Visiting Carmel

On a pilgrimage trip to Lipa with my friends, we made a side trip to the Our Lady of Carmel convent made famous by apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary who manifested herself to two postulants at the time.

Our Lady of Carmel convent in Lipa at daybreak

A Youtube video documentary on the apparitions is made interesting by a voice-over of Danny Javier of the Apo Hiking Society fame. I digress... anyway, not many people remember how the poor girls were ostracized for their claims. Sister Teresing (as she was fondly called) was forced to leave the convent and retire to a life of solitude.

Early morning sunlight at Carmel

Their stories of the Virgin's apparitions were totally ignored despite  the fact that all over the convent a torrent of rose petals rendered the convent a virtual garden. The lady appeared atop a vine in the garden and made herself known as the Mediatrix of all Graces. Eventually, the story died down and the hype was all but a memory.

Image of Our Lady Mediatrix of all Grace venerated by devotee

However, true stories don't just die down. hey have a way of re-surfacing. The miracles that occurred in the Mt. Carmel convent of Lipa have not been forgotten. To this day, people of all sorts of persuasion, need, and status keep going to Lipa to visit the apparition site. The convent was opened in 1946, a year after WWII ended. The nuns moved there from Manila on the same day that the convent was opened. Not long after, the apparitions began. the convent was covered in rose petals that rained on the grounds out of nowhere and the air was filled with the heady scent of fragrant roses.

View of the garden from the Balcony

Many improvements have taken place since then. A gift shop near the stairway leading to the adoration area is now in place. There is a stairway that leads to an assembly area on the second level of the convent where Mass and religious gatherings may be held. And then the balcony comes into view. A perfect spot beckons any devotee to view the balcony and look down at the exact spot where the Lady had appeared to three young nuns. The vine has now reached a considerable height and a larger than life size image is set on the tiled area in the garden below.

Facade and courtyard of Carmel from the second floor deck

Carmel still retains its idyllic ambiance to this day. Its manicured lawns and tidy swept driveways have remained a silent witness to the divine events that took place in its grounds. Unfortunately so much effort to discredit the events that took place there succeeded in downplaying the role the nuns played in acquiescing to our Lady's request. But... did they really succeed?

Meeting Secretary Jimenez

I already wrote a full article in this blog when Secretary Jimenez was appointed to the Department of Tourism. Since then, the man has been visible everywhere. the difference is that... when he's around, things happen!

Mabuhay Guides with Secretary Jimenez

Meeting him this afternoon was a distinct pleasure for the Mabuhay Guides. We were supposed to tour him around Intramuros. Unfortunately, the good secretary was held up in a meeting in Malacanan. And it started to rain while we were waiting at Fort Santiago. Mr. Capistrano of the Intramuros Administration was waiting with us and exchanging pleasantries at the visitor's center.

Change of plans! We had to drive back to the Department of Tourism where we were met by a welcoming staff. As we were ushered for an audience with Sec. Jimenez, I was struck by an openess and a sense of warmth. He is indeed sincere. And we lost no time in conversation with the man.

Madam Susan Calo-Medina, IA Director Capistrano, MGs Jeff Velasco and Yael Fernandez

Apparently, he's just getting into a more comfortable zone in his position as DOT secretary. But what amazed me about him is his unusual slant on our commentaries... and entirely different perspective... and his ability to get things started. Plans are afoot for some changes in Intramuros but I'm not spilling the beans for now. I'll give it some time to brew until plans are executed and things begin to materialize before my eyes.

Suffice it to say, Secretary Jimenez got us Mabuhay Guides sold in his dreams. He sees the importance of further training and upgrading the guides but he also realizes that in order for us to make great strides in our guiding, we need to be self-sufficient. Ergo, there is a need to build an institution that is self-supporting and income generating because it can not come from an additional strain in government funds.

SCM and Dir. Capistrano with me

We also talked about our experiences in the industry. He asked us about our backgrounds and our phobias as far as guiding was concerned. It was all animated discussion punctuated by peals of laughter from Madam Susan Calo-Medina. At the end of our discussion, we managed to squeeze in a few photo ops specifically for the website and ... this blog, of course! 

