Dennis Villegas

Pancho Villa: First Filipino World Boxing Champion

2009-05-31T18:53:00.000-07:00

The great symbol of the 1920s era in the Philippines was Pancho Villa, the most brilliant fighter of the period that bred such great boxers as Cabanela, Young Dencio, Frisco Concepcion, Clever Sencio, and the Flores Brothers.

Pancho Villa placed the Philippines on the map by winning boxing laurels abroad, defeating even the toughest flyweights in the United States. His fighting style was characterized by a relentless attack, a raging bull onslaught, and explosive and devastating punches.

His total fights of 105 (some only weeks in between) was a record in itself, elevating him into one of the great fighters in the history of boxing, and certainly one of the greatest Asian brawlers to step on the ring. The prestigious Ring Magazine, the bible of boxing aficionados, ranked Villa as one of the 100 Greatest Boxers of All Time.

Cover for September 1922 issue of Lipang Kalabaw magazine.
Caricature by Fernando Amorsolo.Dennis Villegas collection.

Born Francisco Guilledo in Negros Occidental on August 1, 1901, he adopted the name Pancho Villa from the name of Mexico's famous revolutionary. Villa fought exclusively in the Philippines from 1919 through April 1922, often facing much larger men. In that period of time, he lost only three fights and captured two Filipino titles. In 1922, the American boxing promoter Frank Churchill discovered Villa in one of the amateur fights in Manila. Impressed by the young man's power punches, Churchill took Villa to the United States. The young Filipino fought two no-decision bouts in New Jersey, losing-according to the newspapers, to Abe Goldstein and Frankie Genaro.

The American press and public were at first slow to take notice of Villa. Churchill had difficulty arranging fights in major venues until, for almost no money, he got Villa and another Filipino, Elino Flores, on a card at Ebbets Field, home of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Each fighter won his bout, and the crowd gave Villa a standing ovation.

Cover for a September 1922 issue of Telembang magazine.
Portrait by Fernando Amorsolo.Dennis Villegas magazine collection

Three months after his arrival in the U.S., Villa knocked out American Flyweight champion Johnny Buff in the eleventh round to win the American flyweight title. To catch a glimpse of Villa's devastating attack, here's a very rare footage from his magnificent fight with Buff:

Genaro took the title back in 1923 in a 15-round decision that most observers believed belonged to Villa. Meanwhile, British flyweight champion Jimmy Wilde had come to New York seeking the world title. Wilde was then considered the best flyweight in the world. Although Genaro was a likely opponent, the now wildly popular Villa was considered a better draw.

In the much-anticipated match at New York's Polo Grounds on June 18, 1923, in front of thousands of spectators, Villa and Wilde set out for one of the most exciting fights in boxing history. Villa started slow, while Wilde started fast, throwing power punches that meant to knock-out the Filipino slugger. Villa defended successfully and threw some power punches of his own in retaliation, most of them landing and almost knocked down Wilde. In the second round and onwards, however,Villa started to display his relentless attacking style, peppering Wilde with punches from both hands. In the seventh round, Villa battered Wilde to a state of helplessness, knocking him flat, face down in canvas, ending the fight --and Wilde's career. The crowd was ecstatic with Villa's victory--shouting "Viva Villa!" "Viva Villa!"

Here's a very rare footage of that famous bout, now considered one of the greatest slug fests in boxing history:

Pancho Villa caricature by cartoonist Jorge Pineda, Lipang Kalabaw 1923.
Dennis Villegas magazine collection

Villa was known during his time as being one of the cleanest boxers, always showing concern for his opponents and immediately turning away and walking to neutral corner after knocking down his opponent. This was before there was a rule of going to a neutral corner while the downed opponent is being counted by the referee.

Villa returned to the Philippines in September 1924, amidst jubilant reception (of his countrymen, not unlike the ones we do when Manny Pacquiao returns from a successful fight). He was invited for a parade and reception at the Malacanang Palace by then Governor General Leonard Wood, together with some of the big names in Philippine politics--then Senate President Manuel Quezon and House Speaker Sergio Osmena. It was known that General Wood and Senator Quezon were not in good terms, but the presence of the world champion temporarily set aside their personal differences.

As World Champion, Villa collected into his person all the swank and swagger of the era and the whole country felt an electrifying pride in his rise from rags to riches, his fetish for the most magnificent wardrobe, his expensive silk shirts and fashionable hats, his pearl buttons and gold cuff links, and his regal servants. He had a servant to massage him, another to towel him, a valet to put on his shoes, another to help him put on his trousers, still another valet to comb his hair, to powder his cheeks, and spray him with the most expensive perfume.

The Filipinos adored his extravagance, treating him almost as their crowned king. For a time, Villa was the most beloved figure in the Philippines--he had captured the heart and admiration of his countrymen, and he well thought he deserved it. He was perhaps more idolized as a showman, than as a boxer, and he was conscious of it. Never before had the Filipinos been electrified by the pride that their own kind had become the Champion of the World.

Villa successfully defended his title several times in the U.S. and the Philippines, and for a time, was considered practically invincible in the ring. Before returning to the United States, Villa defeated in Manila another great Filipino boxer, the mighty Clever Sencio. It was destined to be Villa's final victory in the ring--and no one among the thousands of cheering spectators knew it at that time.

In 1925, Villa fought in a non-title bout with Jimmy McLarnin in Oakland, United States. Weak from the recent extraction of a wisdom tooth, Villa lost the decision. It was destined to be his last fight. Another visit to the dentist resulted in the discovery of an infection and the extraction of three more teeth. Villa ignored the dentist's instructions to rest and return for a follow-up visit, and instead indulged in a week-long party.

The infection worsened, and by the time Villa's trainer, Whitey Ekwert, discovered the fighter's distress and rushed him to the hospital, it was too late. Villa died on July 14, 1925, of Ludwig's Angina, an infection of the throat cavity. He was survived by his wife Gliceria*.

Villa's untimely death at the young age of 24 broke the nation's heart. The hysteria that possessed the masses during his funeral was the most feverish of its era. Filipinos openly wailed in the streets while their hero's casket was being borne to its sad destination.

Such was the brief but shining career of one of the greatest Filipino boxers who ever lived.

Pancho Villa's grave inside the Manila North Cemetery.
The grave is being cleaned everyday by a tomb caretaker.

In 1989, Pancho's widow Gliceria- then 84 - insisted that a gambling syndicate conspired to murder the champion because of big losses in the Villa-McLarnin non-title fight. Pancho was a heavy favorite to beat McLarnin and the syndicate placed huge amount of bet to Villa. Mrs. Guilledo claimed that her husband was injected an overdose of anesthetic on instructions of the syndicate*.

In 1994, Villa was inducted posthumously in the International Boxing Hall of Fame, the second Filipino to earn the recognition--after Gabriel "Flash" Elorde.

*NY Times July 15, 1925: Villa "...died at a hospital here [San Francisco] today while undergoing an operation for an infection of the throat that developed from an infected tooth. Dr. C.E. Hoffman said the boxer suffocated under the anesthetic. Dr. Hoffman was preparing to operate when Villa's heart stopped. Artificial respiration failed to revive the patient."

Mang Tomas: Pioneer Philippine Lechonero

2009-05-19T04:58:00.000-07:00

In the festive world of Philippine cookery, only one name will always be associated with the Philippine Lechon--Mang Tomas Delos Reyes, pioneer lechon roaster in the La Loma, Quezon City.

Mang Tomas started in the early 1950s what is now the booming lechon industry, right from the very kitchen of his house in front of the La Loma Cockpit Arena. Before that, however, Mang Tomas was just a simple provinciano meat vendor selling pork meat around the neighborhood of La Loma.

Some of Mang Tomas' customers were the cockpit aficionados in the nearby La Loma Cockpit Arena. After a day's worth of cockfights, the winners would usually buy pork meat from Mang Tomas to be roasted and served as pulutan in the merry drinking that followed. The losers, on the other hand, would have to contend to the roasted meat of their defeated roosters.

Eventually, Mang Tomas thought that he'd rather sell the ready roasted meat and charge an extra cost for the roasting labor. What he didn't know at that time was that he was already starting the big lechon industry in the Philippines.

And it went on like that day after day, after each day's cockfights, the winners would go to Mang Tomas' house for their orders of roasted meats--until Mang Tomas finally set up the first ever Lechon shop in La Loma sometime in 1954. From then on, the La Loma would no longer be a name synonymous with the La Loma Cockpit (founded 1903), nor the La Loma Cemetery (right in front of the Cockpit), but the district where Mang Tomas sold his delicious lechon, by the whole or by the kilo. Mang Tomas also invented the famous liver sauce called Sarsa ni Mang Tomas to complement the delicious lechon*.

The business flourished, and the house of Mang Tomas was expanded. He bought several meters of land at the back of his house to serve as the roasting area of the lechon. He also set up a piggery so that he can personally raise the best young pigs for his roasting. After a few years, Mang Tomas set up the Mang Tomas Restaurant to serve quick meals for the patrons who wanted to satisfy a spur-of-the moment hunger for the lechon.

