Relic of St. John Baptist de la Salle

This saint is often depicted with “stretched right arm with finger pointing up, instructing two children standing near him”. He died in 1719 and was made a saint by Leo XIII on the 24th of May 1900.

My recent blog reminded me of another interesting relic I saw last year. Around June when I went to see it in Lipa. The relic belongs to San Juan Bautista de La Salle. It’s the saint’s arm bone, sealed in a reliquary adorned with images of bronze angels on each corner.

The French known as the patron saint of all teachers established the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. Its arrival in the country was accorded with military honors which was interesting as there are not that many country that welcomes relics this way.

The teaching congregation St. John started has grown like no other in the world. A good example is the St. Josephs Institute, founded in 1852, one of the oldest educational institution in Singapore (it predates our La Salle University, which was established in 1905). Singapore’s Art Museum has taken over the old baroque chapel and school of the La Sallian brothers. The institution has since moved but has remains as one of the best schools in the country.The La Sallian school in Kuala Lumpur, which I was fortunate to see back in 2010, was established in the early 1900′s. All of these educational institutions are testament to the La Sallian brothers missionary work for education around Asia.

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If you’re not Catholic the subject of relics wouldn’t really interest you. You might even find it strange. It really is a Ripley’s Believe it or not encounter for most the people I know. But Catholics always had this tradition. Relics provides that spiritual connection for most of us. The word “relic” came from the Latin reliquiae, literally means, “remains”. In the case for Catholics – that’s bones, flesh and body parts! we really took it to a whole new level!

Relics unfortunately are also being traded over the internet. I checked ebay a few days ago and was shocked to see what Catholics would refer to as first class relics on sale.

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Speaking of education, I could only imagine what we would have today if it were not for the religious orders. History for many means great heroes and battles. Religious history, especially its contributions, is often gloss over. In Philippine history, the only mention of the religious and missionaries in standard history text are the stereotypical abusive friars. Which of course, does not do justice, to either their cultural contribution or the religion they bequeathed the nation. Their track record in developing agriculture is among the greatest event in our modern history, and yet it is hardly ever mentioned. Add to this is their contribution in the arts and in education. It was the historian Pio Andrade that advised me “to be cautious in assessing friar history… you might uncover them to be heroes”. I say, that these men deserves a second look – especially for us Catholics – much of what we celebrate and consider Filipino culture was formed and influenced by what they brought to our shores.

The Balay in Balayan

Balayan Church

The church with its red brick bell tower is an impressive baroque. The interior is worth a look because it has structurally remained intact (although the modern paintings & murals are a bit out of place). Declared a National Cultural Treasure because its construction was supervised by Filipinos. A rare achievement in the 18th century.

Mr. Alix, a local in his 60′s recounts their elders telling them about “countless church legends” and how it was built “piece by piece” making it virtually earthquake proof. I saw small repairs around the church that were not properly done (some portions of the bell tower for example were patched with common cement). It is ideal that all repairs and restoration work are coordinated with authorities for technical direction. Until now, some of our parish priest fails to understand the benefits of this coordination.

The locals appears to be conscious of heritage conservation. There was controversy some years ago when the church allowed the building of McDonalds in its compound. I’m not sure about the details but I heard that the locals opposed to it. My personal opinion is that the parish should have never allowed it.

Bahay na Bato – Balayan Style

Near the church are clusters of bahay na bato nestled between modern houses and shops. Some of the old houses that are  rented out to businesses maintained its period exterior. Despite being converted into shops they retained many of the antique structure and design from its earlier incarnation.

Just like in many old towns, there are casualties. Old houses that were quietly removed. However, there are still a lot of great looking houses left. Descendants (like the Martinezes and Lopezes) are proud of their ancestral houses that even when most of them no longer resides in Balayan they hire people to look after them.

Balayan must retain its most important period houses. Their history can be seen today in these wonderful relics. For them to preserve these vintage treasures is to honor their past, their heritage and the name of their town – Balayan. I’m glad that the awareness for conserving what’s left of the old town is high among the locals.

