Balikbayan Magazine June-July 2011 V2N8

PHILIPPI NES

THE ASIAN JOURNAL MAGAZINE

JUNE - JULY 2011

150 YEARSof

JOSE RIZAL LAGUNA DAPITAN VOLUME II NUMBER 8

US$ 5.00•PHP 150.00

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june

& july

2011 keeping a journal

contents

issue no. 19

12 jose rizal’s notebooks & drawings rizal shrine, calamba, laguna

“...At one point, we may surmise that Rizal may have shown the world that through our imagination and language, we are a civilization in ourselves...”

keeping a journal: a celebration of a hero & a balikbayan by roger l. oriel

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june

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2011 travel

vol. ii no. 8

contents

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Tagaytay

Dapitan

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Cavite 24 TOUR BUZZ: PORTRAITS OF A HERO AS POET AND REVOLUTIONARY Louie Jon Sanchez joins National Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario in a pilgrimage to Majayjay and Magdalena, Laguna, remembering the life and works of Emilio Jacinto.

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Laguna 19

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BALIKBAYAN JOURNALS Know what to do when you are in Laguna, Tagaytay, Cavite and Dapitan.

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SCENIC ROUTE: LAGUNA BY THE LAKE Managing Editor Louie Jon Sanchez drives around Laguna via roads along the picturesque Laguna de Bay.

30 UNGUIDED TOUR: ON THE CORNER OF RIZAL AND MEMORY LANE Contributor Jen Balboa and photographer walk around Sampaloc and retraces Rizalian memories.

34 AVENIDA RIZAL: THE ORIGINAL STREET MALL Contributing Editor Rene Luis Mata recalls the memories of a glorious busy street.

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june & july vol.ii no.8

2011 gallery

balikbayan scenes

Kids immerse themselves with a wall display featuring replicas of rizal documents.

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2011 featured stories

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contents

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editor’s notebook: rizaliana 101

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tatak rizal

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now playing: jose rizal

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deconstructing rizal: bayaning 3rd world revisited

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the men who would be knights

by lito ocampo cruz Associate Editor Rochelle Pangilinan writes on Rizal as the most alluded cultural icon.

Contributor Jewel Castro revaluates

three Rizalian films of contemporary times.

Behold the Man

Contributing Editor Joel Pablo Salud celebrates heroism and pays homage to Jose Rizal on his sesquicentennial.

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Editorial assistant Jamie Elona writes about the Knights of Rizal.

56 alumni:

a son of two schools

Jamie Elona recalls Jose Rizal’s happy

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Rochelle Pangilinan on Mike De Leon’s classic take on the National Hero’s life and heroism.

days both at the Ateneo and the University of Santo Thomas.

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people: a conversation with philippe “cebuana” lhuillier

Former ambassador of the Philippines to Italy shares his experiences with Filipinos he encountered abroad.

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PHILIPPIN ES

THE ASIAN JOURNAL MAGAZINE

publisher & ceo president & co-publisher editor in chief

JUNE - JULY 2011

roger l. oriel cora m. oriel lito ocampo cruz

managing editor

louie jon agustin sanchez

associate editor

rochelle c. pangilinan

editorial assistant contributing editors

jamie marie elona prosy dela cruz, malou bledsoe,

cynthia de castro, cristina pantoja-hidalgo nancy lumen, candy lykes, rene mata,

d.m. reyes, althea ricardo, joel pablo salud

contributing writers

jennifer balboa, mario banzon,

alma anonas-carpio, jewel castro,

mark anthony cayanan, susan lara, rene luis mata, ruben nepales, janet nepales

contributing photographers

oliver bayani, joe cobilla,

phillip kimpo jr., ted madamba, miko santos, andy tecson

vice president for business development & creative director

alvin adriano

vice president for advertising

noel godinez

vice president for circulation & special events team of writers team of graphic designers circulation manager financial officers

on the cover

Bust of Dr. Jose Rizal created by

Alvin Adriano This issue, we celebrate the Jose Rizal sesquicentennial with an iconic rendition of the National Hero as text. Rizal has been written in many ways, and he has also been the subject of discourse.

He is the country’s quintessential text, the subject and theme of the national spirit.

For a listing of the Filipino feasts around the country this month of June and July, go to our website:

www.balikbayanmagazine.com

raphael john oriel

assistant creative director

vice president for sales

volume ii. no.8

sharon ann bathan-san pedro vince samson billy dela cruz, julie matienzo valory lim, kendrick tan,

joyce balansag, bienvenida salazar arthur sibulangcao ria fabro, gemma fabro

asian journal publications, inc. www.asianjournal.com advertising@asianjournalinc.com

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3700 west desert inn road las vegas, nevada 89102 tel. (702) 792–6678 no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage of retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. asian journal publications, inc. regrets that no responsibility can be accepted for unsolicited material, which will be returned only if stamped, addressed envelope is enclosed.

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Every journey has a story.

Every story has a chapter.

Asian Journal.

20 years.

20 chapters.

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june & july

2011 keeping a journal

A Celebration of a Hero and a Balikbayan This month, the Philippines is celebrating the 150 th birth anniversary of the National Hero, Jose Rizal.

His fellow Ateneans call it “sesquicentennial,” harking back to the university’s own 150th year celebration last 2009— and we heard that it is also mounting a celebration for its esteemed alumnus from the Ateneo de Municipal days. We think that this is also not lost on Rizal’s other alma mater, the University of Santo Tomas, which this year marks its glorious 400 years, a proud cradle of many intellectuals and revolutionaries. After all, UST was indeed the first bastion of dissent in the colonial times. Rizal might have spent “happy days” at the Ateneo, but his fullest intellectual pursuits, like that of his many contemporaries, might have flourished during his education at the Pontifical and Royal University. These are merely speculations though, but we may be sure that Rizal is a child of both the liberal Jesuits and the catholic Dominicans.

That the two leading Filipino universities stake their claims again and again on their alumnus, through rigorous research here and there, is a sure sign of that important place of Jose Rizal in Philippine culture. The two institutions which marked their many a hundred years continue to be at the forefront of educating the young, and educating them about the life and works of Rizal, as mandated by law. Rizal, as an intellectual, in his short life started the ground work in what scholars today call “Philippine Studies.” He wasn’t only a polyglot and a doctor (and an optometrist who managed to operate on his own mother’s cataract!), but a truly engaged cultural worker, working for the betterment of his countrymen but setting down and recording important cultural facts and artifacts—traditional Philippine

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prosody, myths such as Mariang Makiling’s, among others.

He is even hailed today as the country’s very first children’s story writer and illustrator. His drawings on the astute Turtle and the cunning Monkey is best remembered today as a truly Filipino fable. Rizal, however, is not only all of these. Even before the concept of the “balibayan” became a household name, he himself, along with other intellectuals, trailblazed the Filipino diaspora. Many of them were sent to Europe to study, to experience freedom first hand, at the colonizers’ own homefront. They all realized that the Filipino can, that Filipinos can in fact be at par with their colonial masters, who boast of a longstanding romance with the great Western tradition. In Germany, Rizal lectured on the Filipino art of poetry, setting for the first time, a Filipino poetic worldview in the presence of a world audience. He reiterated the fact that the Philippines was not a country steeped in underdevelopment (the West in fact fictionalized it to a certain barbaric extent). At one point, we may surmise that Rizal may have shown the world that through our imagination and language, we are a civilization in ourselves, a people with culture and history, albeit almost erased by history and colonial circumstances.

The hero had to do all these outside the country— away from his own roots, and this was the only way. For heroism to be fulfilled, one must be willing to reiterate one’s sense of identity in a land not his own. This is the hero’s adventure from the beginning of time. And after Rizal, thousands upon thousands of Filipinos continue to make leave-takings not only to pursue greener pastures, but also to define that creature which is the Filipino, especially in this era of globalization. In a way, we may say that indeed, the Filipino from the beginning has been trying to conquer the world; we have seen this fact in a sad light, but to look at it as a way of becoming may lead us to rethink of our ways of perceiving ourselves. Rizal and the other figures of his time embody the most valued Filipino traits that made them carry out that unnamed mission of conquering the world. And they have maintained their desire to return to their roots, to being the balikbayan that they would always be, despite their many departures. Isn’t this the very essence of being a balikbayan in the first place?

Rizal and his compatriots invented this concept, this very Filipino desire and longing for home while on a foreign land. It has been passed to us in new terms—balikbayan, the Overseas Filipino Worker, and much recently, the Outstanding Filipino Worldwide, as we coined it here in Balikbayan Magazine. This issue celebrates Rizal and his various contributions to Philippines society at large, and the revaluation of the Filipino diasporic experience.

Roger L. Oriel, Publisher

“...For heroism to be fulf illed, one must be willing to reiterate one’s sense of identity in a land not his own.

This is the hero’s adventure from the beginning of time...”

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june & july

2011 editor’s notebook

Rizaliana 101 The Jose Rizal sesquicentennial brings us a string of celebratory pieces remembering the man who is our National Hero.

Scenes from the Rizaliana Streets of Sampaloc photos by oliver bayani

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Louie Jon A. Sanchez, our managing editor, collaborates with Raphael John Oriel in revisiting Rizal’s Laguna, taking the scenic Laguna Lake route and exploring some ten towns, including Calamba where the Rizal Old House replica still stands, and—a revelation of the trip!—Pila, Laguna, with its many quaint old houses. Laguna is a county of old churches, and our Balikbayan team found themselves marveling at some of the best known shrines commonly flocked to during the Visita Iglesia season. The Laguna trip this issue was a journey through time and space.

Philippines Graphic Editor-in-Chief Joel Salud meanwhile writes another sparkling piece on Jose Rizal’s heroism, recalling the qualities of a hero, whose date with destiny brought him to the historic pantheon, fully embodying the Filipino ideal. We say that this is a companion piece to Louie Jon’s essay on a separate Laguna pilgrimage he undertakes with National Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario and the Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika, at Anyo, to celebrate the other hero who took his final breath after much revolutionary work in Rizal’s Laguna, Emilio Jacinto.

Remembering Rizal also brings us to the streets where Rizal lives on—and our contributor Jen Balboa is the best woman for the job. She walks through the famed Sampaloc district whose streets have been inspired by Jose Rizal’s life and works. Jen, together with photographer Oliver Bayani, provides us a cityscape, harking bark to Rizal’s memory, from the cast of characters of Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, to his other seminal works in Philippine cultural studies, such as the Arte Metrica del Tagalog.

If you’re from the University of Santo Tomas, you’ll surely remember Dapitan (the road behind the university, and the hamlet in Zamboanga where Rizal was exiled before his trial and execution). Street life has changed through time, but Jen’s journey is a pilgrimage in itself.

Still taking to the streets, our design expert and University of the Philippines-Diliman architecture

Prof. Rene Luis Mata, remembers the history and heritage of Avenida Rizal, which runs through three cities in the Metropolis—Caloocan, Manila, and Passay.

“Jojo” as he is fondly called, tells us that the Avenida, has long been a busy commercial street, and in fact, was probably the first “street mall” in Metro Manila.

With this historical perspective, we are provided with a nostalgic glimpse of a city’s old thoroughfare, and a city life which had sterling building architecture and structures that combine function and beauty.

Award-winning scriptwriter Jewel Castro returns to our pages with a retrospective of contemporary films depicting Jose Rizal, the hero and the man. She re-reads three landmark Rizal films to show our collective imaginations of Rizal, that man in a black suit, wearing a bowler hat—Marilou Diaz Abaya’s Jose Rizal, Mike de Leon’s cerebral docufilm Bayaning 3rd World, and Tikoy Aguiluz’s take on Rizal’s exile, Rizal sa Dapitan. We have long boxed in Rizal in that predictable image, and these three films provide different takes on the hero we all love. Accompanying this piece is an essay on Bayaning 3rdWorld by our associate editor, Rochelle C. Pangilinan.

Rochelle also writes an ode to Rizal as the Pinoy Cover Boy. With her essay recalling all marketing and advertising Rizaliana, we are shown that indeed, Rizal has been an effective tool to show what the Filipino “concept” is all about. Rizal, after all, stands for everything we want to value and preserve. Reading Rochelle’s article will remind us that the very use of Rizal’s name products has never been sacrilegious, but is a sacred mandate. We are all strongly indebted to Rizal, and we embrace what he exemplifies.

Our editorial assistant Jamie Elona writes two articles this issue, one on the Knights of Rizal, and the other, on Rizal’s happy days, not only at the Ateneo de Municipal, but also at UST. Rizal’s knights templars today bring again and again, the Rizalian values in civic society. Both the Ateneo and UST meanwhile remain to be vanguards of Philippine education.

Lito Ocampo Cruz, Editor-in-Chief

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june & july

2011 travel

Balikbayan Journals

Laguna

A view to a thrill. The Laguna de Bay from atop the Sierra Madre region in Rizal.

LAGUNA is a province known for its quaintness rich in history and culture. For Manilenos, it is a town they head off to whenever they are craving for an adventure but do not really feel like going for a long drive.

Laguna is just a one-and-a-half drive away from Manila, thus many decide to go there to enjoy the sights and the hot spots. Of course, one of the main attractions of Laguna is Mt. Makiling in Los Baños, which boasts of abundant natural hot springs on its slopes which flow through many private swimming pools in the surrounding areas that are available for rent. The warm water reportedly provides therapeutic benefits which can relieve muscle pains.

