AHP VISITA IGLESIA 2

Boso Boso Church

Trust AHP founder Tito Encarnacion to think up interesting jaunts in oft ignored places. Part 2 of our Visita Iglesia still happened in Rizal but it included some surprises for the other members who have never been to these places and for those who joined the fun for the first time. We continued with the other churches of the province of Rizal and a few postcard perfect sites that are mentioned below:

Belfry of  Boso Boso

BOSO BOSO CHURCH

The Nuestra Señora de la Annunciata Parish Church, also known as Boso-Boso Church, is a Roman Catholic Church located in Old Boso-Boso, Barangay San Jose in Antipolo City, Rizal, Philippines.

The first church was built as a mission church by the Franciscan missionaries sometime in the late 16th to early 17th century. The Jesuits eventually took over the mission there in the 17th century who began constructing a new church made of stone and brick,^[1] It was turned over to the seculars in 1768 when the Jesuits were expelled from the Philippines.

Boso Boso knave with exposed rafters

In 1880, an earthquake caused significant damage to the church. Owing to the dwindling population in the area, the damaged portions of the church were not rebuilt.^[1]

In 1930, the Americans planned to build a dam in Boso Boso, Thus, the remaining inhabitants were ordered to resettle elsewhere.^[2] The dam project was eventually abandoned due to a discovered earthquake fault line, yet the people did not return until the time of the Japanese occupation. Even then, whatever that was left of the church was subsequently burned down by the Japanese, leaving only the lower portion of the original church facade intact.

side entry with Febe Sevilla and Esquierdo Bhel Asinas (photo by Kukoni Mengay Luray)

As the area was eventually resettled, administration of the parish was taken over by the Camillian order in 1986 who helped organize the restoration of the church. Restoration was completed in 1995,^[3] preserving the original remaining façade of the old church with the rebuilt portions built as close as possible to the simple, sparse architecture of the old structure.*

Pililia windmills

PILILIA WINDMILL FARM

The "Pililla, Rizal" Wind Energy Service Contract granted to Alternergy Philippine Holdings Corporation (APHC) covers an area of 4,515 hectares^[1]under Department of Energy WESC NO. 2009-09-018. This Wind Energy Service Contract (WESC) has two phases, Pililla Wind Power Project under WESC NO. 2009-09-018-AF1 and the Mt. Sembrano Wind Power Project under WESC NO. 2009-09-018-AP2.^[2]

In December 2008, Alternergy Philippine Holdings Corporation (APHC) was awarded by the Department of Energy (DOE) the exclusive right to develop wind power projects in 3 locations: Pililla in Rizal, Abra de Ilog in Occidental Mindoro, and Kalayaan, Laguna. These locations were among those identified under the Philippine Wind Atlas as potential sites for wind farms due to good to excellent wind resources. APHC was subsequently awarded additional wind energy service contracts in 3 other locations in 2009. APHC is committed to implement the wind projects if the wind measurements and site specific studies demonstrate that the power plants are commercially viable.^[3]

AHP members enjoying the site

Phase 1 of this project is a wind farm in Barangay Halayhayin in Pililla, Rizal,Philippines. The wind farm is being undertaken by Alternergy Wind One Corporation.^[4] The total cost for the construction of the wind farm is US$177.9 million.^[5]

The project consists of 27 wind turbine generators grouped into three clusters with aggregate capacity of 67.5 megawatts (MW). The said project, after completion will interconnect to Meralco’s Malaya-Teresa 115 kilovolts (KV) transmission line located just 10 kilometers from the project site.^[6]

