Twenty Fourteen Tales: 2014 Feast of Our Lady of the Pillar in Alaminos, Laguna

A yearly event in the neighboring town of Alaminos, the feast of Our Lady of the Pillar is pretty much the same when I first encountered it seven years ago: merry but religiously grounded. 

A late decision to come and see the activities on the exact feast day led us into snail-pace traffic in going to the town proper. This was expected because the national highway (Maharlika) passes right through the town proper and all the buses, trucks, public and private vehicles had to give way to the crossing visitors and spectators to the festivities. 

In the heart of the town the last mass of the day was conducted in town church just as dusk settled. This was followed immediately by a procession of the image of the lady fronted by a very enthusiastic marching band. The procession pushed through despite the rising noise from the streets outside the church grounds. It was good to see that the night programs were no longer held on the stage found just outside the church gate. It would have been very difficult to navigate through that particular area. Instead vendors covered the sidewalks, displaying their wares ranging from plastic toys, to souvenir wallets, to linen and clothes. 

It is a must that you visit the perya. Composed of a few rides, games, and a multitude of tiangge, perya as a whole somehow defines the general mood of the people–one of merriment. Here one can win a few kitchen wares or toys by displacing tin cans placed at a distance using balls or by throwing coins and putting them inside squares of different sizes on a wide board. Truly Filipinos find such little pleasures an integral part of our religious festivities.

It would probably be worthwhile to revisit the place and follow the activities leading to the October 12 feast day. Hopefully next year.

Bayanihan sa Katedral: A Call for Help for the Renovation and Preservation of San Pablo Cathedral, San Pablo City, Laguna

The San Pablo Cathedral (Saint Paul the First Hermit Cathedral) seems to be a beacon in the center of the city, towering amidst the buzzing city that promises to be more urbanized in the coming years. And as the years passed by, it stands prone to the changes of its surroundings. Now the cathedral administration thought it high time to preserve the said cathedral for the coming years. 

The makeover of the cathedral already started in 2011 (see my post 'Gradual Makeovers of San Pablo City Cathedral' here) with the removal of some of the monuments outside to give way to a wider parking space. But it seemed now that it was part of a larger move to give the cathedral area its original look. A recent removal of the canopy attached a few years back to the church façade is evidence to that (see my post The Upcoming Renovation of the San Pablo Cathedral Grounds and Patio  here). 

As they continue with this restoration, a simply request is being sent out to the residents of San Pablo as well as to the other people. This call, I believe, goes beyond religious reasons and should be seen as grounded on cultural and historical considerations as well.

Found below is the message placed outside the cathedral façade:

Nagmula sa isang simbahang kahoy noong 1590, nabuo ang isang matibay at matayog na simbahang yari sa bato at tisa noong 1754.

Ngayong 2014, makalipas ang tatlong daang taon (300 years), ang ating Katedral ay patuloy na kumukupkop at nagbibigay proteksiyon at bubong sa libu-libong maninimba sa Lungsod ng San Pablo.

Ito ay isang Heritage Church sa Pilipinas.

Ito ang Mother Church ng Diosesis ng San Pablo at pinakamahalagang simbahan sa buong Laguna.

Kaya karapat-dapat lamang na panatilihing matibay, malinis, at ligtas ang Katedral para sa lahat at sa mga susunod pang henerasyon.

Ito na ang tamang panahon ng Preservation at Restoration ng yamang ito ng ating simbahan at bayan.

Hindi lingid sa ating kaalaman ang epekto ng climate change sa ating pamumuhay; mas mainit ang panahon at mas malakas ang mga ulan at bagyo.

Handa ba ang istraktura ng ating Katedral sa mga pagbabagong ito?

Ayon sa isang pagsusuri ng mga dalubhasa, may mga depekto sa istraktura ng ating Katedral, tulad ng pagbalot ng semento sa harap ng simbahan Cathedral Facade. 

Hindi nakahihinga ang tisa sa loob at nabababad sa tubig, isang dahilan upang ito ay mabilis humina at mapulbos. Ang tamang solusyon dito ay tuklapin ang mga semento at ibalik ang original na materyal na ginamit noong ikalabingwalong siglo - ang lime o calcium oxide na magdidikit at magpapatibay muli sa mga tisa at bato.

Sa tulong ng Escuela Taller, isang grupo na binuo sa pamahaalaan ng Espanya upang iwasto ang preservation ng mga Spanish Colonial Churches sa Latin America at Pilipinas, sisimulan natin ang malawakang pag-aayos ng ating Katedral. Sinangguni rin ang National Historical Commission tungkol sa proyektong ito.

Lubhang mahalaga ang gawaing ito para sa ating lahat. 

Nasa ating mga kamay ang pangangalaga ng ating Katedral.

Kung tayong lahat ay bukas palad na tutulong at makikibalikat sa bayanihang ito, sa biyaya ng Diyos, ang lahat ay matutupad at magaganap.

Suportahan natin ang ating simbahan.

Maging kabilang.

Ipaabot ang inyong donasyon sa tanggapan ng ating Katedral. 

If you think and feel that you can help, you can participate in the “Be a Companion of Saint Paul the First Hermit” project, a family pledge of 500 pesos monthly for the 50th anniversary of the canonical erection of the Diocese of San Pablo. The restoration of the cathedral is being done in coordination with the Parish Finance Committee and the Escuela Taller de Filipinas, Inc.