If you don’t feel like swimming in a private pool and want a more adventurous activity, you can troop to Pagsanjan Falls in Pagsanjan, where you can take a boat ride down to shoot the rapids. Pagsanjan Falls is a tourist hot spot where both locals and tourists can enjoy the majestic view of the falls.

If you are a history or an art buff, you can head to the Rizal Shrine in Calamba where you can take a look at the priceless Rizal memorabilia on display and take a look at the replica of the house where Dr. Jose Rizal once lived. There are also many still standing Spanish-style houses in Biñan.

Evergreen fields in Pila, Laguna Laguna isn’t short on beautiful churches either. There is the Nagcarlan Church and its centuries-old underground cemetery (declared as a National Historical site) which is said to be the first of its kind in the Philippines. There is also the church in Liliw where you can enjoy a good view of Laguna de Bay from its bell tower. There is also the Magdalena Church in Magdalena which is one of the oldest churches in the country and the Majayjay Church in Majayjay, Laguna which houses many religious relics.

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june & july

2011 travel

Tagaytay

Cavite

Dapitan

Being located in high altitude, Tagaytay’s tourism industry benefits from its cool climate all year round, making it popular among those who would want to escape the city heat, while enjoying the spectacular views of the Taal Lake and Volcano and Laguna de Bay. For those who want to take it easy over some chitchat and and cheap thrills, the Tagaytay, Picnic Grove is the place to be. Aside from being able to enjoy taking pictures, there are also other activities to do like horseback riding and zipline.

For a feast for the senses, Sonya’s Garden is a must-try. Hidden in Barangay Buck Estate, Alfonso, Cavite, this “secret garden” was first opened to the public in 1998 and has since then become one of the favorite destination of tourists, especially for those couples who are looking for a romantic getaway. Anyone who is longing to surround herself in nature will enjoy her stop here.

Aside from the colorful and relaxing surrounding, a trip to Sonya’s ;;Garden is made more unique because of its organic culinary which you can start off with a salad of greens mixed with seasoned edible flowers and topped with Sonya’s very own salad dressing recipe.

This “cool” getaway can be capped off with a prayer at the Pink Sisters Chapel in the Holy Spirit Drive in Barangay Maitin. Churchgoers can either write down their petitions in a small paper and have the nuns pray for them or the peaceful atmosphere in the chapel makes it ideal for you to do your own prayers.

Aside from Sonya’s Garden, the Flower Farm in Barrio Guinhawa is also a nice place to visit for nature lovers. The approximately seven-hectare land is home to flowers such as chrysanthemums, gerebas, orchids and herbs, and others. A man— made lake and a gazebo can also be found here.

The coastal province of Cavite is known as the Cradle of the 1896 Philippine Revolution and the birthplace of Philippine Independence in 1898, with Caviteño leaders Mariano Trias and Emilio Aguinaldo figuring in the revolution that eventually lead to victory.

Wih this rich background, history fanatics flock to the province, making sure to visit the Aguinaldo Shrine, the ancestral home of Aguinaldo (who is also the first president of the First Republic of the Philippines) where Philippine independence from Spain was proclaimed in June 12, 1898.

Other historical sites worth checking out are the Bonifacio Trial House and Execution Shrine in Maragondon; the Tejeros convention site at Rosario; the Battle of Zapote; the Battle of Alapan Monument at Imus; and the Battle of Binakayan Monument in Kawit.

But Cavite is more than just historical sites, mind you. You can also find a great adventure in Cavite. In the southeast section, there is a perfect spot for avid mountain climbers—Mt. Pico de Loro, a 664-meter mountain between the province and Batangas. On its summit you will find a vertical rock formation called the Parrot’s Beak because it resembles a, well, a parrot’s beak. Near this mountain are the towns of Gen. Aguinaldo and Magallanes where in between lies the Malibiclibic Falls.

If solemnity is what you are after, Cavite is also known for its wonderful churches. In Kawit, there is the Saint Mary Magdalene Parish, which is one of the oldest churches in the Philippines. There is also the San Antonio De Padua Parish located in Silang, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Pilar (also known as Imus Cathedral) and the Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion in Maragondon, Cavite.

This remote town in Mindanao is primarily known as the place where Jose Rizal lived in exile under the missionary jurisdiction of the Jesuits from 1892 to 1896.

Here you will find replicas of the three houses that Jose Rizal built—one of which is square shaped wherein Jose Rizal, his mother, his sister and his nephew lived; another is octagon shaped, and a third one is hexagon shaped. The octagon shaped house is where the students of Rizal lived and the hexagon shaped house served as a chicken barn. There are also numerous memorabilia of Rizal to be found inside the shrine.

There is no doubt that the Rizal shrine is the place to visit in Dapitan, but that does not mean it does not have other sights for you to enjoy. Dapitan also has a beach resort that’s covered in fine white sand where water activities abound, you will need more than a mere weekend to enjoy them all. There’s jet skiing, kayaking, sailing, boating, scuba diving, fishing, swimming and snorkeling. If water is not your thing, you can also enjoy hiking, billiards, archery, bowling, golf, horseback riding and the Pinoy favorite videoke.

If you want a more quiet way to enjoy your stay in the town, you can go to the Church of St. James the Great which sits adjacent to the City Plaza. This church was constructed in 1871 in honor of St. James, the patron saint of Dapitan City under the rule of the Jesuit friars.

The Church of St. James is a feast for everyone but mostly for the architectural and design buffs. The church is of typical 19th century Baroque design where two bell towers lie at the side and construction is mainly of hard wood, mortared stone and sand.

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2011 scenic route

Laguna by the Lake by louie jon a. sanchez

I always thought I had explored enough of Laguna. After all, it was the other easiest gateway from the Metro, next probably to the highlands of Tagaytay.

When I was young, my family used to spend weekends in Los Baños, the town known for its resorts and hidden springs. We went in the wee hours of the morning to avoid the usual expressway traffic—quite a paradox till now—and we hopped from one resort to another, checking on accommodations and facilities. When we settled for one, we began the swim, and in the evening, went out to dine in some cozy restaurant—more of an eatery, actually—where they served hot bowls of bulalo.

As we went home, we saw the side streets lined with stores upon stores of pasalubong and other delicacies. We usually dropped in at one suki and get a freshly baked buko pie, a staple in every Laguna trip. It came to a point that Laguna meant hot springs and buko pie for me. In the long run, it grew as a mystique in me, precisely because of the mountain, the Makiling, greeting any visitor from the highway’s horizon. I’ve always known about the mountain’s tale, as penned by Laguna’s own son, Jose Rizal. The first time I went up the mountain, during a visit to the Philippine High School for the Arts, I understood the enchantment that lends this mountain a rather supernatural aura. The winding road up to the secondary school had what they called a “magnetic” portion. A vehicle just had to stop in order to experience the being pulled up, without even trying.

In this recent day trip, I had seen Laguna in a different light. We began the journey by taking the usual course at the South Luzon Expressway, which forks at the

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end in Calamba. This is Rizal’s town, and it’s an imperative to revisit the National Hero’s childhood home right across the town church.

This replica of the Rizal bahay na bato now houses some of Jose Rizal’s mementoes as well as facsimiles of early records and writings. The walls in the ground floor are adorned with frames remembering the old home town, as well as milestones in Rizal’s life. Upstairs, a remembrance on how the Rizals lived has been posted through panels of artistic renditions of the hero’s family, right in the very rooms where they were supposed to sleep. We were told by a guide early on that the only original part of the house is the flooring downstairs and the well at the right side of the house. The house was destroyed after the war, and was put up once again through an executive order of President Elpidio Quirino. National Artist Juan Nakpil handled the renovations. By lunch time, we were well on our way to the next town.

I found myself once again at Los Baños, literally “the baths,” where one could still enjoy the therapeutic properties of spring water. In a summer with sweltering heat, I was surprised to see that the spring pools of the resorts were still filled with visitors and locals. But what made the stopover at Los Baños even more surprising was a curious question posed by our Editor-in-Chief Lito Ocampo Cruz. Today, when you drive around Laguna, you will see that there is still indeed a burgeoning industry of buko pie outlets, and most of them, under the name of Colette’s. When in New York, you have three or four Starbucks in a block, you could see Colette’s at least every 50 meters—and some other buko pie store. And

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the name seems to be a pun, not really intended.

In an age where originality is deferred, you have here stores bragging about they being the distributor of the “original” buko pie. All of them are “original,” of course, in our franchising era, but the original, we have resolved must be found. We did a little survey of locals, and we were led to two outlets just out of Los Baños—Letty’s Buko Pie, and well, the pie branded as “The Original Buko Pie.” By the looks of both stores, the popularity was obvious; locals as well as people just passing through line-up to get what seemed to be the most preferred buko pies in town. We were able to try Letty’s tasty treat—hot and creamy—a perfect desert actually. The one from the Original’s made us wait—but we had miles to go and other towns to see.

The first view of Laguna Lake—Laguna de Bay for some—was at Los Baños, just as we were entering the town of Bay. From afar, it was a scenic presence, adding a lot of pastoral flair to our weekend drive. The next town, Victoria, is a town known for its itlog na maalat and kinulob na itik. After Victoria, we reached Pila, which apparently was an amazing heritage town. We heard about Pila’s beautiful old houses while we were falling in line for an Original buko pie. A lady told us that it’s a must see, so upon reaching the welcoming arch of the town, we drove slowly to find our way to the town’s sentro. We were mesmerized by the old town charm that welcomed us—an old church adorned with banderitas, some well-preserved store facades from the American period. I myself fell in love with one house, painted white with a charming garden in front of it. It was directly facing the plaza, where several benches have been placed. I sat in one and marveled at the

house—a house from a dream, indeed, and the experience was simply transporting, despite the heat. We continued walking around town and saw more old houses—even complexes—and what became apparent was the affluence of this town, steeped in high living as exemplified by the intricate designs of the houses by the pueblo. The charm is comparable to that of Silay in Negros, but what adds to Pila’s flair is the lake behind it. It’s a presence that adds more picturesque quality to the town, which from afar beholds both the mystic mountains Banahaw and San Cristobal.

Pagsanjan of course, is another important tourist destination in Laguna, and we all know this because of the famous Pagsanjan Falls. The town’s celebrated arch is age old, and it harks back to the fortress-like pueblo, well guarded from the tulisanes. We pass through the great Pagsanjan River on our way out of town, still seeing the Laguna Lake. From afar, we see the many fish ponds that line that side of the lake, and the fisher folk sailing on, trying to secure their daily bounty. From the main town, we reach another town, Lumban, known for its intricate weavings and Barong Tagalogs. We drove further on and reached another lake side town, Paete, which had its own mystique at the foothills of Mt. Banahaw. Paete is known for its wood carvings, and the craft of the people, as shown by their various stalls, exemplify real Paete ingenuity. The Paete town proper is but a small quaint town of small roads crisscrossing and leading time and again, to the view of the lake. Once again, we went down to walk around and scout for possible wood products to bring home—and we were gifted with some finds typically expensive in the city.

Pakil was the last town to visit, and it was almost 3pm. The view at the lake changed dramatically, from that of brightness, to that tinge of ochre. We saw the Pakil church from afar, resting at the side of the mountain and surrounded by age-old houses and a small market. We went down to walk the incline of that small access road, stopping every once in a while to let some tricycles move out. When we reached the church, we found ourselves in front of a paliga. We climbed the stairs of the stage just to get to the front of the church. We were welcomed by a stall of sombreros and other anahaw products such as sleeping mats and fans. We ended the day thanking the Lady of Turumba in Pakil, for a day’s wonderful journey by her lake, which from afar is blessed by the sun, and by a generous bounty.

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The facade of the St. Mary Magdalene Parish at Magdalena, Laguna, where the wounded Emilio Jacinto took refuge. photo by raphael john oriel layout.indd 24

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june & july

2011 tour buzz

Portraits of a Hero as Poet & Revolutionary by louie jon sanchez

The subject of heroes—and with it, the way we all make sense of heroism—has resurfaced once again, with the release of a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey which asked each subject to name at least five personages who could be considered “genuine Filipino heroes.”

The study, of course, yielded what would probably be the obvious results—the National Hero Jose Rizal placed first, followed by the founder of the Katipunan, Andres Bonifacio. Martyred Sen. Benigno S. Aquino, Jr. was third, as well as President Cory Aquino, the only woman in the Top 10.

The other names that emerged are borne out of educational recall in history. The women of the revolution, Melchora Aquino and Gabriela Silang definitely made it to the list, though not reaching the top 10. Presidents such as Emilio Aquinaldo, Ramon Magsaysay, Manuel L. Quezon, and Ferdinand Marcos made it. Another revolutionary, the Sublime Paralytic, was fifth.

Lapu-Lapu, perhaps the earliest known anticolonial hero, was at the tail end of the list.

The rest of the personages who came out of the list are a mix popular culture figures, education, still, and yes, recent history. Who would forget Manny Pacquiao, the People’s Champ, or even The King of Philippine Movies Fernando Poe, Jr.? The third Aquino, President Noy, even made it to the latter list, and this may be a clear sign that People Power fever ain’t over yet. And so did Diosdado Macapagal, whose daughter recently found herself “minimized” in the new P200 bill. The “Erap magic” is of course a steady force in the political scene, and many others are also remembered for their respective contributions to the 1896 Philippine revolution.

