merienda time, folding napkins while monitoring the dishes that came out from the kitchen. She would check if these were hot, if the plates were clean and by her own side glances, check on how the customers reacted to her food. Her presence at the work place was a sign of strength, humility and warmth. g

Do you want to know a secret recipe?


Archer’s nook

This is a picture of romance and sweet propriety. Sadly this is an image that lives only in the pages of our history books. These characters are now ghosts and only their memories linger. But in a house made of stone, found in the middle of the 20-hectare lush campus of the De La Salle university-Dasmariñas (DLSu-D) in Cavite, these playful spirits live, calling out to you. Come take a step back to the days of old. you are cordially invited to a tertulia, and you need not bring anything but your imagination.

House of stoneIn the Museo De La Salle, you are invited to step into the era

of the 19th Century to live the life of the ilustrado. The Museo is nestled in the quiet campus of DLSu-D. This academic community may also be mistaken as a contained universe where old ghosts roam. Quarried stone-paved roads lead to buildings of Spanish colonial architecture. The streets are lined by abundant trees that form cool canopies for the rushing traffic of students. Here, in the verdant grounds of DLSu-D, the two-storey lifestyle museum stands proud as a reminder of the past and the pride of the Spanish colonial elite.

Envisioned by the late Br. Andrew Gonzalez, FSC, former DLSu president, the lifestyle museum serves as an educational gallery reflecting the vanished ilustrado way of life. It is open not only to students but to anyone who wishes a peek to the past. Established in 1996, the Museo was built to “to encourage its use in cross-disciplinary learning and growth in an academic environment and to provide a living space illustrating Philippine culture.”

bY sOC GutierreZ | PhOtOs bY CesAr de lArrAZAbAl

onCE uPon A TIME, dalagitas in delicately designed ternos sat around the sala mayor, surrounded by opulence —gleaming heavy chandeliers, furniture of intricately carved woodwork, and hand-painted ceilings. nearby, the piano and the harp stood aside silent, overcome by the hushed giggles of the young maidens talking about last night’s caller. He came to see the eldest, and the visit was strictly supervised. The young couple sat on a loveseat that had a completely open backrest to make sure that eager hands didn’t wander. Both were intoxicated by the smell of the champaca wafting in through the wide wood-panel ventanillas.

| tourbuzz | MuSEo DE LA SALLE


The Museo is patterned after some of the best examples of the 19th century bahay na bato in the country, including the ancestral homes of the Constantinos in Bulacan, the Arnedo-Gonzalez family in Apalit, and the Santos Joven-Panlilio clan in Pampanga. The house is made of stone, brick, and mortar at the ground level. The second floor is usually made of wood. To keep the ground floor cool, the tile roofed structure is walled with adobe. The fachada, typical of the period, is characterized by wide tall doors, iron grilles on the windows, and ventanillas lined with balustres de torno, bandejas, and molduras (mouldings).

Portal to the pastDon’t tarry any longer. Enter the heavy double doors, the arched

puerto mayor, and step into the rich and flamboyant world of the Spanish colonial alta de sociedad. Antique family heirlooms crowd each room, walls are bedecked with fine and applied art, and floors are packed with heavy fixtures and furniture. Every area seems packed, but there is order to it. There is definitely beauty, and a feeling of whimsy that takes every visitor to a world only he has read about.

Made of balayong, the arched main door is where the carrozas enter. A small door, known as the postigo, is cut into the puerto mayor. From the door you will go through the zaguan, the passageway, where the carriages, grain harvest, and old furniture are normally stored. Today, the zaguan serves as the offices and function rooms of the Museum. But do not be distracted with the reminders of your present world. Ascend quickly to the past.

As you climb the hardwood staircase, you will hear the faint tinkle of the golden chandeliers and the whisper of the diaphanous laced curtains as if in greeting. Welcome, welcome and relive the glory of the olden days. At the caida (foyer), imagined ghosts of women will receive you, allowing the splendid trains of their saya to drop to the floor. Their hemlines swish softly on the dark wood floors as you are lead to the comidor.

Dinner is servedTake a seat in the 18-seater dining table ornamented with 18k

gold-lined plates—a gift from the Duke of russia. Similar priceless crystal, silver, and chinaware line up proudly in aparadores against the wall, quietly bearing the various privileged guests they had served in their lifetime. Before the food is set before you, dream of servants that will come out to pull the cords of ceiling cloth fans hung low at both sides of the chandeliers to provide some air.