Twenty Fourteen Tales: Typhoon Glenda’s Rampage in San Pablo City, Laguna

July of this year came in with yet another typhoon, a storm with a feminine name but acted way beyond the name’s connotation. One can prepare for a typhoon, stow away light materials, secure the houses, and stock all the necessities that may prove necessary in its aftermath but such preparedness can only be assessed upon the storm’s coming.

 * a view of the rage of typhoon Glenda

* the storm forces other creatures to the open, in this case a baby rat

* San Pablo Central School's perimeter in chaos

Honestly, I was not able to sleep during typhoon Glenda’s arrival. The roof screeched horribly and my books near the window were in danger of getting soaked. Sometime during the night I had to cut off the electrical wiring of the outside light because the canopy where the light receptacle was attached was dangling already, with only one big nut securing it in place. The moment I cut through the wires, the whole canopy tumbled down. Our neighbor’s window, which was made of glass, was blown by the strong wind, breaking into splinters below. And the rambutan trees of an adjacent compound? Nothing remained except for a few leaves. 

* San Pablo City plaza in Glenda's aftermath

When the storm passed, it was all but destruction. Some neighbors had to move to another house for their house’s decades-old roof was ripped clean. Barangay lights were broken and pathways were literally filled with flown leaves and debris. 

* San Pablo's famous Manga (mango tree) still standing strong after typhoon Glenda

Walking through the city streets, which were eerily quiet despite the nearness of noon time when we did our walk, we could only see damaged structures, bowed trees, leaves and leaves and leaves and leaves, and various stuff ranging from table mats to clothes. 

The towering logos of some fast food chains were destroyed too. Fruit stalls lining the San Pablo Shopping Mall were ripped open. The paths to the market were filled with mud and the open meat stores can be counted using one’s fingers. We had to do with the brave meat vendors’ products on that silent market place.

* a huge tree felled by typhoon Glenda, missing San Pablo City Library by a few feet

What I was most thankful for was the fact that the San Pablo City library was fortunately spared by a fallen tree. The tree was ENORMOUS and it missed the City Library by just a few feet. 

Tales abound in such trying times but hope definitely burns high in the hearts of the Filipinos. 

Twenty Fourteen Tales: Another Visit to Tiaong, Quezon

With the weekdays blocked already with activities, Saturdays always prove to be the ideal day to go out and visit places. (Sundays usually, at least in our case, are all for preparations.) With constrained resources, one can just visit the local parks or pay a visit to neighboring towns or cities (dumayo is our word for it).

 *revisiting the town of Tiaong

*the office of the Knights of Columbus in Tiaong

Tiaong in the province of Quezon may still have that rural ‘feel’ but that atmosphere nevertheless settles you into a relaxing mood. A walk through the town’s narrow streets in the late afternoon can be unwinding as well. 

Since the town park was yet to be refurbished because of Typhoon Glenda, we naturally gravitated to the town church (with its imposing pink façade) where we were able to enjoy the different images and biblical displays on its side. At the back, a chapel is found (something I have not seen before) where one can take a breather and pray in solitude. The small path leading to this chapel is also used by residents living behind the church. But a word of caution: the place is too ‘iláng’ for me so I suggest that you get yourself a companion if you plan to visit it. 

 * mighty buttresses! can't tell though if they are recent or not; and since Filipinos like to add something on anything blank, those buttresses did not escape scribbles from people

* Adoration Chapel in Tiaong

* an old house along the street leading to Tiaong church

Just to share a note about the availability of the church. I saw this posted on the church’s door:

“Sarado po ang Simbahan sa mga oras na alas dose ng tanghali hanggang 3pm. Maliban na lamang kung may schedule ng misa. Sa mga gustong dumalaw sa Blessed Sacrament, bukas po ang Adoration Chapel (sa likod ng Simbahan) mula 6am – 6pm. Maaari po kayong dumalaw at doon magdasal. Salamat po.”

Back Trails @ 5: Pushing the Trails Further

Who would not miss walking? Or running? Or hopping from one public vehicle to another? And more than travel, who would not miss writing about them? With only louvered windows to stare out and the increasingly unpredictable weather and climate to mark the passage of time, travelling (at least for this year) has been put to the side line.

But in looking back to the past years, they have been a colorful mixture of unplanned travels, food ‘discoveries’, brushes with historical details, among others. And as my chosen XMLs and photo styles for this blog go out of fashion, the passage of time seems to have galvanized this drive to know more about the Philippines with all of its contrasting historical highlights; varied culture and people; and its undoubtedly rich cultural and historical heritage that is slowly melting away as concrete landscapes conquer our surroundings. 

Armed still with an un-baptized desire to grasp many aspects of our Philippine past, I wish:

- to see Back Trails as a platform for fruitful discussions of our history, both locally and generally; and

- to see Back Trails as an online collection of notes gathered from the travels themselves as well as from the people who we might possibly meet along the trails.

These may still be too amorphous wishes even after five years but one has to renew things (much like the mythical phoenix).

So ‘beyond-home-border’ travels I hope for the coming years and a niche in the travelling/blogging/history-enthusiasts orbit.

Cheers to the trails beyond this fifth year of back trailing!