In the classroom, our concept of the hero has been formed by heroisms forged during revolutions: for instance, Bonifacio’s in 1896, and the Aquinos’ in 1986. Heroism, if we read the SWS survey as a writing on the wall, is an act of selflessness in the middle of national turning points—bloodless or otherwise. These junctures of history are very important for us, or so it seems. In a major way, we still consider “heroes” those whose lives have probably been offered for the cause of the nation. While alternative meanings of heroism had been given us through the years (take for instance, Efren Peñaflorida of the CNN Hero of the Year fame), the real judge of heroism for Filipinos is history, where the highest forms of self-denial are performed. Blame it on the Pasyon, perhaps, but yes.

The survey also tells that we might not really be forgetful all along. Because in the Litany of Heroes in SWS, there emerged a name almost forgotten, since probably, only a few had really given him and his work importance. The name Emilio Jacinto remains to be a household name, but do we really know enough of this guy, known to us as the “Brains of the Katipunan”? We might even confuse the label to Mabini’s “Brains of the Revolution.” Though in exile, Mabini was able to live through the revolution and continue expressing his defiance. Jacinto meanwhile died of malaria at age 24. Aside from the “Kartilya ng Katipunan,” the secret society’s credo, we only remember him as far as this. And there was also the fact that he was also fighting an agon with a namesake, the more famous Emilio Aguinaldo.

Youth was never wasted though on this young revolutionary and intellectual, who spent his last days in Laguna. In a recent trip with the BALIKBAYANMAGAZINE.COM

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The Cross of St. Gregory the Great Church in Majayjay. photo by phillip kimpo, jr.

Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika at Anyo (LIRA), the premiere organization of poets writing in Filipino, a contingent led by LIRA founder and adviser, National Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario, retraced the hero’s way by visiting the two towns pivotal to his story—Magdalena and Majayjay. The trip coincided with the launching of Almario’s Jacinto retrospective and limited edition book (at least for the moment), Jacintina, which proved to be a very entertaining and enlightening read, full of new insights on the young hero’s work, Pahayag.

LIRA and Almario choose April 16, 2011 as the date of what they called a “pilgrimage” to pay homage to Emilio Jacinto. On April 16, 1899, Jacinto, 24, succumbed to malaria and dysentery in Majayjay, Laguna, ending a brief but meaningful life devoted to the freedom of the country and powerful writing.

Scenes and subversions

The early morning trip took the Rizal-Laguna corridor, passing by Antipolo City, and onto the bustling Rizal towns known for heritage churches and the scenic view of the Laguna de Bay. The trip was rather refreshing as it provided unusual mountain

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Children at the stairs of St. Mary Magdalene Church. photo by raphael john oriel

views within city reach. Antipolo remains to be pilgrimage city that it is, with stalls selling jackfruits and the old time favorite cashew nuts. The roads are still winding, and at certain points, the place is still an accessible getaway where one can be away from the city, and where one could see the Manila cityscape in all its splendor.

The path from town brings other exciting country scenes. After passing through the mountainous Teresa town, our first view of the lake was down at Baras town. Baras was quaint and sleepy, and we could smell a little of the burning cogon even while our windows were tight. Going further in Tanay brought us to changing landscape, a steady mix of old and new structures, some Antipolo-bound jeepneys here and there. The lake is a steady presence in the background, providing a palpable pastoral gloss in the landscape. The stretch of road also brought us to Pililia, and further down, the welcoming towns of Famy, Siniloan and Pangil. We were finally in Laguna.

The next towns after Pangil are known for artisanship and crafts. Paete is sculpturetown for many generations and is the shrine of various wood artisans.

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The intricate retablo of the St. Gregor the Great Church in Majayjay. photo by phillip kimpo, jr.

Lumban meanwhile is the town of the Barong Tagalog, and weaving its indigenous fabric and design has been perfected by locals for centuries. We all know Pagsanjan for its falls, and its exciting rapids.

The Lake remained to be a picturesque presence all throughout the trip, and the road trip has enabled us to re-experience time and again, the transport of being in a locale which seems to have a time of its own.

We passed through town from sleepy town, witnessing the community as it begins a new day. From afar, the fisherfolk had began bringing their boats to the lake; the jeepneys are treading the provincial streets once again, and some minutes ago must have passed that old church which had tolled its morning bell. At Pangsanjan, the river runs through town, and its waters, an invitation to leap, to immerse. The old houses still stand along the road, and that old welcoming town arch remains a steadfast presence in the blur of things.

From Pagsanjan, we took the small road to the foothills of Mt. Banahaw to reach the town of Magdalena. Magdalena. A very rare name of a place, probably because of its biblical allusions. In fact, acc-

ording to Almario, Laguna’s Magdalena is the only Magdalena town in the country, and it spoke early on, a kind of subversion, a tinge of unorthodoxy. “Your town is really unique, so it seems,” he told the crowd of mostly local government and grassroots leaders which gathered at the Magdalena Central School (Ananias Laico Memorial Elementary School), for a welcoming program. “If they have considered Magdalena as a loose woman in Christian history, we may say that the presence of Emilio Jacinto here echoes the same subversion. This subversion is something you must be proud of.”

The Magdalena Central School Elementary School is within what we may call a typical pueblo complex. In its right, there stands the Municipal Hall, with a grand concrete stairway leading to the doors of the villa-like structure. Magdalena had its own claim to fame sort of, at least in popular culture. Like Pagsanjan, where films like Eddie Romero’s Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon, and even Apocalypse Now, that stairway in Magdalena has been a favorite setting of Fernando Poe, Jr. films.

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left:

A group of Veterans in the 1920s put up this memorial on the exact spot at the St. Magdalene Parish where Emilio Jacinto, wounded from the encounter, rested before getting treated. photo by phillip kimpio, jr.

top/right:

Scenes and vignetes at the Rizal Shrine in Calamba. photos by ray soberano

Magdalena Town Mayor Teresa Nieva Reodica, an educator, welcomed the Manila contingent with that gathering that also forged the interface with City Government of Manila. Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim sent an emissary, Baby Villegas, the daughter of former Manila Mayor Antonio Villegas, to express the solidarity of the city where Emilio Jacinto was born.

She said: “Manila is the birthplace of our hero, and we put to heart what he has steadily lived for in his short life. Our presence here would show our common values and shared histories, things we will always cherish, especially in this remembrance.”

After the short program, the contingent was led to the side rectory of the St. Mary Magdalene Town Church, where a monument for Emilio Jacinto was erected in the 1920s. That spot in the church was legendary for it was where Jacinto rested after being wounded at an encounter in the nearby locale of Mai-

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mpis. A Jacinto Shrine remembering this battle was also visited by the contingent en route to Majayjay.

As in the Maimpis shrine, the poets and guests offered roses at the spot in the church. Glass covers the cobblestones of the spot, since local lore believes that Emilio Jacinto had left traces of his blood there. Being an active revolutionary in the Laguna area, he had earned mythic admiration from the locals, and he has been considered a figure of importance in history early on.

Laguna had always had a special place in Jacinto’s heart. He apparently had worked with Rizal’s brother Paciano at Laguna’s Katipunan chapter, and he kept coming back. When he broke away from the Aguinaldo government, he returned to Laguna and fought.

Some accounts narrate that he was also captured here during an encounter and was able to escape

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National Artist Virgilio S. Almario photos by phillip kimpio, jr.

prison when he presented a cedula of a Filipino spy whom his force captured at another occasion. His only recuerdos de patay show him lying in state, dressed in military suit and carrying a rifle. Behind his remains are some ladies in country dress. Legend has it that one of the women in the picture bore his child. If this was so, Jacinto made sure he never left without a lineage.

The Next Town Also Celebrates

The contingent arrived shortly before lunch time at Majayjay, a town situated in the mountainous area at that region of the Banahaw. The center of the town is of course St. Gregory the Great Church, a baroque structure which once found itself, yet again, in another movie. The town Majayjay is the setting of another Filipino classic, the Nora Aunor movie Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos. The 1976 Mario O’Hara movie was set during World War II, also spanning the Liberation

period. In the movie, Nora Aunor’s character, school teacher Rosario, was engaged to Crispin, played by Bembol Roco. The war breaks out and Cripin flees to join the guerilla fighters. Masugi, the Japanese-Filipino officer, meets Rosario and rapes her. Rosario becomes pregnant, and during liberation, the two hide in the forest. Masugi was soon captured in an attack and was beheaded while Rosario and her child flees.

The penultimate scene of Rosario trying to escape a mob of town widows when she came back and sought the help of the church took place at the foot of the altar of St. Gregory’s. It was nothing but poetic: Rosario was praying when a town’s person recognized her. Rosario tries to escape and run for the sacristy, but to no avail. The silent statues were witnesses to the widow’s final act. They carried, each of them, a pair of scissors and cut Rosario’s long, black hair. They bring her to the altar, surround her in a ritual-like manner and when they dispersed, there was already a helpless rage in the gaze of Nora Aunor.

Scenes and memories of Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos still linger in the mind of poet Michael Coroza, who is known for his passion for Filipino classical music. Upon reaching Majayjay, the South East Asian Write Award winner toured us around town where his family hails. The town of a many small roads has an interesting array of old houses and structures, one of them, a refurbished colonial house, which apparently was the house where Rosario lived when she decided to live with Masugi. In another block, the ruins of the old city hall stands, all in its former glory and splendor.

A program was also slated hosted by Majayjay Mayor Teofilo Guera. In attendance were municipal councilors and other government officials. The LIRA poets presented a short biography of the Jacinto, and once again, Villegas extended the warm greetings of Manila Mayor Lim. The main event, the launch of Jacintina, brought Almario to emphasize once more the need to revisit the life and work of this hero. “At a very young age, at 18, he became the right hand man of Bonifacio, and while the Supremo had already written something that would serve as a contract for people who are joining the Katipunan, his admiration of Jacinto’s Kartilya made him decide to use the young writer’s work,” he recalls, during his address. Poets like Coroza and this writer offered poems in honor of Jacinto, who was recently “proclaimed” poet-patron of LIRA. “We have adopted Jacinto to be our patron in a time when we are looking for heroes. LIRA poets are young, and we believe that the youth of today could easily resonate with Jacinto,” Almario adds.

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photograph by oliver bayani

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june & july

2011 unguided tour

On the Corner of Rizal & Memory Lane by jen balboa

At the outskirts of Manila, just before one reaches the borders that separate the capital from Quezon City, lie Sampaloc’s Rizaliana streets. According to the National Historical Commission report, “Historical Context and Legal Basis of Rizal Day,” naming streets after Rizal is part of the government’s efforts in ensuring that the memory of the national hero lives on.

...naming streets after Rizal is part of the government’s efforts in ensuring that the memory of the national hero lives on...

The government has issued legislative acts, decrees, and other proclamations to establish these memorials in all sorts of forms–holidays, monuments, school subjects, street-naming, and many more. This has been going on since the American occupation, when the colonizers wanted to earn the Filipinos’ sympathy by exalting a local hero, up to the present, with the celebration of the centenary of Rizal’s martyrdom as a recent highlight.

I lived on these impoverished-to-bourgoise, densely-residential Rizaliana streets for 28 years. But even that did not urge me to acquire a more scholarly knowledge of these streets, perhaps because I, like most people, do have that natural tendency to ignore what is seen everyday. I did not even think I would ever get to live someplace else. I did not see the need – until the day that these streets turned a bit too harsh for even a native as myself can endure. I do know from experience that if we do not watch out, the grim societal issues Rizal raised through his works may continue to perpetuate themselves on the streets where we live. These grim realities which Rizal addressed do exist at their harshest on the very streets named in honor of him.

How grim? Let’s just say that when I embarked on the walking tour with Balikbayan Magazine photographer Oliver Bayani, I had to have my tough boy cousin Benedict accompany us as a bodyguard. I could not afford to take risks. After all, I am a 28-year witness to these streets’ transformation.

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2011 unguided tour

from p. florentino to dimasalang

Parallel to España Boulevard, past the University of Santo Tomas (UST) and heading to Welcome Rotonda, are 10 of Sampaloc’s main Rizaliana streets.

The first is P. Florentino, named after Padre Florentino in Rizal’s second novel El Filibusterismo.

This priest was a friend and confidante to some of the novel’s crusading characters. P. Florentino, the street, stretches all the way from UST, up to the Philippine Long Distance Telecommunications’ (PLDT) transmission tower, where it intersects with Macaraig. Despite the sprouting of occasional condominiums, the PLDT tower remains to be the street’s crowning glory, the regent of Sampaloc’s skyline of mainly low, aging galvanized house roofs. Growing up, I thought it looked a lot like Paris’ Eiffel Tower. All my brother wanted as a kid was to climb it and bang its twin transmission dishes which looked like giant white drums.

And during the coup d ’ etat against the Corazon Aquino administration, I wondered if the helicopters that hovered around the tower would bomb it, and if bombed, would the tower collapse and fall on our apartment?

For a kid, it seemed a reasonable question. I lived at Pi y Margall Street, next to P. Florentino. Pi y Margall was a friend of Rizal, one of his Mason brothers. I did not know this even after I have graduated from college, and passed the compulsory Rizal course.

Perhaps the people who put up the street signs for it need a little re-education too – to this day, the name is erroneously printed on the signs as Piy Margall. I copied that spelling for all my written correspondence all throughout my schooldays.