Mang Tomas delos Reyes, Pioneer Philippine Lechonero
(Archival photo courtesy of Mrs. Cora delos Reyes)

Eventually, the customers of Mang Tomas expanded. No longer was the lechon the privilege of the cockpit patrons, it already became the ultimate piece de resistance of all Filipino feasts, celebrations, and gatherings. The new customers included the plain folks, the mayors, government officials, congressmen and senators, and eventually presidents and prime ministers. It was known that in 1955, President Magsaysay visited the La Loma to taste the famous Mang Tomas Lechon--eating with his bare hands the deliciously juicy meat dipped into the famous Sarsa ni Mang Tomas. From then on, the lechon became a permanent recipe on every Malacanang Palace banquets, even served to visiting foreign dignitaries who can eat pork meat. Only the Malacanang people know how many kings and queens ever tasted the lechon while on a visit to the Philippines.

The elevation of the Lechon into a national dish made it as the star of any Philippine Fiesta. In every grand wedding, baptism, or any Filipino event, the mere sight of the lechon's crisp red skin, with its tender young meat oozing with delicious juice is enough to disarm any meat-lover--taking his sight from any prepared food in the banquet into the irresistible urge to peel-off the lechon's crisp juicy skin and put into his now watery-mouth. A second picking will eventually be the juicy meat, so tender that it almost actually melts in the mouth. Never mind the cholesterol nor the calories--just for this day only, because life is a short joyful thing to possess to worry about what will happen in the future.

The lechon's taste deliciously varies with each person: according to one man I interviewed in the La Loma Fiesta, the taste is comparable to"heaven", while another could not find any suitable comparison to the lechon's taste--"nothing compares to it's taste, it's just, just so delicious, I'd be willing to travel hundreds of miles to eat it"--and the man, indeed, I found out came from Tarlac, to get a free taste of the lechon being served in the streets of La Loma that day.

The lechon indeed is delicious, no doubt about that. If it's only me, I'd rather make it into the official National Dish of the Filipinos rather than the Pritong Galunggong. But of course, this would not be practical as the lechon is quite expensive to the average Filipino wallet. At 500 pesos a kilo (roughly 10 US $), it just would not be affordable to many poor people. And of course, this idea will not be popular with our Muslim countrymen, as well as the animal rights activists. Not to mention that there is danger in eating the lechon everyday. It makes for clogged arteries and cholesterol build up in the body. So it's best that the lechon is served only once in a while--during fiestas, birthdays, gatherings, graduations, baptisms, funerals (why not?), and other feasts worth mentioning. And it's always best to just take only a morsel and enjoy a little because eating too much can bloat the stomach and bland the taste buds.

After the celebration, any left-over morsel of the lechon from yesterday's feast is transformed into yet another favorite Filipino recipe--the lechong paksiw. The left-over meat, tail, pig knuckles and crisp skin are all happily simmered into a concoction of stew made from garlic, onions, vinegar, and liver sauce. It is then served as toppings over a newly-cooked steamed rice or sinangag.

Actually, there is nothing ever lost in the lechon roasting. Even the pig's innards, removed before roasting, is transformed into a favorite Filipino snack called Sitsarong Bulaklak. The innards are salted, spiced, dried, and broiled into a crackling state, and its ready to serve with a sprinkling of Sukang Maanghang (Spicy Vinegar).

Sitsarong Bulaklak

And what about the pig's blood? It, too, is not spared, as it is cooked into a favorite Filipino dish called Dinuguan, a meat and blood stew simmered in garlic, chilies, and vinegar, and best served with rice or puto (rice cakes).

The Philippine lechon, according to Time Magazine, is one of the best roasted pig recipes around the world. And to that we give credit to Mang Tomas delos Reyes, who passed away many years ago, but gave the tradition of lechon roasting to his family, and eventually to all the other lechoneros in the La Loma. Today there are some 20 stores of lechon operating in La Loma. Some of the other big lechoneros in La Loma are Mila's, Ping Ping, Bulakena's, Monchie's, and Nelia's.

Mang Tomas' Lechon is now managed by Aling Cora delos Reyes, who continues the great tradition started by her father-in-law. Mang Tomas Lechon is located in Retiro and Calavite Sts., La Loma Quezon City--a pioneer and a giant in the lechon industry in the Philippines. Come visit and enjoy their lechon. It's really delicious.

Mang Tomas Lechon, located in the corner of Retiro and Calavite Streets,
right in front of the La Loma Cockpit Arena

Aling Cora delos Reyes with her grandchildren--heirs to the legacy of the lechon pioneered by the great Tomas delos Reyes**

La Loma, Quezon City, the Lechon Capital of the World

*The rights to the Sarsa ni Mang Tomas was eventually bought by Justice Alex and Asyang Reyes who owned the Aristocrat chain of restaurants. The Aristocart now produces in mass-quantity the Sarsa and even being exported abroad.
**Special word of thanks to Aling Cora delos Reyes of Mang Tomas Lechon for allowing me to interview and photograph her despite the day's hectic schedule of festivities. Thanks for the very tasty and mouth-watering lechon!
Special thanks also to Monchie Ferreros of Monchie's Lechon for inviting me to the sumptuous lunch during the Lechon Parade.

La Loma's Parada ng mga Lechon

2009-05-18T02:29:00.000-07:00

It is Fiesta everyday in the La Loma district of Quezon City--the streets are always hung with flags, and in every street corner, there is someone roasting pigs. But today, the third Sunday of May, is the biggest La Loma Fiesta of all, for this is the day of the Parada ng mga Lechon (Parade of the Lechon) of the La Loma Lechoneros Association--the largest organization of pig roasters in the Philippines.

Lechon (or Litson in Tagalog) is the Philippine version of the roasted pig. The word "lechon" is derived from the Spanish "leche" which denotes that the pig to be roasted must be a suckling pig. This young pig is then stuffed with tamarind and pandan leaves, and a concoction of spices, its skin bathed in vinegar and soy sauce. It is then roasted over a charcoal pit manually turned over by a skilled roaster, until the pig's skin has become red and crisp to a crackling point, and it's meat tender and juicy. It is chopped to morsels and then served in plates, with a liberal serving of liver sauce to complement the delicious tender meat.

The La Loma's Parada ng Lechon was started in the year 2000 initiated by Monchie Ferreros, Past President of the La Loma Lechoneros Association. During the presidency of Ferreros, the council of Quezon City, together with the support of Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte, officially declared La Loma to be the Lechon Capital of the Philippines. The Parada ng Lechon is a yearly event falling every third Sunday of May since the year 2000.

Manny Porkquiao vs. Piggy Hatton during the weigh-in!

Manny Porkquaio Knocks-out Piggy Hatton in the 2nd!

Juday and Ryan Getting Married...At last!

Lechon Beauties

Lechon roasting over a pit coal

Face to face with the Lechon--the star of the Philippine Fiesta

A Midnight Walk in Downtown Iloilo 2

2009-05-17T08:04:00.000-07:00

For many, a midnight walk into a hitherto strange city can be a desensitizing experience that can be likened to a Russian roulette. Yet, for the nonchalant stranger, an intrepid intrusion into a city's night life is like opening visions to a new and different world.

Throughout history the night often holds terror into the hearts of men--the night's darkness often associated with the mysterious and the unfathomable, the grotesque and the melancholia. Some even associate the night with evil creatures that can cause physical and supernatural harm. Yet there are also those people who finds solace and refuge in the night, and who dread the coming of daytime. They are not ghosts nor vampires--but people who can forget the misery of daytime living by seeking comfort in the enveloping darkness of the midnight.

The only street-sleeper I found in the sidewalks of Iloilo.

Muelle Loney, downtown Iloilo's boulevard by the wharf.

A Midnight Walk in Downtown Iloilo

2009-05-14T17:00:00.000-07:00

The late night breeze was cold and balmy which gives the impression that a walk in downtown could be a welcome relaxing experience after the long torturous journey that brought me into this hitherto unknown baudelairian town--a bustling metropolis founded centuries ago.

Like Cubao and Manila*, downtown Iloilo transforms into a neon-lit ghost town at the little wee hours of the midnight. What can be seen around are a motley array of fascinating vignettes that can be witnessed only at this most unholy hour: the lonely darkened alleys and deserted boulevards; some forgotten ghost-like gothic houses from a different era; the few lurking shadows of restless souls whose melancholic nature prevent them from seeking the asylum of sleep; and the nocturnal demimondes who struggle to find work at midnight in order to survive the coming of day--unwittingly defying the intrusion of bourgeois consumerism that abounds during the day, for they rule the night.

These then are the portraits that I have fancied to capture during a melancholic midnight walk in the downtown of Iloilo. Some of the photographs may not catch your interest but they are undeniably the gossamer reflections of what the night life is when most people are in the midst of journey in the grotesque world of slumber.

To be continued

*Please check my post of more than two years ago: A Random Walk in Cubao @ 12 Midnight
and the more recent A Midnight Walk in Downtown Manila

The Diving Boys of Quezon Bridge

2009-05-12T06:14:00.000-07:00

I believe I can fly

The old Quezon Bridge (built in the early 1930s) over the Pasig River section in Quiapo, Manila became the diving board for another batch of intrepid youngsters swimming in the polluted Pasig River. The daredevil boys are not contented just swimming and taking a bath in the Pasig. The need to show off for peer admiration and the combined excitement of an adrenaline rush are what makes some of them dive from the 40-foot high bridge--unto the polluted waters below. It makes for a fascinating sight--but yet something that is deeply disturbing.