AHP ladies all in a row

Phase 2 located in Pililla, Rizal and Mabitac, Laguna was not initially included by Alternergy Philippine Holdings Corporation (APHC) in the Technical Assistance (TA) from the Asian Development Bank. A minor change in the ADB TA implementation was approved in February 2013 to prioritize the development of the Pililla, Rizal wind farm site and expand the study to Pililla Stage 2, which covers the southern portion of the area, as initial findings showed certain limitations in wind resource and constructability in the Laguna and Occidental Mindoro sites. Construction of a wind power project in Abra de Ilog,Occidental Mindoro, in particular, is not feasible until either the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines or the Philippine government has installed a submarine cable connecting Mindoro and Luzon. Based on the initial findings, further studies on the Laguna and Mindoro sites were discontinued; unutilized TA budget for these sites were reallocated instead to fund the study for Pililla Stage 2.^[7] The projected cost for Phase 2 is Php 7.056 Billion and its planned output is 72 megawatts (MW).^[8]D FARM*

BALAW BALAW RESTAURANT AND ART GALLERY/ NEMIRANDA ART GALLERY AND CAFE

AHP family portrait at Balaw Balaw Restaurant and art Gallery

My earlier visits to Angono led me to discover this quaint restaurant which used to be a little smaller than I can recall. Owned and operated by husband and wife tandem Perdigon  (an Angono painter) and Luzvimin (former school teacher) Vocalan, they serve exotic dishes like sinabawang balut (duck embryo) and ginataang kuhol (escargot in coconut cream) The Angono hills were lush with forests and sourcing these ingredients was a breeze. TV newscaster Julius Babao ( an avid art collector) and wife  Christine Bersola had their wedding reception here.

waiting for our food (photo by Kukoni Mengay Luray)

Two Higantes are positioned a the entrance and the restaurant area is decorated with masks on the wall and shelves of the restaurant's bottled top selling dishes. as well as native knick knacks in the restaurant area. Feel free to roam the exhibit areas at the back portion and  follow the spiral staircase to more art pieces from the second floor up to the sundeck.

To whet our appetite, we were serenaded by young musicians from the Angono Chamber Orchestra that traces its roots way back to Maestro Lucio San Pedro. AHP member, photographer, artist and Angono tour coordinator  Giovanni Miranda Roan upped the ante by handing out CDs of the works of Lucio San Pedro covered by various Filipino artists and awarded prizes of local resin craft to lucky AHP members.

AHP member Pheeyah Salones taking a groupie with me and Vica Tigno

The Nemiranda Art Gallery used to be a Bali style home with wide open areas for displaying his own pieces as well as places where his young students in the visual arts can take inspiration from the gentle Angono breeze that flows through each area. They now operate a cafe and souvenir shop onsite. AHP members just went gaga over the art pieces elegantly displayed in both establishments, with some AHP members vowing to return on their own little jaunts.

Art appreciation at Nemiranda Gallery and Cafe (photo by  Pheeyah Salones)

ANGONO CHURCH

The Angono Church is not particularly old like the rest of the Rizal churches. It is however, distinguishable due to art work on its walls by Angono Artists that have made a stamp of excellence in the world of visual art. The facade is characterized by a composite of art influences namely neo Romanesque and neo Byzantine as seen on the beveled arched door. Simple columns divide the pediment and section panels with  arched niches on the sides for images of  Jesus and Mary. The tympanum has tall beveled arches while the belfry on the right side is rather plain looking and resembles a minaret. The interior is characterized by a knave with barrel arches and flourescent chandeliers.

ANGONO PETROGLYPHS

Dating back as early as 3,000 years ago, these amazing rock etchings were discovered by Angono artist and well renowned painter Carlos "Botong" Francisco who was a resident of the area. there are several groupings of pre-historic cave paintings depicting a slice of life of the country's early inhabitants. 

The new boardwalk

(Please refer to an earlier posting on this site re. the cave paintings.)