Next to Pi y Margall are Dapitan and Laong Laan. Dapitan is named after the city in Zamboanga del Norte where Rizal was exiled. Laong Laan was one of his pen names. Both streets are main one-way throughfares. Dapitan is traversed by vehicles heading to UST. Laong Laan is taken by those heading to Quezon City. Dapitan is where most student dormitories and carinderias (eateries) are situated, being right next

to UST and in great proximity to the Morayta-Recto university belt. At Laong Laan is an elementary school also named Laong Laan. I never attended Laong Laan elementary, but if there was one thing that always fascinated me about riding through Laong Laan street as a kid, it would be seeing the scores of second hand lumber stores that used to line it. There are not much of them around anymore, but the few that remain still give off that mysterious vibe, with their antique chairs suspended in mid-air and long dark brown dos-por-dos (2”x2”) wood sticks neatly numbered and stacked.

Maria Clara and Simoun streets follow. Maria Clara, in Rizal’s first novel Noli Me Tangere, is the protagonist Crisostomo Ibarra’s childhood sweetheart and fiancé. Upon Crisostomo Ibarra’s vengeful return in El Filibusterismo, he disguises as a jeweler from Cuba, assuming the alias Don Simoun. If I remember my Rizal courses right, Maria Clara shared a romantic boat ride with Crisostomo Ibarra in Noli Me Tangere, while Don Simoun entered El Filibusterismo in a cruise. Meanwhile, all that I can remember of Maria Clara and Simoun now is their reputation for waist-high floods, and the struggle of convincing tricycle drivers to find some way of getting around these two streets whenever I needed to get across them in typhoon seasons.

The next streets are Calamba, Makiling, Retiro, and Dimasalang. Calamba, where the Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro Parish is situated, was named after Rizal’s birth town at Laguna province. Makiling takes after the mystical Laguna mountain supposedly cited by Rizal in some works. Retiro was inspired by his poem “Mi Retiro,” about his exile in Dapitan. Dimasalang is another Rizal pen name.

Dimasalang is also where Oliver and Benedict spotted a graffiti of Jose Rizal’s face, in shades, spraypainted on a wall. Only, we had to shoot it quickly, as a shirtless, boisterous teen-age gang crossed Dimasalang Bridge, and began to look and walk towards our direction.

...And during the coup d ’ etat against the Corazon Aquino administration, I wondered if the helicopters that hovered around the tower would bomb it, and if bombed, would the tower collapse and fall on our apartment?

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2011 travel

Avenida Rizal

The Original Street Mall by rene luis mata

the busy street of rizal avenue, one of manila’s main thoroughfares in the 1920s & 1930s.

Avenida Rizal was Santa Cruz District’s main street. At the heyday of the American Colonial period in the Philippines, it was the central spine of the new Business District of Santa Cruz, where all the important business transactions occurred: Avenida Rizal was where they spent the money.

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Named after Jose Rizal, our famous national hero, Avenida Rizal wrested from Binondo the right to be called the new commercial center of the American Period, as American business and financing replaced the traditional hold of the old gremios or craft guilds at the turn of the century.

Starting at Carriedo, Avenida Rizal would stretch all the way to Monumento (or the Cry of Balintawak). It was actually Manila’s longest street and linked all parts of Manila to the longest shopping district in the country.

High-end shops and restaurants lined the street. The evertrendy connotations of the traditional paseo and the added American propensity towards “window-shopping” gave special meaning to the Spanish term “Avenida” to the Filipino of the period. Horse-drawn carriages along the Avenida would soon be replaced by the latest Model-Ts and later by the new Bentleys as the demand for luxury goods by the new affluent classes kept pace with the new financial opportunities. In the 1920s and 1930s, Avenida was where the elite and socialites wished to see and be seen. All the good shops and bargains could be found here.

It was a fact then, that anyone from the provinces would buy their first goods of gentility and urban savvy at the shops that lined the Avenida. All transportation lines ended here, and although they would not necessarily go to the classiest shops, Avenida catered to all tastes at reasonable prices.

If one wished to dine well, he could find the restaurant to his liking. From tiny little holes-in-the-wall panciterias to swanky restaurants serving the latest American steaks, to well known chicken houses. Filipino, Chinese, and Western cuisine could be had in many of the restaurants.

The trendiest movie theatres could be found here, back when it was fashionable to see the latest Hollywood movies.

The new and exciting concepts of the golden age of cinema would find architectural expression in the various movie theaters that were built at the time.

”Bodevil” was just not enough and couldn’t compete with this new art form. These great architectural experiments found venue for the new Art-Deco style and lent itself almost naturally to the Philippine taste for things that reflected modern ideas.

This was the era of the great movie houses and many of them were designed by famous Philippine architects. Pablo Antonio did the Galaxy, the Ideal, the Scala, and Lyric theaters, while Juan Nakpil added the Capitol, the Ever and the Avenue theaters. As a new building type,

movie theaters would be the new entertainment hubs, where one would go on dates after a sumptuous meal at the many restaurants in the area.

Many of the new commercial establishments now followed suit in the new Streamline-Moderne branch of Art Deco, the latest descendants of the Chicago department stores and commercial office buildings. Avenida Rizal now started building upwards. Avenida Rizal’s arcaded sidewalks allowed shoppers to promenade in comfort and allowed the social practice of parade and display that used to be the practice in the Luneta and Malecon Drive of the early period.

Up until Philippine Independence in 1946, prices were still competitive, yet products were of good quality.

Most, if not all, of the hard to find items could still be found here. Textile shops were selling quality goods at affordable prices, and expensive hardware and appliances were sold here for the special customer. Bookstores had many customers for the latest paperbacks, greeting cards and stationeries that complemented the numerous schools and universities that connected to this main thoroughfare of commercialism.

Avenida Rizal lost its primacy at the establishment of new commercial centers such as Cubao and the upperclass Makati commercial hub in the 1950s. The Manila social classes were slowly moving out of the congested centers to the suburbs, and Avenida ceased to be the place to visit.

Still catering to important commercial goods such as appliances, hardware and musical instruments, Avenida finally deteriorated at the construction of the first Light Rail System from Taft Avenue. The heavy structural pylons of this new transport system left the Avenida dank and lifeless and a popular area for shady deals and pickpockets. Avenida’s decline became complete with the new predilection of the Filipino for shopping malls and shopping centers. Now, everything that had given the Avenida its character was now put into a building complex, including movie-theaters and government offices. This also signaled the death of the movie theater as a distinct building type.

Much has been gained by the new shopping-cumsocial centers, and much has been lost that could only be found in Avenida. The ability to shop for competitive items and bargain for it from several adjoining stores is lost; the handy one-stop-shop concept of single drugstore chains and franchises now limits choices and innovation. All characteristics of the long-gone Avenida Rizal.

And the Philippine social experience has become the poorer for it.

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The dynamic regional hub that is Cebu has its own unique lifestyle needs, thanks to a serene pace that seamlessly integrates the live-work-play equity. This requires a new, complementary living paradigm, in the service of which, Ayala Land, the developer behind the country’s major growth centers, places its expertise.

Their inherent understanding of the premier market is proven by numerous signature projects that go above and beyond the lifestyle needs of its residents. Backed by a string of much in-demand residential projects and successful launches such as Montecito, Santierra, West Tower at Serendra and Park Terraces, Ayala Land Premier is now going to give rise to a new development that not only signals a more aggressive play in the South, but stays true to the tenets that have made all their projects an ideal fit for their market as well.

“True to the overall vision of Ayala Land Premier, 1016 Residences will rise within the heart of Cebu’s Central Business District, taking advantage of its prime location and emphasizing its direct access to a full range of retail, dining, and recreational amenities,” says Bobby Dy, head of Ayala Land’s Residential Business Group.

The project is aligned with Ayala Land Premier’s thrust of geographically expanding to the South, in response to the unmet needs of the market and is thus, primed to become the premier residential living center within Cebu’s most preferred address.

Beginning with its seamless integration with the City Sports Club of Cebu and access to Ayala Center Cebu, the development highlights attention to the mixed-use equity of the project. Ensuring exclusivity and space, the 2,400 square meter high-rise will feature two and three-bedroom units that will follow the leisure-inspired building architecture and ambiance.

Attention to finer details will also be evident, with the developer’s deliberate intent to focus on interior space planning and addition of exquisite finishes. Amenities within the development itself, such as a wooden deck and lounging areas for convergence, are complemented by the project’s exceptional location, where business, institutional, retail, dining, and recreational amenities are just a few minutes away.

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THE CENTRAL IDEA IS TO UNDERSCORE A DISTINCT LIFESTYLE WITHIN THE CITY’S ADDRESS OF CHOICE. AND THIS IDEAL WILL BE FURTHER AMPLIFIED AND COMPLEMENTED

BY ITS DESIGN, WHICH WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OPEN SPACES AND LANDSCAPED VIEWS. “WITH AYALA LAND LENDING THEIR HERITAGE AND EXPERTISE IN ANSWERING THE LIVING NEEDS OF CEBU’S MARKET, YOU CAN CERTAINLY EXPECT OUR COMMITMENT TO GROW A NEW DIMENSION OF THE EXCLUSIVE CEBU LIFESTYLE,” ENDS DY.

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You may also contact us at the following numbers: For visitors Outside the Philippines: US customers only, you may call our Toll Free Hotlines at 1-877-atAYALA (282 9252) If you are located Outside the US, you may call us at (your int’l gateway number - 8000 atAYALA (282 9252) www.balikbayanmagazine.com

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2011 feature stories

Behold the Man by joel pablo salud

T he year was May 1882. A young man barely out of his teens was preparing to leave his hometown of Calamba and his countr y, Filipinas, for reasons his young mind could not fully g rasp, let alone accept as his fate. At the hour he woke up, the salient moon had scarcely moved past its designated end. A soothing provincial breeze had puffed smoothly over the young man’s face, compelling him to recall, with more than hushed melancholy, the life he was about to leave behind.

A kind of unrelenting sadness had already gripped his soul days prior to this hour. What good would his absence offer to a country steep for the past three centuries in colonial abuse? He would’ve given everything for that one unalterable chance to stay and live out his life in the service of the people he loved. But it would not be. His parents knew nothing of what he and his elder brother had planned. He repeated to himself, nonetheless, that it was for the good of all.

With 356 pesos in his pocket, and after a sip of his native coffee, he took his meagre belongings and bid everything and everyone he knew and loved a mute goodbye. Young as he was, he could only do this with sadness as he had, for so long a time, been accustomed to the affections of friends and family. The house, which he had so loved during his youth, the lush foliage that bloomed around it, his sisters from whom love was the single most encouraging feeling he enjoyed, the Makiling of his daydreams, the picturesque landscape that was Laguna, the river and the Baí of his juvenile, yet innocent reverie—he bid them all farewell. His lips shook as he took his parents’ hands to kiss them. He left quietly, with head bowed, while his sisters were fast asleep. He didn’t want to turn his departure any sadder than it already was. He had yet to reach the ship which would ferry him to Singapore before heading to Barce-

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lona, Spain, but even then he already felt like drowning in a pool of his own tears.

After reaching Manila, he heard Mass at the Sto. Domingo Church, probably the last he would ever hear in his country. After a breakfast he barely touched, thereafter, he boarded the ship, Salvadora with only his friends by his side. What the steamship Salvadora was in the eyes of its passengers, other ships failed in comparison. It was huge, roughly two hundred feet from stern to prow, and sliced through the ocean at seven to eight miles an hour. On the wheel was Captain Donato Lecha, a dutiful Austrian, a man of hardly any words yet beamed with an integrity that made him affable, to say the least.

As he embraced each one of his friends, how he wished they were his family—his sisters who didn’t even take the time to rise that morning to send him off. In a diary of his departure, the young man wrote: “Tears are welling in my eyes but the cursed sense of honor holds them.” They all knew him as the young Pepé, son to Francisco and baby brother to Paciano. But on the day he took himself to task by leaving his country, the young boy had become the man: José Protacio Rizal.

As the ship moved past Mariveles and Corregidor, José began to take his own private journey into the lives of the people onboard the ship. Most were Europ-

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“It is exactly one year ago that I left my country!

Should I curse or celebrate this day?”

-José P. Rizal Madrid, the 3rd of May, 1883

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For one so weaned in the love of family and friends, being alone in a voyage at a fairly young age was both riveting and frightening at the same time. eans, with one soldier from Salamanca who described to Rizal his exploits during the war. He met an Englishman whose Castilian was good enough without biting his lips and tongue while speaking. As night fell once more over this voiceless watery wasteland, he noticed a mother carrying her infant son in her arms and was suddenly brought back to memories of his mother during his childhood. The sea had been calm all throughout the voyage, and yet he felt seasick. His only consolation was the Spaniard he had met on board, the one with the “beard, eyeglasses, and wrinkled brow; he is tall, well dressed, and uncommunicative.” But the old man was kind enough to say a word or two to José. Having decided to call it a day, he walked to his room sans any supper.

On the seventh day, the Salvadora docked in Singapore. At the port, children with the swimming skills of fish asked Rizal to throw coins into the water. At the Hotel de la Paz, he was beset by people from India, who seemed to be selling a million and one things to him.

