San Pablo City Chronicles VII: Structures of (and for) the Past

* another look at the Sampalok Lake Stairs which I took just recently; notice the structure on the left side, it is actually a restaurant presently thriving by the side of the lake

* our grand old SM – ‘sa Mangga’ or ‘Mangga’; this one has withstood many calamities and historical events; found at the city plaza just in front of the cathedral

Honoring our History’s Greatest Men

Although to a certain extent not surprising, the presence of many monuments in honor of some of the country’s revered heroes is quite a feat for me. We have monuments for Rizal (which I have omitted taking a picture of), for Bonifacio, for Mabini, for the Thirteen Martyrs of Cavite, and, believe it or not, for Ninoy. This one concerning Ninoy was an accidental find as I was making my usual ‘long walks’. That time I decided to walk through the length of the main road on Brgy. Concepcion and I saw this obviously recentl- built statue of Ninoy, erected right on the lawn of a seeming private house. I was not able to really hang around as the place is not conducive for it. Perhaps next time I shall be able to dig into it and take a picture of that as well. In the meantime, I shall be presenting only the monuments of Boni, Mabini, and Trece Martires.

* a monument for Apolinario Mabini, found at the city plaza, and gathering dusts and dirt from the daily vehicle smoke onslaught

* a monument for Andres Bonifacio, found along the view deck near the Sampalok Lake Stairs; inaugurated on November 30, 1996 and was made by a sculptor from Sta. Cruz, Laguna

* a monument for the Trece Martirez of Cavite; constructed in 1927 through the efforts of the Association of the Deaconess of the Philippine Independent Church; definitely one structure which survived the Second World War

* standing strong – the Iglesia Filipina Independiente church, not far from the Trece Martires Monument

* a design on the outside wall of the AERA Tennis Court; I wonder if this was also owned or conceived by Arsenio Escudero and Rosario Adap whose initials were used to name the Aera Museum at Villa Escudero (a tour experience of the Aera Museum shall be posted here soon)

The Defuncts

In many instances, it is good to look back on people, places, or events that have been part of our lives. With regards to these places that shall follow, it gives one – San Pableño or not – a picture of what the city was like a few years back.

* view of the now extinct San Pablo Ice Plant and Cold Storage

* the façade of the then Supreme Theatre found along Bonifacio Street; it is now home to a thousand garments, shoes, and bags for sale

* the building that used to house J.Bros. Theatre; I have almost forgotten the name were it not for a chance glance at the back of the building that still carries the name in big letters (position yourself along Burgos Street and you’ll see it if you look up towards the building); today it is the home base of Novo

I would admit that I have never been in any of the two theaters. But I do remember looking up to those posters found outside them as a small child.

Post-Note: Finding the Conducto Bowling Center(?) was one of my tasks during my walks. I have a general idea of where it can be found but was not able to do so. It is my belief that the place is now a hardware store.