Silently as they came, the servants retreat to the kitchen to prepare the meal. The cocina is sometimes a separate structure from the main house because it presents a fire hazard. Follow the household help through the causeway. In the kitchen, you will find the pugon, an igloo shaped oven that uses firewood. The banggerahan, the dish dryer, is where you’ll find the porcelain plates and crystal goblets you’ve used earlier. Between the wooden slat flooring, morsels and scraps of food fall through where chickens and ducks await below. So don’t be alarmed if you think you are hearing the sound of hungry clucking.

Also in the cocina, you will find old fashioned tools for ironing. Displayed here are different flat irons where burning coals are used or a wooden press that uses ones feet.

But do not worry yourself with the menial tasks of the house. you’re called to join in on the revelry. relax and engage in intelligent conversation in the elaborately designed sala mayor. Here the reds and golds are as rich as the wine you consume without care. These colors were chosen by the ilustrados as homage to the Spanish flag. The Bandera Española red and yellow is unabashedly done in the late 1880s style. Its decoration is influenced from the Spanish ayuntamiento or city hall.


Portraits of affluence Marvel at every detail—the elaborately embossed tin ceiling

panels, the rich and heavy draperies, the wood carved wall brackets depicting the family’s source of wealth, the walls hand-painted in traditional Spanish Victorian motif—everything stays true to the aesthetics of the Spanish Colonial Period, complimented by the influences of the Philippine art nouveau and the early American Colonial Period.

no expense is spared in this encapsulated room of wealth. Even the doors are in solid bandejas draped with heavy Italian damask curtains and accented by European tassels. All woodworks are made of local hardwoods like balayong and narra, so strong that no ordinary nail can pierce them. To secure the wood in place, pegs, dowels, and tongue-and-grooves are used.

Before you get too comfortable, be reminded that the tables and chairs will soon be moved to the sides for the tertulias (parties). Do not be rude, participate in the festivities. The eyes of the masters and mistresses of the house watch over you closely. 19th century oil portraits of Don Jose Leon Santos (dated 1887) and Doña ramona Joven (dated 1882) by Simon Flores y Dela rosa, a miniaturist and portrait artist, are displayed on the walls. Simon Flores who studied at the Academia De Dibujo y Pintura, is known to be the first Filipino of native blood to win an international competition.

In honor of your hosts, each faithfully recreated room was carefully thought of, the design carried out through extensive research of the period between the early 1800s through the 1900s. The caida, sala mayor, despacho, cuartos, oratorio, comedor and cocina are filled with antiques, family treasures, and priceless art from the collections of Jose Ma. ricardo A. Panlilio, scion of the Santos-Joven Panlilio family of Bacolor, Pampanga;

Brother Andrew Gonzalez, FSC, of the Arnedo-Gonzales family from Sulipan, Apalit, Pampanga; Marie Theresa Lammoglia-Virata, Victorina Vizcarra Amaliñgan, the D.M. Guevara Foundation Inc., Paulino and Hetty Que, and former national Commission for Culture and the Arts Chairman Jaime C. Laya and the late international jeweller Fe Sarmiento-Panlilio.

Inside looking outInside and out, the Museo lives up to its promise in providing a

living space bringing to life the old Philippine culture that is linked to its immediate community and that reaches out to the outside. outside, where you can hear the playful gurgling of the fountain at the plaza, beckons you to stretch your imagination. The fountain and the surrounding sculptural works are executed by 19th century Philippine master carver-sculptor Isabelo Tampingco, an atelier from Quiapo.

Before stepping out, stay a little while with a cup of warm tea at the azotea, a hanging garden with arch stone supports. on lazy rainy days, you can watch the water collecting in an aljibe as the droplets languidly dribble down from the roof.

Finally, go down the azotea stairs to the jardin and get lost in the heady scent of traditional turn-of-the-century botanical plants like champaca, cadena de amor, campanilla, dama de noche, and ilang-ilang. The garden overlooks a man-made lake where you can listen to the trees retell secrets they witnessed as they stood providing shade for lovers embracing on a granite bench. relish the moment for you cannot linger on the past forever. Soon you will have to return to the present time and perhaps wonder if you did indeed hear the teasing laughter of a dalaga or the playful tinkling of the keys of the long untouched piano. g

Every journey

has a story. All

roads lead to where it all began.