Madonna and child

Visiting the site again with the AHP family after a few years, some changes have taken place since the area is now under protective jursdiction of the National Museum. Unfortunately, some of the artifacts displayed in the micro museum onsite have been removed and will be displayed in the new Museum of Natural History, formerly the Department of Agriculture building and converted into the Department of Tourism. The building has been renovated and improved to incorporate a dome covering the inner courtyard of the American colonial style building. Sources say a ribbon cutting ceremony led by outgoing President Noynoy Aquino (whose project it is) will be held to coincide with our Independence Day celebrations on June 12, 2016. The museum will be formally opened by October of this year barring any further delays.

community

TAYTAY CHURCH

San Juan facade

The Taytay Chrch was first built by Jesuit priest Juan de Salazar but was transferred to its current site due to frequent flooding.** It currently sits on a high promontory overlooking the entire Taytay area save for some buildings that now block its line of sight. the church has access points from all directions via stairways that lead to different points of the church patio.

The early renaissance facade has three levels of superpositioned columns (the first level is Doric and the other two are Ionic), a semicircular  main door with a canopy ( a later addition), a statued niche above it and walls decorated with huge carvings. On the right side of the church is the bell tower. Taytay is located 23.4 km from Manila.**

CAINTA CHURCH

Cainta is located 29.1 km from Manila. The church is dedicated to Our Lady of Light. The original church has been destroyed many times over during the Fil-American war and in WWII when the Japanese forces actually burned it down.

It was restored from original plans c.1715 when it was originally built by Jesuits with its simple Early Renaissance facade with superpositioned paired columns, statued niches, a square window at the choir loft and a circular window at the tympanum of the pediment. The attached bell tower has semi circular arched windows.**

Our Lady of Light by Amorsolo

The left transept of the church has a special altar displaying a copy of the image of Our Lady of Light recreated by no less than Fernando Amorsolo for public veneration.

KIKA'S AND LOURDES BIBINGKA (RICE CAKES)

After the visits to these churches, I was enticed by AHP founder Tito Encarnacion to try the specialty of Cainta. Bibingka is made of glutinous rice which is steamed in coconut cream and topped with a thick layer of  sugary, caramelized coconut cream and brown sugar. Alice de Vera Vasquez urged me to try it to see how good it was. and on the way to Kika's, Onil Azneita sent me to another rice cake store not located on the main road (Lourdes) which is a competitor  I'd have purchased from Kika's as well (if only to compare which was better) had I not been turned off by the long line of customers waiting for their orders.

Let's say my standards on Bibingka is a lot higher than most. I swear by the Bibingka of La Tasca, which is buttery soft, melt in your mouth creamy goodness without the oiliness from too much gata (coconut cream). Lourdes Bibingka, however, did not disappoint! considering the price points in both brands, this one was good until two days after purchase. It was surprising since my brother, who doesn't really like native snacks ate a lot of it. 

At 170.00 pesos for a small round cake, it was not a bad purchase. It would have lasted longer in my fridge if I had been allowed to eat all of it alone...

Our next AHP trip will take us to Pampanga. I'm so looking forward to that one. too!

*Info from Wikipedia

**Info lifted from A Tourist Guide to Notable Philippine Churches; Benjamin Locsin Layug, New Day Publishers, 2007

BP SUMMER DANCE RECITAL 2016

This year's Ballet Philippines Dance School- Summer Dance Workshop Recital will be held on Saturday (21, May) and Sunday (22 May) at 2:00p.m. at the CCP Main Theater. 

The usual recitals revolve around a particular theme. This year is interesting as it focuses on different divertisements of the established classical ballets namely: Coppelia, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake. The next half of the show will  feature contemporary dance, hip hop and choreographic studies of the company members/dance educators of Ballet Philippines.

On a side note, this year marks the formal conferment of the National Artist Award on Ballet Philippines' Founder and Director Emeritus Alice Reyes. So you see, This is the only dance school in the Philippines that has a long and glorious history of nearly half a century that has produced most of the country's best and brightest artists. Some of these dancers have ventured on to become dance educators, Pilates instructors, and professionals in other disciplines when they hung up their ballet shoes.