Jekyll and Hyde

Weekends are not cut and dried situations for me. I was surprised to get a call from my dear friend whom I haven't seen since Christmas time. So when he invited me out for a night of Repertory's Dr. Jekyll and Hyde, I was doubly pleased.

As it turned out, my shcedule had cleared and Friday evening was another one of those evening when I had nothing better to do. I went out to meet him at Greenbelt. Traffic was terrible, as expected but I managed to get to Starbicks at the appointed time so we can catch up and have dinner prior to the show. We had a light meal and proceeded to the theater to be seated before curtain time.

It was opening night for Jekyll and Hyde and the company's subscribers were in full attendance. I caught a glimpse of Rep's luminaries... Joy Virata, Bibeth Orteza, Menchu Lauchengco Yulo, Michael Williams... to name a few...

Cris Villonco

There was a palpable energy in the air as people were escorted to their seats. I had been looking forward to this performance for most of the week. I haven't watched any of Rep's shows in a while. I'm glad they still pay attention to time. Curtains rose at exactly the right hour. The set was sparse and somewhat akin to an arena or a medical gallery where health care students can view an operation. The show opens with the chorus distributed amongst the sections of the gallery and the main protagonists on the proscenium.

Junix Inocian

Jett Pangan is this particular evening's lead (16 March), playing the dual roles of Henry Jekyll/ Edward Hyde (Michael Williams alternates). His love interests are Cris Villonco as Emma Danvers and Kahlila Aguiluz as Lucy. The musicale is a dark piece on the classic battle between good and evil with libretto and lyrics by Leslie Bricuse. Music is by Frank Wildhorn. Menchu Lauchengco Yulo directs. Dr. Jekyll is the typical quiet physician who's engaged to Emma, the daughter of one of the hospital's board members and Dr. Jekyll's good friend. Unable to convince the hospital board of his need to conduct a study on the processes of the human mind, Jekyll conducts the experiment on himself until he accidentally unleashes the dark, uncontrollable side to his persona... and all hell breaks loose!

Jekyll unwittingly turns into Hyde... the complete opposite of what Jekyll espouses and takes revenge on the board members who scorned his proposition. Hyde's mystery and raw passion is the perfect bait for Lucy's character. Lucy, who's the top rate hostess at the brothel she works for is drawn to Hyde like the proverbial moth to a flame which leads to her undoing in the last stages of the play. Her shady background and willful character makes her turn to Jekyll for his compassion for a wretched girl from the wrong side of the tracks. At the same time her seething passion is ripe for Hyde's crude treatment of her.

The ensemble gave a strong performance. Yulo's direction is straight-forward and seamless. The transitions from scene to scene and character to character were well-thought out. Cris Villonco's voice rang clear as a bell. Aguilos' alto sometimes lacked the power needed to belt out the high notes but she succeeds when resorting to head tones. Junix Inocian, as expected, could very well steal scenes from the leads without meaning to. Yeah... he's that good! 

The revelation though, was Jett Pangan! He croons. He screams. He growls. He caresses. He whispers in his velvety voice that has taken him years in a rock band to master. When he sings his signature song "This is the Moment", he sort of carries you along on his journey to find his place in the sun. He does a creditable job of the song prompting some ovations at the end. I just wish he had a better body that maifested Hyde's rage within. What I failed to see was an audio-video lock where the voice and the body and facial expressions came together in a much stronger performance. Pangan's performance was great, though... I saw him as a performer in a different light...

Catch Repertory Philippines' "Jekyll and Hyde" (Mar. 16-Apr 15, 2012) at the Greenbelt Theater, Makati City.

Arts Alive in Angono 3 (Nemiranda to Petroglyphs)

When we left Orville's studio it was way past a decent lunch hour. However right across the highway, a stone's throw away from Orville's crib is Nemiranda's art abode. I met Nemesio Miranda many years ago during the same fund-raising for dancers by Ballet Philippines. Unfortunately, he was out on a business call in Manila at the time of the visit.

Orville Tiamson's Studio

Nemiranda, an abbreviated version of his name, is an artist who's work is a mix of the old and new. He can do contemporary works which still have elements of mythical figures like fairies, mermaids, and elementals. His art studio is a typical Filipino home but updated to incorporate concrete multi-level partitions that serve as his gallery. Everything of his on display is for sale.