During his second day, Rizal had met numerous English women, all lovely to his eyes as the foreign backcloth that reminded him of his home country. As such, he regretted the fact then that he didn’t know English. The stopover had left Rizal nearly exhausted from his trips ‘round town, and had boarded the large ship, Djemnah for two pesos in fare. Among other things, he spent his days at sea reading in French the book, Charles the Bold of author, Walter Scott. His trip at sea had left him homesick enough to begin having dreams and nightmares about his family. Having sailed past Colombo to the Cape of Guardafui—“an arid, dry rock, without a single leaf ”—Rizal finally saw what he had been waiting for: fishes playing in the sea. He had waited for this since he set sail from Manila. In his dairy, he wrote: “Several fishes play on the surface of the water, amusing the passengers with their movements. The passengers look gayer, induced naturally by the good weather. The

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heat is noticeable. Night comes, but at this moment it is delightful. The sky is illumined. The half-moon shines, if not as clear as in the Philippines, at least it is poetic. The sea is calm and the ship in rapid movement cuts quietly the surface of the water. Some are strolling, others are meditating. A young man plays the piano; there is dancing and entertainment on the deck. I hear it while looking at the sea.” He stayed roughly a day longer until the ship once more weighed anchor to traverse the Suez.

The 11th of June and the ship breezed past the exotic island of Naples. There the young Rizal was treated to a sight rarely seen by the natives of Filipinas—at the Strait of Messina, there was Mount Etna, and right about Naples, the giant and seething volcano, Vesuvius.

As he was lured by the beauty that beamed from the island paradise, Rizal disembarked to walk along the famed Toledo, where he was “fooled by the guide and the driver.” Disheartened, he went back to the ship, perhaps wondering all along why with such beauty evil existed.

Having sailed past France the next day, Rizal prepared for a tour of Marseille, in his frock hat, coat and gloves.

Here, he bid the Djemnah farewell. Despite friends and acquaintances he had garnered while in the thick of the journey, Rizal could not help but feel sad all throughout his trip to Marseille.

“Since I left the ship, whenever I was left alone ordinarily I felt a void that I would like to fill up. Naturally, having been brought up among family and friends, reared in the warmth of love and affection, now I find myself suddenly alone, in a hotel magnificent indeed, but silent nevertheless. I thought of going back to my country for at least there I am with companions and the family. I slept then half-tearful and steeped in profound melancholy.”

By this time, Rizal had spent nearly 76 pesos of the money he brought with him from home. The trip to Barcelona, in a first-class train coach that will cost him

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A Rizal shrine in Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte. photo by phillip kimpo, jr.

But on the day he took himself to task by leaving his country, the young boy had become the man: José Protacio Rizal.

12 pesos plus more for the luggaage, was to be his last in this long voyage from Manila to Spain. As it had turned out, things didn’t look too good for the young traveller.

At the train station, during the transfer of rails, Rizal was nearly left behind as he took a little stroll by the tracks while the train left in haste. After reaching Port Bou, he and his friends Pardo and Buil were treated harshly by Spanish inspectors. On June 16, three days before his birthday, the young Rizal crossed the border of Spain, then reached Fonda de España in San Pablo by coach.

“Barcelona made an unpleasant impression on me. Accustomed to the elegant and magnificent buildings of the cities I have seen, the polite and refined manner, not having stayed anywhere except in beautiful and first-class hotels, and then enter a city through its most ugly section and stop at an inn located on a narrow street where everyone was indifferent. I don’t know if it

was the state of my mind that gave this nostalgic aspect to things.”

For one so weaned in the love of family and friends, being alone in a voyage at a fairly young age was both riveting and frightening at the same time. Rizal’s life was interminably linked with his family, more so his country, and while in that vast expanse of ocean and differing cities he hardly spent a day without remembering his home. Everything he saw forced the young man into a kind of sadness that left Rizal almost always in a state of dying. Yet that first voyage into the world outside Filipinas had made Rizal who he was and is to many nationalistic Filipinos—the man who fuelled pride, even insurrection against a superpower, despite his own denial.

Should José Rizal, therefore, curse or celebrate the day of his leaving? That day in Bagumbayan had answered that question for him.

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left to right. 1. Old two-peso bill 2. Image used in a photo contest launched by the National Historical Institute to mark the 150 years birth anniversary of Rizal. 3. Passport holder from Team Manila. 4. Softdrinks in Cream Soda flavor. 5. Old stamp printed in the Philippines. 6. Old two-peso bill. 7. Design of mug from Cafe Press. 8. Tote bag from Team Manila. 9. Shirt design from Team Manila.10. White hoodie from Cafe Press. 11. Phimco matches. 12. Wall clock from Team Manila. 13. Shirt design from Team Manila. 14. Logo from Team Manila.15. Logo for the 150 years celebration of Rizal from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. 16. Shirt from Team Manila.

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june & july

2011 feature stories

Tatak Rizal by rochelle c. pangilinan

In 1916, illustrator and portrait artist James Montgomery Flagg created the image of a national personification of the American government, appearing on the cover of a magazine for the very first time. This image, known to everyone as “Uncle Sam,” was depicted as a stern elderly man with white hair and a goatee beard, dressed in clothing which resembles the design elements of the flag of the United States. This image of “Uncle Sam” was used in ads encouraging enlistment in the US army which came with the caption,”What Are You Doing for Preparedness?” Decades later, the image is still being used for the same purpose.

This is a great example of following one of the most revered rules when starting an advertising campaign, which is to establish an image.

A packaging or logo not only promotes the product but also differentiates it from other products in the same category. Image recognition is a key factor in effective advertising.

In the Philippines, perhaps no image is more recognizable than that of Dr. Jose Rizal’s; thus, it has been used in the packaging of various products, even those you would never associate with the national hero, but then again, you know how Filipinos are like when it comes to these things.

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In the 1930s, the image of Rizal was used in Rizal Softdrinks Cream Soda, a company based in Malolos, Bulacan. It’s definitely a proof of Filipino’s innate creativity, making us imagine that if Rizal was alive, he would probably be drinking soda while writing prose and poetry for that much-needed amount of energy.

In the 1940s, the Rizal image was used in the Rizal matchbox made by Phimco Industries, Inc., a company based in Punta, Sta. Ana. Maybe the company thought Rizal was a pyromaniac? Wild idea, yes, but Rizal is so many things to so many people so who’s to say Rizal was not fascinated by fire?

The Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corp. (HSBC) has also used Rizal as a product endorser because it was said that Rizal used to write to his family regarding exchange rates and recommended HSBC. There’s also Rizal Hospital and Funeraria Rizal-ironically one is a place you may be born in and one is a place where you go when you die. And we must not leave out Rizal Cement, wherein the use of Rizal’s name most likely alludes to the fact that just as Rizal was a foundation for greatness, Rizal Cement is just as fitting to be used as the foundation for houses and buildings.

Last December, BBDO Guerrero launched a print ad campaign to unveil the new editions of Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, translated from the original Spanish

by Leon Ma. Guerrero, author of the Rizal biography The First Filipino.

The concept of the ad portrayed tour guide Carlos Celdran holding up placards which show the 21st century equivalents of the characters from Noli Me Tangere like Doña Victorina, Maria Clara and Sisa with the copy “Born 1886. Still alive today.”

Also in the same month, the

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National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) launched a photo contest to coincide with the national hero’s 150th birth anniversary. The subject should be a local Rizal Monument found in a town plaza, school plaza, town hall, capitol grounds, hospital lawn or public park. The poster design for the contest represented Rizal holding a DSLR camera. I guess they really don’t lie when they say Rizal was a jack of all trades. In February this year, NHCP also launched a Jose Rizal Stamp Design Contest and the poster for this showed Rizal in a stamp-like design surrounded by green hues with the catchphrase “Haligi ng Bayan.”

Rizal’s image is also on the forefront for the merchandise of Team Manila, a local lifestyle brand and graphic design studio, with their logo showing Rizal in cool aviator shades. Team Manila has been lauded for wonderfully capturing the best of Philippine culture, including Rizal, and infusing it in their merchandise, from shirts to bags, thus promoting love of country.

The company definitely isn’t lacking in creativity when using Rizal’s image: they are also used in passport holders and wall clocks. Nothing comes close to realizing it’s time to do your part for the country than a gadget with Rizal’s image that tells the time.

And perhaps the passport holder is a reminder that it’s always great to come back home.

Even the California-based online retailer store CafePress is not lagging behind on the Rizal trend. They have Rizal shirts, mugs, decals and caps. The mugs sell for $18 US and if converted will go about 800 in Philippine pesos--not a bad price to drink coffee out of. Maybe the Rizal image will inspire one and reward him with an infinite amount of creativity.

Archipelago, also an online retailer store, have Rizal shirts available for

sale wherein below an image of Rizal is the line that says, “He who does not know how to look back at where he came from will never get to his destination.” Appropriately enough, Archipelago is a company started by a Filipino American family who is based in Washington.

Philippine-based Super Duper Lumpia, an online retail store, also have Rizal shirts, featuring the tag line “Rizal is my homeboy”—a catchy tagline, no doubt, but if he was alive today, I’m not sure Rizal would want to be referred to with a slang term.

Hero, patriot, poet, “homeboy”— Rizal was a lot of things to us indeed.

Even historian Gregorio F. Zaide once wrote an A to Z of Rizal: anthropologist, botanist, businessman, cartographer, dramatist, economist, educator, engineer, essayist, entolomologist, ethnologist, farmer, folklorist,geographer, grammarian, historian, horticulturist, lexicographer, linguist, musician, novelist, painter, physician, poet, philogist, philosopher, polemist, psychologist, satirist, sculptor, sportsman, sociologist, surveyor, traveler, zoologist.

Whatever facet of Rizal which serve as inspiration to us through all these years, one thing that we all know is that his legacy of love of country will continue to live on.

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june & july

2011 featured illustration

illustration by kendrick tan, 2011

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june & july

2011 feature stories

Now Playing: Jose Rizal by jewel castro

Jose Rizal, wearing his black suit and bowler hat, stands in front of a firing squad. A Spanish man shouts, “Fuego!” and the soldiers fire their rifles, and Rizal falls to the ground.

In Mike de Leon’s Bayaning 3rd World, this execution scene is shown several times. It is shown at the start of the film as the sculpture in Rizal Park depicting the moment of the national hero’s death, just as he is about to fall to the ground. As the sculpture (composed of several figures: Rizal, the Spanish soldiers, a dog) is shown, we hear a voice-over saying: “Kung kasalanan ang pagdudahan ang pagkabayani ni Rizal, mukhang magkakasala kami sa pelikulang ito.” (If it were a sin to doubt Rizal’s heroism, then we are committing this sin in this film.) This is the voice of the Filmmaker character speaking.

In Bayaning 3rd World, Rizal is shot again and again as the two protagonists, the Filmmaker and the Historian, questions perceptions about Rizal as a national hero. Did Rizal really write a retraction of his works before his death? Was he really against the revolution against Spain? Did he die a Catholic?

We see Rizal’s execution scene again several more times in the film as the characters re-imagine it. We see it for the second time as American filmmaker Albert Yearsley might have seen it through his camera in 1912, when he made a film that showed only that single iconic scene. We see it again as the Historian (played by Cris Villanueva) says that Rizal, because of his

outfit, looks like Charlie Chaplin. After he says this, we see Rizal in his photograph transform into Chaplin, who does a little dance with his hat and cane before a gunshot puts a big hole in his cardboard caricature body. We see the execution for the last time in the film as a framed photograph, this time, as seen by the Filmmaker (played by Ricky Davao), whose vision closes in on Rizal’s fallen body with a dog sitting beside it.

Bayaning 3rd World is divided into several segments, and each segment shows the Filmmaker and the Historian engaging in dialogue, literally, with the people from the past in order to reconstruct the story of “the real Rizal”: his mother Teodora Alonso, his brother Paciano, his sisters Narcisa and Trining, his lover/wife Josephine Bracken, and a Spanish friar, Padre Balaguer.

At the end of the investigation, the Historian and the Filmmaker are more confused than ever as they confront the contradictions between the different accounts about Rizal. Gazing up at Rizal’s monument at Luneta, the Filmmaker in it says, “Kanya-kanyang Rizal.” Each figure in the colorful and controversial story of Rizal has a different Rizal. This statement is also true of the different films about the national hero, as there

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is a different Rizal in each of the films made about him.

Tikoy Aguiluz’s Rizal sa Dapitan presents the hero in exile. Dapitan may be a paradise with its trees, mountains, and ocean, but it is also a prison. He eventually manages to find some fulfillment and joy in exile, however, as he renders free medical service to the impoverished people of Dapitan, sets up a school for young boys, and finds love with the arrival of Josephine Bracken.

Aguiluz’s Rizal is a charismatic mentor. There is a scene in the film where Rizal leaves his cane at the foot of a balete tree, which is believed to be home to the kapre, a monster with fiery eyes and foul breath. When nighttime comes, Rizal sends a boy named Joselito to fetch his cane for him. The boy shudders with fear as he goes to the balete tree and sees the kapre’s eyes flickering in the darkness. Joselito returns to Rizal’s home to find his classmates laughing at him for being a coward. It turns out that the fiery eyes Joselito had seen were actually the torches of his classmates. Joselito blurts out that even if he was scared, he had accomplished his mission. Proud of his student, Maestro Rizal admonishes the boys for making fun of Joselito and tells them that being brave is not about being without fear. True bravery, he says, is about overcoming fear.