Some of the boys are aged ten to seventeen and they admit ingesting the dirty waters every time they dive. I found some of them are already coughing blood--which may already be a sign of tuberculosis or even lead poisoning. And again no amount of health warnings can prevent these boys from enjoying the only game they can afford. Each of them take turns diving from the dizzying height amidst their peers' shouting, clapping, laughing, and coughing.

An Olympian somersault dive

A huge splash

The old Quezon Bridge in Quiapo, Manila Philippines

The Children of the Pasig

2009-05-09T18:11:00.000-07:00

In the early 1990s, the Pasig River was officially declared as a biologically dead river. It has been considered as one of the most polluted rivers in the world. Household garbage, factory refuse, and toxic wastes of the oil refineries along the river's banks have all contributed to the death of this most important river in the heart of Metro Manila.

According to the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission(PRRC), the Pasig River's waters are now so polluted that no more fishes are able to live in it--save for the janitor fish--which can live in the most polluted waters, and which many fishermen consider as a pest*.

The waters of the Pasig have zero visibility, meaning the river has already attained the toxicity level where you can no longer see anything beneath the surface. Despite the recent regular dredging being done by the PRRC to revive the Pasig, the garbage that had piled up in the river bed has become so thick, it will take decades--even a century--to clean it up.

The PRRC has already banned swimming and public bathing in the Pasig River: human ingestion of the river's water can cause various kinds of diseases like diarrhea, cholera, ear infection, typhoid fever, hepatitis, and even lead poisoning. Or combination of them.

But the homeless children living along the banks of the river found that swimming in the Pasig is a fun way to escape the sweltering heat of the city. And no amount of health hazard warnings can restrain them from having the only fun they can afford. And so everyday--every afternoon--the intrepid boys are having fun and games--diving and swimming in what could possibly be the most polluted and deadliest river in the world.

A human dolphin

*The janitor fish is known to eat fish eggs and fingerlings, thus contributing to the depopulation of fishes in the Pasig. Nonetheless, with or without janitor fish, the Pasig can no longer be able to sustain any kind of marine life due to its toxic waters. The growing number of janitor fish population is already a big problem among the fisher folks in the Laguna de Bay and many river systems in Manila.

Manila Bay Summer Holiday

2009-05-06T14:14:00.000-07:00

For many people, the ideal summer holiday is to spend a day or two at the beach with family and friends, with lots of food, games and fun. The rich and middle-class Filipinos--as well as the well-privileged Korean tourists--often prefer Boracay, Puerto Galera, Dakak, and many other posh private beaches around the country for their summer getaway.

The Manila's poor, of course, cannot afford these private beaches--but they, too have the right to have a summer holiday, and Manila Bay is a public bay that is just a kilometer or two away. But the Department of Health(DOH), Department of Environment and Natural Resources(DENR), and the Manila City government have all banned swimming and public bathing in Manila Bay for obvious reasons.

According to DENR secretary (and former Manila Mayor) Lito Atienza: "Swimming in Manila Bay is a health hazard. Large quantities of fecal coliform bacteria indicate a higher risk of pathogens being present in the water. Some of the diseases that people can get from swimming in dirty water are ear infection, dysentery, typhoid fever, viral and bacterial gastroenteritis and hepatitis A. The water of Manila Bay, to be honest, is very, very dirty. To clean it up is definitely a gargantuan task but we have to do it, and we have to do it fast before we lose the opportunity to do it."*

Obviously, Secretary Atienza now recognizes the fact that during his long term as Manila Mayor, he had failed to initiate the clean up of the Manila Bay, and it is only now that he's heading the Environment Department that he finally recognizes the urgency that the Manila Bay should be cleaned fast**.

But with this "gargantuan task", I doubt if the Philippine government can really actually begin to clean up the Manila Bay. As it happened it not only requires gargantuan effort, but billions of pesos as well. It will prove impossible what with all the current expenditures of the war in Mindanao, the coming expenditures for the 2010 national elections, and the everyday cost of luxurious living of the Philippine President and all her government officials. And not to mention the billions of taxpayers' money being corrupted in many public works, deals and projects.

Yet, it is true--the Manila Bay is indeed very dirty and foul. But despite the ban on Manila Bay swimming, still many poor Filipinos are going there everyday to experience a summer holiday--a temporary respite to have fun and forget for a while the misery of being poor.

The Kalakal Boys' Day at the Manila Bay

This post was meant to have been published last month but I have kept on postponing because of my Iloilo vacation. Now that I have already published it, the Philippines is already on the beginning months of an early rainy season.

*http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/metro-manila/04/07/09/manila-bay-too-dirty-swimming-denr
**In fact, the only thing I remembered the good Mayor did was to put up restaurants and bistros in the Manila Bay .It was quite surprising that many diners patronized these bistros despite the stench of foul sea water around them. Atienza's successor, incumbent Mayor Alfredo Lim had demolished all these bistros in his first year of office.

Iloilo: A Glimpse of Town and People

2009-05-01T18:13:00.000-07:00

To the average foot traveler, a walking tour of Iloilo city can be an exhausting experience. Iloilo is a big city, an old bustling commercial metropolis with a population of more than a half-million people. It is Panay island's cultural, religious, manufacturing and commercial center. Downtown Iloilo is so much like downtown Manila, one can easily get lost in the hub of the city.

I came to Iloilo not knowing exactly how to go about in this city. I have with me a street map and a small history book to guide me, but to get to know more about the city, I have to mingle with the locals. I knew only little of Hiligaynon language, but there won't be any problem as the Ilonggos are also conversant of Tagalog and English.

The Ilonggos are known for their sweet and melodious accent, which is quite unique among all the major languages of the Philippines. It is hard to describe exactly the tone of voice of the Ilonggos, but you can imagine it as the way you speak when you want a big special favor from your Dad--plus add a little bedroom accent. The result is heartwarming and you can easily fall in love with the language. During my brief stay in Iloilo, I tried to talk Hiligaynon as hard as I can, and in fact I have convinced a few Ilonggos that I was a natural born Ilonggo--which of course, I am not. But Hiligaynon is quite easy to learn as it has a mixture of Tagalog and Spanish lexicons in its vocabulary.

The Ilonggos--like all the other Filipinos--are very hospitable. Yet the one thing that stands out about them are their wonderful sense of humor. It is quite easy to spot in the streets people conversing and having a good laugh. They love to tease in a loving way without earning the irk of another. I always spend time with people, interviewing and having small conversation. The human touch is the most important aspect of my travels. The basic aim of my journeys is to make friends in the places I visit. I figured that if I just go around taking pictures of buildings I will end up being suspected as a terrorist or a voyeur. But I sit with people, I eat with them in carinderias, buy goods from the vendors, help the elderly cross the street, smile at them, and before I knew it--I was already accepted as a local! I always believe that people are just the same in all places. You smile and they smile back at you--and those who didn't must have a problem of their own--not yours.

I am just quite observant of the places I visit. Not really voyeurism in the sense, but because of my fascination to know more about the place and its people. And this fascination has led me to discover the beauty and goodwill in all people, and in this instance--the Ilonggos.

The following are the portraits of the Ilonggos I have met and and photographed during my brief stay in Iloilo province. I have always favored portrait photography as the most rewarding of all types of photography. It is the most difficult too, since there are people who do not wished to be photographed. But mostly, Filipinos loved to be photographed. They loved to see their faces on the LCD screen of cameras.

These portraits are my tribute to the Ilonggos. They may not represent the whole strata of Ilonggo society but they represent what the Ilonggos are in real life--loving, sweet, friendly, shy, and proud of their beloved town. Thank you gid!

J.M. Basa Street is the main thoroughfare of downtown Iloilo.
You will find here the oldest buildings, shops, fine restaurants, and theaters.

I love the smiles! Isn't it infectious?

La Paz Batchoy--one of the prides of Ilonggo cuisine--is a noodle soup mixed with chicharon, thin slices of pork or chiken. It is best served steaming hot with a sprinkling of sinamak--a local concoction of vinegar, pepper and spices

A fish seller showing his product.

Can you pose for a photo? Not me.....him! hehehehe

Gin-kodak ka dong, gin-palabas pa sa Yot-yub hehehe!

Taking a break to read a local Hiligaynon newspaper

A very charming young Ilongga seller of potato cakes.

I'm sorry, I never liked to be photographed--unless its for cover of FHM! Hehehe

Lola sells antique religious books from a different era.

An Aeta street seller. The Aetas are the true aborigines of Iloilo.
There are a number of Aeta sellers in the sidewalks of downtown Iloilo, selling herbs and potions.

Okay na ba ang pose ko Kuya? hihihi

No!!! Don't photograph me!

Okay, okay isang piktyur lang ha? Kung saan ka masaya, suportahan ta ka.
Gin-padala mo gid sa akon ang print-out ha? Thank you gid!

I saw her...and she saw me..and we smiled at each other

San Joaquin Fortress Church

2009-04-29T03:54:00.000-07:00

After immersing myself with the rich history of the Miagao Church, I decided to continue my historical journey to the southernmost town of Iloilo--the coastal town of San Joaquin, where they have another baroque church worth visiting--the San Joaquin Church, some 13 kilometers and 15 minute-Jeepney ride away from Miagao.

The Road to San Joaquin

It was already almost three in the afternoon when I arrived in San Joaquin, and a warm breeze of summer wind seemed to welcome me to this lovely town as I stepped down from the Miagao-San Joaquin Jeepney I had ridden. San Joaquin is a lovely sleepy town--very quiet and very rustic. The casual traveler may find this town to be a little laid back--a remnant of an old Philippine village of long ago. Having been accustomed to the noise and hustle of the city, I may have found San Joaquin too quiet, with only the rustling of the trees' leaves to be heard, a barking dog from a distance, and from around, the gentle whistling breeze of tropical air.

