Category Archives: PHILIPPINE PROVINCES

Museo ni Manuel L. Quezon (Quezon City, Metro Manila)

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Museo ni Manuel L. Quezon

The Museo ni Manuel L. Quezón (lit. ’Museum of Manuel L. Quezon’), a museum at the base of the Quezon Memorial Shrine, has a collection of art works, relics and memorabilia related to former President Manuel L. Quezon as well as his wife, First Lady Aurora Aragon Quezon.  It is one of three museums within the Quezon Memorial Circle (the others are the Quezon Heritage House and the Presidential Car Museum).

Check out “Quezon Memorial Shrine,” “Quezon Heritage House” and the “Presidential Car Museum“

Gallery I (Kabtaan ni Manuel)

Opened on August 18, 1978, the museum underwent a renovation by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and was reopened on August 19, 2015.

Maj. Manuel Quezon (Bataan, 1901)

Certification of Completion (University of Sto. Tomas)

Gallery 1 (Kabataan ni Manuel) features the late president’s life in Baler, and Tayabas (now Aurora), where he was born on August 19, 1878; his education at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran and the University of Sto. Tomas, where he earned a law degree; revolution days; and civilian life.

Portrait of Don Francisco Ortigas and a souvenir frame from the Thomasites

Salakots and Hats of Quezon

Large imprint of Pres. Quezon’s right hand

On display here are the following:

  • Quezon’s February 19, 1894 University of Sto. Tomas diploma for Bachelor of Arts
  • A large imprint of Quezon’s right hand, artist unknown
  • A souvenir frame from the Thomasites
  • Portrait of Don Francisco Ortigas
  • A 1901 photo of Maj. Manuel L. Quezon in Bataan (during the Philippine-American War, where he served as aide-de-camp to Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo)
  • His hat collection (including several salakot” or native hats which he would often wear during his sorties in the provinces).

Gallery II (Unang Taon sa Serbisyo Publiko)

Gallery 2 (Unang Taon sa Serbisyo Publiko) shows his post-war endeavors as a lawyer, governor of Tayabas in 1906; National Assembly representative (1907); Resident Commissioner to Washington D.C. (1909); and Senate President (1916).

Ink dish

Calendar holder

A number of the memorabilia displayed are gifts given to Quezon by local dignitaries and organizations, some of them given during his birthday.  They include:

  • A calendar holder and a Senate crystal glass ink dish,(on opaline base with initials MLQ) given to Quezón on January 1, 1925, in appreciation of Quezón in leading the Independence Mission to Washington DC, in 1924.
  • A sterling silver inkwell given, on August 19, 1917, to Quezón as a birthday gift by Teodoro Rafael Yangco (1861-1939), who was Quezón’s replacement as the Resident Commissioner to the US Congress in Washington.
  • Two sterling silver vases given to Pres. Quezón by the Los Senadores (The Senators) and the Functionarios Y Empleados de Senado (Officials and Employees of the Senate) on January 1, 1924.
  • A July 1935 a decorative plaque, one of the oldest in the collection, was dedicated to Senate President Manuel Quezon from the Spanish cities of Alicante, Castellon de la Plana and Valencia.
  • A short 1916 obelisk, with silver plaques dedicated to Quezon, awarded by the Freemason Nilad Lodge 144 on September 23, 1916 (just a few days before he would win the 5th District senatorial seat on October 3, 1916), honoring Quezón for his work as the Resident Commissioner in Washington, D. C. from 1909 to 1916.

Obelisk plaque

Ink well set with globe

One of two sterling silver vases

There are also a number of historical photos from that era displayed such as:

Letter of endorsement

Other memorabilia on display include the following:

  • Masonic plaque issued on April 9, 1917 by Lodge of Regeneration No. 36 (Tarlac) in honor of Quezon
  • A Comprovincianos Plaque of the Province of Tayabas, a plaque of honor presented on January 1, 1918, to Quezon by Gov. Maximo Rodriguez and the Las Mas Alta Gloria de la Provincia de Tayabas y Legitimo Orgullo de la Raza Filipina (The Highest Glory of the Province of Tayabas and Legitimate Pride of the Philippine Race) to honor their native son.
  • A 1922 bust of Don Crispulo Zamora by Guillermo E. Tolentino.
  • Musical Piece (Anti Hare-Hawes-Cutting), by Hilario F. Rubio and published by Marcelino Masangkay (copyright 1934), dedicated to Senate Pres. Quezon.
  • Letter of Senate Pres. Quezon to Jose Vitug (of Lubao, Pampanga) endorsing him as Nationalista candidate.

Musical Piece (Anti Hare-Hawes-Cutting)

Gallery 3 (Pamahalang Komonwelt) features Quezon’s Commonwealth presidency, his supposed re-election in 1941 — interrupted by the war caused by Japan’s invasion and occupation — and his exile to the United States (US) from 1942 to 1944.

Gallery III (Pamahalang Komonwelt

Again, also on display here are a number of gifts given to Pres. Quezon by local and foreign dignitaries and organizations, especially on his birthday.  They include the following:

  • A hand-lettered song sheet, by Matias, containing the lyrics of a song entitled Mabuhay, Presidente Quezón Mabuhay! (Long Live, President Quezón, Long Live), which was composed in the Ilocano language by Gil delos Santos Raval (1880-1949) and Laoag postmaster Proceso Coloma, between 1938 and 1941, upon the request of Gov. Roque Blanco Ablan, Sr. (1896 – 1943) and Laoag Mayor Agripino Palting Santos (1897 – 1952). It was translated to English by Fiscal (and future congressman) Pedro Albano (born 1907).
  • A sculpture of Pres. Quezón planting rice, given to him by the National Commission of Peasants, on his 61st birthday on August 19, 1939. The sculpture is based on the famous photograph of the president when he was planting rice in celebration of the First National Rice Planting Day, on July 9, 1939.
  • A 1938 Handog ng Taliba caricature, by cartoonist Liborio “Gat” Talag Gatbonton (1914-1976), of Pres. Manuel Quezon in a tuxedo, presented to Quezon on August 19, 1938 (his 60th birthday).
  • A 1936 caricature, on ink on paper, of Manuel L. Quezon by Alfredo Gabriel
  • A 1936 caricature, on persil, of Pres. Manuel L. Quezon by Filipino-Spanish artist Luis León Lasa (1890–1986).
  • Vase in the shape of a traditional Japanese basket, given by Japanese Imperial Army Gen. Baron G. Tanaka to Pres. Quezon.
  • Coconut shell trophy, with decorative silver-plated leaves and stand, gifted by Manileno silversmith engraver Crispulo Zamora (1871 – 1922).
  • A 1939 relief of a farming scene given to Pres. Quezón, with replicas of native hats that the president enjoyed wearing.
  • Globular jars, with various Chinese deities in black and gold, from Chinese Consul-Gen. Kwangsen Young and Alfonso Z. Sycip (1888 – 1978).
  • Satzuma ware potpourri bowl.
  • President Quezon March (music by M.P. Velez, words in Spanish by J. Hernandez Gavira), dedicated to Quezon on August 19, 1939 (his 61st birthday).
  • A 3 rpm record containing Marcha Socialismo Quezoniana, performed and recorded at KZRH, presented to Quezon on August 19, 1941 (his 63rd birthday).

Pres. Quezon Planting Rice

Coconut Shell Trophy

Globular jars

Vase given by Japanese Imperial Army Gen. Baron G. Tanaka

Japanese Satzuma ware

Pres. Quezon March

Historical photos on display include:

  • A 1939 photo of Pres Quezon inspecting a soldier’s rifle, on their way to inspect the Diliman Estate with future-QC Mayor Tomas Morato and Major General Basilio J. Valdes (1892-1970), Armed Forces of Philippines
  • Photo of Pres. Quezon presenting degrees at the University of Sto. Tomas (where Aurora Aragon Quezon received her honorary Doctor of Pedagogy ) on March 23, 1940
  • Photo of Pres. Quezon signing the Suffrage Law on September 15, 1937 at Malacanang Palace.