I visited two of the Martinez’s ancestral houses. Both are in good condition. The biggest and the most elegant of all ancestral house belongs to this Family. The Martinez mansion across the gas station have a stone arch which is a rarity even among the rich homeowners in Manila. The first floor is rented out to a carinderia. The house is maintained by caretakers from Iloilo. They have strict orders not to allow anyone in. The house is one of the biggest I’ve seen in the province. It has a wide yard and some fruit bearing tree.

Another house that had been preserved for visitors to see is the simple yet elegant Ermita house. One of the parents of Eduardo Ermita is from a family of means in Balayan. A personal favorite is the Santos house (located not far from the Lopezes mansion) because of elements that reminded me of the ancient stilt wooden houses of the coastal islands. I was told by a local that if all the houses of old Balayan was preserved the town could rival their neighbor Taal not only in number but grandeur and splendor. What’s noticeable is that houses in Balayan are spacious compared to Taal.

The most popular Balayan house is the casa grande of the Lopezes (honored with an iron marker by historical commision). The house house was endowed with expensive furniture, grandiose interiors and profuse ornamentation throughout. This should be easy to explain as the owners were among the richest family in the province.

Casa grande’s renowned resident, Sixto Lopez, is one of the most brilliant minds of his time. I saw a correspondence of his in English (addressed to a US senator) which shows how adaptive and flexible his generation was when it comes to language and learning. He learned English as he was appointed to seek US recognition of the Philippine independence. The Batangas revolutionist (Galicano Apacible is also a native of Balayan) were giants in thoughts and intellect. We have to take inspiration from their achievements and how they lived their lives.

Sixto Lopez’s had the idea of briging Aguinaldo and Mabini (a province mate) to the US as there were people there that he believe could help them in their fight for independence. Even when Aguinaldo was captured he petitioned for him to go stateside (same with Mabini). Unfortunately, his plans never materialized. Lopez’s hope for American recognition is a clear sign that the American public were concerned about the military expansionism and there are Americans that were willing to listen. Some of these men (like the popular author Mark Twain) vehemently opposed the idea of an American empire. There are moderate and liberty loving Americans that even then were against occupying other states. Today, we see these liberty loving American’s getting more vocal – I pray that they succeed in taking back their country.

I wonder if there are existing tourism programs in Balayan. With creativity and planning the local government could get people to visit the town. The idea can be attractive. The town is abundant in historical and cultural resources. There are field trips (for students) that goes to where the famed Bagoong Balayan are made. It won’t be such a bad idea to include a walking tour of the old houses of Balayan. It being a coastal town, a stroll near the bay (if they can develop it) after a walking tour of its historic center is a perfect ending for a day’s visit.

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Leo Martinez's ancestral house

Casa Grande - the Lopezes home in Balayan

An elegant white painted office for once rich Balayan cacao business

An example of architectural "reuse". This is one of the biggest stone house in town and its looking great!

Another house owned by the Martinez clan of Balayan. A personal favorite!

Renovated through the years but still showing the original design of a classic Filipino home

The Bahay na Bato just like the Bahay Kubo are square in design

I was told that the lower floor serves as a mortuary. The upper floor, a study hall (?) That's a strange combo

A House in Balayan Batangas

Although it may appear that there;s not much likeness between the two, the concept and architecture of the bahay na bato are largely based on the precolonial house. My visit to the Ramos house (not sure if they call it that) helped me understand how the kubo (literally “cube”) evolved into something permanent.

I’m thankful that the Ramoses (esp. the unico hijo) allowed me to see the inside of their house. There’s not a lot of these houses around so you welcome these opportunities. My imagination just takes off picturing what it must have been like to spend one’s life in these mansions. I had a great time inside. I picked the house because it exemplifies classic Filipino Hispano house design (some of the crooked stilts are exposed making the house appear like a precolonial coastal dwelling if you are to look at it from the rear). There are grander houses around Balayan but this house for me was just an outstanding example of that wonderful mix that highlights the union between hispanic and oriental.