Nemiranda's atelier facade

The studio area for his art students have recycled furniture of found wood. His students works are strewn about and prominently displayed for the benefit of visitors to see. His studio is hard to miss. Bas relief of his idealized creatures jump out to the visitors as they loom larger than life. As one enters the gates, a large mermaid serves to beckon the guests to his gallery.

High relief at Nemiranda's studio

Incidentally, Nemiranda has a cafe to which I would have liked to bring my guest to. Unfortunately, the cafe only opens after five p.m. So for lunch, we opted for Scrapyard. Ignore the name! It serves good food better than the name of the restaurant suggests. I explained to the guests some of the menu items and she left it up to me to order the meal. 

Entrance to Nemiranda's gallery

I opted for Sinigang ba Bangus belly (Milkfish is tamarind based broth), Gambas al Ajillo (shrimp in garlic with julienned veggies), Lechon Kawali (deep fried pork belly) and rice. It was humid in spite of the intermittent rains. My guest just had to have a cold glass of beer. Oh well, we were famished and the plates were all wiped clean.

Thunderbird Hotel's grounds

Our final stop was the Angono petroglyphs. We ascended the mountain to glorious scenery of the lake-shore towns beneath. We made a rest stop in Thunderbird Hotel nestled on top of the hills of Binangonan. The hotel is pretty well designed with an eternity pool out in the front overlooking the glorious Laguna de Bay. The rooms are well-appointed with ample space and verandas for some serious private chill-out time.

Lounge area leading to Koi restaurant at Thunderbird Hotel

My only concern is that it's not kid friendly as one has to go through a gaming area to get to Koi restaurant which is its main dining outlet. Other than that, Thunderbird is one of Binangonan's best hide-aways. After that, we made a turn for the Petroglyphs. Again, it is a misnomer, the Angono Petroglyphs lies in the boundary between Angono and Binangonan. 

Tunnel to the Angono Petroglyphs

It was National Artist Carlos "Botong" Francisco who discovered the petroglyphs in 1965 on a hiking trip with some boy scouts. His discovery was a fortuitous event since only he would've known that what he had discovered was of national and scientific importance. He reported his discovery of ancient art hewn out of the rocks and cave dwellings. The National Museum as well as the Department of Tourism have worked together for the preservation of the petroglyphs. 

Petroglyph section depicting humans and animals

More care should be taken to guard and protect the petroglyphs. The Eagle Ridge golf  course's heavy equipment parked in some sheds serve as an unwelcoming structure prior to viewing a significant national, cultural and historical site. As one goes through the tunnel leading to the site, one sees the golf course's blue water pipes used to irrigate the greens.

Angono Petroglyph Museum amidst the park grounds

A teeny-tiny museum dots the area showcasing some archeological finds gives the viewer an idea of what to expect. The petroglyphs, after carbon dating, is found to be 3,000 years old. The railing was constructed to deter viewers from adding their own graffiti to the rock wall. But some die-hard visitors have managed to inscribe their own non-sense into what should have been a treasured site. This and all, it's still worth visiting the petroglyphs to marvel at how our ancestors managed to adorn their settlements given their crude implements.

Another section of the petroglyphs

Arts Alive in Angono 2 (Botong Francisco to Orville Tiamson)

It was elevenish when we finally finished with the Blanco Family Museum. My guest was busy snapping away with her camera taking photos voraciously with her Nikon D-7000 camera. She took photos of jeepneys, pedicabs, ambulant vendors schoolkids and the entire neighborhood, basically. As our van made a right turn to get to the main highway, I spotted the local tourism office. I decided to make an official call on their officers and one of them, Lito, ended up showing us around town. I have maps of the sites as well for the guest and myself.

Third generation visual artist Carlos "Totong" Francisco

Lito accompanied us on the van to the home and studio of National Artist for Visual Arts Carlos "Botong" Francisco. This spot should be easier to find for anyone who's a first-timer in Angono. There are twin markers of the busts of both Lucio San Pedro (National Artist for Music) and Botong Francisco. Incidentally, they're cousins... so I guess, despite the difference in discpline, genius runs in their family. But I digress...

