A grand old house in Iloilo
What is so fascinating about an old house? Its architecture, its history? The story of the people who once lived in it? In the old district of Jaroin Iloilo stands a 200-year-old house where the wife of former vice-president Fernando Lopez, once lived.
The house was built by her banker grandfather RamonJavellana, and it served both as a residence as well as a bank. Robert Lopez Puckett, a great grandson who is now the owner of the house, removed a plank of the molave floor in the master bedroom and showed us where the bank’s money used to be kept. In 1910, a vault was installed there and it still exists today.
Puckett started the restoration of his ancestral house in 1993. The wall finish on the ground floor was carefully chipped off to reveal the original red bricks underneath.
More than 20 coats of paint, applied by the various tenants through the years, were removed from the wooden walls. The meticulous restoration work continues to this day.
The house is lived-in and Pukett, who is the president of Solar Electric Company Inc., had solar cells unobtrusively installed on the roof, his small concession to modernization.
Indeed, Casa Mariquit could very well serve as a metaphor for the bigger setting that is Iloilo today- a rich inheretance of a grand past that continues to hold meaning in the present.
The man after whom the waterfront boulevard in Iloilo City was named, British vive-consul Nicholas Loney, is said to be largely responsible for transforming Iloilo from a small town to one of the country’s major producers of sugar in the second half of the 1800s.
The migrations from Iloilo to the neighboring province of Negros where the wealth of its old rich is traced to the bounty brought by the sugar boom. The grand old houses and stately mansions that you find in many parts of Iloilo wealth and grandeur of this time.
In 1928, Don Vicente lopez built for his beloved wife, Elena Hofiena, a beau art said to be the original site of the first millioners’ row in the country.
Known as the Nelly Gardens, Dona Elena used to have as many as eight gardeners at a time tending to her orchids, roses, milflores and many other varities of flowering plants. Inside, a used harp, violen, and piano are dispayed in the music room that was later turned into a game room with. the addition of the very first billiard table ever installed in the city. In the dining room, the long table can sit as many as 24 guests.
The main living room and sitting area could be converted into a ballroom when the orchestra and guests who came in finery that matched the elegant setting. From the mezzanine or palco, order relatives and special guests would sit to watch the dancing below.
But what is the good life without good food?
One of the most outstanding things that make your visit in Iloilo truly memorable is the food.
How can we ever forget the sumptuous lunch at Breakthrough Restaurant in the coastal district of Arevalo, hosted by its gracious owner, Munting Robles? We feasted on succulent shellfish of uncommon varities such as diwal, an elongated tongue-shaped shellfish found in muddy waters, and imbao, a bi-valve usually found in muddy waters.
The kanlay, which must have come straight from the sea, was prepared two ways broiled and as fish head soup. Lato or seaweed was served as a side dish, and sinamak and ginger, as dipping sauce.
After the annonated tour, packed with the cultural and historical facts and trivia, at the Museo Iloilo, the museum building in the Philippines, we were more than ready for merienda of special batchoy at Ted’s Old Timer Restaurant, right across the Amigo Terrace Hotel, centrally located in the city’s busy commercial and financial district, included pancit Molo soup, kadios, an Ilonggo dish made of pork cutlets simmered in black beans and langka (jackfruit); and kalkag or fried rice with roasted dried baby shrimps.
Iloilo City’s dynamic Mayor Jerry Trenas, who had just won a second term by the a landslide, and his charming wife Rosalie welcomed the members of the press from Manila who came for the familiarization tour hosted by the newly organized Iloilo City Convention Bureu (ICCB), together with the Department of Tourism Region VI office headed by Director Edwin Trompeta.
It was the idea of Mayor Trina’s, given to the private sector of the tourism industry in Iloilo, to form the ICCB to promote Iloilo in the international convention market.”
The objective is to project Iloilo, which is the regional center of Western Visayas, as the place to do business and hold meetings and conferences,” says ICCB marketing representative Nazarlina Lim.
Our cebu Pacific Flight from Manila to Iloilo took shorter than the usual 50 minutes.” Cebu Pacific time is on-time” is the battle cry of the country’s second leading domestic carrier. We were billeted at the charming Hotel del Rio which sits on the banks of the clear flowing Iloilo River. “the amience is suited to both business and family vacations,” says its amiable general manager Jesse Ledesma.
Across the street, at the La Fiesta Hotel, the spacious multi-purpose hall is adequately equipped with modern conference and meeting facilities.
An easy 45-minute drive to the south of Iloilo City, passing through historic towns such as Onton, the first Spanish settlement and oldest municipality in Iloilo, takes you to Miag-ao where the magnificent Miag-ao church stands like an impregnable fortress.
Built in 1788 as a place of worship, it also served as a refuge during moro pirate attacks.
It has two dissimilar ell towers and a unique façade with decorative relief that’s described as “native botanical” feauturing , papaya, guava, and palm trees. The main altar underwent “faithful restoration” in 2001. The fresh gold leaf application alone was worth p 4.9 million.