The entresuelo is now occupied by a tenant (traditionally reserved for safekeeping but is also used for guest lodging). Thee are three cuartos in the house (approx with 10 square feet area).The patio of the house is adjacent to the comedor (usually adjacent to the zaguan or stable). The caida (the area after the grand stairs) is still used to entertain guest and has been largely kept as it was (complete with all the furniture). The sala has been incorporated to the caida. Usually, for big houses sala’s are reserved for dancing and parties. In modest homes, the caida and sala appears to be just one space. The comedor (dining room) is separate from the cocina (kitchen). We don’t see this arrangement anymore as most kitchen and dining area today are confined in one space. Another interesting feature of the house are the wooden strips (separated by inch gaps) flooring in the comedor and cocina. Clearly, a design inspired by the ancient bahay kubo. Beneath this area is the silong (no longer used) another tradition that was kept by the Filipinos. The latrina (toilet) can be found a near the cocina. Its a structure that is separate from the main house. Another interesting feature of the house are the timber posts (possibly yakal) that supports the house. These posts are exposed and can be seen at the rear portion. It reminds me of the precolonial coastal houses.

There’s pride in the houses of Balayan. You get that feeling. To them, an old Balayan bahay na bato is as Filipino as it gets.

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The house and the tambay children wondering why in the world am I taking photos of an old house

The stairs leading the caida

The sala with all the furniture of the "Lola" and her altar

The house and her owner, Dona Consuelo

A wooden piano covered by an knitted clothe

The batalan

The kusina (notice the old iron stove serving now as stand for the modern gas stove)

The comedor overlooking a swamp teeming with kang kong

The patio. An open space for some relaxing

The view of the living area from the comedor (kainan)

The Lola's room with a picture of her hanging on the post. The whole house was made a shrine in her memory

There were many changes made in the house but they somehow retained much of the old. For that, "Bravo"!

Balayan Bagoong

I was looking forward to attending the feast of San Juan Bautista this year but missed it. I could just imagine the lechon being paraded and devoured after in the streets of Balayan. Since I failed to attend the roasted pig parade and it is only now that I finally got to visit this beautiful town – I have to settle for the bagoong.

And its not that bad really.

Having Visayan parents that savor these delicacies (Bisayan’s probably have a hundred ways of making bagoong!) I grew up with these dark fermented seafood around. Its an important cooking ingredient and of course, the all around sawsawan. For us, it’s also a form of viand (like guinamos) when there’s nothing left to cook in the fridge. I’m used to the smell and the unappetizing color like most Filipino do (Filipinos going abroad are notorious for trying to smuggle bagoong in their airport baggage’s!) – we just can’t live without them!

In Luzon, there are three provinces that have a popular variety: Ilocos, Pangasinan and Batangas. In Batangas province, Balayan is synonymous to superior bagoong. The time they start working on their bagoong is during the  few first months of the year when anchovies and galunggong are abundant. According to the vendors, the fishes are caught locally but there are times that the catch could come from as far as Tayabas (Quezon Province).

The vendor told me that the bagoong goes well with another popular Batangueño delicacy, ihaw na maliputo (heard it for years but I’ve yet to taste it). The Balayan bagoong is a remnant of their precolonial tradition. It is said that the original Balayanos (the word “balay” is Visayan word for house) were settlers that came from the southern islands.

Could the tradition in bagoong came from the Visayans that settled and established their “balay” in precolonial Balayan? Were the first Balayanos, Visayans (pintados)?

Sometimes the names of our towns and its food tradition gives us some bits and pieces to think about.

The bagoong Balayan have a distinct taste from the Visayan variety. The final product is smooth (no bones and pieces of the fermented fish). It’s like patis (fish oil), only thicker. The smell is stronger but the taste is milder compared to the Ilocanos version. The difference between Balayan’s and another Luzon variety, Bagoong Pangasinan, is that Bagoong Balayan does not have pieces (bones, flesh, head) of the fish they used. It is as if the fish melted during the fermentation process.