Hotel 878 LibisFor BALIkBAyAnS, tourists and individuals who are looking for good service in a convenient location at value-for money rates, Hotel 878, the first modern boutique hotel in Libis, is THE perfect choice.


Hotel 878 developed into a boutique hotel upon the realization of a need for a quality hotel within the Libis area. Located conveniently along the Circumferential 5 (C-5), the hotel is visible and accessible to different destinations such as the nAIA airport, Eastwood City, Tiendesitas, SM Marikina, katipunan Ave., Commonwealth and EDSA.

| inn focus | By MArIE AnGELI SyJuECo | THE AJPrESS

Where you get what matters most

Hotel 878 Libis


PHoTo By LE GrAnDE PEDroCHE | THE AJPrESS


It is also interesting to note that Hotel 878 was named after the hotel’s address which is 878 E. rodriguez Jr. Avenue (C-5), Libis, Quezon City -- with the number “8” being an auspicious number in Chinese beliefs.

Hotel 878 offers good service at reasonable cost. As we sat with karl Vincent Golamco, vice president for operations of Hotel 878, he explained what value for money meant for them. “We are ready to offer our clients most affordable rates with quality services, in a convenient and choice location,” he said.

Inspired by a Mediterranean minimalist concept, Hotel 878 depicts youthfulness and modernity as can be experienced in its selection of deluxe rooms, loft-type rooms, and one-bedroom suites. other amenities available in the hotel are food and beverage area, business center services, function rooms as well as full security and 24-hour front desk service.

Hotel 878 serves food which caters to a wider variety of clientele, especially for Filipinos who love to eat. Hotel 878’s menu includes breakfasts of gourmet sandwiches and international fare and, of course, our Filipino favorites like pork adobo and more. These are food that are “very universal in nature, very neutral, very well-loved,” as Golamco put it.

Hotel 878 is also a practical choice for companies who need accommodations for their guests and executives coming from abroad or from the provinces who may have to come over to attend training seminars or workshops in the area.

The hotel is also a good venue to stay over during pre-wedding preparations and bridal photo shoots. In fact, there have been several bridal groups that have booked in the hotel since their wedding reception venues were nearby.

What’s more interesting about Hotel 878 is its monthly lease service packages. “We offer these long-term packages with full-hotel hospitality services, so clients don’t need to pay our daily rates and can just relax and enjoy their visit,” Golamco said.

Accordingly, in the spirit of providing good value-added accommodations for our overseas-based countrymen, Hotel 878 Libis is now offering a Special Balikbayan Package for Filipinos living abroad and planning to come back to the Philippines for extended vacations. Hotel-type rooms, amenities and services are now available at very affordable long-stay rates. one to 12 month stays are encouraged.

For inquiries or room reservations, please contact our Sales Department at tel. nos. (63 2) 709-0154, 502-8981, telefax (63 2) 709-0370, Celphone (63 917) 833-9702, Email: [email protected] or [email protected]. or check out our website at www.hotel878libis.com for our rates and promos. g

Crisitina Espiritu, Sales & Marketing Manager and Karl Vincent Golamco, Vice President for Operations of Hotel 878.

PHoToS By HoTEL 878

PHoToS By HoTEL 878


“Sofitel’s five-star accommodations perfectly complement the treatments and services we have and that would make every guest’s stay an experience of mind and body. our treatments are expertly designed to achieve results with the least amount of inconvenience on the part of the client. Thus, we are very happy that this partnership suits this goal very well,” says Dr. Mary Jane “MJ” Valdecañas, the top medical doctor the zen Institute.

This milestone also marks the realization of Dr. MJ’s objective of pushing The zen Institute as a serious player in the medical tourism industry. “This partnership with Sofitel presents our readiness to cater to international medical travelers by combining medical treatments with leisure and providing them with all the travel comforts in a seamless fashion.”

Dr. MJ is one of the pioneers who have brought the concept of medical spas to the country. Trained by top dermatologists and surgeons here and abroad, Dr. MJ sought to promote non-invasive treatments, nutritional counseling and lifestyle checks to achieve total beauty that emanates from within. She believes that “a well-rounded approach is the best route to achieve beauty that will last and surpass life’s daily challenges.”