The Signing of the Suffrage Law

A lot of the displays deal with artifacts from the Philippine Commonwealth Period.

Repository of 1935 Constitution

One very important artifact occupying a place of honor is a 1935 Damascene gold inlaid chest Philippine Constitution repository, created by Jose Vicente “Mantxon” Iriondo y Ezaguirre (1893 – 1973) and Tomas Guisasola y Guisasola, the students of famed Spanish sculptor and metalworker Placido Maria Martin Zoloaga ( 1834 – 1910) from Eibar, Spain; and sold by Beristain of Barcelona, Spain.

On the left are 1936 Philippine Commonwealth coins while on the right are Franklin Mint silver coins, issued by the Central Bank of the Philippines, commemorating Manuel Quezon’s centenary.

Banner of Honor Bearing the Commonwealth Seal

1936 Calendar and Cartridge Shells

Other Philippine Commonwealth memorabilia include:

  • A 1936 Birth of the Commonwealth Calendar, which celebrates the next major step to Philippine Independence.
  • Three pieces of cartridge cases used for the first gun salute in honor of Pres. Quezon, fired on June 3, 1936.
  • An honor banner bearing the Commonwealth seal of the Philippines.
  • Quezon March (a printed musical composition by Julian Silverio)
  • The 1938 painting The Commonwealth by Antonio Gonzales Dumlao (1912-1983)
  • November 25, 1935 issue of Time Magazine with Pres. Quezon gracing the cover in commemoration of the inauguration of the Commonwealth.
  • 1936 Commonwealth coins
  • 1935 Commonwealth dry seal
  • Dinnerware with Commonwealth seal

Dinnerware Set with Commonwealth Seal

Quezon featured in cover of Time Magazine (November 25, 1935)

Commonwealth Dry Seal

Some artifacts deal with the Quezon Institute, a medical complex named after the president (who suffered and died from tuberculosis) who was its benefactor.  They include:

  • A copy of the Quezon Institute Plaque created by the sons of Crispulo de Guzman-Mendoza Zamora (1871-1922), in 1938.
  • A relief of Pres. Quezón’s head in profile on the 1938 commemorative plaque of the Quezon Institute, which was created by the family of Crispulo Zamora.

Plaque of Appreciation from Quezon Institute

Other items on display are Pres. Manuel L. Quezon’s personal belongings such as:

  • Statuette of Pres. Quezon with his swagger stick
  • Quezon’s tailcoat
  • Quezon’s sword collection
  • Quezon’s bastonero (walking stick holder)

Quezon’s bastonero (walking stick holder)

Statuette of Quezon holding his swagger stick.  At the foot of the statue is Quezon’s swagger stick

Quezon’s tailcoat

Quezon Sword Collection

Gallery 4 (Ikalawang Digmaang Pandaidig sa Pilipinas) feature’s Quezon’s leadership during World War II and his exile to the United States.

Gallery IV (Ikalawang Digmaang Pandaidig sa Pilipinas

It tells the story of the rescuing of the Jews by Quezon; important events during World War II; life during the war; and the Guerilla Movement in the Philippines, 1942 – 1944.

Quezon’s Rifle Collection

As a soldier, Quezón was familiar with different weapons and on display here are some of the firearms in his collection:

  • A 1895 Winchester caliber 405 center fire hunting rifle (serial number 79418)
  • A 1913-1914 Parker Brothers double barrel 16 gauge shotgun (serial number 167904)
  • A 1937 Fábrica Nacional de Armas México 30 caliber Medoza Model C automatic rifle (serial number 2664)
  • A 1938 Fábrica Nacional de Armas México 30 caliber model 1934 carbine (serial number 22196).
  • A Moro lantaka(native cannon) which Pres. Quezón had picked up from his many visits to the island of Mindanao

Photos of Manila’s Ruins during the Second World War

Also on display are photos of Manila’s ruins during the World War II and a collection of World War II memorabilia such as a leather holster; an aluminum water flask; a military helmet; and a telegram Morse Code buzzer.

Military helmet

Haversack bag

Telegram Morse Code buzzer

Also on display are the military peak cap, shoulder bag (1945 US Navy combat field pack) and uniform of Gen. Carlos P. Rómulo (1899-1985) and the World War II shoulder bag used by Brig.-Gen. and future President Manuel Róxas (1892-1948).

Peaked Cap of Carlos P. Romulo

Military shoulder bag owned by Carlos P. Romulo

Military shoulder bags owned by Manuel Roxas

Gallery 5 (Pamana) relates the story on Quezon’s death due to tuberculosis on Aug. 1, 1944 in the US. From Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, his remains were transferred to Manila North Cemetery in 1946 before it was moved to the Quezon Memorial Shrine on Aug. 1, 1979.

Gallery V (Pamana)

On display here are the following:

  • Philippine flag draped over the casket of Pres. Quezon when he died in 1944
  • Scroll with the photo of the Old City of Jerusalem
  • Token of Appreciation given by the Israel Defense Forces in gratitude for Quezon

Philippine flag that was draped over Quezon’s casket

Token of Appreciation and Scroll

The Galeria ni Doña Aurora Quezón, a dedicated gallery to Quezon’s wife, First Lady Aurora Aragon Quezon, is a replica of her bed room.

Galeriya ni Dona Aurora Quezon

This showroom displays Doña Aurora’s Atay bed (with squash decoration on every corner post) and sewing machine, her formal Filipiniana terno gowns, memorabilia of her travels abroad, hats, jewelry, several photographs, a painting of Doña Aurora and Pres. Quezón, and two busts by Isabelo L. Tampinco (1850-1933) and Eduardo De Los Santos Castrillo (1942-2016).

Tanggapan Ng Pangulong Quezon

The Tanggapan ng Pangulong Quezón has a replica of Manuel L. Quezon‘s presidential office (with Quezón’s actual desk and chairs from his office, as well as a display of the president’s golf clubs, hats, awards, briefcases, playing cards, and two sculptures of Quezón.  There is also a replica of his room in the Malinta Tunnel in the fortress island of Corregidor, where Pres. Quezón moved his cabinet and their families on the December 24, 1941, onboard the SS Mayon.

Malinta Tunnel

An audio-visual room presents a short documentary on the life of Pres. Manuel L. Quezon and the creation of the museum. The museum also features a hologram of Quezon delivering his inaugural speech as president;  interactive booths and terminals which edifies visitors regarding the Commonwealth era.

Audio-Visual Room

The museum also displays a number of paintings.  They include:

  • A 1939 portrait of Pres. Quezón and Vice-president Osmeña, with Inang Bayan promising hope to the Filipino people in the background. The artist of the painting was part of the “Insular Prisoners,” most likely those part of the prisoners being transferred to the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa.
  • The 1938 painting The Commonwealth by Antonio Gonzales Dumlao (1912-1983)
  • A 1939 portrait, by cartoonist and painter Rodolfo Fernando Dayao (1920-1991), of President Manuel Quezon based on his visit to the Philippine Military Academy (Camp Henry T. Allen, Baguio) in 1937.
  • A 1994 painting of the Quezon Memorial Shrine by Mardonio Aurora Cempron (born 1941). 
  • Jose T. Juco, Sr. painting of Pres. Quezón awarding the Philippine Army Medal of Valor to Major-Dr. Emigdio “Meding” Castor Cruz (1898-1978), who had volunteered to return to the Philippines via Australia and gather intelligence on Japanese positions in the country, from the May 3,1943 to February 28,1944.
  • A 1935 portrait, by Eduardo Arandia Salgado (born 1910), of Pres. Manuel L. Quezon wearing a barong tagalog (traditional shirt) and holding a salakot (native hat), while the figure of the Inang Bayan (motherland) floats behind him with the Philippine Flag

The Commonwealth (Antonio Gonzales Dumlao, 1938)

Portrait of Pres. Quezón and Vice-Pres. Osmeña

Quezon presents the Congressional Medal of Valor to Major Emigdio Cruz (Jose T. Juico, Sr., 1947)

Museo ni Manuel L. Quezon : Quezon Memorial Shrine, Quezon Memorial Circle, Elliptical Road, Diliman,  Quezon City, Metro Manila. Tel: (632) 8225-1861.  Mobile number: (0949) 568-5918.  E-mail: mmq@nhcp.gov.ph and museonimanuelquezon18@gmail.com.  Open Tuesdays to Saturdays, 8 AM to 4 PM.  Admission is free.  Coordinates: 14°39′05.1″N 121°02′57″E.

