Philippine flags at the Rizal Shrine, the national hero's ancestral home in Calamba, Laguna.
The modern design of the Philippine flag was conceptualized by Emilio Aguinaldo, a Filipino revolutionary leader, during his exile in Hong Kong in 1897, drawing inspiration from the flags used by the Katipunan, an anti-Spanish revolutionary organization, and the Cuban revolutionaries. The first flag was sewn by Doña Marcela Marino de Agoncillo with the help of her daughter Lorenza and Doña Delfina Herbosa de Natividad (a niece of the national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal). It was displayed in battle on May 28, 1898 and was formally unfurled during the proclamation of independence on June 12, 1898.
On June 12, 2009, the Philippines celebrated its 111th Independence.
A horizontal bicolor of blue over red, with a white equilateral triangle at the hoist containing three 5-pointed gold stars at its vertices and an 8-rayed gold sun at its center.
Philippine and American flags at a war memorial marker in Corregidor Island
The American Flag was used from 1901 to 1919 when the Philippines was administered directly from the United States.
Kung dati ka ng napadpad dito, malamang nakita mo na ang ibang litratong ito sa dati kong mga post. Naisipan ko lang na ang magiging misyon ng blog page ko ay ang mailarawan ang ganda at mayamang kultura ng Pilipinas. Kung isa kang Pinoy, nais kong magiging no. 1 fan ka ng Pilipinas at ipagmamalaki mong Filipino ka. At kahit maraming problema dito, sana hindi mo ipagsawalang-bahala ang mga kapuri-puring bagay sa bayan mo.
Kung dayuhan ka naman, gusto kong makita mo sa blogsite na 'to ang iba pang mukha ng Pilipinas---hindi lang kahirapan, katiwalian, at krimen ang makikita mo dito. Puno ng yaman ang buong kapuluan. Hindi man ginto o langis, kundi yaman ng pagkamalikhain, taos-pusong pagkakaibigan at tunay na kagandahang-loob. Gusto ko rin makilala mo ang marangal naming lahi, at kung ano man ang pagkakaiba ng ating kultura, kaugalian at paniniwala, imbes na pag-awayan, pintasan o batikusin, sana matuto tayong ipagdiwang ang ating kaibhan.
Navy cadets in Corregidor
World War II memorial---Brothers in Arms
If you’ve been to this blog before, you have probably seen these photos in my previous posts.I thought of re-posting them and make it this blog’s mission to show the beauty and the rich cultural heritage of the Philippines.If you are a Filipino, I’d like you to be proud of who you are and become the Philippines’ no. 1 fan.Our challenges seem to be never-ending but don’t let it blind you to the commendable milestones we have achieved as a people.
If you're a foreigner, I'd like this blogsite to show you another facet of my country. Philippines is not all about poverty, corruption and crime. This archipelago is a treasure-trove, not of gold or oil, but of creativity and talent, of sincere friendships and genuine hospitality. I would like you to get to know of our proud and honorable race. We may differ in culture, tradition and religion, but instead of nurturing conflict, let us celebrate our differences.
beach in Camotes Island
Silliman Hall at Silliman University
tranquil Balinsasayao Lake in Negros Oriental
serene Lake Kabalin-an
raging Dumacaa River in Tayabas
a friendly encounter with a cowboy in Tayabas forest
remembering Dr. Jose Rizal's heroism in Fort Santiago
Two weekends ago, I was an accidental tourist in Fort Santiago. It's been more than a decade since I visited the old fortress. I brought an American friend there once upon a time, then a client from UK. Driving from Caloocan on late Sunday afternoon after attending the first birthday party of my niece, together with my mom and my friend S, we stopped by the Manila Cathedral then walked towards Fort Santiago to cool off. It was a hot and humid afternoon.
Fort Santiago, or Fuerte de Santiago in Spanish, is a defense fortress built for Spanish conquistador, Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, in 1571. It was named in honor of a Spanish patron saint, James, Slayer of the Moors (Santiago Matamoros), whose wooden relief decorates the main gate of the fort. Fort Santiago is part of the structures of the walled city of Intramuros. One of the oldest and most dramatic colonial buildings in the Philippines, Fort Santiago was built to guard the entrance to the Pasig River. The site where the fort stands was originally the settlement of Rajah Sulayman, a Muslim chieftain and the last ruler of pre-hispanic Manila. The original structure made out of log and earth was destroyed in the Spanish-Chinese War of 1574-1575. It was in 1589 when the Spaniards constructed the fort using hard stone and finished in 1592. It became the main fort for travels and spice trade to the Americas and Europe for 333 years. The famous Manila Galleon trade to Acapulco, Mexico started sailing from the Fuerte de Santiago.