A few meters away from the main road, near the poblacion plaza is the San Joaquin Church. Built in 1869, the Church was a testament to the townspeople's sacrifices to defend their town against the Muslim pirates. Led by Fray Thomas Santaren, the townspeople, young and old, men and women, quarried coral blocks from the nearby sea to build and fortify their church. Additional blocks of limestones were quarried from the Igbaras mountains to complete the construction. The walls and beams were then finished with a smooth palisade to hide the rough texture of the sea corals.

The San Joaquin Church may hold the unique distinction of being the only Philippine church built mainly of coral stones. Like the Miagao Church, the San Joaquin was constructed not only as a place of worship but as a defensive fortress against the Muslim marauders of the 19th century.

Coral blocks in an unpalisaded corner inside the church

The Pediment. Below it is written, Rendicion D' Tetuan (Depiction of Tetuan)

The most striking feature of the San Joaquin Church is the sculptured pediment of its facade. The deep bas-relief depicts the famous Battle of Tetuan of 1859, where the Spanish Christian Army defeated the Muslim Moroccan Army in Tetuan, Morocco. The artwork is meticulously carved by a skillful hand from solid limestones, formed together to capture the scene where the Spanish cavalry were slowly tearing down the defense of the Moroccan Muslims.

At first it seemed that the bas-relief is quite out-of-place as it does not hold any religious significance: it does not depict any saint or any religious event. But the Battle of Tetuan happened at the time when the San Joaquin Church was being planned for construction, and it was the biggest news of its day.

When the news came to San Joaquin that the Spanish Christian Army annihilated the Muslim defenders of Tetuan, Father Santaren decided to make the victory the design of the church's pediment--as an inspiration for the San Joaquin townspeople that God was with them in the battle against the Muslims--in this case the pirates. It will serve as a perpetual reminder and inspiration that they, too, can defeat the terrorizing Muslim pirates.

And indeed, from then on the San Joaquin Church had stood the test of time--both as a church and fortress, and as an inspirational structure to the townspeople of San Joaquin.

The gigantic original 1869 bell still being used to this day. Parish steward Manong Dodoy stands beside the huge bell for size comparison. The bell's clapper is as large as his head.

Like the ceiling of the Miagao Church bell towers, the ceiling of the bell tower of San Joaquin Church has already become a nest of bats. Despite Manong Dodoy's regular cleaning of bat droppings, the bell tower still exudes a malevolent odor.

The lone bell tower also served as a perfect lookout post into the sea for the incoming vessels of the Muslim pirates during the 19th century

*Special thanks to Reverend Father Manuel Villasan, Parish Priest of San Joaquin; Mrs. Helen Sernicula, Parish Overseer; and Manong Dodoy, Parish Steward. I could never thank them enough for their hospitality during my visit to San Joaquin.

Miagao Church: Views from the Bell Towers

2009-04-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

The Miagao Church Fortress has two bell towers that in the olden days doubled as watchtowers to look out into the sea for incoming vessels of Muslim pirates. During the 18th and 19th century, the Miagao town--as well as other coastal towns of Iloilo--was being terrorized by the Muslim pirates.

The Muslim pirates came from as far as Mindanao, spread terror unto the Visayan seas and looted and burned the coastal towns. To defend the towns against these Muslim marauders, the townspeople built churches that also served as fortresses. In the neighboring town of San Joaquin (some 13 kilometers from Miagao), the townspeople even went as far as to build their church with coral stones.

I was fortunate that I had been given permission by the Parish Priest of Miagao--the Reverend Father Amadeo Escanan, H. P.--to climb inside the bell towers and photograph views from within. Normally, the parish no longer allowed the public to climb the bell towers to avoid vandalism, and also for safety reasons: the belfries' windows do not have safety screens, and the towers have already become a nest of bats. The belfries' gates therefore are always locked and the keys personally kept by Father Escanan*.

The left bell tower

The right bell tower

Sacristan Franz Montalban led me to the bell towers. The passageway was steep and narrow.

An 1839 bell. A bell such as this was usually made of old coins donated by the parishioners to the church. The coins were then melted, smithed, and fashioned into a huge bell, such as this one.

The ceiling became the nestling place for hundreds of bats. Many were flying around my head but didn't touch me. Under my feet, I felt some very soft ground. They were piles of bat droppings covering the entire floor. The repelling stench of bat droppings--from the 18th century to the present--is overpowering. Bat droppings are known to carry diseases, so don't do this at home ;)

1882 bell. This is no longer being used. Bat droppings can be seen on top.

Newer mechanically operated bells. These are the ones presently being used by the church.

The Igbaras mountains viewed from the right bell tower. These mountains were the source of the limestones that built the Miagao Church. It was a dizzying height up there in the right bell tower, and I have to be careful of my every step as there was a real danger of falling from it.

The bell towers offer a commanding view of the sea, a perfect lookout post to view the incoming pirate vessels

The entire experience of climbing the Miagao bell towers was something I could not explain beyond words. From the towers, I could visualize the town of Miagao from hundreds of years ago--when the Miagaonons were living a simple rustic life, and their church offered a solid protection from the pirates. The experience with bats flying overhead and making little noises, the flapping of their wings-made me feel being transported back to the olden times of Miagao. The beauty of it all is that the Miagao town is still the same quiet, lovely, rustic town it had always been for centuries--less the marauding pirates of the past two hundred years.

*Very special word of thanks and appreciation to Reverend Father Amadeo E. Escanan, H.P., the Parish Priest of Miagao; Reverend Father Randy G. Doromal, Parish Vicar of Miagao; Parish Secretaries Mss. Ruby Monteclaro, Geneline Felicio, and Joy Marie Nogra; and Sacristan Franz Montalban. They have all been very hospitable and helpful during my brief stay in Miagao.

The Church and Fortress of Miagao

2009-04-22T21:41:00.000-07:00

Standing like a huge sculptured work of art on the highest elevation of the town of Miagao is its magnificent church fortress that bears the official name of Santo Tomas de Villanueva Church. It is more popularly known simply as the Miagao Church--chosen as one of Unesco's World Heritage Sites.

As I alighted from the deadly Jeepney that brought me to this lovely town, I experienced how immensely satisfying it was to take a first glimpse at this beautiful church fortress. I have seen it before many times, beautifully photographed on many travel books and fellow bloggers' sites--but nothing compares to seeing the church as it loomed large right before my very eyes.

As it happened, no photographer can do it justice. To see its real beauty, you need to see it with your own eyes. A journey to Miagao is therefore in order. Thankfully, you don't need to hang on to a Jeepney like I did. You can even hire a taxi in Iloilo if you want a more convenient ride. I only did the treacherous ride because that's the only way I can be able to photograph the road we were treading.

Before coming to Iloilo, I have already researched for quite sometime about the history of the Miagao Church. My little research on some dusty worn books in the National Library revealed that there had been two previous churches built before the present Miagao Church.

The first church was built in 1734 near the banks of the Tumagboc River. Muslim pirates from the sea used the river as a passageway to attack the Miagao town, and in 1741, the pirates looted the town and destroyed the church with fire and cannon bombardment. The townspeople could not defend their town and church as the pirates always attacked at night.

Unfazed by the pirate terrorism, the townspeople, led by the Cura Parroco Fray Fernando Camporedondo, built another church near the river in 1746. But again, ensuing attacks by the Muslim pirates led to the destruction of this second church.

For sometime, the Miagaonons were left without a place of worship. And the townspeople were on the verge of panic as to when the next pirate attacks would come. Finally, in 1786, the Miagaonons--led by Fray Francisco Maximo Gonzales--decided to sacrifice convenience and built another church far from the river--unto the highest elevation of Miagao town. The idea was to also make the church a sort of a fortress with the two massive bell towers doubling as watchtowers to look out into the sea for anticipation of another pirate attack.

Limestone blocks were quarried from Sitio Tubog in nearby San Joaquin and from as far as the Igbaras mountains to serve as the building blocks of the church. Completed in 1797, the massive fortification boasted a foundation that sank six meters into the ground, and the walls three and a half meters thick (including the buttresses)--too thick that no pirate bombardment can destroy it. Legend has it that the church has secret passages and dungeons. The church interior can also accommodate the townspeople as a sort of camp in case of pirate land invasion. The church windows were held higher than usual so as to avoid any shelling. Thus the church which served the Miagaonons' spiritual needs also kept them safe from pirate attacks. No pirate since then was able to cause trouble to the Miagaonons.

In later years, the church had survived two fires--one in 1898, during the Philippine Revolution and the other one in 1945 during the Second World War. In 1948 a strong earthquake hit Panay island but the church remained intact. There were however already signs of wear and tear to the beloved old church and several renovation and conservation work were done in 1963 and 1975.

Well, that's essentially the shortest history of Miagao Church Fortress I can come up with. I found its history quite fascinating. Now, we will view the church in its present stage. Let us make a virtual tour of the church and relive its glory and history--and as we go along--let us make our minds transport us to those early years when the Miagao townspeople were gripped with fear and terror in anticipation of another pirate attack.

The Miagao at right perspective

Facade, pediment and monument

Detail of the pediment.