Quezon Memorial Shrine (Quezon City, Metro Manila

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Quezon Memorial Shrine

The Quezon Memorial Shrine (Filipino: Pambansang Pang-alaalang Dambana ni Quezon), a triangle-shaped, Art Deco-themed monument dedicated to former Philippine President Manuel Quezon, serves as the centerpiece within the grounds of the Quezon Memorial Circle.

Check out “Quezon Memorial Shrine” and “Museo ni Manuel L. Quezon”

 

Statue of Manuel Quezon

Statue of Manuel Quezon historical plaque

Here’s the historical timeline of the memorial:

  • On December 17, 1945, it was established by virtue of Executive Order No. 79 signed by then-President Sergio Osmeña.
  • In 1951, a national contest for the Quezon Memorial Project was held and architect Federico Ilustre‘s design won. Aside from the monument itself, also planned to be erected were a complex of three auxiliary structures (presidential library, museum, and theater) which were never built.
  • In 1952, the Bureau of Public Works commenced the construction of the monument
  • Between 1957 and 1958, the monument was completed
  • On September 24, 1972, the monument was placed under the jurisdiction of the National Historical Institute through Presidential Decree No.1 issued by then President Ferdinand Marcos .
  • On January 14, 1974, the monument was formally designated as a national shrine.
  • On August 19, 1978 (the 100th anniversary of Quezon’’s birth), the memorial was inaugurated.
  • On August 1, 1979, the remains of former President Manuel Quezon was transferred to a mausoleum at the foot of the monument at the Quezon Memorial Shrine from the Manila North Cemetery.
  • In 1989, 31 marble bas reliefs on Philippine history and the life of Pres. Quezón, created by the father and son team of Manuel and Ron Casal, were installed around the base of the memorial.
  • On April 28, 2005, the 26th anniversary of her assassination, the remains of Quezon’s wife Aurora Aragon Quezon, were likewise transferred to the shrine from the Manila North Cemetery.
  • On March 12, 2020, the shrine was recognized by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines as a National Cultural Treasure (NCT)
  • In December 2021, the declaration was made public.

The 66-m. (217-ft.) shrine, representing Quezon’s age when he died from tuberculosis stands, on a 36-hectare elliptical lot. Its observation deck (currently not open to the public), with a panoramic view of the city, is accessed via a spiral staircase (now an elevator) from the bottom of the structure and can accommodate 60 people at the top.

Historical Plaque of the shrine

At the top of the three towering, connected pylons (covered with white Carrara marble from Italy) are The Three Muses, stone mourning winged angels (representing the three main island groups of the Philippines – Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao), sculpted by the Italian sculptor Francesco Riccardo Clementi Monti (1888-1958), with their heads bowed (as if mourning Quezon) and holding sampaguita (Jasminum sambac, the national flower) wreaths. The flower symbolizes purity and fidelity as it root words sumpa kita means “I promise you.”

The Three Muses

The regional identity of each female angel figure could be discerned from the distinctive and traditional baro’t saya (blouse and skirt) combination they were clothed with.  For of Luzon, the muse is wearing a traje de mestiza, with an embroidered pañuelo (shawl) worn over her camisa (blouse).

For the Visayas, the muse is wearing a kimona (blouse) with short “butterfly” shoulders, and an alampay (kerchief) draped over her shoulder. For Mindanao, the muse is wearing a tight fitting biyatawi (blouse) with a patadyong (skirt) wrapped over the sawal (trousers), and a kambut (sash) draped across her chest.

Quezon’s catafalque

The three pylons would, in turn, circumscribe a drum-like, two-storey structure containing a gallery from which visitors could look down at Quezon’s catafalque (modeled after Napoleon Bonaparte’s in the Invalides), elevated on a marble plinth in the center.

Check out “L’Hotel des Invalides”

The oculus

The gallery and the catafalque below are lit by an oculus (in turn reminiscent of Grant’s Tomb) surrounded by three heads of carabaos believed to have also been sculpted by Monti and mounted in 1958. The tomb of his wife First Lady Aurora Aragon Quezon is in a niche on the side of the room.

Tomb of First Lady Aurora Quezon

On the second level, above the circular crypt, is a 3.35 m. high statue of Quezon (originally located outside the memorial) atop a 4.26 m. high marble pedestal sculpted by the late National Artist Guillermo Tolentino and installed in 1978, depicting Quezon delivering his fiery speech when he was elected president of the Commonwealth.

Statue of Manuel Quezon (Guillermo Tolentino)

Pietro “Piero” Amberti, an architect and marble mason from Torino (Italy) who had settled in the Philippines, was hired by former Quezon City Mayor Tomas Morato, to beautify the monument with Carrara marble. Morató also hired Arch. Anselmo T. Alquinto (born 1905) to design the landscaping of the park. Morato’s successors replaced the Italian marbles with locally sourced marble.

Some of the 31 marble bas reliefs on Philippine history and the life of Pres. Quezón, created by the father and son team of Manuel and Ron Casal

Installed within the Shrine itself are two small museums, one containing the presidential memorabilia of Quezon (Museo ni Manuel L. Quezon) at its base, and the other containing items on the history of Quezon City.

Check out “Museo ni Manuel L. Quezon”

Entrance to the Museo ni Manuel L. Quezon

Quezon Memorial Shrine: Quezon Memorial Circle, Elliptical Road, Diliman,  Quezon City, Metro Manila. Coordinates: 14°39′05.1″N 121°02′57″E.

Metropolitan Museum of Manila (Taguig City, Metro Manila)

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Metropolitan Museum of Manila

One of my regrets was I never got to visit the old Metropolitan Museum of Manila, an art museum that exhibits local and international contemporary art, that was formerly located in a building designed by Gabriel Formoso.  Located within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Complex along Roxas Boulevard in the Malate district of Manila, it billed itself as the country’s premier museum for modern and contemporary visual arts by local and international artists.

Old Metropolitan Museum of Manila

The Met first opened its doors in 1976 with an initial exhibit of international artists to expose Filipinos to contemporary visual works in other cultures.  The first exhibit showcased 105 artworks, in various media, from the Brooklyn Museum and other American museums and galleries. Partly subsidized by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the museum’s administration was entrusted, in 1979, to the Metropolitan Museum of Manila Foundation.

The Mariano K. Tan Centre

By 1986, its focus shifted to local works, extending its reach to more common people by offering bilingual exhibition texts and developing several outreach educational programs like workshops and symposia, thereby promoting local pride and identity. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic.

Museum Lobby

During the pandemic, the museum quickly transitioned its exhibitions and workshops online, with successful virtual exhibition openings and live conferences. At the same time, the famed institution was also gearing for another transition, arranged and made possible by the Chairman of its Board of Trustees, Joselito Y. Campos, Jr.

In the last few decades, the nearby important galleries and hangouts have closed down, moving to Makati and, later, to Taguig, plus the original home of 45 years (now permanently closed) was deemed inaccessible by many.

Plazas in the Philippines: Places of Memory, Places of the Heart

Thus, they decided to leave and move to its new location in Bonifacio Global City, an emerging cultural hub in Taguig City, as an integral part of the office and commercial building of the Mariano K. Tan Center.   The venue is near the sports park Track 30th and the High Street commercial center.

Points of Origin

Opened to the public in February 2023, it also got a new nickname – the short, catchy, and easily recognizable The M, plus a new logo to better herald the beginning of a new era for the institution.

