What do we know about Pandacan? For most people, not much, really.
HISTORIAN Sixto Carlos, Jr. explains the significance of Pandacan in the life of Jacinto Zamora while standing in front of the martyred priest’s statue. -- NICKKY FAUSTINE P. DE GUZMAN
Participants in a tour of the Manila district -- one of the events conducted by the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino called LiteraTOUR, which is part of the celebration of National Literature Month -- went on to appreciate Pandacan’s role in Philippine history and literature.
The tour itself was conducted by the Samahang Sining at Kultura ng Pilipinas (SSKPi), headed by historian and former professor Sixto Carlos, Jr. The SSKPi has been offering free walking tours in Pandacan called Lakbay Kamalaysayan since 2010. (Anyone interested in a Pandacan tour can contact the SSKPi viasskpilipinas@gmail.com or through 564-9031.)
Thanks to the partnership between PUP and NCCA -- they signed a memorandum of agreement for a cultural exchange -- the NCCA can tap PUP students for cultural activities in performance or visual arts, while school can open its facilities for accommodations. PUP, which has satellite campuses all over the metro and Laguna, has around 78,000 enrolled students. The main campus in Sta. Mesa alone has over 40,000 students according to PUP university center for culture and the arts director Bely R. Ygot.
So what makes Pandacan important?
First, it was the birthplace of Jacinto Zamora, one of the three martyr priests best known as Gomburza (the other two being Mariano Gómez and José Burgos), whose execution in 1872 on charges of subversion related to the Cavite Mutiny in 1872. Their death served as an inspiration for many of the late 19th-century Filipino reformists and revolutionaries. José Rizal, for one, dedicated his novel El Filibusterismo to Gomburza.
A larger-than-life statue on Fr. Zamora stands tall in the heart of the district -- unfortunately the riders of the jeepneys which often pass the statue are often unaware of its significance.
SSKPi’s Mr. Carlos also explained how Pandacan played a major role in Francisco “Balagtas” Baltazar’s literary career. Often called “the Shakespeare of the Philippines,” the poet wrote the classic work Florante at Laura. In 1830, Balagtas left his hometown in Bulacan and moved to Pandacan. There, he fell in love with Maria Asuncion Rivera. But he had a rival for her hand, a rich man named Mariano Capule. “He made tricks to send Balagtas in prison for two years,” said Mr. Carlos. Eventually Rivera and Capule ended up together while Balagtas, who remained in prison, wrote Florante at Laura.
Pandacan also prides itself for having a public library -- one that actually works and has air-conditioners. Unfortunately, while it is mandated that every barangay have a public library, few cities follow the law. The Kapitan Mendoza public library, which includes textbooks mostly for grade school and high school students, was named after Dra. Paz Mendoza Guazon, the first Filipina medical doctor. She graduated from the University of the Philippines in 1905.
The tour itinerary included stops at Plaza Zamora, Bahay na Tisa, the Ladislao Bonus Marker, the Romualdez Mansion, the Sto. Niño de Pandacan Catholic Church, the Iglesia Filipina Independiente Church and Casa Carlos.
The event was meant to push the growth of the Lakbay Kamalaysayan walking tours in the hopes that participants will find themselves appreciating the seemingly ordinary places we barely know anything about, often pass by and take for granted.
The next Literatour will be held in Bacolor, Pampanga on April 18. -- Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman
It is alarming that kids these days belong to “the most sedentary generation in history.” So said Sam Kass, White House chef and head of US first lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move program. In the Philippines, child obesity caused by an inactive lifestyle has been increasing since 1998 according to the 2015 National Nutrition Survey of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute.
So if fingers are the only things that kids will be moving this summer (because children will be glued to their gadgets while on vacation), it’s time to get them moving and learning — in real life. The good thing is that there are many programs available that will get kids to look up from their screens this summer — from cooking classes to acting workshops.
COOKING CLASSES If the kids think that their baon (packed lunch) is boring, it is time to pass the chore to them and let them be the chefs of their own meals. Who knows what culinary invention they might come up with?
At the Maya Kitchen’s Magical Adventure, kids and teens can take cooking and baking classes at Maya’s headquarters at the Liberty Bldg., 835 Arnaiz Ave., Makati City.
The classes are as varied and tempting as a box of chocolates; they will have a hard time choosing what to get.