The Rizal of Tikoy Aguiluz is a man who is appears to be more knowledgeable and more capable than the other people in his country, which in the film is represented by Dapitan. He is the doctor who restores sight to the blind, the engineer who builds a bamboo structure to bring water the river to the village, the teacher who sheds light on the ignorance of the young indios, the lover who conquers Josephine’s heart with his smoldering gaze and wavy bangs. Even the way he dresses sets him apart from the rest of the natives as he wears his multi-layered suits even when he is only walking around the woods. He also gives the impression that he always knows what to say, or what to do.

The only moment when he loses his cool is when he confronts Josephine about her deception, about being her sent by the friars. Even then, however, Rizal’s response is very macho: he seizes her and shakes her as he demands to know the truth. He grabs her by the neck and pushes her to the floor. Her fall causes her to miscarry, and she gives birth to a dead son. Aguiluz then permits his Rizal to have a moment of weakness as he buries his child in tears.

The Rizal in Marilou Diaz-Abaya’s Jose Rizal is also shown as someone different from his countrymen because of his social class and his education, but this Rizal, in my opinion, is more complex and interesting than that of Aguiluz. For one, unlike Aguiluz’s Rizal who is always serious and stiff, Diaz-Abaya’s hero has an irreverent and witty sense of humor.

In her interpretation of Rizal’s story, Diaz-Abaya allows us to see a reluctant hero. For instance, when Paciano tells him to go abroad to study, Rizal asks his brother why it has to be him

“Bayaning 3rd World,” an independent film which explored the myth of Philippine national hero Jose Rizal.

The film opened to critical raves, as well as garnering several awards at the 2000 Gawad Urian.

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“Rizal sa Dapitan” depicted the life of Rizal when he was exiled to the remote village of Dapitan. The film won both Best Picture and Best Director prizes at the FAMAS Awards in 1998.

“Jose Rizal” is said to be one of the biggest budgeted Filipino movies of all time. The movie was part of the Metro Manila Film Festival in 1998 where it became a box office hit with audiences.

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instead of Paciano himself. Another scene shows him joining in the chorus of rallyists in Madrid shouting “Libertad!” but when a police officer glares at him, he acts like he does not know what is going on. The film charts his journey as he struggles with his personal affiliations and his political convictions.

The Rizal in Jose Rizal is not completely selfless. In fact, he is also portrayed as a man in search of himself. There is a scene in the film where, the night before his execution, Rizal’s conscience appears to him as Simoun, who accuses him of being a selfish traitor who deserves to die. Rizal tells Simoun, “Wala kayong ginawa kundi husgahan ako, basahin ako... pero hindi n’yo pa rin makita kung sino ako. Patahimikin n’yo na ‘ko, para makita ko ang sarili ko.” (You have done nothing but judge me, and read me... but still you don’t know who I am. Leave me alone, so I can see myself.) In response to these words, Simoun relents, and Rizal sits down to write. In this scene, Diaz-Abaya makes us see the Rizal who writes not only to portray the social realities around him, but an artist who writes to find and understand himself.

Despite the crimes of Spanish friars that are depicted in Diaz-Abaya’s Jose Rizal, the Rizal here is still very Christian.

While De Leon’s filmmaker character is unsure whether Rizal had died a Catholic or not, Diaz-Abaya’s Rizal goes to confession before his death, and wears a rosary around his right wrist on the day he is executed.

Despite the complexity of the hero in Jose Rizal, DiazAbaya seems to have a clear idea of who her hero was. In contrast, in Bayaning 3rd World, Mike De Leon presents a Jose Rizal who until now remains mysterious because of the many questions left unanswered, and because of the many ways he has been read and written about. Yes, he is a symbol to us, in the same way that the Carabao is the National Animal and the Mango the National Fruit—but of what? What has he come to represent?

What kind of hero are we idealizing, really? At the end of his film, De Leon makes only one thing clear: that whatever Rizal has written cannot be unwritten, and whatever he has done for our country cannot be undone.

In Jose Rizal, there is a scene where Maria Clara sings, Panaginip kang lumulutang, hindi mahagip kahit saan. (You are a dream drifting, nowhere to be caught.) Our collective memory of Rizal might as well just be our dream of a hero: someone who sees our plight and also helps us to see; someone who, like us, has weaknesses but becomes strong in the end; someone who becomes strong enough to make the ultimate sacrifice. While the facts that are missing in Rizal’s story may forever be elusive to us, fortunately, his story does not end with his fall at Bagumbayan. This is because his story, which is also our story, is ours to read and remember, ours to retell and revise, ours to bring into the future.

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june & july

2011 feature stories

Deconstructing Rizal: Bayaning 3rd World Revisited by rochelle c. pangilinan

It is not common these days that a spur-of-the-moment trip to the mall to battle the scorching summer heat can result into finding a gem. No, we’re not talking about “Pirates of the Carribean” and the contents of his treasure chest here, but an outstanding Filipino film which creates so much of an intellectual impact—another rarity these days.

At the far corner of the mall is a video store is where I find the film I speak of: Bayaning 3rd World. A VCD copy of this film lies undisturbed among B-movie flicks on sale for up to fifty percent, probably waiting for someone with good taste to pick it up.

I remember when I first heard of this film back in its release in 2000. It was not unlike a breath of fresh air to discover that a semi-analogical, semi-character study of our country’s national hero actually makes it to the movie theatres—although barely managing to last for one week.

About the same time as the theatrical release of Bayaning 3rd World, the film’s director, acclaimed filmmaker Mike de Leon, enthused in one interview that he strongly believes that films do not necessarily have to make viewers feel good, rather they should make viewers ask questions, and Bayaning 3rd World does that and much more.

Prior to its release, I was adamant at first in seeing the film—despite all the lauded reviews it received in its premiere showing at the UP Film Theatre and the obvious lethal combination of de Leon and Clodualdo del Mundo (they co-wrote the film’s script).

Referring to promotional releases, it was a film after all, that questions Jose Rizal’s being honored as the country’s national hero and the film’s catch-on phrase poses the question, “Bilib ka ba kay Rizal?” I had qualms on watching it because what purpose does it actually serve to question Rizal’s being revered as a national hero? This is, after all, the Rizal who worked doubly hard to excel in school and become an agent of medicine. This is, after all, the Rizal whose works Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo we so religiously studied in high school. This is, after all, the Rizal who made many firmly believe in the power of words. But then, Bayaning 3rd World dared us to ask ourselves that question we never really thought twice about before: HOW MUCH DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE IN HIM?

As the scene starts wtih actors Ricky Davao and Christopher Villanueva arguing whether the life of Rizal is cinema-worthy, together, we question ourselves as well.

If we had been given the chance, we would have probably joined in the duo’s dispute as well. The duo goes through

the whole film dissecting the now overly done Rizal’s purpose for writing Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo and how he became who he was, rather Rizal as a human being with overpowering emotions and sensibilities. The duo, in their train of thoughts of course, manage to speak to the major characters in Rizal’s life, including his amour Josephine Bracken (brilliantly played by Lara Fabregas) and though their queries never really find definite answers, the duo, as three-dimensional as they can be, know their mission is accomplished.

The film was not meant to diminish Rizal’s capacity as a great man, that through his writing he inspired the revolt against the Spanish friars. The film was not meant to diminish his distinction as a national hero either. The film is an instrument for us viewers to think of the theories posed by Davao and Villanueva’s characters and challenge us to form our own opinions and even our own theories.

What if Rizal’s perceived “true love” Josephine Bracken was merely a spy sent by the Spanish friars to uncover secrets of the impending revolution? What if Rizal’s familt was really wary of him falling in love with Ms. Bracken? What if Rizal indeed denounced the Catholic religion prior to the events which lead to his capture and died as a non-Catholic? What if Rizal rejected the idea of revolting against the Spanish friars because he was really too much of a coward to allow himself to be part of it?

“Walang kwenta ang bansang nangangailangan ng bayani,” states Paciano, brother of Rizal, as he talks to Villanueva’s character. It is rather a remark that comes off as unfair and even blatantly rude but upon closer study, it is a statement that rings true.

Rizal didn’t declare himself a hero. We did. Rizal didn’t ask to be cited as the country’s National Hero and be built a monument where people can look up to him literally. We did. And with this film, we learn about the possibility that maybe he wasn’t exactly as “heroic” as people have proclaimed him to be (some people regard him as a saint even). With this film, we’re given that rare chance to realize that as much as we consider Rizal to be on the highest pedestal a Filipino could ever be, we never really appreciate him for what he is other than him being a true Filipino at heart—a mere human being.

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The Men Who Would Be Knights

By Jamie Marie Elona

Photo from www.knightsofrizal.org Knights of Rizal Malaya Chapter, Chicago, Illinois

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june & july

2011 feature stories

It seems that the days of the medieval knights never ended.

Back in the Middle Ages, knights were known to be the best defenders of a kingdom. During that time, they were the most intimidating warriors in Europe for being the only group on horseback who were armored in full metal from head to foot that no sane foot soldier or archer would dare stand in their way. Aside from making sure that the throne is safe from conquerors, and that the king and queen are secured inside the castle, another big part of being a knight is living a life according to what they call the Code of Chivalry.

Derived from the French word chevalier, the English word “chivalry” primarily meant “skills to handle a horse.”

However, as the era progressed, piety; valor; honor; courtesy; and loyalty began to be associated with the term.

According to the website newadvent.org, knights were asked to “protect the weak, defenseless, helpless, and fight for the general welfare of all.”

Meanwhile, in definition, Rogets Dictionary defined chivalrousness as “respectful attention, especially toward women.” With this, the Victorian era perception was that knightly behavior is what sets a man as a gentleman.

While some modern women would be grateful to experience being cared for by one knight in shining armor and would have wished that the days of the knights never have to end, just like what I said, it never ended, in a way. It just revolutionized, only without the 40 to 60 pounds of armor suit. True enough, there was the Knights of Rizal.

This modern knighthood inspired by the Philippines’ national hero is different in the sense that there are no more castles to look out for and there are no more kings and queens to protect. To describe it in its simplest meaning, it may not be merely just about keeping the people around you alive everyday and safeguarding the things that are important to them; it is more of saving an intangible thing--a legacy that should live on and never be forgotten by everybody who enjoyed, and continues to enjoy the benefits of independence that Jose Rizal, an ordinary man who lived an exemplary life, opened for us during the spanish colonization.

This private non-stock organization that was recognized by the law as Republic Act 646 as approved; by former President Elpidio Quirino, was proposed by its authors in the belief that if its purposes is carried out correctly, love and respect for the country through spreading the ideals and teachings of Rizal will be obtained.

According to website knightsofrizal.org of the Chicago Illinois chapter, the objectives or purposes of the Knights of Rizal is to study and spread the teachings of Rizal, especially to the new generation, in order to develop unity among Filipinos in venerating his memory, and also to “train and develop the Filipino youth in character building, citizenship training, democratic leadership, enlightened citi-

zenship training, democratic leadership, enlightened nationand dedicated service to the country and people.”

As inspired by the way of life of the medieval knights, the Knights of Rizal also devoted themselves to living a life according to the Rizalian chivalry. Although it was called in a new name, ideas remained the same. According to the website, Rizalian’s also render loyalty to state. He values honor as much as he values his life. He finds meaning and purpose in life and is also not blind of the plight of the less fortunate and the welfare of the many.

Aside from its international headquarters located along Bonifacio Drive, Port Area, Manila, the Knights of Rizal Organization presently has more that 100 active chapters in the Philippines and more than 50 active chapters all over the world, as stated in the Hamburg chapter Knights of Rizal website.

In President Benigno Aquino 3rd’s speech recently during the 2011 International Assembly and Conference of Rizal, he challenged the 12,000 strong members of the Knights of Rizal to continue the legacy of Rizal, and help the government in the fight against poverty and wrongdoings in the public service.

“The Knights of Rizal have done their fair share in this. By encouraging our youth to become new Rizals, to work beyond borders, and to innovate across sectors. Your annual Rizal Youth Leadership program is just one example of the many ways in which you have fulfilled your part in our collective responsibilities as Filipinos,” President Aquino said.

Furthermore, the President recognizes the power of the organization to help the Philippines move forward to being the country that Rizal hoped it to be.

“You are knights; complete with ranks and insignia, which are recognized by the Honors Code of the Philippines as official awards of the Republic, and if you hold strong and continue your dedicated work, and if each and every person in this country does the same, then we will forge further onward into being the Philippines that Jose Rizal once dreamed of, that all of us continue to dream of.”

Knighthood is indeed about making the world a better place! That is why, today, knighthood or damehood, its female equivalent, is one of the highest honor an individual in the United Kingdom can achieve, the British Monarchy official website states.

Unlike during the past where knighthood is specially for warriors, today, it recognizes significant contributions from “actors to scientists, and from school head teachers to industrialists,” the site reads.

One famous recipient of this award was singer/composer Elton john for his charitable work through his Elton John AIDS Foundation. He was knighted in a ceremonial dubbing by Queen Elizabeth II in February 1998.

Then again, the days of the knights never ended and it shall live on for as long as there are people who find a purpose in living a good, responsible and selfless life.

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Ateneo Municipal de Manila, from the book “The Ateneo Way” by Fr. Jose S. Arcilla, S.J.