The original sandstone and coral base of the altar was kept intact. Miag-ao Church is inscribed in the UNESCO World Heretage list and is one of the most photographed churches in the Philippines.
Other churches of interest in Iloilo include the Villa de Arevalo church where you’ll find the country’s third oldest Sto.Nino dating back to 1581; the Baroque Gothic Jaro cathedral with its belfry standing separately across the street; and the Gothic renaissance church of Molo, built in 1831, with its sixteen female saints.
As the story goes, in building the Molo church, egg whites were used as construction material while the discarded egg yolks were used to bake biscuits. This gave birth to the Panederia de Molo that has since been baking among others, for the past 130 years. These have become pasalubong favorites as well as the bisocho from Biscocho haus and butterscotch from Sweet cense.
Iloilo today is not unlike its grand old houses undergoing restoration. The old world charm and refinement were never really lost. They need only to be reclaimed.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
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Holiday entertaining in style
Nothing is as fashionable as decking your home with Christmas décor exclusively available at the Rustan’s Flower Shop. Visit their stores at Rustan’s Makati, Shangri-La, Alabang Town Center and Ayala Center Cebu, and get a glimpse of the latest design in Christmas tree, wreath, garland, and table-top arrangements.
Themes being `introduced this year are Sweet Romance, which carries a pink and silver motif; Oriental Christmas with the traditional red and gold motif; and Children’s Christmas with peppermint and ginger bread motif; Also available are Christmas lights and limited collections of silk Christmas flowers and ornaments in green and blue color schemes.
Aside from being a well-known designer and producer of export-quality Christmas arrangements, Rustan’s Flower Shops goes all out on gift items this year. Affordable imported Christmas figurines, mugs, candleholders, hanging ornaments, and other trinkets are exclusively available.
Imported candles and scents, simmering liquid potpourri, dried potpourri and burners in glass and ceramic are available. Costumers can choose from a wide variety of packaging to wrap their precious gifts, such as local and imported decorative boxes and paper bags in various shapes and size, available at reasonable prices.
For scents, let the festive aroma of apples, cinnamon, blueberry, vanilla, hazelnut, and the calming effect of sea water, rainforest, and floral scents fill the air and complete the ambience of the holidays as you entertain family and friends. Tapered non-drip candles are available as well.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
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Shoot that ball and change the world
I Knew my friends and I were in for a very tough time after I found out that we would be teaching basketball to more than 80 kids from the Pangarap Shelter in Pasay. I hadn’t done any real volunteer work before so when I learned that 2bU! Would be coming out with this tissue, I couldn’t pass the opportunity up.
But before I go on, allow me to thank my high school friends-Mark Anthony Frial, Marlon Gomez, and John Marquez-and my loyal buddy, Brix Gil Bayuga, for gladly helping me out in this assignment.
Days before we visited the Pangarap Shelter with nothing to show but our “skills” (yeah right!), I had really been more nervous than exited. One question kept bugging me: How would learning basketball change their world?
I hadn’t heard of the Pangarap Shelter before so I did a little research first. Located at the corner of Taft Avenue and Escobal Street, the shelter is run by the Religious Brothers, providing children under its care shelter, medical and legal services, physical and psychological help, and formal and informal education.
Children are referred to the shelter by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, street educators and like organizations. Walk- in clients and runaways are also accepted. Those who have finished their vocation at the shelter are then released.
Some, on the other hand, are provided “after-care,” in which they are assigned social workers who can help them in their various needs.
When we arrived at the place, we didn’t know what to expect. All our apprehensions were put aside, however, as the kid who welcomed us was very gracious, polite and respectful. That basically set my mind at ease, at it would be easier to teach kids just like him.
After introducing ourselves, we asked the children to form rows. We started off by asking them to do some stretchings. Soon after, we went into teaching them basics.
It was really nice seeing them follow us.
There were some who just couldn’t seem to stay in place, but we expected that since most of them were barely in their teens.
Thirty minutes after, we divided the kids into groups of live for a half-court game of basketball. It was really very surprising to the ball. They were passing the ball, trying to find who was open to take the shot.
Rarely do we see that in either collegiate or professional basketball!
And even though we didn’t have a price to give the would-be winners, they still played competitively.
Dexter R. Matilla, August 25, 2004, Philippine Daily Inquirer
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A Village for a Basket
Networking is working wonders in the province of Queszon.
Through Abing’s Handicrafts in Tayabas, tatay, nanay, and rven ate and kuya can weave export-quality baskets in the comfort of their own homes.
“It’s actually what we call subcontracting,” says Ping Cabuyao, who now heads the company his mother Abing started.
One of the pionerering handicraft manufacturers in town, Abing’s began in 1972 as a small businesws engaged in making buri hats and placemats. When his mother, now 71, retired in 1998, Cabuyao left his job in MWSS to save the company from extinction. Today, Abing’s supplies in Manila, which then sell the items for export.
In the garage, preety baskets made of rattan and wrought iron are ready for delivery. At the warehouse, piles of abaca, buri, pandan, bamboo and assorted fibers can be seen. Abing’s supplies these materials to the family lies of maglalala (weavers). They, in turn, supply the labor.