For instance, there’s a theme called “Eat In What You Eat Out,” where children can learn recipes inspired by well-known fastfood joints and restaurants — think fried chicken, buffalo wings, and cold desserts. Classes are offered from April 12 to 15 and May 10 to 13.
It is never too soon to start eating healthy, so kids can learn all about juicing and healthy wraps on April 23.
But then again, kids do have a sweet tooth. To satisfy it, there is a Bars and Cookies class (also on April 23) which lets future pastry chefs get hands-on experience at preparing their own oatmeal raisin cookies, coconut bars, and butterscotch brownies.
The courses range in price from P750 to P8,000 depending on the class. For details visit www.themayakitchen.com .
The Center for Culinary Arts, Manila and its Young Chefs Boot Camp is open to budding culinary enthusiasts seven to 16 years old. The camp, which runs until May 27, aims to hone the cooking skills of participants, encourage them to explore their own kitchen creativity, as well as expand their culinary palates.
They can explore the flavors of the world one country at a time with the “Cooking My Way Through Asia,” with classes on April 18-22 and May 2-6. Meanwhile, a class on “My Ultimate Comfort Food” will be held on April 11-15, and May 16-20. There are also pastry classes and classes on Filipino cuisine.
Offered are basic and semi-advanced hands-on cooking classes, each course consisting of five sessions, from Mondays to Fridays.
ARTS AND CRAFTS There is more to art than a perfectly curated Instagram feed filled with perfect flat lay posts and filtered photos. This summer, it’s time to get your kid’s hands on making the real thing. Ignite their inner Pablo Picasso or Frida Kahlo at the Gateway Gallery, the museum at the Araneta Center, which offers its second Artsy Summer Workshops on all Saturdays of April. The gallery is located at the 5F Gateway Tower 2, Araneta Center, Quezon City.
Open for children ages six and up, the arts and crafts workshop will have kids creating tote bags, tie-die shirts, and scrapbooks. Kids age eight and above meanwhile can enroll in the beginner’s painting class, which will teach them discipline and acrylic painting techniques.
PERFORMING ARTS If Rak of Aegis has yet another re-run in the next 10 years, make sure that your kids would be ready by then. Running until May 27 is PETA’s (Philippine Educational Theater Association) annual summer workshop program for kids and teens who have what it takes to be the next theater superstars.
PETA offers workshops for kids from ages six to 12, which will open up their creativity and imagination; and for teens ages 13 to 16, which aims to focus on different disciplines of theater from writing and visual arts, to dance and music.
But if they want to stay off the stage and hone their production skills instead, there is also a Visual Arts program.
At the end of the summer programs, all students will have a final production to display their improved skills.
Classes cost P8,000 to P11,000 depending on the course. For details call 725-6244, 0905-369-6003, or visit petatheater@gmail.com.
At the Trumpet’s Playshop, kids and teens can choose from different classes that range from dancing and DJ-ing to public speaking and poetry reading, bringing them a step closer to their dreams of becoming the next top VJs, dance masters, and all-around performers.
As befits a respected theater company, Trumpets offers classes where kids can learn the fundamentals of musical theater including improvisation and storytelling.
There are also dance classes where teens can learn how to groove and move from the A-Team, which won at the “Olympics of hip-hop,” the World Hip-Hop Dance Competition in 2014.
From hip-hop, we move to hugot (drawing out deep emotions). Teens and even adults can learn the art of hugot with Juan Miguel Severo, a popular spoken word artist known for his viral video Ang Huling Tula na Isusulat Ko Para Sa’yo. His class, called “Paano Ba Humugot?” will be held on April 23 at Fully Booked BGC.
The other classes will be held at KidzCity at The Podium and SM Aura and Hip Zone in Alabang Town Center.
Enrollment starts at P4,500 depending on the course. For details call 901-4364 and 818-1111 loc 235, or 0917-5864177
DANCE Hit two birds with one stone — hone a child’s artistic expression and get them physically fit — by enrolling your kid at the Ballet Philippines Dance School and its seven-week intensive training program classes that run until May 22. Offering a variety of classes for kids as young as four years old, the choice includes hip-hop, classical ballet, and modern and contemporary dance, taught by some of the best dancers in the country including Nonoy Froilan, Gina Katigbak-Garcia, and Rhea and Dumdum-Bautista.
In between the dance sessions is a weekly lecture series where students have the chance to interact with artists at the Ballet Philippines dance schools at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and SM Aura Premier in Bonifacio Global City.