Prior to its opening, it launched a preview of the new spaces with three exhibitions – “Ronald Ventura: Quick Turns on Hyper Highways,””Korea: A Land of Hats (presented in partnership with the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines and the Coreana Cosmetics Museum) and “The Hat of the Matter” (supported by Bench, a global clothing brand).

Quick Turns on Hyper Highways

The purpose of my visit was to cover the recent opening of “Plazas in the Philippines:- Places of Memory, Places of the Heart” Exhibit which was curated by fellow architect and U.P. College of Architecture alumnus Paulo G. Alcazaren (also my boss when I was working with Mas Othman Associates).  Aside from this exhibit, there were also three other ongoing exhibits which I also visited.

Check out “Plazas in the Philippines:- Places of Memory, Places of the Heart,” “Jefre: Points of Origin,” “Ronald Ventura: Quick Turns on Hyper Highways” and “Sounds of Blackness”

Sounds of Blackness (6)

The museum’s three floors of galleries house a collection of art and historical artifacts loaned by the BSP.  They include pre-Hispanic gold work and pottery; religious artwork and some artworks by Félix Resurrección Hidalgo. The rest of the museum is dedicated to Philippine contemporary works by various Filipino artists.

Anito (Arturo Luz, aluminum in rust finish, undated)

Upon entering the third floor, you are greeted by “Anito,” a towering 8-ft. high aluminum artwork, in rust finish, by the late Arturo Luz that took 8 people to transport into the space where it stands.  There are three ongoing exhibits there.

The M Collection

Its brand new, state—of-the-art 3,000-sq. m. space,plus an outdoor area for installations, was designed by the Manila-born, Brooklyn-based Filipino-Columbian architect Carlos Arnaiz.

Quick Turns on Hyper Highways outdoor exhibit

The entrance of the museum is accessed through an open pedestrian walkway that leads to the bustling and often busy Bonifacio High Street area of shops and dining places.  Now with access to more foot traffic, the museum will now be introduced to a new audience, thus reinforcing its philosophy of “Art for All.”.

Points of Origin outdoor exhibit

Metropolitan Museum of Manila: Mariano K. Tan Centre, 30th St. cor. 9th Ave., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, Metro Manila. Mobile number:: (0917) 160-9667. E-mail: info@metmuseummanila.org. Open Tuesdays to Saturdays (except on public holidays and other special notices). Pre-register a day before your visit. The museum offers free admission on Tuesdays.

Memorial Visitor’s Center (Taguig City, Metro Manila)

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Memorial Visitor’s Center

The 11,000 sq. ft., nearly US$5,000,000, 2-level,interpretative  Memorial Visitor’s Center, nestled and partially built into a hillside,  was designed by Corpus Christi, Texas–based Richter Architects to complement and enhance the experience of visiting the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.

Opened last October 20, 2019, the 75th anniversary of the return of Gen. Douglas MacArthur in the Philippines, it provides historic orientation to visitors from all over the world and amplifies the powerful message implicit in the largest American military cemetery on foreign soil.

Check out “Manila American Cemetery and Memorial”

The visitor center was planned so that, from the monument atop the hill, its roof line would be at eye level, with most of the building extending down and beyond view. Its low-key design minimized the mass of the new cast-in-place concrete structure and did not compete with the memorial or cemetery and detract from the serene landscape.

Scaled Model of Manila American Cemetery and Memorial

Much of the center’s exterior is high-performance thermal glass, designed to withstand typhoons, while the rest was clad in horizontal panels of Italian travertine, to appear more “of the earth as well as contrast with the similar sand-colored vertical slabs of the stone used for the chapel and the monument. Other exterior materials include white-painted steel, aluminum, and plaster.

Flat, concrete slab floors and roof and its shallow steel framing aim to keep the structure as transparent and unobtrusive as possible. Its expanse of glass connects the interior with the surrounding landscape while elements of limestone on its façade reference the existing monument and gravestones.

I entered the center, directly across from the chapel, from ground level, before descending from the lobby to the lower level through an open staircase, which preserves the sight line to the chapel outside. Teak, a traditional material in Southeast Asia, was used for the ceilings, stairs and as wall cladding throughout the interior.   The lower-level windows are screened with louvers, allowing diffused daylight inside while focusing attention toward the crosses in the landscape outside.

Visual aids depicting the American Era

Main exhibit hall

Downstairs, it houses the main gallery which explains, in great detail, the many battles (Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Peleliu, Bismarck Archipelago, Guam, Wake Island,Tarawa Island, Leyte, etc.) within the Western Pacific during World War II via powerful, graphic and searing photos accompanied by clear, hard hitting descriptions that show the extent of the true horror that was caused.

Peleliu (The Forgotten Island Assault) and Devastation (Manila in Ruins)

Tarawa Island Assault and Bataan Death March

Through letters and artifacts, it also shares the stories of several fallen soldiers (Pvt. Bernard Steenwyk, Lt. George H. Freed, 1st Lt. Alexander R. Nininger Jr., Ens. Frank E. Cook and T. Sgt. Charles Steiskal), prisoners-of-war (Pvt. Anthony Smith, PFC Jack Brady, PFC Domingo Balod and Lt. Robert Fulton), soldiers missing in action (Brig.-Gen. Vicente Lim, TM2-C. Andrew J. Kirskey and 2nd Lt. Earl R. Stone), soldiers missing in action and later identified (Pvt. Bud Kelder) and the Navajo Code Talkers of the US Marine Corps.

Alexander Nininger Jr. (1st Lt., US Army) – killed in action near Abucay, Bataan on January 12, 1942. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for leading an assault on Japanese positions. He was the first American army soldier to be so honored in the Second World War

Brig.-Gen. Vicente Lim (Bataan Survivor and Patriot) – a World War II hero, Lim was the first Filipino graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point (Class of 1914).

Visual aids also illustrate life and events during the American Era (Under Foreign Rule, Americans in the Philippines, Economic Independence, Philippine Commonwealth, Peacetime Draft), the preparation for war (American Reinforcements, Mobilizing the Military, Recruiting and Training), the Japanese Invasion (Battle of the Philippines, Manila Under Attack, the Bataan Death March, POWs) and the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines (Society Under Siege, the Civilian Internees of Santo Tomas, the Resistance  Movement, Resistance Networks) and the Liberation of the Philippines (Leyte Landing, the Liberation of Manila, Rescue the POW Camps).

Battle of the Philippines (Initial Landing and Main Attack)

Bataan Death March

Also illustrated are the burial and identification process of remains (Emergency Battlefield Burials, Grave Markers, Temporary Cemeteries, Graves Registration, Identification of Remains); the  American Battle Monuments Commission (History and Mission, List of Cemeteries and Memorials around the world) and the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (The Site, A Respectful Setting, Construction, The Memorial, The Memorials and Mosaic Maps, Honors to the Fallen).

Temporary Cemeteries (Morale on the Battlefield and A Permanent Burial Site (A Family Tradition)

Quartermaster General letter to the next of kin of deceased

Artifacts on display include Coke bottles and various calibers of World War II ordnance recovered on the Memorial site; a personal effects bag used by the Graves Commission to collect deceased personal belongings; a Quartermaster General’s letter to the next of kin of deceased, standard ration toilet paper and water purification tablet; an M1 Garand rifle, a standard issue aluminum canteen used by US Forces; a KA-BAR Fighting Utility Knife; the decorated mess kit used by Pvt. Anthony Smith during his time as a Japanese POW, medals (Philippine Defense Medal, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, Philippine Liberation Medal and Philippine Independence Medal), a US War Ration Book and money used by Filipinos during the Japanese Occupation.

KA-BAR Fighting Utility Knife

M1 Garand Rifle

Also on display is a scaled model of the USS Bayfield attack transport and the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial.

Medals

Standard issue aluminum canteen used by US Forces

The 50-seat theater features a short, 17-min, thought-provoking. documentary film which focuses on the sacrifices of American and Filipino soldiers during World War II in the country and in the whole Pacific.  The center also houses an administration and reception area and support functions.