What set the Balayan variety is the quality of which it is made. They take pride in making and selling them – well, it carries their towns name so they should be proud.

Visiting Casa de Segunda in Lipa

Why was it called Casa de Segunda?

Ma’am. Lilet, the designated family tour guide said, “well, it is the house she built with her husband (Manuel)”.

Why not Casa de Manuel  or Casa de Luz or Katigbak y Luz?

Probably thinking I was nuts to be asking such things, she ignored my last question. She proceeded to the kusina and told me, “I bet you could not lift that dining table!”. I told her I’ll give it a try. I’m almost 6 foot and I feel strong at my 200 lbs wrestling frame!

But I couldn’t even push the table! I’ll probably break my back trying. Ma’am Lilet was laughing the whole time!

Mrs. Lilet Malabanan Katigbak is a most excellent host. She’s got a great sense of history and humor. What started out as a tour ended up in an interview. She was very candid, answering even the more controversial questions I had.

Casa de Segunda

NHI marker

This side was not the original entrance. The opposite road was what the previous residents used.

Ma'am Lilet showing her grandma's bed. Notice the arinola .

Usually they charge for groups but she probably took pity on me. At the time, there were no other visitors. I told them as long as they’ll allow me to go around the house and take pictures, I’m a happy man, but Mrs. Malabanan insisted that she show me around. She did the tour for free! She strikes me as a very caring and intelligent lady. Her looking after the house  is a great labor of love for her Lola Segunda. We have to thank their families. In a time when descendants sell their ancestral houses because of soaring property prices — the Katigbak’s are a rarity. Not all are like them.

Dona Segunda, Lola Unday to them, suffered a stroke and died in 1943. Their Lolo Uwel died a year earlier. But before these wonderful couple left this world, they had 9 equally talented and successful children. Since they were from the era of cultured Filipinos of the old cerrado catolico kind – they propagated like they were in the time of the Old Testament! The old Lipa family has got to be one if not the biggest.  Mortality rate of women who die from pregnancy was quite high then. Many men married several times during their lifetime because of this.

The view here must have been awesome then.

Well maintained lower floor of the house with many ready reading materials for visitors.

"Those trees are over a hundred years old... Lola planted that one" - Mrs. Lilet Katigbak Malabanan

Where Manuel and Pepe played chess

The question I had earlier about why the house was christened “Casa de Segunda” was because I was curious to know if it had something to do with Segunda’s youthful romance with Rizal. Since historians (including some families and politicians) venerate anyone, everything and anything related with Rizal they often over-attribute.

But it appears that it was not the case for Casa de Segunda. I was wrong about my presumption. “She raised all her children here, even her grandchildren; she was here all her life”, Ma’am Lilet said. “That’s why its only fitting that it bear her name, she died here also”. There were new houses built around the vicinity of the Casa but they were constructed respecting the space of the old house.

Lipa, the city government, must now do its job. Give financial assistance to the house museum and stop taxing them for crying out loud!

They’re doing you a great favor here.

The local government keeps on promoting the house as a tourist site, sending busloads of public school students without paying for any fees and yet they could not even give the house owners a tax break.

Another suggestion to Lipa’s local government is for them to help maintain the other four  old houses that survived WWII (one of which is the Luz ancestral house). Lipa during the war took some of the heaviest bombing from the American forces because the Japs headquartered themselves in the palatial homes of the Lipeños. It is said that fumes coming from Lipa can be seen from hundreds of kilometers. Organizing a historic trail complete with markers and information pamphlets is a nice way to promote the history of Lipa. It can even generate jobs.

Plus Plus Families

I’ll probably write a separate article about the families of Lipa. I acquired information about the family trees of some of the old families and its really fascinating. It appears that having a huge family was not only common but expected in old Lipa. There were several well known men that married more than once (after their spouses had died). It could be attributed to the fact that they’re rich farmers but as records show the richest period in Lipa (the coffee boom) didn’t even last a decade.