Tuition ranges from P16,300 to P19,000 depending on the course. For details call (02) 832-368 or (02) 531-4436.
LEARNING Just because regular school is over does not mean learning is too. BrainFit Studio Philippines works on children’s self-esteem, penmanship, learning speed, and attention span in a modern and casual setting. The studio, which has branches in Greenhills, BGC, Binondo Manila, and Amoranto, Quezon City, assesses a kid’s capacity and customizes lessons based on their evaluation.
“Each individual has a unique brain profile. We assess each brain’s strengths and weaknesses with a Cognitive Map, an evaluation tool that determines which of a child’s five brain pillars need enhancement,” said BrainFit Studio founder and clinical physiotherapist Cheryl Chia in a statement.
The five “brain pillars” are sensory coordination, attention and memory, auditory and language processing, visual and spatial processing, and social-emotional regulation.
Tuition starts at P7,800 per month for eight sessions. For details call 554-0381 or visit www.brainfitstudio.com.
Tagalog is jologs and other problems in Philippine literature
Nickky Faustine P. de Guzman
WHY celebrate National Literature Month every April? Becasue it’s a problem if the country and her people do not know the importance of literature and culture in their daily lives, said artist, poet, critic, and National Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario.
“The high society and the government do not understand the relevance of literature in our life,” said the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino chairman at a press conference on March 15.
“Before, we used to memorize mythologies andkwentong bayan (country stories) because they were important and a part of our life and culture... Our leaders in the past were writers and were into literature: Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Apolinario Mabini, Antonio Luna, etc... We treat literature as entertainment, but more than entertainment, let’s give emphasis that literature is important because it feeds the soul and it is the life of society,” he said in Filipino.
Proclamation No. 968, signed on Feb. 10, 2015, designates April as National Literature month, recognizing that the “national literature plays an important role in preserving and inspiring the literature of today and in introducing to future generations the Filipino values that we have inherited from our ancestors.”
According to Mr. Almario, who has championed the modernist poetics in the country, April was chosen as Literature Month because it is the birth month of Francisco Baltazar aka Balagtas, who is often dubbed as the “Shakespeare of the Philippines.” Coincidentally, it is also the month that Shakespeare and Miguel Cervantes, two of the world’s greatest writers, died.
While Philippine literature isn’t dead, Mr. Almario -- better known by his pen name Rio Alma -- said local literature faces major drawbacks including the fight against international book sales and the mind-set that English is always better than Tagalog and other local languages.
“[The thinking that] Filipino books are jologs (slang for poorly made, dirty-looking, corny and cheap) is just a mind-set of the upper class, especially those in Metro Manila,” he toldBusinessWorld.
‘LOUSY’ LANGUAGE FOR DEBATE Because the seat of dominance and authority is in Metro Manila, the voices of influence, which he called the “dominions of power” -- composed of, he said, the government, church, and businessmen -- “are afraid to democratize knowledge,” hence, they speak the language of the elite, which is English, to separate them from the masa (the masses).
He also blames mass media for pushing this idea. Recently journalist Teddy Locsin, Jr. earned the ire of netizens, including the masa and the middle class, when he Tweeted that the Filipino language is “lousy” and “inappropriate” to use during a debate among presidential candidates aired on television on March 21.
“English is the language of men. Tagalog sounds manly only when clipped and short like English,” he said on his Twitter account. He added that use of Tagalog should be discouraged because it is “so long, so bullshitty, so useless a tongue for debate.”
One of those dismayed over Mr. Locsin’s remarks was Eugene Santos, a New York-based student and fashion and editorial intern in a magazine. He opted to voice out his disappointment in Filipino and shared it on his Facebook page.
“...Nakakapanlumo talaga na ikinahihiya ng isang Pilipinong mamahayag ang isa sa mga lenggwahe na ginamit ng ating mga bayani para ipaglaban ang kasarinlan ng Pilipinas. (It is truly depressing that a Filipino journalist is ashamed of one of the languages that was used by our heroes to fight for the independence of the Philippines)”
He said he missed speaking in Filipino because he could express himself better in that language, especially when he’s mad.
Besides this discursive debate, Mr. Almario said, “The hardest struggle [of Philippine literature] is the effort to have more books written in Filipino and other languages in the Philippines. We should make things more accessible. We don’t have a successful public library, even though it is mandated by the law to set up a library in barangays.”