The fort is protected by 22 feet high walls, with a thickness of 8 feet and a gate measuring 40 feet high. The gate of Fort Santiago was built together with the military barracks in 1714. It was destroyed in the Battle of Manila in 1945, and was restored in 1982.
Fort Santiago was used by the Spanish as its base of power, which they wielded unforgivingly. It housed the military, Spanish officials and dignitaries and also served as a formidable prison with infamous dungeons and torture chambers. More recent memories of tyranny include the legacy of wartime Japanese occupation, when Philippine freedom fighters suffered and died here. In another cell block, American POW's were left to be drowned by the rising tide. This fort was one of the rumoured resting places for the legendary wartime trove of Yamashita's Gold and the victims' final resting place has been much disturbed by treasure hunters.
my mom, checking out the dungeon
The prison in Fort Santiago also held in confinement its most famous prisoner---Dr. Jose Rizal, the national hero, until his execution on December 30, 1896. It was during his final days in Fort Santiago when Jose Rizal wrote his death poem, Mi Ultimo Adios.
Rizal's cell---the former Cuarto de Repuesto
Now embedded onto the ground in bronze, are Rizal's final footsteps from his cell in Fort Santiago to Bagumbayan where he was executed by a firing squad.
Rizal's final footsteps
At the heart of Fort Santiago is the Rizal Shrine. The shrine is dedicated to Rizal's lifework and home to various memorabilia, books, manuscripts, artworks belonging to the martyr. It's a pity the shrine was already closed when we got there that Sunday afternoon. I would have loved to see the relics of our national hero---one of his vertebrae, the first draft of his novel Noli MeTangere (1887) and the original of Mi Ultimo Adios.
a statue of Rizal at the Plaza de Armas
The brick ruins are part of the oldest building in Fort Santiago. Built in 1593, the structure was a barracks for Spanish soldiers. During the American period, army officers and their families lived here.
Plaza de Armas at dusk
The Fort Santiago I visited that Sunday was a lot better than the Fort Santiago more than 10 years ago. The fort is now well-maintained, the rest rooms and grounds are clean---a national shrine every Filipino can be proud of. Fort Santiago may have lost its old grandeur after World War II but its significance to our culture and history should not be lost on us.
To honor the national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, the national government has turned his ancestral home into a shrine. This Spanish-vintage 2-storey house in Calamba, Laguna where Rizal was born and raised stands at the center of town, right across the Calamba church. The shrine houses memorabilia of Rizal's childhood, from photographs and early sculptures made by the late hero to laminated excerpts of some if his best written works, as well as photos of the women in his life.
The original house was built around 1848 by Rizal's parents, Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonso, and was damaged during World War II. It was restored under the supervision of National Artist Juan Nakpil during the term of President Quirino and was inaugurated in 1950. The house has maintained much of its colonial appeal.
It's a spacious house with three bedrooms, dining and living rooms and kitchen on the second floor. The window panels are made of capiz shells that let in natural light, thus creating a pleasant and homey atmosphere. I love the splashes of light that burst happily at different angles when one enters a room.
We went to Laguna last weekend looking for a private resort with a swimming pool for Sally's family reunion. After we accomplished our mission, we decided to drive to Rizal Shrine in Calamba. After all, every Filipino should see where the national hero grew up, right? Rizal Shrine is open to the public, free of charge.
the garage...the horse was moonlighting in Sta. Ana :D
dining area
Rizal's bedroom that he shared with his other siblings. He was the 7th of eleven children.
the masters' bedroom Take note of the ubiquitous orinola at the foot of the bed
an antique kerosene lamp
the staircase
the back of the house
a sculpture of a very young Jose Rizal and his dog
I couldn't resist not posting these photos of a traditional Filipino kitchen complete withdapog, an Ilonggo term for a part of the kitchen where cooking is done using the traditional earthen stove, wood or charcoal, clay pots and ladles made of coconut shell and bamboo.
There's also a huge rice or fruit storage basket made from woven bamboo, some earthenware to store salt and dried fish; a few bilao or kalalaw, a round woven bamboo tray for fruits and vegetables, also used as a winnowing basket to remove rice chaff. A banggera, an extension from the window where dinnerware are washed and dried, is behind the capiz window panels.
No, this is not my kitchen. This is the kitchen where our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, probably watched his mother cook when he was a little boy in Calamba. I dropped by Rizal Shrine last weekend on the way back to Manila. Will post more photos of the house where Rizal spent his childhood in.
Philippine flags at the Rizal Shrine, the national hero's ancestral home in Calamba, Laguna.
A horizontal bicolor of blue over red, with a white equilateral triangle at the hoist containing three 5-pointed gold stars at its vertices and an 8-rayed gold sun at its center.