The lead roles will be performed by Ballet Philippines company members. Gia Gequinto, Sarah Alejabdro, Rita Winder  essay the roles of Coppelia, Princess Aurora and Odette respectively. Earl Sorilla portrays Dr. Coppelius while Timothy Cabrera portrays the role of Prince Florimund. Jean Marc Cordero is in charge of over all direction and Aries Acayaga is stage manager. I watched technical and dress rehearsals for two days and the  children were adorable.

Kudos to all the teachers and dance mentors of BPDS (Ballet Philippines Dance School) and our hard working Production staff of seamstresses and production crew for a job well done. As I left the Production Room this evenening the "manangs" had to stay overnight to continue the minute details of repairing and refurbishing  the costumes for our future prima ballerinas and premiere danseus.

Just viewing the photos I took makes me smile that dance as  a performing art and as a career will go on forever... simply brilliant!!!

TWO CAVES, TWO DAMS AND DUMAGATS

Lakad Pamana's recent trip to Norzagaray, Bulacan was an eye-opener of sorts as it made guests experience the province on many levels. It was not only an eco-cultural tour of the eastern side of the province but a socio-civic one as well. Included in the itinerary is a brief inter-action with an indigenous tribe living within an area a mere two-hour drive from Manila. 

Pinagrealan Cave entrance

The itinerary organized by Gilbert Dino proved to be a challenging one: spelunking, Punduhan ng Dumagat, Angat Dam experience... and a river dousing.  Seems like fun? Add to all that a historical revelation and  gastronomic experience as well... Okay,  we started out early so that we were at the Pinagrealan Cave by seven or eight in the morning.  Once we were in the site, obligatory pictures were taken and guides provided participants with crash helmets at some flashlights. Some guests brought their own headlamps for the caves. I was armed with my lamp and a camera to take shots within the cave.

*courtesy of  Ibarra Jr C de Castro

Formerly known as Minuyan Cave, Pinagrealan has a deep history within its caverns. No less than Emilio Aguinaldo slept in one of its biggest chambers when the Katipuneros were fighting against the Spaniards for Philippine independence. Pinagrealan's name may be strange and it sparked a thread of discussion as to its nomenclature. Gen Sinforoso dela Cruz and Col. Ambrosio de la Cruz established an encampment in the cave where injured Katipuneros could be treated and where everyone could be safe from the prying eyes of the Spanish forces. It was fairly easy to traverse the cave's inner sanctum. There is a part that has an inner pool. water's cold there. Breakfast was the next order of the day so we headed out and took more photos outside before taking a seat near a spring fed swimming pool.

balinsasayaw (swift) navigating the caves through echo location

Breakfast was simple fare of hot steaming rice, daing na bangus (fried milkfish marinated in vinegar), longganisa (local sausages) from Sta. Maria, Bulacan, chopped tomatoes, sunny-side eggs, coffee or tea and various local delicacies such as: cassava cake and rice cakes made of gelatinous rice (kakanin). So you see, there's a culinary component involved in the trip. (more later...)

cassava cake

kakanin

daing na bangus

longganisa

There were two vans so we drove to our next stop - the Punduhan ng Dumagat ( Dumagat reserve). Along the way, we passed a viewdeck  where the Ipo Dam could be seen from the ridge. Ipo dam is part of the Angat - Ipo-La Mesa water system that delivers water to the residents of Metro-Manila. the Spillway is around 101m high. it's around 7.5km further down from the Angat dam water system which was exactly where we were headed after our Dumagat encounter. By then it was nearly lunch time.

Ipo dam

Within the span of fifteen minutes we were at the Punduhan ng Dumagat, a reserve that was exclusively for the  indigenous people living in the area prior to its development as a hydroelectric plant protected area. We had a short orientation conducted by the administrator of the reserve: Brother Martin Francisco who was responsible for their education, and livelihood. The location was placed under the stewardship of the National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR) together with the Sagip Sierra Madre Environmental Society, Inc. (SSMESI).