Having a big family before was common because children are good indicator of wealth and well being. The families in the old times became so big that first cousin marriages were common and accepted. The Filipino world has changed. Life’s getting tough and there seem to be no end in sight for our economic woes. This is why history is fascinating – you could make comparison and see where we made mistakes.

Rizal in Lipa

An interesting discovery was a school called Instituto Rizal. This institute where Claro M. Recto and many renowned Lipeños learned the rudiments of school was founded in 1896! The dates don’t add up.

Rizal died December that same year. This simply means that it was named after him even while he was still alive! It’s like naming the old Manila airport after Ninoy while he was still giving interviews in Boston. Don Gregorio Katigbak (whose mother is related to Recto’s mother) founded the institute. Claro Mayo Recto studied there from 1900-01.

Rizal of course was known among the prominent Lipeños during his time. A popular story about him in Lipa was when he visited it in 1890′s. He met Manuel Luz, the husband of Segunda, his first love. He was consolidating support and was said to have been soliciting funds from the Lipeños. Manuel and Rizal played chess on what is now Casa de Segunda (the chess table is still there). Rizal lost and rumor has it that he did so intentionally. But I don’t think that’s the case because the Luz’s are known to be geniuses. The history of this family is as fascinating as the town itself. Hopefully one day a local could come up with a history book about the great Lipeño families.

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Now, back to Casa de Segunda.

A beautiful article sums up my thoughts about this wonderful bahay na bato:

Built in the 1880’s…a typical “bahay na bato”, is Spanish in architecture, yet essentially a tropical house. The dramatic arrangements of space, use of masonry and sense of grandeur and solidity are practical response to environment and charming record of history.

The family intended to make it a vacation house for the Luz-Katigbak families but after it was restored people started coming. Then NHI made it a heritage house complete with a marker. They opened it to the public believing that Filipinos could something not only about their families but the history of Lipa.

The largest house in Lipa was that of Dona Catalina Solis. It was said to had been donated to the Catholic church after her death.

After the war there were only five houses that survived in Lipa. The Japanese took a liking to the Antillean houses of Lipa that they occupied them all. The owners had to leave their beautiful houses. When the Americans bombed Lipa to flush out the Japanese, the Philippine Spanish villa burned for days.

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Pictures of existing old houses (filhispanic and American era) in Lipa:

A Square House

Post war

For sale!

A former stable before

Fading glory

Tinted in colors

Still looking elegant

One of the originals that survived the war

Fallen into tough times

Wonderfully restored

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For school tours of Casa de Segunda please contact Ma’am Lilet Katigbak Malabanan @ 043 784 1952 or at her mobile 0918 941 5410.

Disclaimer: The opinion expressed here are mine and does not reflect that of the owners.

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Proud Tanauan

Tanauan’s population is around two hundred thousand. Considering its substantial land, that’s not a lot of people.  Calamba, its next door neighbor to the south, is smaller but have twice the number of people.

What’s fascinating about Tanauan is how it remained agricultural. Tanauan retained its rural outlook and agricultural economy as late as the 1950′s and even in the 1960′s, it must have been completely rural and agricultural during Laurel’s (Pres. Laurel) childhood and juvenile years”, say the President’s biographers, the  del Castillos. Traditionally agricultural it was an influential town that produced great national leaders that played key roles in our history.

There were changes of course, but Tanauan has largely remained agricultural even today. Or at least it felt that way.

When we hear provincial, what comes to mind are backward communities. If we look back at our provinces in the 18th century, most of them were  progressive agro towns where hunger was never much a problem. The Spaniards introduction of crops and simple technologies had long solve the threats of famine. In Cebu, for example, the maize had been grown abundantly that in some areas it had challenged rice as staple. The 20th century saw the decrease in the produce that led us to import rice and other crops that we use to export to distant lands.