This is the most striking feature of the church's facade. The symbolism reflects the way of life of the Miagaonons through the centuries. In bas-relief, it portrays St. Christopher carrying the Child Jesus on his back, while holding on to a coconut tree, a local tree that abounds in Iloilo. Beside this striking sculpture are various depictions of shrubs and trees that are commonly found in Miagao. The balustrades below the bas-relief separate the pediment from the facade. Below, in deep oval niche surrounded by intricate leaf ornamentations, is the life-size figure of Santo Tomas Villanueva, patron saint of Miagao.

On a special niche on the right side of the facade is the life-size figure of the Pope. I am not sure if this is already a replica, but I have not seen any similar figure inside the church. If this is the original, then it must need some restoration to repair the much-damaged right hand. It is also newly-painted. I just hope that they used acid-free paint for the painting.

On the left is the life-size figure of St. Henry. It is also newly-painted. Again, I am not sure if this is original or replica.

The thick massive front doors. The carvings are reminiscent of Romanesque traditional design.

One of the main doors from the side. Again the doors and its frame are well-decorated with carvings.

Interior. It has numerous long benches for the parishioners. The main altar is gilded and very well decorated. The ceiling is unadorned but with high chandeliers that serve as the main lighting (aside from the windows). I noticed that the religious icons are presently covered because they are being prepared for the Holy Week ceremonies.

There was an ongoing confession and I didn't want to disturb the solemnity and just took a few photos of the main altar. I must say that I was quite surprised to see this unique face to face confession in Miagao. This was certainly the very first time that I have seen a confession in front of the altar, and without the confessional cubicle. I found that this was a common practice in Miagao, which mainly means a deep and very personal relationship of the parishioners to their parish priest.

An ancient stone angel serves as a perpetual sentinel within the gates of the church fortress

To be continued

A Suicidal Jeepney Ride from Iloilo to Miagao

2009-04-18T23:16:00.000-07:00

Iloilo-Miagao-San Joaquin Jeepney

If there is one and only one reason I would cite as my primary reason for traveling to Iloilo, it would be to personally see the magnificent historic church and fortress of Miagao (pronounced Mee-yag-aw). That and for that alone, my long and tiring journey would have been more than compensated. Yet the beauty of it all is that there are hundreds and more reasons why traveling to Panay is worth more than all the kilometers needed to reach it.

I could have gone on a short plane trip to Iloilo but I decided to take the road route to reach it. In fact, a plane ticket to Iloilo costs almost the same amount as the bus ride--and it only takes about an hour of flight from Manila to Iloilo City. Yet I chose the long torturous 25-hour route because I wanted to experience the feel of getting there: the riding with ordinary folks, sharing a meal with them in restaurants, even becoming friends with some, and not to mention the romance of a sea voyage, and the sightseeing in the countryside. It’s just like traveling in the olden days when people would spend days and nights in caravans on the road to reach their destinations. The joy of travel lies not in reaching fast to your destination, but the joyride of getting there. It was tiring, but always wonderful, always fascinating.

After settling my things in a convenient and affordable hotel in Iloilo, I started to search for the road to Miagao. It was already one o’clock in the afternoon, a typical hot and humid day. I haven’t had a proper sleep yet, but the two hours of sleep last night at the MV Starlite Atlantic was already enough. I wanted to see the Miagao even before resting for a full sleep.

I arrived here in Ilo-ilo as a complete stranger and I only knew very little of Hiligaynon dialect. I had a girlfriend before who was from Capiz, and she taught me a little conversational Hiligaynon—before she got married—to someone else. But that’s another story.

And so, I could understand some Hiligaynon but couldn’t properly speak it (although I could perfectly imitate a Hiligaynon accent). Since the Ilonggos knew Tagalog, I could ask them in Tagalog and even if they answered in Hiligaynon, I’m sure to understand it.

Here’s a test: I approached a bicycle driver and I asked him in perfect Tagalog (although in Hiligaynon accent):

“Saan po ba ang sakayan ng Jeep papunta sa Miagao?”
(Where is the Jeep terminal to Miagao)

And he answered in perfect Hiligaynon:
“Mag-sakay ka diri, pakadto sa palengke”
(You can ride here in my bike towards the public market)

"Magkano po ang bayad?”
(How much?)

“Pulo”
(Ten pesos)

And so a few minutes later I was already in the public market where I found the Jeepneys that would bring me to Miagao. Miagao is some 40 kilometers from Iloilo City. It will be about a 45 minute ride along the southernmost coast of Panay island. The fare is 45 pesos.

Iloilo-Miagao Jeepneys are longer and wider than their Manila counterparts. About thirty passengers can sit inside, plus 5-7 more who can ride standing on the entrance railing. Heavy baggages, sacks of rice and feeds, and other heavy materials can be placed on top of the vehicle for a small additional cost.

I decided that the most exciting way to ride to Miagao is to stand on the entrance railing of the Jeepney while it tread its way towards Miagao. From there, I can shoot the road we will be traversing, and at the same time get a good vantage point of the road route.

But I know fully well that this would be extremely dangerous--even on the verge of suicide--since I didn't know the exact road conditions from Iloilo to Miagao, and I didn't have any experience riding on the Jeepney's tail. But what the heck, if other men can do it, then I certainly can do it also. My only disadvantage would be that I would be holding a bulky professional camera in my right hand while my left would be holding on to the Jeepney's railing so that I wouldn't fall down into the road. This would make for a very challenging task: to be able to compose a good photograph, while at the same time half of my brain will be on survival mode not to fall from the Jeepney. But I think I can do it. I haven't traveled 500 kilometers yesterday just to be hunkered down by a 40-kilometer ride!

And so my dear readers, just sit back and enjoy the views, while we tread the road from Ilo-ilo to Miagao--some forty kilometers of suicidal Jeepney ride through the coast of the southernmost parts of Panay island---and from the vantage point of someone hanging for dear life from the tail of a deadly Jeepney.

The road to Miagao

Our kindly Jeepney konduktor (steward). He collects the passenger fares and assists elderlies to ride the Jeepney. He doesn't sit inside the Jeepney, but only rides on the outside, holding onto the Jeepney rails on top. I asked him to smile for this photo, and I think he was smiling.

Meet my other fellow riders on top of the Jeepney. They are holding tight because of the deadly speed of our Jeepney. If my estimate is correct, we are approaching the killer speed of 80 kilometer per hour, and one mistake from the driver could send us hurtling into road dirt--enough to seriously injure or kill all of us.

The passengers inside. The little boy was probably curious why I was doing such a stupid thing.

A Jeepney Race! My adrenaline is racing through my veins at this point, hoping to survive this suicidal ride!

An afternoon market scenery in Guimbal, Ilo-ilo.

A wooden bridge. It is a one way bridge--meaning the guard must let only one-way vehicles pass first and then give way later to vehicles going to the opposite direction. I must believe that it was a tiresome job.

We also passed through a concrete bridge over the Sibalom River in the town of Tigbauan. Having been accustomed to the dead rivers in Manila, I had the instant urge to go down and take a dip into what must be a very refreshing river.

The lovely coast is just a few meters from the road.

Another Jeepney going to Miagao. At one point, this Jeepney and our Jeepney were racing with each other to be the first to pick up the waiting passengers along the road. You can imagine me as the man in the yellow shirt (with backpack), because that's the very position I was in our Jeepney in this suicidal ride.

At last, after 45 minutes of suicidal Jeepney ride, we had reached the lovely town of Miagao. I thanked my Jeepney konduktor and fellow passengers for bearing on my photographing the route. The Jeepney had to continue its way towards San Joaquin--still some 2o minutes away. What's important to me now is that......I survived to tell you this story!

Finally, I caught my first glimpse of the magnificent Church and Fortress of Miagao. Isn't that worth the 45 minutes of my deadly ride to this lovely rustic town?

A Journey to Panay Island

2009-04-11T00:33:00.000-07:00

Panay island is located in the Western Visayas region and is comprised of four provinces, namely: Aklan, Capiz, Antique, and Iloilo. Iloilo and Antique are the southernmost provinces of the island.

I have always been fascinated by the land of the Ilonggos, and for this reason, I chose their enchanted and beautiful island as my place of retreat for this Holy Week. My trip to Iloilo would be some 16 hours of land travel by bus, and about 9 hours of sea travel by ferry. There will be two ferry rides, one in Batangas Port to Calapan Port in Mindoro, and the other in Roxas Port Mindoro to Caticlan Port in Aklan.

I arrived at the Cubao Bus Station at 10 am to catch the bus that would depart for Iloilo at 11 am. It is Holy Week time in the Philippines and people are crowding bus terminals to head to the provinces. Manila will be a ghost town in a few days with most of the the malls and stores closed so it's good to be away in the provinces.

At 3 pm, our bus arrived at the Batangas Pier to board the Roro (Roll-on Roll-off) Ferry that would bring us to the island of Oriental Mindoro.

Bus#764 is the bus I was riding. We had to debark the bus to board the Roro. As you can see, the buses fit nicely inside the belly of the ferry. The ferry can accommodate five such buses, plus a few smaller vehicles. We proceeded to the second level of the ferry where seats are provided for the passengers.