The zen Institute is the first medical spa in the Philippines to introduce the latest non-surgical technology for face contouring and body sculpting—resonax. An Italian technology nurtured in the uS

and clinically developed for Asians, resonax introduces electrode doses to the body that hasten the process of dissolving fat and help tighten the skin.

Along with resonax technology, The zen Institute launched the latest technology in facial contouring: Platelet-rich Plasma treatment. This procedure harnesses the healing powers of platelets that are naturally found in the blood. The introduction of large amounts of platelets to the skin initiates tissue regeneration and rejuvenation as well as increased production of collagen for elasticity and strength. Platelet-rich Plasma therapy is proven effective in clearing out fine lines and scars on the face and neck. The treatment is quick, safe and guarantees results within a few days.

The zen Institute also offers skin rejuvenation, hair-loss treatments, Dermaroller, laser hair removal, L-Carnitine and Glutathione injections, skin fillers and facials. Body scrubs and massages are also available for de-stressing and rejuvenation.

To contact The zen Institute’s newest branch at LeSpa at Sofitel Philippine Plaza, call 8326957 or 551.5555 local numbers 1524 and 1542. The zen Institute’s other branches are located at the Bonifacio Global City (856.2027 to 28); Tomas Morato, Quezon City (441.0692 / 411.1712); and The Podium, ortigas Center (653.4708 / 634.2480). For more information, log on to www.thezeninstitute.com. g

creating a hallmark for medical tourism

The zen Institute and Sofitel

BEAuTy, WELLnESS AnD LuXurIouS PAMPErInG await Mega Manila residents and foreign visitors as The zen Institute Medical Spa formally opened its fourth center at the LeSpa of Sofitel Philippine Plaza. Comfortably nestled inside one of the five-star hotels in the country, The zen Institute is now poised to offer its menu of non-surgical treatments for body sculpting and facial contouring to achieve total wellness and beauty to a wider clientele. Philippine Tourism Promotions Board President and Chief operating officer Cynthia Carrion and celebrity endorsers graced the grand launch at the posh 7Pecados bar.

Dr. MJ Valdecañas (Second from left), Sofitel Philippine Plaza General Manager Goran Aleks (Third from left), Philippine Tourism Promotions Board President Cynthia Carrion (Third from right), Cory Quirino (Second from right) and friends.

bY MArie AnGeli sYJueCO | the AJPress


Cathy was going through a transition in her life, and she needed only two things—touch therapy and the serene environment of Tagaytay. She came up with the idea of putting these two things together, and that’s when the nurture Spa Village came to life.

Moreover, Cathy found out that clients go to nurture Spa not only for relaxation but also for the shared experience. Thus, from pampering its customers, nurture Spa has been a destination for romance.

“What’s very interesting is that we have people coming up to us saying, nurture Spa has saved my marriage,” Cathy said. Because of nurture Spa’s romantic ambiance, several clients have said the same testimonial.

nurture Spa Village has been a witness to many love stories—proposals and weddings, and even to Cathy and her husband Mike Turvill’s very own love story. Mike was a part of nurture Spa Village’s growth.

Through nurture Spa Village, Cathy was able to come full circle. All her background in tourism, education and therapy was able to help her in promoting a healthy lifestyle and her advocacy of love for the Philippines. “For me nurture is not only a business, it’s an advocacy,” Cathy said.

Everything about nurture Spa Village is very Filipino. From the accommodations to the spa treatments are all inspired by the Philippine culture. Cathy is very much in love with the country and it shows in nurture Spa.

At nurture Spa Village, the accommodations are all Filipino-inspired. There are Ulogs, which are native huts purchased directly from Banaue. There are four of these heritage huts named Bontoc, Banaue, Lagaue, and Ifugao. There are also three premium rooms named Pag-asa (Hope), Ganda (Beauty), and Pag-ibig (Love); two

nurturing Body and soulbY MArie AnGeli sYJueCO | the AJPress

WHAT STArTED out as a need became the business. nurture Spa Village has been both a blessing and an advocacy to its owner, Cathy Turvill. And as it serves the very essence of its name, it does not only nurture individuals but also promotes Cathy’s love for the Philippines.

premium spa suites named runong (Wisdom) and Gracia (Grace); and two deluxe rooms named Saya (Joy) and Payapa (Peace).