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Tanaueño’s would send their children to Manila and abroad to study. A common practice among top families during the 18th century. Prominent families are known to commit their children to higher education. These children would then comeback take over the family business 0r make their mark in local politics. These educated Filipinos would later constitute the leadership of the revolution of  ’96.

These families, with their political influence, businesses and landholdings, represents the continuation of traditional prefilipino royalties [datus & local chiefs were assigned as cabeza de balangay by the Spaniards] that adapted itself into the times. Philippine society was stratified then on the basis of education and property. These divide between the rich and poor are magnified today because productivity in the fields has gone down. Unlike before when farming has been stable source of employment and food, these days the dwindling agricultural industry and continued oppression of the farmers and the poor by their corrupt government and landowners has increased the gap. Our farmers are subjected to conditions which makes it impossible for them to succeed. Today, the only farms that profits are those that are run by big corporations.

However, there’s a difference between the relation between the aristocratic Filipino families that employed the rural town farmers then and now. Their experience with the Spanish and then the Americans had bonded them closer. When the propertied class revolted against the colonial government it was their farmers and obreros that served as their soldiers. This relationship is no longer present in our agricultural towns. Prominent families had long abandoned their traditional lands [sold or left to be administered by corporations] and farmers has been preoccupied in their struggle to own part of the farms their ancestors tilled and providing the most basic of needs for their often over sized family. Farmers children has been sent to the cities to work for lowly jobs. However, This urban employment haven’t alleviated the flight of their families as they remain poor and exploited due to lack of education and discipline.

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At the gate. an engraved metal plate reads "Jose P. Laurel, Abogado"

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I visited the ancestral house of the Laurel’s not far from where I alighted. When I got there it was close. I kept knocking. The security guard won’t even talk [the house is about 300 meters away from the gate]. I have a feeling that I wasn’t the first curious observer that got snubbed there.

It was a great looking house none the less.

I’ve always been interested in the Laurel’s because an Ilonga aunt married one. I long since wondered what makes them successful. A historian, elegantly wrote “they breathed and drunk the idyllic atmosphere of the countryside at Tanauan and inherited the headstrong temperament attributed to those in propinquity with Taal volcano”.

Well, a more realistic explanation is that the Laurel men were expected to lead. They came from a long line of educated and successful fore bears.They had to exceed their parents expectations – anything less would have been unacceptable. Such were the demands of the tradition we once had.

The Tanauan’s first family were the ruling elite. From their line came the most fervent of Filipino nationalists who distinguished themselves as public servants. Sotero was representative in the first Republic who died of dysentery in an American concentration camp, then there was the son Jose who became president and later his sons; Teroy the senator, Jose Jr a former house speaker and Doy vice president during Cory’s presidency.

Tanauan's elegant looking church. Like all old churches, this figured prominently in their culture and history.

Of all the presidencies  of the country, Laurel’s is probably the most controversial because to many the second republic of which he was the chief executive had been reduced to in some to a puppet government that did nothing but the bidding for the Japanese.

Recto would later suffer the same fate. Tagged as a “collaborator”. They were accused of traitorous acts against their people. President Laurel would be pardoned but Recto (one of the glories of Philippine Spanish letters) would refuse the pardon, electing to fight for his freedom in the courts – and he won.

These patriots, upon their release would be the main opponent of the absurd American parity rights. Their actions during the war and after it showed their true patriotism. The Laurel’s for their part had been one of the staunchest nationalist of southern Tagalog. Many of those accused of “collaboration” were merely acting on behalf of the people. What an unfortunate task these men had but someone had to accept the responsibilities of representing the peopl otherwise there would have been more blood shed.

If it were not for President Laurel, “an up and coming jurist, a native of Tanauan, Batangas… long time resident of the district of Paco in Manila, member of the Supreme court”, Marcos would’ve rotted in jail. He was almost in a similar situation as Marcos was in his youth. He felt it would be a terrible waste to let the young Marcos rot in prison. If he never did pardon the man, just imagine how different our history would have been.