ACTIVITIES The events scheduled to celebrate literature this month and many and varied. They range from a youth camp honoring Balagtas to a “poetry joust.” There will be many seminars, workshops, and conferences on different local languages in different parts of the country. These include media seminars, seminars on teaching such topics as “gender-based literature” and “21st century Philippine literature from the regions in high school and college,” and writing workshops for children.
Among the activities are a Pinoy Book Store Tour, organized by the the National Book Development Board, which will be held on April 8. The tour will start at La Solidaridad, Uno Morato and artbooks.ph in Metro Manila, before going to Pandayan in Bulacan, and the Orchids Bookshop in Pampanga the next day. It ends with a visit to Mt. Cloud in Baguio City on April 10.
On April 16, there will be a pilgrimage to Majayjay, Laguna in honor of Emilio Jacinto, marking the hero’s death anniversary.
AS TEMPERATURES rise and the city begins to feel like one of Dante’s nine circles of hell, air conditioner temperature settings are sure to be adjusted to the coldest option. But in attempt to save ourselves from sweat, Mother Earth breaks into tears; climate change is her protest.
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2015 was the hottest year the world has experienced yet. Meanwhile, summer has truly settled in the Philippines — the Accuweather Web site forecasts this weekend’s temperature high in Metro Manila and Davao City at a sweltering 35 degrees Celcius (°C). Cebu will be a bit cooler at 33° to 34°C.
“Extremely hot days are the new normal. We are now reaching extremes that should set off alarm bells,” said climate change advocate and former US vice-president Al Gore, Jr. when he visited the country on March 14 to 16 for a climate mitigation program.
It was 34°C in Manila, a Monday afternoon, when Mr. Gore came to the Philippines, but the air conditioning units at the hotel Sofitel, where he gave his talk, saved the audience of 700 people from the stifling weather.
Majority of business buildings in the country have air condition systems, while only 10% of households in the country do according to Concepcion-Carrier Air Conditioning Co. (CCAC), a leading provider of air conditioners in the country.
These air conditioners can be a major source of greenhouse gasses and ozone harming chemicals. The Montreal Protocol aims to stop the thinning of the ozone layer through commitments by countries, including the Philippines, to phase out R-22 refrigerants by 2030. The goal is to introduce to the market friendlier alternative cooling agents like R-32 and R-290.
The successful mitigation of climate change is the sum total of efforts of private and government sectors. “It is never easy to be green, but we can do it because we have no choice,” said Raul Joseph Concepcion, CCAC president at a press conference on March 10.
CCAC is behind the Green Footprints Movement, which aims to increase public awareness of climate change and environment-friendly consumer choices. According to Mr. Concepcion, simply cleaning an air conditioner unit regularly and setting the thermostat one degree higher saves as much as 6% of a household’s energy consumption.
One of easiest ways for private citizens to do their part for Mother Earth is to switch off aircons from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and closing one unit on weekends. It is also advisable to set the aircon to 25°C, which is easier said than done considering the humidity in the country.
“As a nation, we can help reduce carbon emission by as much as 165,946 tons of CO2 per year,” said Mr. Concepcion. This is equivalent to the carbon footprint of 45,341 medium-sized cars that traveled 12,000 kilometers in one year.
In its own efforts to meet the country’s Montreal Protocol target, CCAC now carries environment-friendly air condition units.
“Ninety-six percent of our air conditioning products have already been converted to using environmentally responsive refrigerants and we expect to make 100% product conversion within the year,” said Harold Pernikar, Jr., CCAC director and head of the consumer solutions group.
Condura and Carrier are some of its brands. The appliances come with a green seal to signify that they are environment friendly.
EXTREMELY hot days are the new normal thanks to climate change, said former US vice-president and climate change advocate Al Gore, Jr., before an audience of 700 from the Philippines and 80 other countries. Mr. Gore was in the country on March 14 to 16 for a climate mitigation program.
In a two-hour presentation, Mr. Gore, a 2007 Nobel Peace Prize winner, said 93% of the heat trapped by man-made pollution is absorbed by the oceans, which can cause huge and powerful typhoons like super-typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) that devastated the central Philippines in 2013.
Here are some climate change-related facts and figures from Mr. Gore’s presentation.
• February 2016 was the 372nd consecutive month with global temperatures above the 20th century average.
