2017 Indak Pugay Para Kay San Pedro Bautista in Candelaria, Quezon

2015 Candle Festival in Candelaria, Quezon

 After two years of missing this annual Candelaria event, we were finally able to witness this Quezon town’s Candle Festival. This recently established religion-grounded fest focuses mainly on the devotion to the Nuestra Señora de Candelaria which usually runs from the last day of January to February 2. This designated high day of the festival (in anticipation of the feast of Saint Blaise on February 3) is highlighted by the street parade, dance competition and the usual street stalls containing different wares for sale that lined the wide patio grounds of the San Pedro Bautista church on the town proper.

The grand parade for this year was held in the afternoon but the main event, the dance competition started early in the evening. Certain awards were given out first to notable citizens and groups of the town. Afterwards the contest started with the hundreds of eager audience obviously looking towards the presentations.


The eleven presenters of the night were:

- Masin Elementary School
- Manuel Luis Quezon Elementary School
- Malabanban Norte Elementary School (and?) Alumni
- a group from the parish
- Kiwanis Club of Candelaria
- Couples for Christ
- Candelatia West District(?)
- Tayabas Western Academy
- Manuel Macasaet National High School
- Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation Candelaria, Inc.
- Lady Mediatrix Institute

For a first timer it seemed to me that the last presentation proved to be a highlight presentation with its elaborate costumes and props that really wowed the crowd towards the end of the program.

The Festival did not end on that night for the town was also looking to celebrate the town fiesta on the 5th of February, dedicated to San Pedro Bautista to whom the parish church was named.

What to look for in next year’s Candle Festival?
Most likely cover the entirety of the grand parade and hunt for local delicacies that possibly get the attention during these festive times.
  

An Afternoon Walk in Candelaria, Quezon

Candelaria, Quezon is an inexhaustible source of historical and cultural treasures. Such treasures do not need to be found in history books, but the town itself speaks of its past.

 * the ever resilient capiz windows

 * afternoon shadow: Pransisem walking through

a narrow street in Candelaria town proper

* Candelaria Public Market
 

 
* a Church of Christ building

* a house found along the highway; I am yet to figure out the origin/s

of the design you see in the photo;

it is basically the same design found in the old San Pablo City Hall,

an old house in Gil Puyat, Manila; among other places;

I strongly suspect that this is from the American Period

The houses of the town are my constant joy and so one summer afternoon I found it pleasant and conducive to talk a short walk and see again those beautiful houses. But besides them, the more recent fixtures are also testament to the changes that the town has undergone in the past years. The market, the road, all these form part of the town, its character and past. This may be a random post but as I have realized (again) just recently, travels (in this case walk) are infinite source of new information and experience.
   

 * a relatively old house in the town proper
  

 * a kid flying his kite near beside a river
  

 * a gathering darkness in the highway
   

* antennas and antennas

Still, what remains to be seen in this town is its old Valle Tower. If any chance reader knows it, kindly send in a message about it. I’d be more than grateful for your help.
    

The Mystic Mount Banahaw and the Coming Holy Week

* the mystic Mount Banahaw

The coming of the Holy Week does not only attract the religious devout. Concurrent to the Christian rites and ceremonies being conducted, there are also those other groups who turn to the world of mysticism and the supernatural to further their spiritual journey and experience.

As a child I remember my relatives braving the heights of Mount Banahaw during the days leading to Good Friday. But today, I am not so sure if that is still allowed. There may restrictions now in the place to protect the environment there. Nevertheless, it would still be good to tackle Mount Banahaw even during non-holidays and get to know, at least to a certain extent, those groups who chose to make the mountain their place of refuge and worship to their chosen deities.

Supreme Buses Now Have Their Rival

Supreme Buses, which ply the roads connecting Lucena City in Quezon and Batangas City, is now up for a competition. It caught me by surprise too, seeing a P&O Transportation Bus in Candelaria Sambat bound for Batangas City as I have never thought that any bus line would come and share that travel route. One thing that could possibly come out of this budding rivalry is the eventual upgrade of the buses of Supreme and/or additional buses on the part of P&O. As for the passengers, there would be more buses for their convenience on those parts. Cheers!