Theater

Memorial Visitor’s Center: American Memorial Cemetery and Memorial, 1634 McKinley Rd, Taguig City 1634, Metro Manila. Tel: (02) 8844-0212, (02) 8813-2521 and (02) 8894-3963. Fax: (02) 8812-4717.  E-mail: supt@abmc-ar.org. Website:  www.abmc.gov/Manila. Open daily (except December 25 and January 1), 9 AM to 5 PM..  Coordinates: 14.541°N 121.050°E. Admission is free but a valid photo ID is required for entrance to the cemetery.

How to Get There: The American Memorial Cemetery is located at the junction between McKinley Road and Nichols Field Road, about 11 kms.  southeast of the center of Manila.  It can be reached most easily from the city via EDSA to McKinley Road, then to McKinley Parkway inside the Bonifacio Global City. The Nichols Field Road is the easiest access from Manila International Airport to the cemetery. The entrance to the cemetery is at the far (east) side of the large grassed circle just beyond the military sentinel’s post which is at the junction of Rizal Drive and Eighth Ave..

Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (Taguig City, Metro Manila)

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Aerial view of Manila American Cemetery and Memorial

The 615,000 sq. m. (152-acre), sobering but serenely beautiful  Manila American Cemetery and Memorial (MACM), located in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig, Metro Manila, is Asia’s version of Arlington National Cemetery.

Manila American Cemetery and Memorial up close

It is the largest of 26 cemeteries and 29 memorials, monuments and markers in 16 countries built and administered by the American Battle Monuments Commission, both in area and number of graves, and the only American oversea cemetery in the Pacific.

Entrance Gate

My visit came on just five days before  Memorial Day (celebrated on the last Monday of May, this year on May 29) which features a program spearheaded by the U.S. Embassy, the American Association of the Philippines, the American Battle Monuments Commission and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The circular fountain

However, there are few tourists around. On that day, American and Filipino flags are placed beside each of these marble headstones.  Today, this tranquil, park-like space, in the midst of bustling Taguig City, is a major tourist destination. The environment here, however, is beautiful and the atmosphere is solemn.

The east and west hemicycle with the tower in between

Located on a prominent, gently rising plateau, it within the boundaries of the former Fort William McKinley, on the edge of Makati, Manila’s main financial district, and is visible at a distance from the east, south and west.   On a clear day, from the memorial and other points within the cemetery, there are impressive views over the lowlands to Laguna de Bay and towards the distant mountains although the view is increasingly being obscured by the high rise buildings in nearby Fort Bonifacio.

Visitor’s Center

Immediately beyond the front gate is a circular fountain and the plaza.  To the right is the Visitors’ Building. Stretching from the plaza to the grassy terrace (known as the Memorial Court) is the central mall which is lined with mahogany trees (Swietenia macrophylla). Straight roads, along the edges of the mall, join circular roads leading eastward and westward through the graves area.

On April 1, 1948, the Philippine Government granted the US permission to establish a memorial cemetery on the site of Fort McKinley (now Fort Bonifacio).  Designed by Architect Gardner A. Dailey from San Francisco, construction started in 1948 by C.H. Concio and J.M. Bondoc Architects/Engineers/Planners.  The cemetery was finally dedicated on December 8, 1960.

Within are 17,206 graves of 16,636 personnel (from every state in the US and District of Columbia as well as from Panama, Guam, Puerto Rico, Australia, Canada, China, England, Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras, Finland, Jamaica, Burma and Peru)  killed during World War II alongside 570 Philippine Scouts who served with U.S, forces (plus one Commonwealth War Dead burial in World War I located in Plot G just below a line of 4 bronze plaques).

Valentine J. Miele (Water Tender 3C, USNR, New Jersey, January 16, 1945)

The number represents approximate 39% (the other 61% were returned home at the request of the next of kin) of the burials originally made in temporary cemeteries in New Guinea, the Philippines and other islands in the Southwest Area.

Thomas H. Morgan (Sgt. HQ SO 19 Bomb Group H, Oklahoma, July 16, 1942)

Many of the personnel whose remains are interred or represented were killed in New Guinea, or during the epic defense during the Battle of the Philippines (1941–42) and East Indies and the long but victorious return of American forces through the vast island chain up to the Allied recapture of the islands.

A headstone with the Star of David among Latin Crosses

The solid white marble (the majority quarried and fabricated from Lasa or Carrara in Italy and more than a 100 from Romblon, Philippines) headstones, all in a straight line, mark each grave mostly with a Latin Cross (with a Star of David for 166 others of the Jewish faith). They are simply inscribed with the name, rank, branch of service, home state and date of death of the one interred.

The headstones are aligned in eleven plots forming a generally circular pattern, set among a wide variety of tropical trees and shrubbery.   The grass (Zoysia matrella) there was propagated from two square yards of sod shipped in 1951 from the US Department of Agriculture Experimental Station at Beltsville, Maryland.

Chapel

The rear facade of the chapel

A 60 ft. high, white masonry tower, enriched with sculpture and mosaic, stands near the center of the cemetery. Its exterior has a bas-relief of superimposed groups, designed by Boris Lovet Lorski of New York City and executed by Filipino Cecchetti (who also furnished the stone for the memorial), portraying a young American warrior, symbolized by St. George, fighting a dragon in jungle characteristic of the Pacific islands.

The monumental bas-relief

Above them are the personifications of ideals which he fought for – Liberty, Justice and Country.  At the very zenith of the relief stands Columbia (a symbol of the United States) and a child that symbolizes the future.  The rear façade is inscribed with “Take unto thyself O Lord the souls of the valiant.”

Interior of chapel

Bronze grill doors open into the small devotional chapel dedicated to St. George with stained glass windows and an altar, crafted from Pentato di Sicilia marble, where you can kneel and pray.  To the left is an Episcopal prayer set in gold tesserae.  The prie-dieu and benches are made with narra while the altar ornaments are made of bronze.

The female figure on a blue background and flanked by stained glass windows

Above is an unnamed, tall and graceful female figure (which reminded me of the Virgin Mary) scattering flowers in memory of the heroic dead, decorated with mosaic on a predominantly blue background, which is said to represent the motherly divine guidance of the One above.

 

Memorial Visitor’s Center

In front of the tower, on a wide terrace, are two large hemicycle structures, each with 24 pairs of fin walls.  Across, from the parking lot, is the Memorial Visitor’s Center.

Check out “Memorial Visitor’s Center”

East Hemicycle

On rectangular Trani (quarried near Bari on the east coast of Italy) limestone piers, within the hemicycles, are inscribed the Tablets of the Missing, grouped by Armed Service and arranged alphabetically from the south ends of each hemicycle, contain 36,284 names of people (32,532 Americans and 3,752 Philippine nationals) whose remains were never recovered or not identified.

West Hemicycle

The west hemicycle lists the missing servicemen from the Navy and Marines (its frieze, facing the Memorial Court, lists the Pacific battles waged by the Army and the Marines) while the east hemicycle lists the missing from, the Coast Guard and the Army and Army Air Force (it wasn’t established as a separate armed service until after the war) and part of the missing from the U.S. Marines.

Tablets of the Missing

A. Peter Dewey (1916–1945), an OSS officer killed in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) shortly after World War II ended, is listed on the Tablets of the Missing.   A bronze rosette (there are 433 as of latest count) marks the names of those who were subsequently found, recovered and identified while 3,660 headstones mark the graves of 7,744 “unknowns.”  Four bronze plaques mark graves containing multiple remains that could not be separately identified.

Before I got to the four rooms with the Tablets of the Missing, I passed by the walls where I found some of the 25 larger-than-life, 10 ft. high mosaic maps, designed by Margaret Bruton (from Carmel, California) and fabricated by P. Grassi American Terrazo Company of South San Francisco, recalling the timeline of how the World War II started and ended, recalling the actions of the United States Armed Forces in the Pacific, China, India and Burma.