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Of course, discussion’s about Tanauan’s past would not be complete without mentioning Apolinario Mabini. I met some of his relatives in the town during my first visit. Like Mabini, they are common folks, not into politics nor do they seek it. The highest post ever held by a Mabini in Tanauan is that of a Barrio Captain.

Mabini is the ideal man to lead the government during the revolution and he was practically running the country as Aguinaldo’s chief adviser. But being honest and upfront, he quickly alienated himself against his own government. He made enemies who were constantly intriguing against him. He later resigned his post and went underground. He became a fierce critic of the excesses of Aguinaldo’s deposed government.

Mabini’s letters [originally compiled by Teodoro Kalaw] are among the most revealing documents in Filipino historiography. Hopefully one day, we could dedicate a course in our schools that would study these correspondence. Its a pity that such documents, although available for the public, are hardly ever studied.

According to the Mabini’s of Tanauan, all of his siblings struggled in life even after his death. He left no properties, no bank accounts. Unlike his contemporaries, he never used his position for his material advantage. He lived frugally all his life. The only well off Mabini’s of today are the descendants of Agapito, who married into a prominent Manileno family.

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Another Tanaueño worthy of  mention is Hen.  Nicolas Gonzales, the last of Aguinaldo’s general to surrender to the Americans. Along with Malvar, he fought relentless against the invasion until his surrender. Its unfortunate that very few knew of his admirable dedication towards the revolution. Tanaueños of old looked up to him. The Americans, saw him a worthy opponent and named the peak of Tagaytay ridge [formerly Monte de Sungay] after him. Hen. Gonzales married a Laurel’s and stayed in Tanauan almost all his life. He would later serve as governor of the province.

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There are a handful of Antillean houses left around here. This one looks great.

The origina site of Tanauan's "escuela pia" where young men like Mabini learned the rudements of education from Friar educators.

This visit coincided with the initial work on the recreation of Mabini's house in the shrine dedicated to him. Laborer's strictly follow the exact measurements of the Hero's Nagtahan home.

Reference/Further readings:

The saga of José P. Laurel (his brother’s keeper) by T del Castillo and J del Castillo

So help us God: the presidents of the Philippines and their inaugural addresses by Jonathan E. Malaya

The Mysteries of Taal by Thomas Hargrove

Taal “Pride in History”

Not far from Manila, Taal is a rarity of a town. It ranks among the most preserved historical towns in the country. A distinction it shares with Vigan, Pila and Silay. Some argue that the preservation is far from satisfactory but I happen to believe otherwise. The manner of which the Taaleños had “reuse” their old ancestral house is one of the most adaptive cultural phenomena in our time.

Many Filipinos confuse Taal the town with the Volcano and its lake (Places that got its name from the once prestigious capital of the whole province). The same case for the town of Ba-y where the lake (Laguna de Ba-y) was named after – these details are lost in the minds of today’s generation. We have to rediscover these long forgotten towns as they’re integral in our cultural and historical journey. These  old town’s contributed significantly to the development of our identity.

But this could be easier said than done, with our fast-phased life, its easy not to find the time.

Taaleños had put great effort and care in making their old town appear as it was during its heyday. And they’re not doing it for sentimental reasons but rather for the pride it brings home. The spirit of their great houses continues to guide them, they draw inspiration from its meaning and significance. These tangible links reminds visitors that the old traditions are alive in all things here and in all Taaleño.

Examples of these undying traditions  are the presence of handcrafted balisongs and barong tagalog – Taal has long been considered to be one of the best source of this regional dress. Food stalls that sell what could probably be the best (and thickest broth!) “lomi” in the country can be found in the towns public market. The Taal’s coffee industry (peaked in the 1800′s) was once a giant industry – sadly, it suffered from “peste” and never recovered. And not to be forgotten are the religious festivals. The one in Caysasay (known for its fluvial parade) is the biggest and grandest in town.