A Day in Candelaria, Quezon

* my dream house in Candelaria just had its roof makeover;
it’s obvious that renovations are underway; I still wish I could buy this house

* the Narra Tree which President Manuel Quezon planted many years before

Christmas vacation allows those in the academe ample time to do travel escapades to different places, be it here in the country or abroad. As for those like me who are in a tight budget, visits to neighboring cities or provinces are enough. A day visit to the town of Candelaria, Quezon (where some Emralino clans are based) proved to be fulfilling, seeing again those familiar streets and structures. A change of ‘atmosphere’, however brief, is relaxing too. Different sights, different random sounds and noises at least for a day. The night in the town is soothing also, with those chilly winds touching you as you walk through the town streets.

* the St. John the Baptist church facade at night

* a night mass in Candelaria

* simple lights in the Quezon tree

As with other places that I have visited so far, there are those elusive sites that I am yet to discover on my own. The Del Valle Tower in Candelaria is a place there I am yet to see and marvel at.

Revisiting the Town of Candelaria, Quezon

* some of the houses we saw in our Candelaria revisit

I am still wondering why I did not find those huge houses we visited the first night that we came to Candelaria. Well, they might have been demolished or my spatial memory might not have been in its perfect form when we returned to look at the houses of Candelaria.

* entrance arc of the Tayabas Western Academy, founded 1926

* a monument/marker for President Manuel Quezon who planted the narra tree seen in the background

* the façade of the Candelaria town hall

The revisit, despite the searing heat of the noon, gave us a treat. Some of the houses we saw where recently constructed, that is during the last five or six decades. No more of those Spanish time houses, excepting perhaps the big house along the main highway (which I really want to acquire). I can still sense a rural feel intermixed with the buzzing of the town proper.

* a (now rusting) gun on top of a monument, erected during the 30th anniversary of the Bataan Day on April 9, 1973

* another monument, most likely connected to the commemoration of those who died during World War II; the words read: “Sana’y manatili ang kapayapaan sa daigdig” or “May peace prevail on earth”

* a typical monument in remembrance of the Filipino guerillas during World War II

* a Rizal monument fronting the Candelaria town hall

In the end, we still failed to find the Del Valle Tower which, according to the information I obtained, was made during the Spanish times. I’m looking forward in seeing and taking a picture of it. A third revisit will be good.

Revisiting Candelaria’s St. Peter the Baptist Church

* a semi-side-view of the façade of St. Peter the Baptist Church; the general features resemble those of the church found in Ibaan, Batangas

Christmas vacation is long gone and the summer break looks back at us, enticing us to enjoy the coming months of sultry days and lots of opportunities to enjoy ourselves (read: beaches, beaches, and beaches). But the Christmas break did not just pass by without us enjoying it. The province of Quezon has been our target of exploration during the cold December days. And it was only fitting to revisit the town of Candelaria, the town which sparked my passion for Spanish period houses (see my musing about those houses here).

I have earlier visited St. Peter the Baptist Church after a short visit to San Juan, Batangas (see the entry here) but I was not able to fully see the interior as a mass was being held at that time. The inside is unsurprisingly modern for the façade is already a recent construction too.

Two key places that I took note of was the Baptistery (I remember entering into an argument whether the proper word was baptistery or baptistry) and the outer patio found just adjacent to the church hall.

* the baptistery inside the St. Peter the Baptist Church

* a depiction of Jesus with two of his disciples found on an outer patio in St. Peter the Baptist Church

At the foot of the baptistery is a date inscription: April 15, 1960. Although it was not cleared whether it was the date when it was constructed, it seemed to me that it is the obvious thing to assume. A marker on the wall is more informative. The said baptistery was blessed by The Most Rev. Emilio Z. Marquez D.D., Bishop of the Diocese of Lucena on January 31, 2009. It might be important to note also that the parish priest at that time was Msgr. Carlos Pedro A. Herrera, E.V.

The patio I was alluding to (which to me was more of a court) contains a small area for a sculpture depicting Jesus and two of his disciples as they catch fishes. There is also a small bookshop on the other side. The place made an impression to me because it was the place where an Emralino met his death, former Candelaria Mayor David Emralino. I have just gone through my saved files about him and a news article said that he was gunned down near the guard house found as one enter the said patio.