Missing from the U.S. Marine Corp

The maps were made from tinted concrete, colored aggregates and mosaic inserts, with texts cast from plastic, while the borders of each map reflect the unique art patterns of the Pacific countries affected by the war.  Carved on the floors are the Great Seal of the United States and the seals of the States of the Union, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Great Seal of the State of Alabama

Great Seal of the State of Arizona

Twenty-nine Medal of Honor recipients are buried or memorialized at the American Memorial Cemetery. Medal of Honor recipients buried here are:

Missing from the U.S. Army, U.S. Army Air Force and U.S. Coast Gurad

Cenotaphs and memorial listings for Medal of Honor recipients include:

Map Room

Also honored are 20 sets of brothers lying next to one another including the five “Fighting Sullivan Brothers” (whose deaths influenced the creation of the Sole Survivor Policy) from Iowa who perished when the light cruiser USS Juneau was sunk by a torpedo from the Japanese submarine I-26 on November 13 1942 during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal.

Defense of Southeast Asia (December 1941-May 1942)

Other notable people buried here include:

Defense of Luzon (December 8, 1941-May 6, 1942)

Every hour,between 9 AM and 5 PM, a carillon sounds to mark the hour and half hour.  At 5 PM, the carillon plays the national anthems of both the U.S. and the Philippines, followed by a volley of rifles and the playing of Taps. 

Luzon Campaign and Reoccupation of Manila

American Memorial Cemetery and Memorial: 1634 McKinley Rd, Taguig City 1634, Metro Manila. Tel: (02) 8844-0212, (02) 8813-2521 and (02) 8894-3963. Fax: (02) 8812-4717.  E-mail: supt@abmc-ar.org. Website:  www.abmc.gov/Manila. Open daily (except December 25 and January 1), 9 AM to 5 PM..  Coordinates: 14.541°N 121.050°E. Admission is free but a valid photo ID is required for entrance to the cemetery.

How to Get There: The American Memorial Cemetery is located at the junction between McKinley Road and Nichols Field Road, about 11 kms.  southeast of the center of Manila.  It can be reached most easily from the city via EDSA to McKinley Road, then to McKinley Parkway inside the Bonifacio Global City. The Nichols Field Road is the easiest access from Manila International Airport to the cemetery. The entrance to the cemetery is at the far (east) side of the large grassed circle just beyond the military sentinel’s post which is at the junction of Rizal Drive and Eighth Ave..

Murong Burongan Island Resort (Matnog, Sorsogon)

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Murong Burongan Island Resort

Part of Sorsogon Countryside Tour

After our short visit to Subic Dako Beach on Calintaan Island, we gain boarded our respective boats for the short trip to Murong Burongan Island Resort on the arrowhead-shaped Murong Burongan Island.

Check out “Subic Pink Sand Beach”

Murong Burongan Island

This beautiful, one-of-a-kind island has a long white sand beach ideal for swimming and snorkeling, a large lagoon and a historical, American-era lighthouse at Murong-Buorongan Point.

Making landfall

A guiding beacon for sailors the latter was constructed on top of a sand bar with coral stones and rock corals making it a perfect spot for snorkeling and diving, with different varieties of soft and hard corals that give you an idea how beautiful the underwater world is.

Alfresco lunch

Upon making landfall on the island, we were welcomed by a feast, at their open-air restaurant/dining area, of seafood (crabs, fish and shrimps) and barbecued delights, plus pako salad, salted eggs and turmeric rice.

After this filling lunch, some of the ladies did some line dancing to burn some of the calories they gained.

Native-style cottages

The resort also features modern, comfortable native-style beachfront cottages with wooden accents, airconditioning, lofts, private bathrooms and mini refrigerators.

Cottage interior (photo: Ms. Sheila Silvestre)

Bedroom loft (photo: Ms. Sheila Silvestre)

Along the beach are cabanas and hammocks where one can relax and appreciate the crystal-clear waters and beautiful ocean view. Free-roaming geese and turkeys also had the run of the place.  The resort can be rented for your own exclusive use.

A pair of free-roaming turkeys

Murong Burongan Island Resort: Murong Burongan Island, Matnog, Sorsogon.  Mobile number: (0966) 951-1954.

How to Get There: Matnog is located 575.9 kms. (a 13.25–hr. drive) from Manila and 61.2 kms. (a 1–hr. drive) from Sorsogon City, both via the Pan-Philippine Highway/AH26..

Sorsogon Provincial Tourism Culture and Arts Office: Ground Floor, Capitol Building, 4700 Sorsogon City. Mobile number: (0968) 624-6279. E-mail: tourism@sorsogon.gov.ph.  Facebook: www.facebook.com/sorsogonprovincialtourismoffice.

Matnog Tourism, Culture andArts Office: Brgy. Camcaman, Matnog 4708, Sorsogon. Mobile number: (097) 231-8168. Facebook: www.facebook.com/Matnog Tourism.  Fees: Environmental Fee: Php20/pax and Php16 (senior citizens). Registration Fee: Php320 (foreigners), Php70 (locals) and Php40 (senior citizens).

Ur Place Travel & Tours: OLV Pangpang, Sorsogon City, Sorsogon.  Mobile number (Viber): (0927) 950-3927 (Ms. Annie Gueb).  Facebook: www.facebook.com/urplacetravel.

Subic Pink Sand Beach (Matnog, Sorsogon)

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Subic Pink Sand Beach

Part of Sorsogon Countryside Tour

After our enjoyable tour of Juag Lagoon Fish Sanctuary on Juag Island, we again boarded or boat for the short 20-min. ride to Calintaan Island. On this island is pristine Subic Beach (locally called “La Playa Rosa”), one of two places in Sorsogon (the other is Tikling Island) with sand that has a pinkish hue. This is due to a combination of creamy white sand with crushed organ pipe coral (Tubipora musica).

Check out “Juag Lagoon Fish Santuary“

Calintaan Island

There are actually two adjacent Subic beaches – the quieter and less developed Subic Liit (Little Subic) and a longer stretch called Subic Laki or Subic Dako (Big Subic), both separated by a short stretch of land.

Landfall at Subic Dako Beach

We landed at the latter, the more popular of the two due to the presence of basic amenities that allow visitors to rent native-style nipa huts with anahaw roofing for day use (Php400), pitch tents and cook their own food.There are also sari-sari stores and grilling stations.   Potable water is also available. 

There are also two or three resorts (the best is Holy Trinity Beach Resort which has airconditioned rooms and a swimming pool) for overnight stays, .   Calintaan Island  has electricity thanks to a wired connection with Matnog town in the mainland.

We stayed at this so-called “Boracay of Matnog” for about 45 mins., swimming its calm and crystal-clear waters or just taking pictures as we enjoyed its beauty. You can also snorkel here (bring your own snorkeling gear).

Picnic huts

Too bad we didn’t have time to explore the hidden lagoon at the back of the beach and the old lighthouse (parola).  Despite recent developments on this beach, it still retains its pristine charm and it is my hope that it would remain that way in the future.  Truly, it was a picture-perfect example of a tropical island paradise.

Rustic accommodations

More modern, airconditioned accommodations

Back at our boats, we proceeded to Murong Burongan Island where we were to have lunch.  About 10 mins. into our trip, we passed by Calintaan Cave, a small cave opening into a one-of-a-kind cove, amidst cliffs at the southeastern end of the island, with green vegetation and a flat, grassy terrain with coconut trees.  A great site for snorkeling, under ideal conditions you can enter the cave.

Check out “Murong Burongan Island Resort”

Calintaan Cave

Subic Beach, Calintaan Island, Brgy. Calintaan, Matnog 4708, Sorsogon.

How to Get There: Matnog is located 575.9 kms. (a 13.25–hr. drive) from Manila and 61.2 kms. (a 1–hr. drive) from Sorsogon City, both via the Pan-Philippine Highway/AH26..