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june & july

2011 feature stories

Alumni: A Son of Two Schools

by jamie marie elona

Growing up,

the young Rizal knew the value of education. He understood that apart from a person of intellect having an advantage, Rizal knew that one way to restore the shattered esteem of his fellow countrymen was to let them learn what they need to know through education. And so, in his trust to the power of wisdom, the man who later became the Philippines’ national hero and the inspiration of the masses to revolt against Spain, refused to win the fight for freedom using force; he believes that it is only through education that a country can be saved from domination.

During Rizal’s primary years, he was enrolled in an all-boys private school in Biñan, Laguna where he mastered Latin and learned Spanish under Maestro Justiniano Aquino Cruz. It was also during this time that Rizal expressed his interest in the arts since a painter who lived near the maestro’s nipa hut school gave the curious Rizal free lessons in drawing and painting.

Amazed by his performance, maestro Justiniano suggested to Rizal’s parents that he be sent to Manila to pursue higher education. So it was done.

Four months after the execution of the martyr priests collectively known as Gomburza in February 1872, Rizal’s 20-year-old brother, Paciano accompanied him to take an entrance exam at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Manila. According to Nick Joa

quin’s Rizal In Saga, he described Paciano as “muscular and stern-looking” but looked older than his age as a result of grief for his mother and Father Burgos.

As Rizal had anticipated, he passed the entrance exams that were on Christian doctrine, reading, grammar, writing and arithmetic. “Rizal knew that he had done well,” Joaquin wrote.

However, when they returned to Calamba to stay for a while with their family for the town fiesta in honor of Saint John the Baptist, it seemed that his father changed his mind and instructed Paciano to enroll his brother at the Ateneo Municipal instead, a boys preparatory school managed by Jesuits and funded by the City Hall of Manila. Moreover, part of the new plan was to make Rizal carry the surname Rizal instead of Mercado as the latter had been implicated with militancy when Paciano used the surname Mercado while he was staying in Father Burgos’ residence as a boarder and a disciple. “Any other student Mercado from La Laguna would automatically be identified as subversive,” the book says.

When they got back to Manila to pursue his studies at the Ateneo, at first, Father Magin Ferrando, the school registrar denied his enrollment. However, through the intervention of a Creole, Don Manuel Jerez, Nephew of the ill-fated Father Burgos, Rizal was finally accepted. “I was introduced at the Ateneo Municipal to the Rev. Fr. Magin Ferrando. At first he did not want to admit me whether because I had come after the period of admission was over or because of my rather weak constitution and short stature: I was then 11 years old,” an article by Ambeth Ocampo for the Philippine Daily Inquirer wrote, citing lines found in Rizal’s diary, “Memorias de un estudiante de Manila” (“Memories of a Manila Student”).

As the problem was solved, the next thing to do was to provide lodging for the young Rizal. However, Rizal thought that he couldn’t bear to live inside Intramuros as it looked gloomy for him and so he objected to stay there. Where he ended up was in a small house near Ateneo in Calle Carballo owned by Tandang Titay, a spinster who owed the Mercado’s $300. Rizal’s boardmates was a batch of mestizos fluent in Spanish.

According to Joaquin, “Their company was something Rizal had to endure, but if often disgusting, was sometimes pleasing.”

Day one started, his first professor was Father Jose Bech which he described in his diary as a “tall man, thin, with a body slightly bent forward, with physiognomy, sunken, small eyes, sharp Grecian nose, fine lips

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Experience Filipino Traditions at the

Mabuhay Manor E

ver heard of a Balikbayan Hotel? In case you haven’t, then The Mabuhay Manor should give you an idea. As the first balikbayan hotel in the country, The Mabuhay Manor brings back all the great Filipino traditions for the balikbayan to enjoy.

Since they have been away from the country for so long, they would definitely want to relieve those practices and culinary delights that they have missed. The Mabuhay Manor is so designed as to be as balikbayan-friendly as it can, from its cuisine to its rooms.

No new guest can get past the door without a welcome drink in the form of sago’t gulaman. As soon as he enters the festive Mabuhay Manor, everything Filipino is displayed and ready to be enjoyed. There are sungka and dama boards at the lobby, games seldom played nowadays. From here on, the balikbayan guest can choose from Mabuhay Manor’s abundant list of things to do.

“Usually, a balikbayan can afford to stay in a five-star hotel but the thing is, they are all the same. At The Mabuhay Manor, we celebrate the Filipino spirit. We offer stuff you won’t find in any other hotel,” says Dennis Sebastian, the hotel’s property manager.

Sebastian is referring to among others, the hotel’s unique menu that includes balut and iced candy. Yes, balut, that love-it-or-hate-it delicacy made of fertilized duck egg. He explains, “We have a resident balut vendor—actually a staff dressed up as one—who goes around the hallways shouting ‘Balut!’ every 30 minutes, from

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7 to 10 p.m. It’s a big hit among our balikbayan and foreign guests,” he says.

Another unique Mabuhay Manor feature: the big rooms. Every room is designed to be spacious so as to accommodate the balikbayan boxes that guests carry with them.

“We found out that they bring an average of 8 to 15 balikbayan boxes, so the rooms have ample space for these. We also noticed that balikbayan usually arrives by himself or with his travel companions on the first day. On the next day, the number of occupants have increased due to the arrival of their relatives, “he laughs.” “We

are always ready for these sudden increases in numbers.”

True enough, guests can choose from The Mabuhay Manor’s well-appointed rooms. These are the Balikbayan, Executive, Family, and Team suites, as well as Deluxe, Premium and Superior rooms.

The Mabuhay Manor has three restaurants that offer Pinoy cuisine. Lola’s, found at the second floor, showcases traditional Filipino breakfast fare as dried fish and kakanin. Sutukil is The Mabuhay Manor’s favorite and brings to the merry mix of sugba (grilled), tula (simmered in broth), and kilaw (drenched in vinegar). Guests can choose their seafood and have it cooked

the way they want it. Or they can dine off to Sala at the lobby where light Pinoy snacks and lunches such as bibingka, beef steak, binakol, pancit guisado, and the hotel’s signature banana chocolate chip cake.

“Our foreign guests love our breakfast spread because it comes with our specialty rice cakes and a puto vendor. At night, we have the harana by the poolside. Balikbayans love to sing along to kundiman songs,” Sebastian says.

The Mabuhay Manor continues the Pinoy way with even more traditional favorites. How about playing piko (hopscotch)? The hotel has areas for this game, with the staff willing to moderate the round.

Guests will soon be able to check out the Manor’s shelves for their fill of classic movies. They can borrow these discs and watch them in the comfort of their own rooms.

Since it’s all about coming back together at The Mabuhay Manor, the hotel is offering a reunion package for homecoming parties.

Sebastian adds, “We will be the one to organize your class reunion for you. We will do your invites, we will ask for the database and do the calls & even set up the videoke.

We are going to take the pictures and put them together in an album. Once they leave, we’ll hand them the album as well. Just tell us how you want it and we will customize your budget.”

“We are on the right track.” He declares.

“We take the concept of value for money very seriously. The Mabuhay Manor has lot more in store in the coming year, and we are confident that balikbayans, foreign travelers and locals will be proud of what they will experience here. *** The Mabuhay Manor is located at 2933 F.B Harrisson cor. Ortigas Street, Pasay City. For more information call (02) 702-2700 or (02) 519-7893 to 98 or log on to www.mabuhaymanor.com.ph.

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forming an arch whose ends turned towards his beard.”

During that time, the Jesuit classes were divided into two groups: the Roman Empire and the Carthaginian Empire. When the class started, Rizal was ranked last in the the class for not being fluent in Spanish, but climbed his way up to being an Emperor after a month.

According to Joaquin, Rizal was able to defeat the incumbent emperor and was then enthroned as the Carthaginian Emperor.

To gain better grades, Rizal had himself tutored in Spanish during lunch breaks. However, when the not-so-kind words of his “lunatic” professor affected him, his performance declined a bit which placed him second at the end of the year. Nonetheless, he was excited to bring the good news to his mom who was then in prison after being charged abettor to a crime and of stealing money. “How I enjoyed surprising her! But afterwards we embraced each other and both of us wept: we had not seen each other for more than a year,” the book sites.

On his second year, Rizal realized that it would be practical to just stay inside Intramuros, and so he moved to No. 6 Calle Magallanes and just in the year before, he obtained a medal but was still in a struggle to polish his Spanish tongue. Rizal didn’t want to let it slip and so he helped himself to learn by reading Spanish books. Now, getting a better grip, two of the books he read became his favorites—Alexander Dumas’ Conde de

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Top The University of Santo Tomas Right Rizal as a young boy in the Rizal Shrine in Calamba, Laguna

Montecristo and Cesar Cantu’s Historia Universal. As always, he was excited to uplift her mother’s feelings with his story of improvement. He went out of town to drop by his mother’s cell and spent summer at home. However, this visit turned out to be more significant as this was when Rizal seemed to have used his power of premonition again, this time, interpreting Doña Teodora’s dream as likelihood that she will be released in three months. The prediction so happened as he said. While this may be just some sort of coincidence or very a lucky guess, this “coincidence” happened in several occasions, and in this occasion, the apparent mystical powers of his was “in a perfect timing.”

Another incident was when Rizal was eating with his sisters in the table, his sisters asked him why he was eating so much as if every meal was good enough for an entire life. Rizal, in a very spontaneous manner, answered: “Because I will have a short lifetime.”

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Meanwhile, in his third year as an Atenista, even having won a medal in Latin and winning prizes in quarterly examinations, Rizal still felt unsatisfied in his performance. Although he realized that “many would have danced upon winning less.” Aside from being melancholy for his favorite sister’s wedding, another event for Rizal that summer was the plan to have him enrolled at the Ateneo as a stay-in student.

When the class resumed on June 1875, he felt a bit nervous about how his dorm mates would be. Apparently, every newbie was subject to go through an initiation. “The hazing, however, seems to have been more verbal teasing than physical abuse,” Joaquin said. Nevertheless, he realized that his dorm mates were not so mean after all.

In his fourth year, he had Father Fransisco de Paula Sanchez as professor, which he described as a “model of rectitude, zeal and loving kindness.” According to Joaquin, in the class, “Rizal made progress in Math, Rhetoric and Greek, excelling in class though frequently down with fever.” And just the same, at the end of the year, he got five medals; “An immense joy, because with them I could repay my father a little for his pains.”

Indeed, his mentor had helped him a lot with his Spanish. In Rizal in Saga, Rizal said that Father Sanchez was a stammerer but this was not a problem, where in fact, it was under him when he just woke up realizing that he had been speaking, composing Spanish verses and re-creating plays already! “Rizal was most productive poetically from age 13 to 19 and the true jewels of this period are a lovely pair of sonnets,” Joaquin wrote.

He was about to turn 16 during his fifth year in Ateneo and had other professors then. The curriculum was on Philosophy, Physics, Chemistry and History but he had not loved poetry any less. Even so certain that he had been honed by Ateneo, the way he had wished to, he just could not help but think about what would happen to him next after graduation. And so he wrote a letter to the rector of Ateneo to ask for advice. However, as the recipient was out of town, it took a while for a reply to come through. For a moment, Rizal decided to study medicine and to specialize in ophthalmology when he noticed that his mother was developing some eye problems.

When the reply came, he was advised to concentrate himself in agriculture.

He did as was suggested, cross-enrolled at Ateneo in land surveying, but was also enrolled in Medicine at the University of Santo Tomas (UST). He finish-

ed the course in Ateneo early but was only able to get his diploma when he turned 21.

Meanwhile, his mother opposed to Rizal having further education. Nevertheless, Don Francisco insisted and Rizal found himself in the confines of UST.

Here, Rizal saw a difference between Spanish Jesuits and Spanish Dominicans in handling foreign students. To his observation, Jesuits showed no sign of discrimination and respected every student the way they should, while as for Dominicans, they respected only the Spanish of blood. The others were treated with “disdain, addressing him in pidgin Spanish and mocking him with imitations of his accent and mispronunciations,” Joaquin noted.

In his second year at UST, he continued to experience unpleasant days. He remembered his laboratory school where technical equipments were only for display. “Look at me but don’t touch me!”

Having all these at hand, his reason for leaving UST still had some other interpretations. According to website www.joserizal.ph, he had to stop attending his classes when he felt that “the Filipino students were being discriminated upon by their Dominican tutors.”

Meanwhile, in Rizal in Saga, Paciano and Rizal had a secret pact between them, which considered the times when their family experienced unjust treatment from the Spaniards and of course, his mother’s eye condition. It was indicated that that would be the reason with why Paciano was able to convince his brother to not go to school anymore and leave the Philippines.

In the succeeding passages of the same book, it, however, narrated an interview with Rizal’s grandniece Asuncion Lopez Bantug. She said that “there was neither fear for his safety nor of any antagonism against him. Not yet anyway. True, he had not become a favorite of the Dominicans . . . but there was no hostility.

“[He went abroad because] he was making progress in his studies . . . the Dominicans had nothing to do with it,” Joaquin’s interview states.

With all other interpretations, one thing was for sure—he left for Europe and to other parts of the world to continue his mission of finding hope for the Philippines as a nation.

At the end, he was taken back to Manila to be executed as his agenda to the places he went were considered an act to trigger revolts against Spain. He may not have been successful to fully gain for the country independence with his pen, but he shared his education to his countrymen that opened their eyes to a vision of a country free from conquerors.

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vvv

Bespoke Living at the

HEART OF AYALA CENTER

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W

ith its vertical community Park Terraces, Ayala Land Premier has answered one of the most coveted desires of urban dwellers – premier living spaces at the heart of the Makati Central Business District.

