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.
    

Ernesto ‘Ché’ Guevara on Travel

In rereading again Jon Lee Anderson’s “Ché: A Revolutionary Life”, it brought back again an unsettling awareness on the concept of travel. At the close of what Ché called as his Argentine “raid” – which was a short tour on some of the towns in Argentina – he reflected:

“In truth, what do I see?”...“At least I am not nourished in the same ways as the tourists, and I find it strange to find, on the tourist brochures...the Altar of the Fatherland, the cathedral where the national ensign was blessed, the jewel of the pulpit and the miraculous little virgin of Río Blanco and Pompeii. ...

“No, one doesn’t come to know a country or find an interpretation of life in this way. That is a luxurious façade, while its true soul is reflected in the sick of the hospitals, the detainees in the police stations or the anxious passersby one gets to know, as the Río Grande shows the turbulence of its swollen level from underneath.”

And such reflection still holds until today, when the words ‘tour’ or ‘travel’ would only denote luxurious vacation resorts or pompous shrines. Travel, in my view, must involve the whole anatomy of a place – from the high-rising cathedrals to the people who make their living on the streets. Together they form a compact soul (as Ché have termed it) for a visitor to know and understand.

We must no longer be confined to the sanitized views of tourist shades.

Photo Credit / Reference: Jon Lee Anderson. “Ché: A Revolutionary Life” Revised Edition. New York: Grove Press, 2010.
 

Century Park Hotel, Manila

Not that I actually checked-in in this particular hotel. But ever since I was able to attend different conferences it has always been a pleasure to roam the lobby areas (I usually call them “free areas”) of different hotels. And Century Park Hotel was no different. My visit was in connection with a conference organized by the institution where I currently work.

 

 

 

 

 

I am no expert when it comes to these kinds of establishments. But what has always attracted me is the cozy atmosphere that these lobbies create. The woodworks always do their job. Add to that the restaurants that occupy most of the lobbies (read: good food). 

 

 

 

 

 

And as I was not really focused on getting details about the hotel (but merely on admiring the different fixtures), you can go to the hotel’s website by clicking here.

 

 

 

 

 

[How to go Century Park Hotel, Manila: From the Gil Puyat LRT Station, you can either 1) board the LRT and drop off at Vito Cruz LRT Station; the hotel is just a few streets away from the Rizal Memorial Stadium or 2) hail a taxi at Gil Puyat LRT Station; fee will range from 30 pesos to 100 pesos.]
 

Top View: San Pablo City, Laguna

To put it more precisely: view from the top. This was actually a shot from the roof of our house when, on a whim, I checked the roof drainage for any obstructions and when - unfortunately - I was asked by a neighbor to fix their leaking roof.

No descriptions can suffice to describe the feeling that you'll get at the top. Makes me want to try skydiving (given the resources). In the background you'll see an outline of a mountain range. That is actually the southern part of San Pablo City which served as the 'headquarters' (for lack of a better term) during World War II. I intend to climb that mountain since that is associated with the current 'historical' research I am currently doing. (And hopefully I'll have the tentative drafts before the year ends.)
  

Celebrating the Feast of Saint Vincent de Paul

  * the facade of San Vicente de Paul Church

* a small statue of Saint Paul being passed from one office

to another during his feast day

* a new memorial for Saint Vincent de Paul

In the days prior to the actual day of the Feast of Saint Vincent de Paul, the festive atmosphere in the area of the  inSan Vicente Church Ermita, Manila near Adamson University has began to build up already. There were the interlaced colors of white and blue banderitas hung outside the church and the gleeful shouts of the vendors on the side as they hail passersby to buy their varied rice delicacies. The familiar colors of red powder for spicy crackers and different hues of green for delicacy covers recall to my mind the many feasts I have witnessed in the province. This feast is a genuine one, despite all the signs of being in the urban area.

  * the huge doors of San Vicente de Paul Church

* view of the  church interior and its main aisle

 * taclobo inside

 

 

 

 * images inside the church

A Short Biography of Saint Vincent de Paul 

The reason of all the celebrations is the patron saint of Adamson University, Saint Vincent de Paul. The information about this life was obtained from the big tarpaulin on the perimeter fence of the church. Born on April 27, 1581 in France, he grew up seemingly destined to be a servant of God. He initially studied theology at the University of Toulouse and was ordained a priest at age of 19. In 1625 he formed the Congregation of the Mission for organizing missions and overseeing seminaries. Later, in 1633, he founded the Daughters of Charity with Saint Louise de Marillac. Before this there was the Confraternities of Charity who looked after the needs of poor parishes. He died on September 27, 1660 and was canonized in 1737.

   * agua bendita 

* confessional rooms 

 * side corridor

* view of the church dome from the inside

  
The San Vicente de Paul Church

The church started out as a chapel in 1883 and was later used by the Paco Parish from 1898 and 1909 after which the Parish of San Vincente de Paul was officially created. The marker says that the present church was built of concrete in 1912 to celebrate the fifth-year anniversary of the arrival of the Vincentians and their counterpart Sisters of Charity in the country. There was no mention whether the church suffered any damages during the Second World War. Better check on this one. The church is now found along San Marcelino Street in Ermita, in the general vicinity of Adamson University. As an observation, I think the church is in cruciform form.

 * stained-glass windows

 * view of the what could be the horizontal bar

on the cruciform form of the church

 * the main altar

 * view of one of the side walls

A new memorial was also made for Saint Vincent inside the grounds of Saint Vincent Church. The citation reads:

“TO THE GLORY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY THROUGH THE INTERCESSION OF THE OUR LADY OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL AND IN HONOR OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL ON THIS 27TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 2012, THIS MEMORIAL IS SOLEMNLY ERECTED BY THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY OF THE PARISH ON THE OCCASION OF THE 100 YEARS ANNIVERSARY OF SAN VICENTE DE PAUL CHURCH ON JULY 16, 2013”