Sorsogon Provincial Tourism Culture and Arts Office: Ground Floor, Capitol Building, 4700 Sorsogon City. Mobile number: (0968) 624-6279. E-mail: tourism@sorsogon.gov.ph.  Facebook: www.facebook.com/sorsogonprovincialtourismoffice

Matnog Tourism, Culture and Arts Office: Brgy. Camcaman, Matnog 4708, Sorsogon. Mobile number: (097) 231-8168. Facebook: www.facebook.com/Matnog Tourism.  Fees: Environmental Fee: Php20/pax and Php16 (senior citizens). Registration Fee: Php320 (foreigners), Php70 (locals) and Php40 (senior citizens).

Ur Place Travel & Tours: OLV Pangpang, Sorsogon City, Sorsogon.  Mobile number (Viber): (0927) 950-3927 (Ms. Annie Gueb).  Facebook: www.facebook.com/urplacetravel.

Juag Lagoon Fish Sanctuary (Matnog, Sorsogon)

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Juag Lagoon Fish Sanctuary

Part of Sorsogon Countryside Tour

After breakfast and checking out at Residencia del Hamor Casiguran, we again boarded our coaster for 56.4-km. (1-hr.) drive to Matnog Port, the jump off point to the southern Philippines and vice-versa. From here, we were to explore the three of the town’s outlying islands – Juag Island  Calintaan Island and Murong Burongan Island.

Check out “Hotel and Inn Review: Residencia del Hamor Casiguran”

Matnog Tourism Office

Upon arrival at Matnog Tourism Office, we had to first register ourselves.  Then, we attended a 5-min. briefing (on proper waste disposal and the importance of keeping the beach clean) before boarding our respective motorized outrigger boats at Matnog Port. There were seven of us plus two boatmen and a security escort. Our first destination was to be Juag Island where the Juag Lagoon Fish Sanctuary is located. The boat trip from the port to the island took about 20 mins. and, as we neared the island, we were greeted by a stunning scenery of white sand beaches, mangrove tress and coconut trees.

Matnog Port

Privately owned and maintained (by the Geneblazo family headed by Mr. Alex Geneblazo, Juag Island has an area of 572 sq. m. and is home to 40 fish species.  It was started in 2000 with a few pairs of bangus (milkfish) fed with seaweed.

The author (right) with is companions

Despite being privately owned, the family decided to open it up to the public to educate and entertain, thereby contributing towards the conservation of aquatic species and marine environment by protecting several aquatic animals and plants in a sanctuary.

Making landfall at Juag Island

Residing on the shore of the sanctuary, he and his family are and have made great efforts in providing the marine creatures with a healthy habitat and environment to grow and multiply. The Geneblazo family does not charge an entrance fee to the property but donations for the maintenance of the sanctuary are very welcome.

The ladies at the first platform

The sanctuary, nothing like a fish farm, aims to make people aware of as well as to protect and conserve aquatic life, helping tourists understand the importance of marine biodiversity.  It prides itself with a wide variety of beautiful marine animals and aquatic species.

Transferring to the second platform via bamboo raft

To protect the variety of species enclosures of bamboo are built inside which the species move freely in herds. Each enclosure holds different aquatic creatures that are raised by Sir Alex and his family, along with their caretakers. Touring the sanctuary made us experience the significance of protecting the beautiful marine life.

The author (left) with the others at the second platform

The first bamboo platform is used for briefing the visitors on what not to do while exploring the sanctuary. Here, we got to view underwater coral fishes, reefs and other aquatic weeds and plants.

View of the fish from above ……

No diving is allowed since it might distract the fishes but visitors are allowed to swim with the fishes as long as the influx of travelers is controlled. They allow tourists to go there by batch.  Here, we got to feed the fish with fish pellets, small fish and bread.

When it was our group’s turn, we hopped on this bamboo raft and, guided by ropes, crossed the sanctuary leading, from the owners’ hut, into a second bamboo platform  on stilts in the middle.

Fish feeding time

This platform contained the real giants of Juag – namely large baraka/lapu-lapu (brown marble grouper), mameng (Napoleon wrasse) and mamsa/talakitok (trevally or big-eyed jack) as well as bangus (milkfish), dugso (long nose emperor), saploran/maya-maya (emperor red snapper), loro/kalolong (parrotfish), pasingko/maynila (Goldman sweetlips), bayang (long-fin batfish), angelfish, labahita (surgeonfish), alatan (harlequin sweetlips) and maramara/samaral (orange-spotted spinefoot).

The author all geared up for snorkeling

Donning our snorkels, we were allowed to swim with the fishes in the shallow, crystal-clear waters.  However, they have a strict no-sunblock policy to avoid poisoning the fishes.

The view from below…..

A batfish

I also posed for the camera carrying a huge balat (pineapple sea cucumber, Thelenota ananas), There are also pawikan (sea turtles), starfishes, banagan/banahawon (tiger lobsters) and taklobo (giant clams).

The author holding a huge  balat (pineapple sea cucumber)

Juag Lagoon Fish Sanctuary: Matnog, Sorsogon.  Mobile numbers: (0907) 957-7748 and (0918) 304-5437. Fish pellets can be bought (php35/kg.) from a sari-sari store near the feeding area.  Facebook page: http://juaglagoon.wix.com/sanctuary
https://www.facebook.com/JuagLagoonMarineSanctuary

How to Get There: Matnog is located 575.9 kms. (a 13.25–hr. drive) from Manila and 61.2 kms. (a 1–hr. drive) from Sorsogon City, both via the Pan-Philippine Highway/AH26..Manila to

Matnog by Bus:
There are several bus liners going straight to Matnog including Philtranco, Penafrancia, Raymund and Amihan. The trip takes 12-15 hours depending on the traffic.

Manila to Legazpi City by Air:
Cebu Pacific Air and Philippine Airlines fly daily to Legazpi City from Manila. Legazpi City is about an hour travel by plane from the capital.

Legazpi City to Matnog:
To get to Matnog from Legazpi City, ride a tricycle going to the bus terminal located near Gaisano Mall. Ride the bus bound for Sorsogon. From Sorsogon, ride the jeepney heading to Matnog and ask to be dropped off near the port. From Matnog Pier, it is a 20-min. motorized boat ride to Juag. 

Sorsogon Provincial Tourism Culture and Arts Office: Ground Floor, Capitol Building, 4700 Sorsogon City. Mobile number: (0968) 624-6279. E-mail: tourism@sorsogon.gov.ph.  Facebook: www.facebook.com/sorsogonprovincialtourismoffice. 

Matnog Tourism, Culture andArts Office: Brgy. Camcaman, Matnog 4708, Sorsogon. Mobile number: (097) 231-8168. Facebook: www.facebook.com/Matnog Tourism.  Fees: Environmental Fee: Php20/pax and Php16 (senior citizens). Registration Fee: Php320 (foreigners), Php70 (locals) and Php40 (senior citizens). 

Ur Place Travel & Tours: OLV Pangpang, Sorsogon City, Sorsogon.  Mobile number (Viber): (0927) 950-3927 (Ms. Annie Gueb).  Facebook: www.facebook.com/urplacetravel.

The Ancestral Houses of Juban (Sorsogon)

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Part of Sorsogon Countryside Tour

After breakfast and checking out of Residencia del Hamor in Casiguran, we again boarded our coaster for the 56.4-km. (one-hour, 15-min.) drive to Matnog Port. Along the way, we passed by the town of Juban and made a short stopover as we saw some well-preserved ancestral houses along the highway. The old bahay na bato (“stone houses”) of Juban were once the residences of some of the town’s richest families – the Bendillos, Guevaras, Grajos, Alindogans, Guarins, Lasalas and Gorospes.

Casa Feliz

One such structure that still exists is Casa Feliz. Built in 1898, the first owner of the house was Don Leoncio Grajo who was gifted this house by his father when he passed the bar exams in the early 1900s.  Leoncio was elected the First Representative of Sorsogon in the Philippine Assembly of 1912. One of the most beautiful old houses in Juban, it became Don Leoncio’s district office during his incumbency.

Casa Feliz

After his death, his son, Leoncio Grajo Jr., inherited the house. However, to pursue his career in Manila, the young Leoncio had to sell the place to his sister Lourdes Grajo Hubilla. As she grew old, Lourdes decided to transfer ownership of the house to Dr. Teresita Lasala-Ruth, a neighbor.