The overwhelming demand for its first tower-which sold Php 4.3B in a single weekend and Php 1.8B in a single day for its second tower-demonstrated the demand for premiere living spaces at the constantly evolving Ayala Center.

Priding itself on offering the perfect establishments for distinctive lifestyles, only Ayala Land Inc., with its expertise in creating large-scale mixed-use communities, can create this kind of refined development.

But more than having the capacity to offer these kinds of amenities is the ability to give future residents the power to customize their lifestyles. It is with this desire in mind that Ayala Land Premier launches Park Terraces’ second tower. Following the success of its first tower, Ayala takes its expertise, once more, with the promise of bespoke living with Park Terraces 2.

The second tower of Park Terraces offers future residents a tailor-fitted lifestyle by giving them easy access to various living, recreational and business options at Ayala Center. All the conveniences of everyday living and more are right outside your doorstep by being in the middle of this vibrant urban landscape.

From living spaces that suit the varied lifestyles of urban achievers, to stylish and relaxing developments that serve as enclaves away from the demands of modern life, Ayala has made it a point to provide for the kind of lifestyle that one leads.

Whether you’re a business professional who enjoys hanging out and relaxing with your colleagues after a day’s work or a married couple searching for an ideal residence for your family, the long list of diverse developments such as cafes, restau-

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rants, retail spaces, entertainment and business outlets within the Ayala Center and its surrounding areas are perfect for all lifestyle needs.

You can enjoy fine dining at restaurants in the area serving the perfect dishes to satiate your cravings, take a relaxing stroll in the malls on holidays, and take pride in the Makati skyline at night via Park Terraces’ fascinating views.

And with the variety of features that the ever-changing Ayala Center has to offer, living in Park Terraces 2 can only be complemented by a well-designed lifestyle. With the help of two of the country’s bespoke lifestyle mavens, Lizzie Zobel and Marit Yuchengco, enhancing and

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maintaining your chosen lifestyle can be a breeze.

“Silvia’s Book: An Expat’s Guide to Living in Manila” will be the definitive guide to bespoke living at the heart of Makati’s premier address. Everything you need to achieve a balance among the business, leisure, and entertainment aspects of life will easily be within reach with this ultimate lifestyle guide.

Park Terraces, together with Zobel and Yuchengco, presents this lifestyle book to help future residents enjoy the features of this community to the full extent and reach the highest possible level of satisfaction while living a bespoke

life at the heart of the city.

Experience life beyond luxury and comfort; have the power to tailor your lifestyle; and connect with the multi-faceted area that is Makati as Park Terraces 2 rises at the center of this premier spot, where business, leisure, entertainment, and diverse lifestyles merge.

For inquiries on Park Terraces, please call 1-877-atAyala (2829252), email usteam@ayalaland-intl.com or visit www.atayala.com

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june & july

2011 people

A Good Man With A Good Heart a conversation with philippe ‘cebuana’ lhuillier

When Filipinos hear the name Lhuillier, the first thing that comes to their minds is the well-known pawnshop or I should say, one of the most popular and oldest pawnshops that had been helping us with our financial needs since the ‘30s. But for Filipinos living in Italy, Lhullier is more than just the name of the popular pawnshop; Lhuillier reminds them of a person who served them as an ambassador for more than a decade—years that went beyond the borders of politics, touching lives by building a good and healthy relationship with Filipinos overseas.

Graduating from his management course at the De La Salle University in 1968, Philippe Jones Lhuillier started as a businessman looking after the empire that his father, Henry Lhuillier had founded. Agencia Cebuana, the pawnshop that was soon to be the Cebuana Lhuillier in the late ‘80s, was passed on to his care.

Today, after decades of successful business, Cebuana has grown to over 1,400 branches nationwide. The preferred cash solutions provider of Filipinos was again passed on to Philippe’s sons, Jean Henri and Andre, when Philippe was appointed as Philippine Ambassador to Italy in 1999.

Reminiscing the past years, Ambassador Philippe remembers that he takes pleasure in dealing with customers whom he believes must be treated like a family. “I myself was at the counter. I was the appraiser, and I enjoyed talking to them and helping them in the best way I could,” he says. His key objective was to give assistance. “I believe this is a way of helping people who will need money in a short period of time,”

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by jamie marie elona

he added.

While he had been an entrepreneur for the longest time before he decided to join the government, he asserts that being in politics and being in business is not at all different, contrary to what others say. For him, dealing with Filipinos in Italy was just like dealing with customers in his pawnshop.

“I love talking to people and sharing ideas with them,” he said.

In retrospect, it must be his love of country and the same burning passion to serve, help and be involved in people’s lives in a good way which made his memories of almost 11 years of service truly worthwhile. “The years went by so fast but I enjoyed every minute of it,” the former ambassador said with a smile as if remembering his childhood days.

Although more than a year had already passed since his term ended, he still keeps in his heart the memories of his experience at the embassy with the Filipinos.

“They would come to my room whenever they wished to see me following a first come, first served order,” he said.

“But they didn’t come to see me just for problems. Some of them dropped by my office to talk about positive developments as well.” In fact, he didn’t even have security guards with him in his office. He said he believes that the Filipino people should be trusted all the time.

Another thing he remembered was going down to where the customers were at 2:45pm every day to help one Filipino a day. “When I go home, I would be proud to tell my wife what I’ve done. That was my goal every day.”

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“I want them to feel happy every time they go to the embassy.”

It was his answer to my question about his greatest achievement as an ambassador that seemed to evoke his biggest smile. “My greatest achievement was loving them, caring for them and listening to them because I believe that these are the things they needed,” he said.

According to Philippe, he would have 25 to 40 visitors coming to his room every day. “I would listen to them, hold their hand, and even take pictures with them . . . their problems weren’t as big as we think.”

More than financial help, Ambassador. Lhuillier observed that what our beloved and much missed Outstanding Filipinos Worldwide (OFW [the revised term coined by the Balikbayan Magazine to OFW ]) need more is more training.

“If they will learn, they can have business over there [abroad] and after some period, they can continue doing the business here [Philippines].” That is why he calls on the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to send teachers abroad to train Filipinos because what usually happens is after finishing a course with TESDA, they want to leave the Philippines immediately. “When they come back, they are old already. So the best time to train them is while they are there,” he explains.

True enough, he himself is a living testimony to the importance of training. Just like many others, he considers his early years in service quite important as he represents the Philippines as the Permanent Representative to the Rome-based Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the World Food Programme.

“I decided to be a student to the deputy general of FAO to learn really what FAO was all about. And at the same time, I was working with the embassy. From people to the career people, and to the consul general. I was there to learn,” the Ambassador said.

And as part of this advocacy, the embassy, under his term, opened computer classes for free. With this, he was able to produce 3,000 graduates to date.

His primary objective was to give people education so they could earn more in the future. To his surprise, more than satisfying the intellectual hunger of his students, the program actually helped alleviate their homesickness.

In December 2000, he founded the Philippe J. Lhuillier Foundation, Inc., a non-stock, non-profit charitable organization, as the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of his company. “The focus of our foundation is really how to help give and return to people,” Ambassador Lhuillier said.

To date, the Foundation boasts of 220 scholars who are mostly graduating with honors. Eighty more scholars are expected to come in this year as part of the Foundation’s 10th anniversary celebration.

LOVING HIS COUNTRY FROM AFAR

Although he was not pure Filipino for having a father from Paris, France and a mother from Cebu City, Philippines, he showed no bias in expressing his love towards the two races which run through his veins, like the other Filipinos staying in Italy.

“With the long time I stayed in Italy, I observed that these Filipinos love their country so much . . . In fact, when they die, they want their bodies to be buried at home. I don’t know anyone of my 11 years who doesn’t want to be brought back home.”

As he sees it, it is love for the country and tourism that leads to the success of a country. And so he believes that we must cultivate these feelings to establish a stronger tourism industry.

“I have been insisting to the Department of Tourism to come up with a CD about the Philippines that shows not only the beaches but also the city and all around. The Filipinos here in Italy can show this CD to their bosses . . . It will be one way to show them what the Philippines really is,” he says.

“Our overseas Filipinos are our direct contact. They live with them. They serve them food. But these are the things that I’ve pushed, but was quite unsuccessful,” he says.

Truly, there is so much more that needs to be done— more time and more effort. But Lhullier is not worried as he remembers his late dad’s words, “As long as you don’t lose the golden egg that I gave you, you will survive.”

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Manhattan Garden City is one of the township projects of Megaworld Corporation that promote sustainability.

Manhattan Garden City named a sustainable project Manhattan garden City was identified as one of Megaworld Corporation’s sustainable township projects during the 1st Sustainable Building Technology Conference held on november 11-12 at the SMX Convention Center.

According to Megaworld’s Sustainability consultant, Edmond Maceda, township developments like Manhattan Garden City are the perfect models for sustainable land use planning.

Compact townships promote “densification over sprawl” and transportation connectivity.

Residents are encouraged to walk from the home to the mall or office.

Manhattan Garden City, located at the Araneta Center, offers an abundance of public transport options from buses, taxis to train lines. It is the only point in the metro where the LRT2 and MRT3 train lines converge, thus making any point of the metro from the north, south, east and west accessible within minutes.

Since this urban enclave will encourage residents to live, work, play and shop within the community, they are forecast to consume less electricity and water, buy a lesser quantity of items and discard less trash and spend far less time in automobiles. With the train lines as an option for transport, they will significantly contribute to lessening greenhouse gas emissions, according to Maceda.

Manhattan garden City is a joint venture

project between the Araneta group and Megaworld, the country’s #1 developer of residential condominiums for the mid- and upper-income market.

“The green aspect of Manhattan Garden City also makes it a sustainable project. 65% of the total land area is dedicated to greeneries. Sky gardens at the upper four floors of every tower of our new phase, Manhattan Heights, will give residents a refreshing option to unwind high up the metro’s confines,” Megaworld Central Properties Inc. President Anthony Charlemagne Yu declared.

More than 20 different amenities – such as a lap pool and kiddie pool, skylights and jogging paths – like amidst tropical landscaping at the fourth floor podium level of Manhattan garden City. The podium level also hosts a 729-meter walkway through which residents can reach the other phases as well as the train stations via Gateway Mall for LRT2 and Farmers Plaza for the MRT line.

“Township living in a special place like Manhattan Garden City points the way to a sustainable future. You can live, work, shop and play here everyday of your life with the entire family,” Yu concluded.

To inspect the benefits of living at Manhattan garden City, please call 810-3333 or visit the showroom at the 3rd level of Gateway Mall. g

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o t B n

c d p C o R t

Residents will enjoy the live-work-play-shop lifestyle on offer at Manhattan Garden City.

C o o M p a

Manhattan Garden City is the only transit-oriented development that is linked to both LRT2 and MRT3 train lines.

balikbayan February – March 2011 6/2/11 8:37 PM

r t le o le a c a

Manhattan Garden City is one of the township projects of Megaworld Corporation that promote sustainability.

Manhattan Garden City named a sustainable project Manhattan garden City was identified as one of Megaworld Corporation’s sustainable township projects during the 1st Sustainable Building Technology Conference held on november 11-12 at the SMX Convention Center.

According to Megaworld’s Sustainability consultant, Edmond Maceda, township developments like Manhattan Garden City are the perfect models for sustainable land use planning.

Compact townships promote “densification over sprawl” and transportation connectivity.

Residents are encouraged to walk from the home to the mall or office.

Manhattan Garden City, located at the Araneta Center, offers an abundance of public transport options from buses, taxis to train lines. It is the only point in the metro where the LRT2 and MRT3 train lines converge, thus making any point of the metro from the north, south, east and west accessible within minutes.

Since this urban enclave will encourage residents to live, work, play and shop within the community, they are forecast to consume less electricity and water, buy a lesser quantity of items and discard less trash and spend far less time in automobiles. With the train lines as an option for transport, they will significantly contribute to lessening greenhouse gas emissions, according to Maceda.

Manhattan garden City is a joint venture

project between the Araneta group and Megaworld, the country’s #1 developer of residential condominiums for the mid- and upper-income market.

“The green aspect of Manhattan Garden City also makes it a sustainable project. 65% of the total land area is dedicated to greeneries. Sky gardens at the upper four floors of every tower of our new phase, Manhattan Heights, will give residents a refreshing option to unwind high up the metro’s confines,” Megaworld Central Properties Inc. President Anthony Charlemagne Yu declared.

More than 20 different amenities – such as a lap pool and kiddie pool, skylights and jogging paths – like amidst tropical landscaping at the fourth floor podium level of Manhattan garden City. The podium level also hosts a 729-meter walkway through which residents can reach the other phases as well as the train stations via Gateway Mall for LRT2 and Farmers Plaza for the MRT line.

“Township living in a special place like Manhattan Garden City points the way to a sustainable future. You can live, work, shop and play here everyday of your life with the entire family,” Yu concluded.

To inspect the benefits of living at Manhattan garden City, please call 810-3333 or visit the showroom at the 3rd level of Gateway Mall. g

www.balikbayanmagazine.com layout.indd 67

Residents will enjoy the live-work-play-shop lifestyle on offer at Manhattan Garden City.

Manhattan Garden City is the only transit-oriented development that is linked to both LRT2 and MRT3 train lines.

balikbayan February – March 2011 6/2/11 8:37 PM

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