Totong Francisco in his grandfather's studio

These days, it is Carlos "Totong" Francisco who has taken up his grandfather's legacy. Totong showed us around to his grandfather's old home and studio... Again, the home is no longer original. Concessions had to be made for the children to establish families of their own. The old home has been annexed into a concrete structure now used by Totong and his family. An entry way to the original studio is a small gallery where Totong entertains guests and prospective buyers.

Alley cum gallery leading to studio

Oddly, Carlos "Botong " Francisco is the only artist who never kept any of his artworks. He was so in-demand in his hey-day that he was always commissioned to do gigantic murals to adorn public buildings and offices. If you want to view his works you'd have to visit the likes of GSIS or Manila City Hall. In his honor, his brother in law, who was once a barangay captain used his fund allocation to make bas relief of Botong's works along the walls of the neighborhood. The Angono artists collaborated with him on this effort. This is about the only street I know that displays the works of Botong from end to end.

Gallery of Totong Francisco fronting the studio of his grandfather

I mentioned to Lito that I am now disoriented as far as directions around the town are concerned. Nothing seemed remotely the same...I mentioned to him that many years back when I was still dancing, we would come to Angono periodically. I remembered Orville Tiamson's home. And as luck would have it, Lito knew where Orville had moved to.

Orville Tiamson's new studio

Artist Orville Tiamson is one of the more progressive contemporary artists of our time. He was first invited to a collaborative fundraising project by Ballet Philippines. They were welcomed to witness ballet class and rehearsals and allowed to use the dancers as subjects. Since then, Orville has had a love affair with the subject of dance. The man is multi-faceted. Since then, he has created scenography and even music for dance. My guest was surprised that Orville knew me. He has since created a wide open studio on land he inherited from his grandparents. The high walls seem daunting but once inside, there's a zen-like ambience that seems to make visitors want to paint. Much as we'd like to reminisce on good times, we left Orville's studio with a promise to come back. The guest on the other hand fell in love with an acrylic painting of a candle vendor which she hopes she might be able to ship back to the US. She purchased a smaller acrylic painting that wasn't framed. This one she can easily slip into her suitcase. Orville promised to send the authentication once they have exchanged email messages.

Contemporary artist Orville Tiamson showing studies of Pres. Macapagal's  commissioned  portraits

Didn't I mention that the guest was an avid art collector? The small artwork behind Orville in the above photo was the piece my guest bought to add to her collection at home in Montana. By the time we had made our leave at the studio, it  was way past lunchtime. 

Arts Alive in Angono 1 (Blanco Family Museum)

I haven't been to Angono in a while. A tour assignment prompted me to brush up on what I already know of this once sleepy town. Boy, was I surprised when I reached Angono last Monday! The once tranquil town is now a bustling community. It took a mere 45 minutes from the Manila Peninsula to get there.

My guest was an American woman who is voraciously interested in the visual arts. She even told me she collects at least one art piece from every country she visits. From the looks of it, she's been to a lot of countries. Our driver Bong knew how to get to Agono but didn't know the stops. I knew Angono but had  gotten overwhelmed by the great strides of urban development that had taken place in the area. 

Roads were definitely wider and traffic flow was quite pleasant even in the Pasig-Rosario junction. Once in Angono, we sort of drove around till we reached a sign towards the Blanco Family museum. It would have been easy if the road had not been blocked by a lamp post repair work. My guest and I had to walk the remainder of the block till we got to the museum. I had to ask for directions from the locals. Blanco Family Museum had undergone renovations over the years. I was looking for a sprawling home of logs and woven rattan strips (sawali) with a wide fish pond out front. The museum is mostly concrete now... the pond hidden by the courtyard.

The museum attendant was very helpful. She kept turning the lights off while we were going through the art pieces. I commented to her that she reminded me of the dear departed Mrs. Blanco who had the habit of turning lights on and off while guests were touring her home to conserve energy. The attendant just smiled and said I was right as Mrs. Blanco was the same person who trained her. 

Meanwhile my guest was eagerly snapping photos of the paintings as we exchanged our ideas on the quality of the works created by the Blanco children. She was in awe of the technique they had acquired at such a young age. At one point she commented to me that the chiaroscurro of one madonna and child portrait was amazingly european looking but with asian models. She laughingly agreed on my comment that it was a Filipino counterpart of a Vermeer work. The other piece was of an Aeta madonna and child. It had showcased the olive skin of the woman and the light illuminating her face. It was too life-like for my guest she took photos of that piece.