* a photograph of Bishop Alfredo Ma. Obviar found within the patio of the church

Finally, let me share here some information about a revered church servant in Quezon which I got from inside the church. His name was Bishop Alfredo Ma. Obviar (1889-1978). He was a clergy from Lipa and became eventually the first bishop of the Diocese of Lucena (where the St. Peter the Baptist Church is also a part). He was also the founder of the Missionary Catechist of St. Therese.

During my first revisit to Candelaria, I was quite puzzled not to see those big houses that I saw when we first went there. I was still not able to track them again but I did see some huge houses in the area just behind the church. That would be the topic of my next entry.

Rural Life at Rosario, Batangas

* Trailer Pransis trying to be funny inside a jeep en route to Rosario

* a newfound friend, Kuya Joel, who we accompanied for his dental clinic visit

* the church at Barangay Alupay

A short vacation will always be a welcome opportunity to anyone. More than just an escape, a retreat (read: rest and relaxation) is what I conceive of vacations.

Thus a recent return to Rosario, Batangas to share time with some intimates proved to be yet another ‘opening up’ experience. I daresay that the passage of time is always lost in the still air of that particular village I went to. The environ is thick with the scent of a mixture of fresh and dying leaves of plants and trees together with the smell typical of farmlands. You might also just want to lay down on a duyan placed under a convenient shade. And lose yourself as you think of virtually nothing and do nothing except to gape up the cloudless sky. Finally, one can forgive the ever sultry surroundings.

Dusk fills you with rich imaginings as darkness falls into the plantations and the tall coconut trees. You are out of place without Gin running through your veins; lives will come and go in this place but barikan (drinking sessions) will stay.

* one of the often mentioned eatery – Ka Loring Eatery; serves a famous and delicious lomi, so they say

* the super duper special lomi; one waitress was particularly amiable as she exchanged more-than-just-simple greetings, hehe

* a view of a grassland; in the background, one of the many mountains scattered in the province of Batangas

* a rural road but a concrete one; yes, concrete finally after many delays in this road construction project

There was something intimate in seeing one particular family in my visit, with all those children gathering around their mother for supper, the supper being offered willingly to us ‘barikeños’. A radio can be heard from inside the house. Outside, we share lives and stories through a small shot glass as if it was our mouthpiece.

At a celebration, everything is communal: cigarettes, matches, alcohol, pulutan, water, microphone (for the videoke), stories, tales, bragging, even spit and breath. This merrymaking is their absolute life, for this brings them joy after the hard work during the day. Work in morning, alcohol in the evening. It would be an insult to lay judgment to them for between a city life and a rural life there are many differences. They have derived meaning for their lives in their decidedly simple living.

As days passed by, I got to realize more and more than I am yet to know many things – about the leaves of madre cacao, about the delicious food lying just beneath the streams, about rural beliefs and myths, about moving through the dark, and many other things. Setting aside the pressure that I am definitely in need of work and money, living in that place richly surrounded by greeneries is far better than the indifferent steel and concrete buildings in the city. After all, we all trace our roots to nature – the grounds, the flora, and the fauna. Although we shall be perpetually bound by ‘metropolitan’ activities, it is always good to go back and reconnect with our own family: nature.

Post-note: See an earlier entry about Rosario, Batangas here.

[How to go to Rosario, Batangas: 1) From Manila: board a bus bound for Lucena, Quezon and drop off at ‘Sambat ng Candelaria’ (in Quezon). Then you have to wait for the classic Supreme Buses bound for Batangas and board one. You will pass by the town of Rosario along the way. 2) From Batangas area: you will have to reach Lipa City first. From there, either at Robinsons Lipa or at the town proper, you will have to ride a jeep bound for San Juan, Batangas. You will pass by the town of Rosario along the way.]

That Grand Old House at Tiaong-Bantayan Highway

Traveling in a bus en route to Candelaria last week, I found myself anticipating seeing again that beautiful house along the highway in Tiaong, Quezon. It was easily remembered as it used to stand between Tiaong Elementary School and a junction they call Bantayan.

It was to my big surprise to discover that it was already gone, probably demolished since it was bought already by some lover of old houses. Perhaps I felt a tinge of sadness also, as I have always intimated that I shall be acquiring that one, even living in that every place if it would be possible.

I cannot say that there are many other houses that I can buy in the future. For me, there are no more other such houses. We are in a time when modernization runs through the very veins of our living, and such old houses become more apparently pieces of antiques and treasures. I would not distance myself from such labeling for people who adore them. I do want to own such a house as well. It is my hope that those who are taking interest in such houses are treasuring them as much as a history (or antique, for that matter) buff would.