Lasala-Guarin Ancestral House

With the help of National Historical Commission of the Philippines, she really spent so much effort to restore this once almost dilapidated ancestral house. The restoration took over a year.  It was named after Dr. Teresita’s mother, Felicidad.  Jesus N. Lasala is the current owner of Casa Feliz.  The house was converted into a bed and breakfast with eight rooms.   Casa Feliz has annexes –Ann’s Garden (a function hall) and Café Jeronimo (a bar and restaurant), located a block near the old house.

Casa Feliz is not the only ancestral houses we saw along the highway in Juban. There are 3 more old houses nearby but these ancestral houses are private and do not accept guests.

AUTHOR’S NOTES:

Like most bahay na bato, the foundations of these two-storey, gaily painted houses are made from Spanish-style, solid stone blocks or bricks where the overhanging wooden upper-storey rests on. The exteriors typically have exquisite and tall capiz shell or persiana sliding windows, double eaves supported by diagonal brackets, ventanillas (small shuttered windows below the large windows with wooden balustrades),wooden moldings on the walls and calado (lace-like fretwork or latticework).

Today, the threat of demolition hangs over their heads to make way for the road widening project of the Department of Public Works and Highway’s (DPWH).

AUTHOR’S COMMENTS

These old houses, one of the well known tourist attractions of the province, are rich historical and cultural heritage sites in the idyllic town of Juban that are considered priceless gems that can never be replaced by road widening and progress. In lieu of the road widening, the solution I suggest is a bypass or diversion road be built a few kilometers before the town proper on vast tracts of idle or unproductive land that can be acquired, at a minimal cost, by the provincial government.

These ancestral houses should also registered as Presumed Important Cultural Properties under the Philippine Registry of Cultural Property.  For the time being, the provincial government can install their own plaques recognizing them as a Provincial Cultural Treasure.  These houses have survived World War II and natural calamities such as typhoons, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Let’s hope they survive the wrecking ball.

Casa Feliz: Pan-Philippine Highway cor. L. Grajo St., AH26, South Poblacion,  Juban, 4703 Sorsogon. Mobile number: (0919) 991-2297. Website: www.casafeliz.org.

How to Get There: Juban is located 545.3 kms. (a 13–hr. ) drive from Manila and 30.6 kms. (a 40-min.) drive from Sorsogon City, all via the Pan-Philippine Highway/AH26.

Sorsogon Provincial Tourism Culture and Arts Office: Ground Floor, Capitol Building, 4700 Sorsogon City. Mobile number: (0968) 624-6279. E-mail: tourism@sorsogon.gov.ph.  Facebook: www.facebook.com/sorsogonprovincialtourismoffice.

Juban Municipal Tourism, Cuture and Arts Office: E-mail: jubanturismo@gmail.com.  www.jubansorsogon.com.ph. Facebook: www.facebook.com/JubanTurismo 

Ur Place Travel & Tours: OLV Pangpang, Sorsogon City, Sorsogon.  Mobile number (Viber): (0927) 950-3927 (Ms. Annie Gueb).  Facebook: www.facebook.com/urplacetravel

Mateo Hot and Cold Spring Resort (Irosin, Sorsogon)

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Mateo Hot and Cold Spring Resort

Part of Sorsogon Countryside Tour

After our trek at Zoe’s Resort Adventure Park in Bulusan town, we were then driven 14.4 kms. (a 26-min. drive), via the Pan Philippine Highway/AH26 plus a rough road, to the rebranded Mateo Hot and Cold Spring Resort in the adjoining town of Irosin for some therapeutic swimming.

Check out “Zoe’s Resort & Eco-Adventure Park”

Entrance pavilion

Formerly known  as San Benon Hot and Cold Springs (locals still call this place simply as San Benon), it is now owned and operated (starting April11, 2012) by ARAMARU Resort Corporation of Mr. Reyrold A. Mateo.  The resort was named the DDr. Eliseo Mateo, the original owner.

Located at the foot of 1,547 m. high Mt. Bulusan (one of the most active volcanoes in the world) in a forest 4 kms. northeast of the town, it has three man-made pools with a mixture of sulfuric, steaming (Hot Swimming Pool), lukewarm (Lukewarm Swimming Pool) and cool waters (Cold Pool).

Lukewarm Swimming Pool

This is a nice, well maintained place to balance and harmonize our body and mind, to unwind, relax, enjoy and find peace in a quiet and secluded place or just have a picnic with the family and friends during weekends and holidays.

Hot Swimming Pool

Hot jacuzzi

As I came from a trek to two waterfalls, I decided to soak myself in the natural hot spring. Soaking in its hot, crystal-clear waters have many health benefits.

Cold Pool

A good therapy, soaking in the heated pool is extremely beneficial to those who suffer from arthritis plus the buoyancy of the water relaxes the muscles (increasing their range in motion), supports and reduces stress on the joints (encouraging freer movement), and increases the heart rate (while lowering the blood pressure than raising it as does other forms of exercise) with less strain on the heart. A nice place to visit.

Picnic sheds

Picnic sheds

Mateo Hot and Cold Springs: Sitio San Benon, Brgy. Monbon, Irosin 4707, Sorsogon.  Open daily, 8AM -11 PM (weekdays), 8 AM-12 midnight (weekends).  Mobile number: (0948) 137-0098 (Ms. Jovy O. Fuellas) and (0909) 213-6152 (Ms. Jackie Lou F. Baeza). E-mail: aramaru2012@yahoo.com. Entrance fee: Php65 (day swim, 6 AM -5 PM), Php75 (night swim, 5 PM – 10 PM), Php25 (children below 4 ft.) and free (children 3 ft. and below).

You can also rent a cottage for Php 250 (small cottage, 20 pax), Php350 (big cottage, 30 pax), Php500 (Cottage #9 & #41, 35 pax), Php600 (Cottage #12, 30 pax), Php800 (Cottage #17 – #10, 40 pax),  Php700 (open cabana, 40 pax),  Php1,000 (cabana with fan #1, 45 pax),  Php1,100 (cabana with fan #2, 45 pax) and Php1,600 (Paulina, 60 pax).

Aircon room rates   for 2 pax: Php1,200 (overnight 12 hours, 6 PM – 6 AM) and  Php2,200 (overnight of 1 day, 2 PM – 12 noon).  Family room rates for 5 pax: : Php3,000 (overnight 12 hours, 6 PM – 6 AM) and  Php5,000 (overnight of 1 day, 2 PM – 12 noon). Aircon room rates for 4 pax: Php1,800 (overnight 12 hours, 6 PM – 6 AM) and  Php2,800 (overnight of 1 day, 2 PM – 12 noon).  Aircon room rates for 3 pax: Php1,500 (overnight 12 hours, 6 PM – 6 AM) and  Php2,500 (overnight of 1 day, 2 PM – 12 noon).

How to Get There: Irosin is located 556.4 kms. (a 12.5–hr. drive), via the Pan-Philippine Highway/AH26,  from Manila and 43.4 kms. (a 45–hr. drive), via the Pan-Philippine Highway/AH26,  from Sorsogon City.  From the Municipal Hall, the spring is a 10-15-min. drive.

Sorsogon Provincial Tourism Culture and Arts Office: Ground Floor, Capitol Building, 4700 Sorsogon City. Mobile number: (0968) 624-6279. E-mail: tourism@sorsogon.gov.ph.  Facebook: www.facebook.com/sorsogonprovincialtourismoffice.

Irosin Municipal Tourism Office: E-mail: tourism@irosin.gov.ph.  Website: www.tourism.irosin.gov.ph. Mobile number: (0977) 382-2298. Facebook: www.facebook.com/IrosinTourismOfficial

Ur Place Travel & Tours: OLV Pangpang, Sorsogon City, Sorsogon.  Mobile number (Viber): (0927) 950-3927 (Ms. Annie Gueb).  Facebook: www.facebook.com/urplacetravel.