• Over 1,200 people died in Iran, Iraq and Pakistan’s heat wave last year. The heat index (a quantity expressing the discomfort felt as a result of the combined effects of the temperature and humidity of the air) in Bandar Mahshahr, Iran reached 74° Celsius on July 31 2015.
• The Philippines is the most vulnerable county when it comes to the effects of climate change, having experienced 328 weather-related major events from 1994 to 2013. It is followed by Bangladesh, Vietnam, Pakistan and Guatemala.
• From 2006 to 2010, drought turned 60% of Syria’s fertile land into desert and drove 1.5 million people into Syria’s already crowded cities.
• By 2050, the warmer waters in the southern Philippines could decrease the maximum fish catch potential by 50%.
• Enough solar energy reaches the Earth every hour to power the world’s energy needs for a full year.
“A will to act is in itself a renewable resource,” said Mr. Gore, who’s pushing for alternative and more environment-friendly energy resources like solar, wind, and geothermal power.
IMAGINED as a chill stroll in a park for artists and enthusiasts, Art in the Park, which marks its 10th year on April 3, is now anything but. Dubbed as the country’s “most significant affordable art fair,” it has, over the years, welcomed throngs of excited art lovers and artists of all stripes. It has expanded to take over the parking are next to the park, has sold thousands of cut-price yet world-class artworks, and baptized incoming artists as the next superstars.
“Art should not be intimidating and… one can appreciate it in a relaxed, informal setting,” Art in the Park (AIP) co-chair Trickie Lopa toldBusinessWorld in 2013. Three years later, as AIP turns 10, this goal remains the same: the park is an inviting gallery and that art is available for everyone.
Without entrance fee, anybody can appreciate the art at the Jaime Velasquez park in the middle of Makati’s Salcedo Village, this coming Sunday.
THE EVOLUTION “Our participants really prepare for Art in the Park. We expect them to offer gems, as always Because of the request for larger pieces, we’ve agreed to raise the price ceiling to P50,000,” said Ms. Lopa in an e-mail interview on March 29. The original ceiling price was P30,000.
From the 12 art galleries that participated that first year, this year’s art fair features almost 60 art galleries, collectives, and student groups. Some of the participating galleries are 1335 Mabini, Silverlens, Art Lab, Altro Mondo, Ysobel, and Vinyl on Vinyl. Be ready to get dizzy with all manner of art, from paintings to photographs, sculpture to pottery, jewelry and installations, all selling for under P50,000.
Art in the Park benefits the operations of the Museum Foundation of the Philippines in its mission to create awareness for the National Museum and its network.
LIMITED EDITION PRINTS AND SPECIAL SHOWS To mark its 10th anniversary, AIP is reproducing signed limited edition prints from 10 artists whose artworks have adorned the fair’s postcard invitations. The artists are Jomike Tejido, Joy Mallari, Jose Santos III, Dex Fernandez, Pete Jimenez, Rodel Tapaya, Geraldine Javier, Charlie Co, Pamela Yan-Santos, and Marina Cruz.
“Every year, for the past eight years, we’ve asked an artist for an image that we can use for our post cards. Eight of the artists in the set have given us images in the past. Two of them (Charlie Co and Pete Jimenez) are mainstays of the fair: they always have works at the fair, either for sale or as a special exhibit. So in a sense, all 10 artists embody what Art in the Park is all about,” said Ms. Lopa.
Amid the busy art market, there will also be a special exhibit of wax sculptures by celebrated sculptor Daniel dela Cruz, who won the gold medal at the Festival of Nativities in Rome, Italy in 2008, besting 131 entries from 71 countries. His featured work at the AIP showcase this year will be wax sculptures of four-foot tall standing male figures, some holding metal umbrellas. According to the AIP organizers, the sculptures are meant to gradually melt away like candles throughout the day until the fair draws to a close at 10 p.m. The installation will be by the park entrance at Velasquez St.
Aside from Mr. Dela Cruz’s work, other highlights of the 10thanniversary are, according to Ms. Lopa, an interactive activity by Globe Platinum involving Instagram and selfies, which will be anchored around a sculpture by Pete Jimenez at the Tordesillas St. entrance. “There will also be a charging station for cell phones and gadgets,” she noted.
AIP has grown over the years and has thought of marrying art and technology, which resonates most especially with its young audience. But, Ms. Lopa said, “the beauty of Art in the Park is that we appeal to a broad range of visitors: seasoned collectors, young professionals, students, kids. You’ll find them all at the fair.”
E-mail
Print