It was quite crowded in the ferry and I found it difficult to find a seat, so I just stood on the rails of the ship on the starboard side. Many fellow passengers were enjoying the beautiful views of the seas, while I took time to photograph some typical ship sceneries. Here and there aboard the ship one can find sweethearts sitting together, old women with scarfs wrapped around their heads, mothers tending to little babies, and so on. It has always been a wonderful experience riding with these folks, everyone seemed to be in an excited mood, and nobody seemed to be in too much of a hurry.

Leaving the Island of Luzon at 3:30 pm.

The day was vivid and clear--as well as hot and humid. It is always nice to view the seas, but the 3 hours sea-crossing may be boring for sometime, even if occasional wondrous scenes of green islands and sea rocks present themselves along the sea journey. I was hoping to see some dolphins or whales but instead found some wonderful little fishes jumping together out of the sea. I decided to while away the time to photograph some views.

Approaching the coast of Calapan, Oriental Mindoro. We had already passed the rough waters around Matuko islands along the Verde Island Passage. It was already five in the afternoon.

The Port of Calapan, Oriental Mindoro.

It took some three hours for the ferry to cross the Verde Island Passage. We had to debark now the ferry to continue our land travel along the coast of Mindoro.

As we began to travel to the land of Mindoro, I took a long shot of the sunset at Calapan Harbor. It was almost 6 in the evening.

Arrival at Calapan Port, Oriental Mindoro

We had to alight the Roro at the Calapan Port, Oriental Mindoro, and then ride our bus again for another five-hour, 110 kilometer drive to Roxas Port, Oriental Mindoro. After that, we will cross the sea again from Roxas Port, to Caticlan Port, Aklan. And then for the final leg of the journey, some six hours and 230 kilometers of torturous road journey from Caticlan Port, Aklan to Iloilo City.

So far, we had already had 6 hours of travel (3 hours by bus from Manila to Batangas Pier, and 3 hours by Roro crossing the Verde Island Passage). I was still fresh with still a lot of reserve energy for the next 19 hours of combined land and sea voyage.

In my excitement I forgot that I hadn't had any proper meal yet since we departed Cubao in the afternoon earlier. Inside the bus, I ate some Hansel biscuits and drank a Coke-in-Can. Seated beside me was an old man who I presume to be an Ilonggo, and who spoke very little Tagalog. With him was his apo-- a boy who I estimate to be about five year old-- seated in his lap. I offered them some biscuits and Coke but they declined.

The little boy was eating some itlog ng pugo (boiled quail eggs), which they bought from a vendor who entered the bus earlier. The little boy was quite nauseous (either because of the long ride or the eating of pugo) and all of a sudden, he vomited into the floor, messing one of my trousers' leg with some partially digested pugo. I offered some candy to relieve his nausea but he was quite groggy. The old man was saying sorry to me and I said it was alright. It happens every time. So a word of advice, my dear readers: if you are bringing a child into a long bus travel, bring a plastic container to contain the vomit so that you don't mess a man's trouser.

After a few minutes, the bus stopped in some God-knows-where unknown Mindoro village to let passengers eat, use the restrooms, or bask in fresh air. We stopped in front of a little restaurant where cooked foods are placed on pots and trays for the passengers to choose from. In gratitude for the drivers and kundoktors( bus stewards) who deliver customers, the restaurant gave them free meals. I have the feeling that we are actually the ones paying for their meals because the food was quite expensive. For example, I had to pay 60 pesos for one small platito of pork adobo, and 12 pesos for one cup of rice. But it was okay--we didn't have a choice, really. If only there were some Turo-turo eateries or tapsilogan nearby, but all I see around here are huge tracts of rice fields and mountains from a distance.

As usual, it was a self-service restaurant where diners need to follow a line to buy their foods. The foods are then scooped from the trays and placed directly on your plate just like the way you see it in movies about Alcatraz. One man complained that the scoop of adobo he was getting was very little and demanded a few more from the serbidora. The serbidora added a few slices of pork.

After the supper, we proceeded to the restrooms to unload some unwanted stuff. Restrooms along the national roads are always a challenge to use. They are dirty, smelly, and quite flooded. I don't know but some men preferred to urinate at the floor rather than into the urinals. I remembered my trip to Samar two years ago, where I employed an unusual technique to avoid smelling the ugly restroom stench. I had to cover my mouth and nose with my left hand while trying to steady my pee with my right.

Anyway, we had to resume our travel after the 20 minute break-time. The little boy was quite fine now and was already sleepy. It seemed that the break-time and fresh air did some wonders to relieve his nausea. Meantime the night had already descended and the konduktor decided to play some movies in the TV set installed in the bus. The movie was an old Tagalog action film starring Robin Padilla, killing all his 120 heavily-armed enemies--with only his one gun. But Padilla also got hit--in the arm, and for that, he rescued his chick and lived happily ever after. Ho-hum...

After the movie, some music were played and most passengers decided to doze off. The lights of the bus were turned-off. The seats could not be reclined(this was an old bus) , however, so everyone slept in sitting position. I was not much of a sleeper and much less a sitting-sleeper so I was just peering my eyes outside the window trying to make out figures in the darkness. Well, I could figure out some ricefields, and some faraway mountains, as well as some nipa houses along the road. These are the sort of typical countryside sceneries you'll see along the provincial roads.

At 11 pm we finally reached the Port of Roxas, Oriental Mindoro. It took us some five hours of land travel from Calapan to Roxas (some 130 kms). We will board the Roro again to cross the sea towards the Caticlan Port, Aklan.

While waiting for our bus to board the Roro, I whiled away sometime to look for a Sari-sari store around the Roxas area. There are many such stores in Roxas open till early in the morning, serving the passengers who will board the ferries. I bought some Hopia Mongo and a cup of coffee from this store.

Our kindly bus driver and kundoktor(bus attendant), taking a break in one of the Sari-sari stores.

Our ship, the MV Starlite Atlantic

Each passenger--young and old--had to pay a terminal fee of 15 pesos each to enter the harbor. We had to wait sometime to wait for the buses to enter the ferry. At 12 pm, the ferry finally hooted its horns, signaling the beginning of our sea voyage. I went to the third level of the ferry to shoot some scenes, but couldn't get sharp pictures because of the choppy sea waters. The trip would be about four hours long, so I decided to just rest for a while to reserve my energy for the long sea journey.

A Midnight Crossing of the Seas aboard the ship MV Starlite Atlantic

At 12 am, our ship MV Starlite Atlantic began to leave Roxas Port for our voyage to Caticlan, Panay Island. We will be crossing the Tablas Strait, the sea that separates Mindoro and Panay islands. It will be some four and a half hour of sea voyage-- so I better find a seat to rest for a while. I did find one in the uppermost level of the ship. The ship was bigger than the one we boarded earlier, but it was also quite crowded. Thankfully there are enough benches to accommodate everyone, plus a few extras for those wanting to sleep in a curl up fetal position. The ship was well ventilated by the sea air which made the sea voyage quite cool and comfortable.

From above, the hazy glow of full moon gives some lovely romantic reflections unto the now gentle sea surface. The moon seemed to give a mellow ambiance into the genial mood of our sea voyage. Except for the moon and the streaks of lovely clouds, the sky was starless and the gentle winds just give a refreshing respite into the otherwise humid atmosphere.

From the horizon, I could figure some lonely silhouettes of islands and islets in stark darkness against the ambient light of the moon. I was now so faraway from my family and friends, and despite the crowds in the ship, I felt alone.

A sea voyage on a moonlit night is able to make poets and composers out of men. I remember that Rizal created the poem "By the Pasig" while he was on a lovely moonlit night walk with his lovely Leonor Rivera. And certainly Beethoven was inspired to compose his famous "Moonlight Sonata" while seeing the gentle reflections of the moon on a beautiful lake in Switzerland.

Yet I am not a composer and a writer, and the length of land and sea travel already numbed my artistic senses for composition. I decided to occupy one of the empty benches and tried to sleep for a few hours, knowing that I still have several hours of travel ahead of me. At first I couldn't sleep, but my tired body finally gave up and I slept for two hours.

I woke up at around 2 am. I pulled myself to a sitting position on the bench and put on my leather jacket. I walked to the rail of the ship to view the horizon. I assumed that we are now on the very middle of the Tablas Strait. There was nothing much to see except for occasional silhouettes of islands from beyond the horizon.

I walked to the canteen and ordered a chicken sandwich and a hot 3-in-1 instant coffee which was very soothing and regenerated my now somewhat fatigued body. I noticed that most of my fellow passengers were sleeping along the benches while some--especially the men-- stood on the rails smoking and chatting. The atmosphere was quite relaxed and the only sound that you can hear are the hushed sound of the ship's engine as it silently glided its way deeper unto the middle of the sea, and the gentle sound of the waters as it quietly splashed into the ship's hull.

At 4 am, we finally reached the Port of Caticlan, Aklan, Panay Island. We debarked the ship to continue our land travel by bus. This was the first time that I was able to set foot in Panay island.

Now ahead of me is still some six hours and 230 kilometers of land travel through the provinces of Aklan, Capiz, Antique, and finally Ilo-ilo, where I decided to spend my Holy Week. The road condition from Caticlan to Ilo-ilo was mostly good with occasional under construction and dirt roads along the way. There are too many blind curves along the route mostly in the border of Capiz and Aklan.

An early morning street scene in Kalibo, Aklan. 6 am April 7, 2009

Intersection road along the National Hi-Way, Kalibo Aklan

Our kindly bus driver was now replaced by a reserve driver who was quite experienced driving along these torturous roads in Panay island.