“Must see” houses in Taal begins with the Felipe Agoncillo’s white washed house. The descendants of the first foreign secretary had magnificently restored the two storey house and is open for the public. A bronze monument (dressed as a European styled lanky gentleman) for its illustrious owner stands in its front garden.

A stone throw away from Felipe Agoncillo’s house is the ancestor house of the Ylagan-de la Rosa. This was the house of a popular lawyer and educator in the late 19th century.  The Ylagan’s were prominent member of Taal’s rich society during the early 19th century. Maria Ylagan Orosa, the eminent scientist and war hero who invented banana ketchup (my favorite ketchup!), soyamilk, palayok oven and pineapple vinegar among other things came from this illustrious family. The renaissance woman died during the war.

Agoncillo’s beautiful wife’s ancestral house is now under NHI custody  and has been a museum for some time. Her role in our history – simple yet iconic – she helped sew the flag (in Hong Kong) that was raised in Cauit . Her house (built by her parents and could probably be the oldest in town) also had a small bust bronze monument in her honor.

In the house of the Doña Gliceria Marella de Villavicencio, a brightly painted casa reminiscent of Mexican homes, one can find a simple monument of a lady that donated her family’s wealth to the revolution. A trading ship of her family  is considered to be the first ship in our navy. An excellent illustration of the old Taaleños’ unselfish commitment for  their country.

Another house, now also a museum (also administered by the NHI), is Casa Apacible. Another Rizal kin and a delegate in the Malolos convention. A ranking mason who opened his house for masonic and revolutionary meetings during the critical years of the revolution – one could just imagine what important decisions were made inside his house (or is it possible that the hombres were just hanging around drinking cerveza negra!).

Taal is a symbol of survival and determination. The original location of the town was said to be closer to the volcano. A major eruption changed all that. The missionaries took their town and church a little further downstream. This was when communities were attached to the religion that united them. A strong earthquake leveled the town but was again it was rebuilt by its resilient missionaries and people.

Their Basilica, San Martin de Pours, the biggest in the country and is considered to be the largest in Asia is an awe-inspiring sight. Not to many people know that it took a century to finish, after the original was destroyed by the volcano eruption of 1754. The massive basilica built on the hill must be seen to be appreciated - I could not put in words the effect seeing it had on me. The whole place looks like it was built by giants!

This is the Taal of the old, everything was possible!

Near this massive church is the original escuela pia of Taal that was administered by the missionaries. I was delighted to see it restored (though it appears to be a reconstruction) These schools are historic monuments of the forgotten Spanish educational system that precedes the American public schools in the Philippines.

One of the students of Taal’s escuela pia is Ananias Diokno, whose house can be found a little further down  the main road. The house is now a gym and and could very well be “in danger” as it appears to be  not properly maintained.

Sadly, there are casualties along the way and they are growing in number. Some houses had fallen in disuse and are no longer habitable. There was even one that is for sale (how can we put a price tag on a century old house?). A camarin had been left to rot and there were quite a few houses that had been taken down. These are realities that are happening in almost all old towns, that is why we have to be thankful to those remaining families that took the initiative to preserve their ancestral houses. Without them, Taal would have been another soulless town.

This ones for sale!

A stable or a camarin?

Taal's Escuela Pia

There is no perfect approach in heritage preservation, in most cases there must be creativity, but the most effective option is to continue utilizing them with respect and pride. If the houses continue to be relevant and useful, the more likely it would be spared from destruction and new construction. Many owners would say it is far more economical disposing these houses than maintaining them. An attitude that presents a great threat to existing heritage structures. The key here is that we promote architectural reuse in order to avoid situations like the one that happened to Binan’s oldest house.

But like what Batman said to Robin, “greed is an overpowering emotion”. It dems all the senses – most especially the “historical sense”, if there ever is such a sense for those who destroy their ancestral houses for profit.

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Friends blog’s about the town: TOF, Filipinoscribbles