Thus, in promoting the Filipino culture, nurture Spa offers different “kinahihiligan Packages”—Barkadahan, Bakasyon, ulayaw, Magkasintahan, and romantiko. All of these packages include accommodations and spa treatments that offer health, comfort and relaxation for everyone especially balikbayans.

While nurture Spa advocates wellness, it still provides its guests with a healthy or hearty option in terms of food choices. Tanglad Bistro is a fine dining restaurant serving healthy and hearty cuisine with nonvegetarian and vegetarian options. Tan-aw Bar and Garden has a relaxed ambiance overlooking the pool and garden offering fresh salads, sandwiches, pizzas, tapas, and drinks. And Sa-lo Pavilion, a Filipino inspired pavilion perfect for corporate events, teambuilding, weddings, reunions. Several complimentary attractions and activities are available for guests to enjoy: morning breathing and stretching exercises, a butterfly sanctuary, herb garden, cooking demonstrations, a library, meditation classes among others.

From pampering to romance, nurture Spa Village has taken steps to take guests to a higher level, which is taking care of their health. It’s also a part of Cathy’s advocacy to promote healthy ways of living.

“There are too many people getting sick. And many of these could be prevented. Health is something which is not expensive to maintain if you only know how to.” Cathy said. nurture Spa has tied up with Healthway Clinics to introduce HealthcheQ Gold- executive check ups bundled with a stay in the spa.

A partnership with the Institute of natural Healing has resulted in nurture Spa’s Joyful Health Programs: a combination of spa and wellness treatments designed to make guests feel and look good. Packages named radiance, Forever young, Stress Buster, Waist Watcher and Holistic Health skillfully combine spa treatments like massage, facials, scrubs and wraps together with wellness treatments like acupuncture, colema, detoxification to achieve results at the shortest time possible. nurture Spa also uses the Digital Meridian System (DMS) as a health assessment body check and preventive health care tool. This technology was first used by russian cosmonauts and is inspired by the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine,

Client’s testimonials prove how nurture Spa Village is able to nurture. In the words of a guest: “Who would expect to find such a wonderful experience and such competent and caring staff in the hills around Tagatay ridge in the Philippines. We spent a delightful day at the nurture Spa Village and came away more informed about our health issues and with tools and information to work towards higher wellness. We had a scrumptious meal, a relaxing massage and acupuncture and really appreciated the serene surroundings. We thoroughly enjoyed the whole day.”

And to Cathy being able to please their customers serves as an intangible reward. “We know that we are able to help people—in many ways, by not only taking care of them but by helping them in their relationships and their health,” she said. g


Megaworld Central Properties Inc. President Anthony Charlemagne yu and Araneta Group EVP for Finance Victor kalaw led the ceremonies at the site last March 2, while beauties from the Bb. Pilipinas 2010 pageant added glitter to the festivities.

“This topping off ceremony of Manhattan Garden City’s first phase bodes well for the continued redevelopment of the Araneta Center and raises our hopes for the continued success of phase 3, Manhattan Heights. By next year, as we start to turn over units, Manhattan Garden City will give the Araneta Center a strong residential component within this bustling commercial center, ” yu predicted.

The project is a joint venture between the Araneta Group, which developed the Araneta Center, and Megaworld Corp., the country’s #1 residential condominium developer.

right after the ceremonial topping off, yu and kalaw exchanged ornamental plants as a symbol of good luck. They also led guests to view the actual turnover condition of two showcase units at the 6th floor.

Manhattan Garden City is the country’s first transit-oriented, garden-inspired development. It is the first residential condominium project to feature a direct connection to two mass transit systems. The nearby LrT2 and MrT3 stations from Araneta Center make the whole metro virtually accessible within minutes.

Meanwhile, a plethora of amenities is interspersed within a landscaped setting at the fourth floor podium deck. Each phase features a wide range of amenities, such a swimming pool, jogging path and trellises. All phases are interconnected by walkways to the train stations and to Araneta Center’s various shopping and dining destinations. The new phase, Manhattan Heights, features premium sky garden units at the four topmost floors.

To experience living at Manhattan Garden City, please call Megaworld at 810-3333, visit the showroom at the 3rd level of Gateway Mall, or check out www.themanhattangardencity.com. g

Manhattan Garden City tops off first 3 towers

THE rEDEVELoPMEnT of the Araneta Center, the country’s first shopping and leisure complex, kicked into higher gear with the topping off of the first three towers of Manhattan Garden City.

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