Restrooms along the provincial roads.

A mid-morning market scene in Dumarao, Capiz

And finally, by 12pm, I reached Ilo-ilo City. How about that! Behind me now was more than 24 hours of combined sea and land travel--that's more than 500 kilometers of road travel--not including the hundreds of nautical miles covered by our two sea voyages! It's nice to finally reach my destination. But first I have to settle my things into a nice hotel. After the torturous journey, I think I deserve a good hotel accommodation in the city. And that means I have to rest for a while.

An Open Letter to an Anonymous Commenter

2009-04-08T02:47:00.000-07:00

Dear Most Excellent Sir,

What have I done that you have to vilify me and the Filipino people so much?

I am not sure about your motive although I am sure you have great hatred towards me and the poor people I am writing about.

If you think that I take pleasure photographing these poor people, you are very mistaken. I have always find it hard to photograph the poor. It always breaks my heart seeing poor children making a living by sifting garbages, of babies crying because of lack of milk, and people living in the streets. I don't know about you, but maybe you even spit on these poor people when you see them begging for food. And certainly you want to kill them (and you included me), by planning to throw bombs to their dwelling spaces.

Many people have realized fully my purpose why I expose these living conditions of the poor. But obviously, you have not. Your narrow mind does not allow the understanding that these poor need our attention and help. It is a social cancer that must be treated immediately with very powerful medicines. But before we treat it, we must know the extent and stage of the malignancy. My photographs and articles must lift the veil that covers the wound so that those who see it can offer either a temporary respite, or a long-term solution.

Many years ago, Jose Rizal exposed so many social ills in our country and for that he was shot by the Spaniards--and freed our country. If Rizal wrote something about love stories instead of corruption and oppression, do you think the Filipino people would have learned so soon that they were being oppressed? That they also need to be free people? Sometimes, we need to look at a thing on a another level to gain a good perspective and gain an understanding. By reading Rizal's book people were awakened to their fateful plight.

Of course I do not pretend to be like Rizal. I just wanted to borrow the way he unmasked the painful realities of his era. I am not perfect and I have my shortcomings. I am PINAKABOBO (as you said), but at least I have the blessing to be compassionate about the poor and their miseries.

Maybe you have not experienced how it is to go about living everyday with an empty stomach, bearing hunger and misery everyday? Have you ever experienced sleeping in the streets with poor people? How about sleeping in a little box house where rats roam at night? Or eating with your bare hands food that came from garbage cans?

I'm sure you will not do those things because you are living a life of cleanliness. You have not experienced these miseries. You eat more than enough food to make your stomach bloat, and wear thick clean clothes to hide your evil soul.

You are right, the poor people live in squalor, but that didn't make them less of a human being than you. Unfortunately, in the Philippines, poverty is a fate and not a choice. The culture of corruption and capitalism prevented these poor people from a fair chance of progress.

Lastly, about you. I don't know anything about you because you do not give us the fair chance of knowing you--by posting anonymously. Yet, you speak the Filipino language well, although you hate the Filipinos, which made me assume you were a former Filipino who renounced his citizenship in favor of another.

I guess this open letter will just be futile since I know your brain could not understand the simple things I'm saying here. So I will predict that you will post comments in my blog under different names--to attack me--and sometimes to defend me. I find it curious that you take on different personalities consistent with a perverted mind. You don't have a valid opinion at all and I feel pretty sad for you.

As always, I will not edit nor delete your comments. Attack me if you want--you can say the vilest things about me.

When the time comes when the rich and corrupt government officials of the Philippines have already done something for the poor--and not just empty promises (where the funds go to their pocket for their luxurious living)--I will stop my posts about the poor. But sadly, I do not see anything in the future about such hope.

So if you find later that I have future posts about prostitution, child labor, and many other social malignancies that are side-effects of poverty, please attack me all you like.

You are very welcome.

Off to Panay Island

2009-04-04T17:05:00.000-07:00

Thank you for visiting my blog. I will be leaving for a trip to Iloilo and will not be updating my blog for the entire Holy Week. I have always made Holy Week a time to reflect and contemplate on my life. Last year, I spent the Holy Week in Marinduque, which you can read here here, here and here.

See you again soon and I wil be posting about my Iloilo adventure when I come back the Monday after the Holy Week.

Take care and God Bless!

The Looban: Life Inside the River Slums(3)

2009-04-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

A large family (20 members--the other five are outside) lives in 10 sq.m living space

The typical toilet of the slum house in the Looban.
Human excrements drop directly to the river below.

In the Looban, chismis (gossip) is a social activity of the women (although men also sometimes engaged in it). Idle afternoons, when household chores are already done, are often the times when the chismis session begins. Topics are varied i.e., the pregnancy of a teen-age neighbor, the mistress of a male neighbor, etc. Chismis often leads to verbal tussles among the women folks.

Kids play the popular Filipino game Tumbang Preso.

Public bathing is considered a socially acceptable activity in the Looban.

Siesta time.

The Looban:Life Inside the River Slums (2)

2009-04-03T16:53:00.000-07:00

Lola knew the happier times when the river was clean. She had been living in the Estero since the 1950s.

Happy and contented in her little box house

Drinking session. Red Horse Beer.

Drinking Session. Tanduay Rum.
The drinking session is a favored activity of the men in the slums. It is part of the camaraderie and those not invited in the drinking are often considered not part of the group, or a weakling. Women are not allowed to participate in the drinking session. When a male acquaintance or a stranger passes by, the men invite them for a shot. Sometimes refusal may be considered a slight especially if the men are already drunk. Here I have found them to be still in sober state so a refusal is considered acceptable. The drinking session is considered a problem of the Looban as it almost often results in brawl among the men. Surprisingly, in the morning after the brawl, when the men became sober, they almost always forgot the brawl and continued to be friends with each other--and ready for another drinking session.

A mother washes the laundry

While her baby cries inside. No milk was available and the baby will be fed when the father and milk arrives an hour later.

Cara y Cruz is a favorite gambling of the men. Three coins are tossed and dropped to the ground and the bangka (the coin tosser) always keep one side of the coin--say the heads--and he invites other gambler to bet on tails. Sometimes, gambling--like the drinking session--can lead to verbal hussles and brawl among these men

To be continued

The Looban: Life Inside the River Slums

2009-04-01T17:01:00.000-07:00

The Looban (pronounced as Lo-oh-ban) is a term loosely applied to the interior cluster of stilt shanty houses in a slum area. The Looban is composed of numerous clusters of houses and dwellings divided by narrow unnamed streets and blind-alleys.

The Looban which we are about to explore is an interior squatter neighborhood located along the banks of the Estero de Paco in Barangay Ducepec, in Paco, Manila. The houses are built along the river banks and extended up to three meters to the river. This means that half of the house is on solid ground and the other half is beneath the toxic river.

Most houses are very small, known locally as the Barong-barong. It is like a box structure made of different kinds of scavenged materials: plywood, cardboards, pieces of wood salvaged from the garbage dump site, flattened tin cans and rusted tin roofs. On top of the roofs can be found, invariably, vehicle tires or concrete blocks as a means of leverage in case of typhoons.

There is no definite shape of the houses. The architecture is not the main concern. The main concern is to provide each member of the family with enough sleeping space, which, unfortunately is not always enough. There are no rooms inside the houses. The one room that they have is used for dining and sleeping. There is no proper toilet within the houses. There is just a very small walled room called Kubeta where a small hole on the floor is opened directly to the river underneath. This serves as the toilet.

Most houses have barely any furnishings. It is not considered important to buy these luxuries. Food is the most important commodity that they buy with what little money they earn. As such there is also no electricity or clean water system as they cannot pay for these services. The electricity problem has been solved by a few enterprising men who managed to connect illegal wires to the electric post. These enterprising men were given 5 peso a day by each of the houses. But the illegal connection starts only at night as the Meralco (the power service provider), checks the wires at day.

The clean water is being fetch through an illegal connection to the water pipes. But a few neighbors who managed to get legal connections protested because they said that the stolen water was being charged to their account. These few with legal connections sell water by the Timba (bucket) for 2 pesos. All day, there are numerous timbas lining the faucet for clean water. It was a good business. Although there is also a Poso (deep well) where people can get water, but its water is not potable for drinking (only for washing clothes), so most buy potable water.

Access to the Looban is through a small opening of an unnamed street. People go in and out of the Looban through this very narrow passage. Sometimes, when there are numerous people going in or out at the same time, they have to walk sideways to make enough space for a walking passage.

***

I have to say that photographing the living conditions inside these squatter dwellings has been the most difficult task I have yet done as a photojournalist. In a period of several weeks, I visited and revisited the Looban so as to immerse myself with the plight of the poor Filipinos living inside this squatter area. Many of the residents welcomed me even though I was alone and a complete stranger. Despite the warnings given to me by some people that life inside the slum could be dangerous to a stranger (indeed, one of the streets was named Street of No Return), I felt no hostility from the people living inside. If there was, I did not notice it. In fact, many of them were very friendly and accommodating, even allowing me inside their dwellings for interviews and taking photographs.

The men seemed to be very hospitable, too. As I walked along the narrow streets, I found some of them in drinking session and offered me a "shot". I always decline such generous offers and I'm glad they did not force me, because if they did, I would have to drink a shot. Seeing my camera, they willingly agreed to my offer to photograph their drinking session.