As we went through all the art work it progressed from the  youngest child with the finale leading to Jose "Pitok" Blanco's works. His earlier works showed Botong's influence on his art until he developed a style of his own. He had the great foresight to share his talent with his family and allowed them to work alongside him in some of his murals either as models or as collaborative artists. The Blanco children learned to wield a paintbrush even before they were old enough to go to school.

The extra treat was the guest and myself were introduced to Michael Blanco who had arrived at the museum. Apparently, the children have a hand in running both the museum and the Blanco Academy ( where the arts are incorporated into the curriculum). How smart is that?

Tierra de Maria

Right along the ridge of Tagaytay is a house that's dedicated to the adoration of the  Blessed Virgin Mary. If you're driving towards Tagaytay along the Sta. Rosa route, all you have to do is make a left turn at the ridge that leads to Development Academy of the Philippines and the Picnic Grove. You can't miss the 50-foot image of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the right side of the highway.

Tierra de Maria is a solemn place for quiet reflection. The gates are opened at eight in the morning and closes at six in the evening. The giant image welcomes visitors with open arms. Beneath it is a gurgling fountain that calls to mind the changing of water into wine at the celebrated Wedding Feast at Canaah when the Blessed Mother requests Jesus for a miracle despite the fact that it was not time for Him to manifest his power. Yet Jesus performs the miracle regardless because of His mother's request.

Along the driveway are four arches, each one with paintings of the mysteries of the Holy Rosary. The gift shop is right across the arches. The gift shop sells religious articles for those who wish to bring home mementos of his/her spiritual visit to the place.

Devotional music is constantly aired in the main contemplation area. The huge crucifix back-lit with blue rope lights dominates the room. Beside it is the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. A basket hangs by the doorway and visitors are encouraged to receive the Word of God.  I was a bit surprised when I read the verse: "Should you pass through the sea, I will be with you; or through the rivers, they will not swallow you up. Should you walk through fire, you will not be scorched and the flames will not burn you." (Isaiah 43:2)

On a partially hidden alcove is the forgiveness cross. Alongside that area are the different images of the Blessed Virgin in her many manifestations. Touching the image of the Virgin of Manaoag was an uplifting experience as well. After that, I went up to the third level to enjoy the view of the adjacent gardens and touched the hand of the 50-foot statue. I left feeling complete and at peace knowing that I'm watched over...

Day and a Half With Divine Word Univesirty

It's a treat to be showing students around. It's doubly enjoyable when the students are as well behaved as the Divine Word University kids!

The first day was a half day rolling tour around Intramuros. Their morning was spent getting ready for a food preparation lecture at Tamayo's and then lunch was served. At one p.m. we were heading for the parked buses to do the rolling tour. This was a little trying because there was some mix-up regarding their accommodations. Breakfast had taken forever. And they had a long trip from Bicol to Manila. I expected them to be tired and cranky.

The ice was broken once the students reached the Manila Ocean Park. It was their first time and some were eager for the usual photo ops. That seemed fun and it took almost an hour (or more) to gather the students back to the buses since they had another set of lectures on  flairtending at T.G.I. Friday's then they would be free to chillax on their own from 6p.m. till 9p.m. at the Mall of Asia.

MOA image from trekearth.com

That went rather smoothly. It would also give the students the opportunity to explore MOA at their leisure. How often can they do that?

They next morning I was up at four so I could get to Christ the King seminary to beat the 7:00 a.m. departure for Tagaytay. The Morning was glorious, I had the opportunity to hear Mass at the Church before the students started filing into the bus one by one wand by half past seven we were off to Tagaytay.

We managed to evade most of the morning traffic jams as we passed through Aurora, Nagtahan and Osmena Highway. From time to time I would give commentaries on the sites along the way. But the poor kids were still tired from the previous day's trips so I guess most of them slept through the route. Some had been listening intently, though. Midway through our journey, the driver loads a DVD on the A/V... I wanted to wring his neck! Aaaahh... the travails of a Mabuhay Guide.