The Supreme Buses

* the long-running Supreme Bus, taken at Candelaria, Quezon not far from a place they call Sambat

The second word up there in the tile is not meant to be an adjective but it is in fact the name of the bus I wish to share here now. These buses may have been doing their trade now for many decades already. I did not bother myself to look up about it on the internet as it would defeat the purpose of traveling. They are mostly slow-moving vehicles, maybe because of their ages. A ride in an ordinary fare, in particular when going to San Juan, Batangas in the afternoon, is one hell-hot of a ride. A ride in an air-conditioned type certainly does not make any difference as they tend to heat up the interior rather than cool it.

This is not, in any way, intended to disparage the buses. This is a form of tribute to one such resilient company. I may never know their reasons for their continued existence (and in connection to that, for their apparent refusal to upgrade or to at least do some maintenance work of their buses). But these leaky buses in fact make me want to ride in them more. They give you that ride experience that one could not have experienced elsewhere. True to some extent, our arrival to a place is an end, but the means – the travels along the way – for me is as enjoyable as the trip to our destinations. These Supreme Buses may not live long enough anyway, and so I am quiet thankful that I am able to get the rough ride experience in this part of the Philippines.

Feeling at Home: Candelaria, Quezon

* the Welcome arch[?] of Candelaria, Quezon

* aboard the grand old Supreme Bus that ply the roads connecting Lucena, Quezon and Batangas City, taken at Candelaria en route to San Juan, Batangas

It is indeed a feeling of being thoroughly at home in Candelaria, Quezon mainly because of my surname: Emralino. I can still remember my fourth grade when the name David Emralino was the meat of the news. I also remember having a peek into what used to be called Emralino-something-Coliseum. I don’t know if it still exists today since I can no longer find it on the right side of the highway going to Candelaria.

* a cute little house along the highway entering the town proper of Candelaria, Quezon

* an old house painted gaily with pink!

* found just before entering the town proper, half-tailor shop

Although this is but a full-blown wild guess, the Emralinos of Candelaria and Sariaya might provably be related. I have seen some during a feature of one of the mansions in Sariaya which is own by Emralinos. At least I am clear at this point that I am in no way wishing that I am connected with these people (but it would be certainly good to know if I am). But pedigree is important in one way or another. The only consolation for me as of today is the knowledge that I have a not-so-distant relative that has fought in Bataan during World War II. Beyond that, I know naught. And so any Emralinos out there, I would just like to meet and greet you. Now back to the tours.

* the church of San Pedro Bautista

* a view of the interior of the church

Just recently, the news came nationwide that David Emralino was killed inside the St. Peter the Baptist Church. Too bad that I was not able to visit the exact place where he fell, as I totally forgot the details in the news. It is only this time that I recall the scenario prior to the ‘kill’. Anyway, this is where an Emralino met his demise. The church is relatively new I suppose, judging from its looks. But the entrance-gate a few meters away from it was certainly old. Too bad I was not able to take a picture of it as banners cover most of the details of the structure.

* now here is my love, a big, old house just before reaching the municipal hall

* a view of the back of the house showing its immense size, can I call this mine? just kidding, rather can I call this one mansion already?, can’t say I can now

Since light was fading fast during my visit (a bad time for a visit, don’t you think?) I only contented myself in lounging around the grand old house which sparked my affinity for old casas, old casas of the Spanish and post-Spanish era that is. If I could only describe at least in a few words my awe of the place. Was it the size that overwhelmed me? I don’t know. Perhaps. I remember running my hands through its massive doors a few years back. Man, I shall a house of that kind. That is a resolve.

* a Candelaria backstage, leaders of the town who will be elected this May 10 should tackled this problem

As a side note, I decided to put the photo above, not for the intent of putting down this otherwise beautiful town. A book on Ché Guevara about his travels during his youth tells of that dawning on him where he saw that one should not only look at the beautiful places or spots in a place that one visit. Instead, one should look at the totality of the place, its features and people, to get to know more of the place. I’m afraid I don’t have any notes from the book to support these lines but this paraphrase is, more or less, the thought of what was said of Ché in the book.

(Post-Thought: I am thinking of making a little note about these Supreme Buses.)