Life inside the slum area is hard. Really, it's hard to be poor. Most families have barely anything to eat, and their living conditions are deplorable. Some houses are like little boxes where rats, flies, cockroaches, and mosquitoes share a living space with the human beings.

This series has been a great learning experience for me, and I will never look at life the same way again.

To be continued

Views from a Dead River

2009-03-29T07:30:00.000-07:00

Ever since time immemorial, people chose to live beside a river. The river serves many purposes: a source of food and water, a means of transportation, a way of livelihood and trade. Generally, the soil near the river is considered more fertile and people time and again benefit from this by raising farms and animals near the banks of a river. Through the years, people rely on the river for these important functions.

In the 20th century, the increase in population and urbanization has resulted in a downright abuse of the river. In the Philippines, the economic situation has affected the landscape along the river systems. Being a Third World country, many poor people squatted along the banks of major river systems in Manila, building make-shift houses and shanties without proper garbage disposal system, drainage system, and private lavatories. Being poor, these Filipino squatters are largely ignorant of the eventual degradation of the rivers and esteros. Their main concern lay within the survival and well-being of the family and not those surrounding them. The government, for its part, failed to check this problem and allowed the squatters to multiply along the river banks. Furthermore, funds supposedly allotted to rehabilitate the river was pocketed by some corrupt government officials.

The increase in urbanization made the rivers and creeks serve other purposes, like becoming the dumpsite for the household refuse, a gigantic public lavatory, and eventually, sewerage and drainage system. The problem has remained unchecked until some civil and environmental groups started to notice the eventual degradation of the Manila river systems. The pressure from these groups led the local governments to take a first look into the already humongous problem. By then, it was already too late.

The households account for a major part of the pollution of the rivers. But so were the factories and refineries along the rivers. The Pasig River, for example, began to darken in the 1960s and people no longer use the water for drinking purposes since that time. By the 1970s, the Pasig began to emit a foul smell, and by the 1980s, fishing was already considered nonviable. In the 1990s, the Pasig River is considered one of the most polluted rivers in the world, and officially declared "biologically dead". In its death throes, the Pasig River's dark and foul waters remained a stark reminder of human neglect, abuse and apathy.

The creeks that flowed to the Pasig River are no less polluted. The Estero de Paco creek that winds its course along the districts of Paco and Sta. Ana, is considered one of the worst esteros in the world. Not only is it "biologically dead", it is also now "biologically deadly". It has now become a source of disease and death. The piles of garbages, mixed with chemicals, human and animal excrements, have become a toxic environment for those living along it.

Hence, the river that once gave life to people, has already become its nemesis.

Kalakal Children

Who cares? If all we leave our children is a dead river?

*All my photos are copyrighted. Please do not reproduce my photographs without my consent.

Inescapable Reality

2009-03-14T17:28:00.000-07:00

Our minds sometimes tend to shutter the hard and pervading problems of our society just so because it can negate from our consciousness the uneasy reality that we are somehow part of the problem. Yet the problem do exists, however much our minds choose to deny it. We refuse to look at it face to face, because we do not want to share a guilt in the blame.

It's funny how we follow the logic that since we are not the cause of the problem, why would we then be part of the solution? If we can rephrase the question, maybe it can bring us to the glaring reality: if we are not part of the solution, are we not also part of the problem?

The Kalakal Boys

2009-03-11T09:15:00.000-07:00

The Kalakal Boys refer to the children who scavenge a garbage dump site for any material (kalakal) that can later be sold to the junk shops. The Kalakal Boys have to sift through piles of refuse and garbages to find plastic bottles, wares, or anything that can still be of use.

In the Estero de Paco area, I have met several of the Kalakal Boys while on their usual job: scavenging the piles of garbages that have accumulated on top of the river. Aged seven to fifteen, the boys no longer go to school. Instead, they have to earn money by scavenging to support their families. A whole day of scavenging earns them some 60 pesos (about $1.40) which they divide among themselves.

I asked one of the Kalakal Boys why he stopped schooling and he said, "Walang pera, kuya! Ang tatay ko lasenggo, binubugbog nanay ko pag walang pang-inom. Kaya ako nangangalakal para may pang-inom ang tatay at di mabugbog ang nanay " (We don't have the money. My father is a drunkard who always beats my mother when she has nothing to give for his liquor. So I work to give my father some money so he will not beat her".)

Some of the boys told me that they also do this job to help feed their younger siblings, or to help in the family needs such as bigas (rice) or gulay (vegetables).

The Kalakal Boys seemed unaffected by the overwhelming dirt and maladorous stench that surround them. I have photographed the boys at close range and I stepped on the garbage itself, and I can attest that the stench has the combined odor of rotting carcasses, animal and human excrements, and everything rotten you can imagine. The dump area is also infested with rats, and swarms of flies and mosquitoes.

I asked the boys if the garbage and foul smell affect them at all and they answered: "Mabaho at madumi po talaga, pero sanayan na lang, Kuya" (Yes it's indeed very dirty and foul-smelling, but one gets used to it after some time).

Indeed, living everyday under these hideous conditions, one realizes the ability of the human body to adapt its senses to protect the body. This defense mechanism maybe only psychological because I found that some of the boys are already suffering from tuberculosis. And indeed, this world of garbage is a pitfall for malaria, asthma, dengue, typhoid, lead poisoning, and many other diseases and health hazards related to foul environment.

I just hope that soon our society will take note of these poor kids and offer some kind of help that could give them a chance to live decently and away from this rotting hell--before its too late.

The Estero (the river--well, it used to be a river once)

Searching for the kalakal

Children of the River

2009-03-09T12:32:00.000-07:00

Words just cannot describe the sadness I felt when I took these photographs. The children's innocent faces and smiles just broke my heart into pieces. We don't have the right to let children live under these inhuman living conditions. I have the feeling that we all somehow share a guilt by turning a blind eye, or just letting these happen.

Don't they have the chance to swim in a clean river, the way our grandparents did before?

Estero de Paco: Life Along the River

2009-03-08T05:09:00.000-07:00

This is a photo-documentary about an estero, and the people who are living along its banks. This is the story of Estero de Paco, once the cleanest and loveliest creeks in Manila. Now, it has become the dirtiest, most polluted, and garbage-laden esteros among all the creeks that flow directly to the Pasig River.

As one of the major creeks that flow directly to the Pasig River, the Estero de Paco is up for a major clean-up. It is part of the "Buhayin ang Pasig" program of the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC) .

I have observed that the water of the Estero de Paco is now slimy, thick, and dark-colored, with floating garbage of all kinds (plastic materials, household wastes), animal carcasses, and human feces. The garbage in the river has become so thick that rats are able to run on top of it--chased by cats. The river and its surrounding areas has a very hideous odor.

Human habitation along the river is considered a major contributor to the pollution of the river. Everyday tons of garbage from households are dumped into the river. The river has virtually become a garbage dump site.

To solve this problem, and to clean up the Estero, the PRRC plans to demolish the human habitation three meters from the banks of the river. This means that about 1,300 families will be affected in the Estero de Paco area alone.

Of course, the affected families did not like this idea. Although they were squatters, they nevertheless have established long-residency along the river and by law cannot just be ejected. The PRRC therefore opted to give them either a relocation site in Montalban, Rizal, or, if they didn't want the site, they can just receive a cash incentive and find a place somewhere else far from the river.

Most of these families are very poor. I have interviewed many of them and saw first hand their living conditions. Many of them live in squalor, their shanties made of light plywood materials and rusted tin roofs. Most homes have very small living spaces that do not have proper sleeping quarters and toilets. The river underneath their houses has become the toilet. Many of their children do not go to school, and the parents have no permanent jobs or already lost jobs.

---

I have photographed this photo-essay alone and with no assistance from anyone. I am not working for any agency or organization and I am not a professional writer or photographer. I have tried to depict the conditions as fairly as possible, and as I have seen them. I have only tried to learn about the river and its people from the standpoint of an independent observer.

Although I have spent months visiting many areas of the river, and interviewed many of the the families that will be affected by the relocation, and interviewed concerned agencies, I do not lay claim that this photo-essay is by any means authoritative. What you are about to see is only a small portion of the bigger problem of the Pasig River itself, and the plan to save it from death.

The Estero de Paco is just one of the thousands of polluted rivers around the world. My only wish is to have my photos expose the sad realities of modernization and urbanization. I also hope that this will contribute in a little way to a more active environmental awareness in all of us.

The Estero de Paco near the Paco Public Market (The building at left is the Paco Catholic Church)

To be continued...

Pretend You Don't See Her

2009-03-06T05:47:00.000-08:00

Pretend you don't see her.

Pretend that you are busy using your cellphones.

Pretend that you are sleeping.

Pretend, because you, gentlemen, didn't want to give your seats to the ladies

Pretend because you didn't want to feel guilty.

Because you are comfortable.

And because the ladies are, after all, strangers.

Because we are no longer living in the Age of Chivalry.

And because we no longer abide by the rule of "Ladies first"

...But we cannot live in the world of pretensions.

And so, the gentlemen who realized this, suddenly stood up.

And gave their comfortable seats to the ladies.

For which they receive the sweetest smiles,

And thank yous from the ladies

who know how to appreciate a chivalrous deed..

..But some men didn't want to give their seats.

And still continue to pretend!

Oh The Great Pretenders!

*Photograph was candidly shot yesterday inside the MRT train while I was on the way to Makati.