* still, the (avocado) green-coated Rizal Shrine
* the grand staircase of the house; I cannot help but recall the event when Rizal walked out of an occasion when Fr. Leoncio Lopez questioned Rizal’s ability to make good poems
* commemorative coins for Rizal
* a portrait of Rizal made by G.T. Nepomuceno
* replicas, I think, of the simple tools for grinding and storing rice
* one of the rooms upstairs
* another upstairs room
* this image of Rizal has a 1927 date on one of its lower corner; I wonder if this is an original or a reproduction
* one cannot help but notice this white house just across the street; it has been there ever since I first visited the shrine
It is always good to have free afternoons. And when one time such opportunity came, we opted to revisit the Rizal Shrine.
Although I have visited the place more than ten times already, I always find the visits mentally rejuvenating. The place is very conducive for picturing mentally Rizal’s childhood – the lush trees, the imposing church across the street, the guardia civil quarters opposite the house, Calle Real. Mount Maquiling was still visible from their house during his childhood and it must have been a very lovely scene.
We have been speculating about the old stone wall still visible opposite the shrine. The place now houses a store. If I could have only dated the structure, at least visually, it would be good to know if the wall was still part of the old guardia civil quarters.
* a painting entitled “Agawang Buko” by Romeo Dianzon showing children playing with the buco; I wonder if there are children still doing this
* a small-scale reproduction of the Rizal Shrine
* one of Rizal’s coats; I cannot recall if this one was part of the coat Rizal wore when he was executed in Bagumbayan (now Luneta Park)
* a certificate of Rizal during his student days
* embroidered slippers given by Leonor Rivera to Rizal when he left for Spain in 1882; she made this she was still a student at La Concordia
* a diorama of Rizal’s cell in Fort Santiago
* a toothbrush holder made by Rizal for her sister Trinidad or Doña Trining
* another Rizal coat
* suspect for historical artifact – I have been wondering if the old walls visible in this photo can be traced back to the late nineteenth century
These potential discoveries really encourage me to travel to places of historical interest. I may not be a hardcore (or even a qualified) historian, but to know more about our country’s past – our history – is, for me, an adventure in itself. Plain traveler. Tourist. Visitor. Anything. Appreciation of history knows no title.
Why do I say these things? This is for chance readers who feel that paying the Rizal Shrine a visit is no longer relevant, that there are no more things to learn from the place. The place features artworks from Calambeños and nearby places. From these we can get a glimpse of the growth of views of the youth with regards to the city and its history. When we did the revisit, the works mostly featured social realism. Why is that? Questions like that can emerge and it would be good to entertain them while on trip.
---
I guess this wraps up my travels for the year. I still have a bunch of photos from some random trips but I plan to go through my entries in the past one year and make a personal assessment of some sort. Doing this Back Trails project has taught a lot of lessons and I wish to collate by rereading the entries.
This entry is not really a result of a travel, but by virtue of its connection to our past, it is worth sharing here.
* Arriba Letran! A Hogwarts-like building in Letran Calamba – the de las Casas Building
* view of the main lobby with its chandeliers
* one of the Colegio’s knights positioned at the de las Casas Building
* view of the back of the de las Casas Building
* view of the San Lorenzo Ruiz Building
The several hectares of land that is now Colegio de San Juan – Calamba (commonly called “Letran Calamba” or simply “Letran”) was part of the of the vast land area once under the Dominican friars. The establishment of Letran in 1979 was in response to the government’s policy of decongesting Metro Manila. Letran is the first higher education institution established by the Dominican Province of the Philippines. The others were established by the Spanish Dominicans. The Colegio gained its autonomy in 1986 from its then mother campus Letran Intramuros.
The first building built for the Colegio is called San Bartolome de las Casas Building. This building was designed by restoration architect Felix Imperial and was patterned after the basilica-church and monastery San Lorenzo de El Escorial found in Madrid, Spain. Indeed, it one of the distinguishing features of Letran, one which will probably stick to the memories of the first-time visitors.
* behold, our office
* the Rector’s office
* the elementary and high school departments building
* building for IT and other computer-related studies; notice the line of below – they are enrollees!