Bro. Martin Francisco

                

Monte Cristo

There are numerous cave systems within the 10 hectare area. All of these systems are accessible depending on the skills of the spelunkers. Mountaineers, experienced ones at that, need special equipment to visit all these caverns... half a day is not enough. The Lungga ng pitong demonyo caverns require advanced climbing skills as cave enthusiasts have to rappel five storeys down to get to the interesting areas. As we were a rag-tag group of visitors, we kept to the fairly easy systems and at Monte Cristo that had an uncanny formation resembling the face of Christ.

boodle fight set up

We arrived with our donation of pre-loved clothing, school supplies, seeds and some food items. After the class picture with Monte Cristo as the backdrop, we headed to the schoolhouse for a sumptuos lunch of Dumagat cuisine prepared for us by the community. 

sinabawon

Sinabawon is a sour soup of chicken and cabbage that is unique in that it uses the young leaves of a particular tree called alibangbang as a souring agent.

Sinampit is a simple dip made of finely minced bird's eye chilli that they use to flavor either the soup or fish

sinampit

Binangkat is roasted fish encased (in this case, tilapia) in gored bamboo poles giving it a fresh smoky flavor. served with slices of tomatoes and calamansi (local lime) and soy sauce.

binangkat

binangkat on open flame

The Dumagats are a peaceful indigenous tribe living in the forested area of the Angat dam until urban development started to creep in. They are also known as Agta (a possible derivative from aeta). They have their own language known as bulos which they use to communicate with each other. They do, however, speak and understand Tagalog so interaction with them was not at all difficult. As a matter of fact, the term Dumagat comes from the bulos acronym : dumag means naked people, gubat means forest. Now, you'd be hard-pressed to find Dumagats walking around in their birthday suit. 

Dumagat kids

They are so simple... still living in huts made os sawali (woven rattan) and pawid (straw). Their way of life has changed immensely since the dam was built. Ancestral lands where they used to hunt and forage for food have become a main source of water and energy for the more"civilized" lowlanders living in Manila. They now live in huts gathered into different communities and centered around multi-purpose halls that serve as classrooms and reception halls for visitors who bring donations for their basic needs. 

Dumagat kids as cave guides

As urban development slowly creeps in, the Dumagats are being displaced from the areas where they were born. The burgeoning metropolis has also caused encroachment on their territory in terms of urbanization and of human traffic. At this point, there has been intermarriages between Dumagats and new residents (dayo) in the Angat Dam area. It is no longer an exclusive domain of their people. There is now a distinction between the kulot (curly) and the unat (straight). These terms are a direct reference to their hair, of course. Kulot are the original Dumagats as characterized by their curly hair while the unat are the half-breeds born to a Dumagat mother/father and a lowlander partner.

Angat Dam

After a great lunch and some songs presented by the kids we went to the dam's view decks and drove up to the spillway guided by Bro. Martin.  What's interesting about the songs presented by the kids were that they were all original. No rap music here!!! They sang of  freedom to use the resources of the mountains of Sierra Madre, and love for the environment accompanied by the lonely strumming of a guitar. Rhyme and rhythm were not measured in studied terms but of a feeling bourn of longing and loneliness to  be who they are. the mountains and the lives of Dumagats are inextricably linked. 

Tariktik forest trail

Along the way we got invited to merienda  after visiting the Angat water system. From the viewdeck, we proceeded to the dam's embankment. This serves to irrigate 28,000 hectares of farmland in Bulacan and Pampanga and 90% of Manila's water needs. Photos galore were taken and then it was to the Napocor office for merienda. After all, our visit coincided with a town fiesta honoring St. Joseph the Worker. By the time the meal was consumed, we didn't have enough time to visit Bitbit River. We'd have to forego swimming in the river another time...

confiscated horses used for illegal logging and drugs roam around the watershed