The first stop was People's Park in the Sky. This was the mansion that Mrs. Marcos had wanted built as a guesthouse for Ronald Reagan (who incidentally, never showed up). It was also a convalescing home for the ailing President Marcos as he had begun to get sick. The construction was halted when the Marcos family was deposed. Now, there sits a Doppler weather station on the site as well as a Globe telecommunications tower on it's roof. The restrooms are clean. However, most of the  building is left to disrepair and some of the cafe's are so near the restroom, it's not conducive to a hot cup of coffee. Anyway. credit goes to Mrs. Marcos for choosing the best spots for her projects even if she had to level half of Mt. Sungay to see the mansion built. The view of two lakes (Laguna de Bay and Taal), Tagayutay Highlands in the middle and a panoramic sweep of Rizal and Manila are as breath-taking as ever.

Lunch was at Leslie's Grill where the kids had a great time taking more photos after a sumptuos meal of roast chicken, pork adobo and mixed vegies. The bulalo soup was great with bits of the greens still crispy and fresh. Oh well, only in Tagaytay... The view isn't bad either. Situated on the ridge overlooking the caldera of  Taal Volcano, It boasts of a grand view to complement the meal.

That's Mabuhay  Guide Jeff on the viewdeck of Leslie's Grill

Then It was back to the Picnic Grove where the kids could meander through the public park and get a taste of horse-back riding. The thing that disturbs me is that even before the kids can get off the bus, there's a headcount taking place and tourists are charged P50.00/pax for entrance. What happened to welcoming guests with just a smile? The Picnic Grove has become so commercial with most of the vendors selling the same souvenirs.

I, on the other hand, accompanied their teacher to Tierra de Maria where we spent some time contemplating and seeking inner peace. It's a quiet place for spiritual rejuvenation (more of this in another post) and it's right next to the Picnic Grove. I got a lot of people asking if I was from DAP (Development Academy of the Philippines) as I was in my barong. Amusing really... After this silent experience, we headed back to the Picnic Grove on foot. Some of the students have had their fill of the place and were huddled with us exchanging experiences. This is what makes my job rewarding... By half past three, Jeff and I made our leave and we headed home...

Men's Volley and American Idol

I watched the replay of the UAAP Men's Volleyball Finals. It was a nail-biting, cliff-hanging, see-saw of a game. UST wasn't defending champions for nothing. They were fighting for every point to keep them alive in the finals. It was in the end, a gallant fight. But FEU proved to be the better team. UST won the first and fourth sets. FEU won the second and third sets. The fifth and deciding set  was won by FEU by a thread... it was 15-13 in favor of FEU.

Credit goes to John Depante and Christian Arbasto for trying to defend their championship. But FEU's JR Labrador, Kirk Beliran, and Arvin Avila got the better of the UST volleyball team. They were more in synch with each other executing combination plays that proved unpredictable for UST. Pitrus de Ocampo shook up the sets by deliberately spreading the tosses among the spikers to confuse the UST squad. If only Kerr Ucang were as imaginative with setting up for his spikers... UST definitely wasn't lacking in able spikers. Mark Alfafara had far too many errors that added up to FEU's points.

Sadly, the men's volleyball games are not as well covered by the media. Studio 23 covers only the finals of the top four teams. Unlike the women's volleyball which is aired from elimination rounds till the finals, the Men's volleyball will perhaps never take off in popularity unless it gives the public images of volleyball as a man's sport. Men's and women's volleyball are poles apart in the manner in which it is played. What makes the girls' games exciting is the long rallies as the ball is kept in the air for extneded periods. The men's volleyball has short bursts of exchanges untill the ball is pummeled by each team to end a particular run.

Congratulations goes to the FEU Tamaraws for hanging in there for four years. The time was ripe for them to grab the championship back after UST lost its star players like JP Torres. The young UST team will have time to learn and bounce back next year. By then some of FEU's senior would have graduated.

image fro  photo bucket

On a separate note, a Filipina/Mexican by the name of Jessica Sanchez is making a great impression on the judges of American Idol. The sixteen year old aspiring songstress from San Diego, got a standing ovation from JLo, Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler when she sang for the top ten round in American Idol. She got the audience singing and dancing when she hit the high notes inspite of her swollen throat. That song number was one of AI's unforgettable moments. Well... I hope she lasts in the competition. After all, America usually votes for male contestants (whether they deserve to win or not)  judging from past winners.