* building housing the canteen and the bookstore
The location of Letran gives one a scenic view of Mount Maquiling. I am still weighing if this view is better than when one is in UPLB. If you come to Letran before the work hours and it if it happens that there are no clouds hovering over the mountain, you would definitely be captivated by the view. Also, the Laguna de Bay can be seen if you climb up the rooftop of the de las Casas Building. These views, for me, are the prizes of having an office at the rooftop.
* a map showing some of the barangays of Tanauan; I took this one to have a general idea of the distance of Mabini’s Shrine from the Poblacion
* behold, the church of Tanauan
* if one doe not know he is looking at the entrance of Tanauan, he would think this is part of a European church; indeed, this is looks so elegant; sorry if I cannot make an architectural description, I am yet to equip myself with a bit of knowledge about that
* view inside the church
* the old Tanauan town hall, now the city’s museum
* a monument for Mabini; notice that he is standing here
* Abogado!
* a view of the house of Jose P. Laurel; I have always wondered why it is always close whenever I go there; one bad experience there was when we almost became victims of the premises’ attack dogs!
The names Apolinario Mabini and Jose Laurel are always associated with Tanauan. But literature-wise, I always recall that unforgettable character in El Filibuterismo by Jose Rizal.
He was Placido Penitente. As I write this, I am looking down a Virgilio Almario edition of the El Fili. The chapter about him relays his desire to go back home in Tanauan and stop schooling. A certain Padre Valerio was mentioned and at the back, a note was made about him. He was, in fact, a real person.
Padre Valerio Malabanan was a native of Lipa, Batangas and was a graduate of UST. He became a parish priest of Lipa but chose the vocation of teaching. In 1865, he opened a school in Tanauan named Colegio del Padre Valerio. And, incidentally, Apolinario Mabini enrolled in his school. I wonder if Rizal was somehow making a sketch of Mabini through Penitente. Although Tanauan is already gearing up for modernization, it is still good to see old houses still standing around the city proper.
I am yet to visit a new church built along the main highway which houses a certain Our Lady.
* one big house found along P. Ornate Street
* three-storied tower-like part of a house; the lower ground houses a Pantoja store
* small yet sooo beautiful
* Gov. Modesto Castillo Memorial Cultural Center; this one will open soon
* found along the street leading to the church
* one old house found along one of the busiest thoroughfares of Tanauan
* an entrance to the municipal cemetery; shot on the way back from the Mabini Shrine
The Tanauan Church
The administration of the church of Tanauan was accepted by the Augustinians on May 5, 1584. Its first parish priest was Fr. Antonio Roxas. The first church which was made of wood was first erected along the shores of Lake Bombon (Taal Lake) in the year 1690. The concrete church was later erected in 1732. In 1754, Taal Volcano erupted submerging virtually everything along the lake’s shores including the church. The reconstruction of the church was led by Fr. Jose Diaz in 1881. World War II came and in the year 1944, the church was completely destroyed. Reconstructions were made in 1946 by a certain Monsignor Mariño.
* still, the (avocado) green-coated Rizal Shrine
* the grand staircase of the house; I cannot help but recall the event when Rizal walked out of an occasion when Fr. Leoncio Lopez questioned Rizal’s ability to make good poems
* commemorative coins for Rizal
* a portrait of Rizal made by G.T. Nepomuceno
* replicas, I think, of the simple tools for grinding and storing rice
* another upstairs room
* this image of Rizal has a 1927 date on one of its lower corner; I wonder if this is an original or a reproduction
* one cannot help but notice this white house just across the street; it has been there ever since I first visited the shrine
* a painting entitled “Agawang Buko” by Romeo Dianzon showing children playing with the buco; I wonder if there are children still doing this
* a small-scale reproduction of the Rizal Shrine
* one of Rizal’s coats; I cannot recall if this one was part of the coat Rizal wore when he was executed in Bagumbayan (now Luneta Park)
* a certificate of Rizal during his student days
* embroidered slippers given by Leonor Rivera to Rizal when he left for Spain in 1882; she made this she was still a student at La Concordia
* a diorama of Rizal’s cell in Fort Santiago
* a toothbrush holder made by Rizal for her sister Trinidad or Doña Trining
* suspect for historical artifact – I have been wondering if the old walls visible in this photo can be traced back to the late nineteenth century