The number of workers involved depends upon the volume and the production time given by the buyers. Sometimes even a whole barangay is engaged. And I though it may actually seem troublesome to finish a job, cabuyao says it’s hardly the case.
Sourcing problems
Cabuyao says problems actually stem from sourcing the materials and not from the house-to house system. As far as he knows, the subcontracting system is still employed in most parts of the province. It was the way things were when he was still in highschool and helping out his mom, and he has no plans to change the process since it is especially beneficial to the laborers, who are mostly farmers. Tayabas is mainly agricultural, after all, with rice and copra as it’s main crops.
Weaving, says Cabuyao, helps supplewment the farmers’ income. They squeeze in time during or after the planting season to do weaving at the home. Even the wives and children are learning the craft. Abin’s gives the design, materials and due date. The workers get paid per finished piece.
These projects, however, are seasonal, so it’s but natural that the weavers look for work from other manufacturers.Cabuyao doesn’t take this personally. He even recommends them to other companies when there’s no job to accomplish.
Allison W. Lopez, August 29, 2004, Philippine Daily Inquirer
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Small steps to a better life
This used to be a water-lily pond, “says Delia Million, showing her neighborhood at 81 measuring in Mandaluyong City.” When we settled her in 1990, the houses were on stilts. The water at its deepest was 20 ft.”
Reclaimed from the bog, the place has become one of metro manila’s “ inner cities,” accessible from the main road only by foot. The 3,600-sq. m. area is congested with some 1,200 residents, or 216 households.
Milliona, president of the Makaturing neighborhood Association for three years now, says the place is generally peaceful, though it has its share of disturbances, as any other depressed area.
Livehood, of course, is a major factor that shapes the characteristics of a social milieu. The Manila Water Company recognizes this when it implements sustainable- development programs through its Kabuhayan Para saBarangay.
The livehood programs, aimed to “contribute to the improvement in the quality of life of the urban poor. “ include: waste recycling; rag making; sari-sari store; skills based programs (soap-making, candle making, beads and accessories, shoe repair, haicut, manicure and pedicure); mobile stores (fish or squid balls, innards, kikiam, camote-or banana-cue; talipapa for basic food commodities (fish, meat,vegetables,fruits).
The MWC ractionale:” We believe the continued sustainability of our business is dependent on the communities we serve and the environment that supports our resources.”
Manila Water helps a depressed area in Mandaluyong uplift its condition and sustain its water service MWC right –of away and sustainable-development programs.
On June 24, a micro-financing project was lunched, with Makatururing as the pilot area. Eight families were initially chosen.
“We choose those who know their business, or who have the skills,” says Sevilla.
“We have earmarked open spaces for their business.”
One such common space is the approximately 10 m x 30 m cemented area that for the residents. Too rectangular, for a square, and too uneven for a rectangle, the place is bound on all sides by shanties, makeshift structures, unfinished concrete houses.
Here, on the afternoon of the projects launch, a fiesta atmosphere prevailed. A sound system blared as a people came and went, whirled, lingered, happiness on their faces.
Here were spread the local entreprenuers’ ware: bilaos of pancit and kakanin; heaps of vegetables; plastic jars of iced drinks; dried fish, kikiam, fishballs, nana-cue; soap bars made by a resident; sari-sari stores on carts. Business was obviously booming as in a few hours the goods were gone.
The community of Makaturing has been adopted by the Ayala Group of Companies, whose umbrella program Kalahi ng Ayala conceived the livehood project.
Constantino C. Tejero, August 29,2004Philippine Daily Inqiurer
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Foodies
My mother loved giving parties. An imaginative cook, she liked serving fancy stuff-an incomparable lengua, a capon stuffed with sotanghon and chestnuts, a big fish bathed in mayonnaise and garnished with separate bands of minced carrots, hard-boiled eggs and sugar beets (a recipe of the 50s).
Sometimes there was wintermelon soup which was a riched chicken broth in a boiled kundol, which stood on end in a magnificient punch bowl.
At the head of table, my mother, dressed in a flowing hostess gown, would ladle the soup from its winter melon container into each guest’s cup-a truly dramatic performance.
The dessert would likely be English triffle made this way: Scoop all the pulp out of several Sunkist oranges, leaving skin and rind and a coin-size hole on top. Pour in successively, green gelatin (then refrigerate), white gelatin (then refrigerate), red gelatin (then refrigerate), When ready to serve the oranges are quartered and each guests gets a slice of this red, white and green art.
Filler dishes would be pines frito with very little meat but with a flaring wrapper, or some unusual pancit, or the chicken salad I never saw in other people’s houses.
It consisted of boiled, finely shredded chicken breast mixed with mashed potatoes and minced onions. The dressing was olive oil, not mayonnaise, and had not a touch of sweetness. The salad was molded in an inverted bowl, becoming an attractive yellow dome after a coating of raw egg yolk.
If it had rained during the week, my mother was sure to send Bibiana, our cook, off to Cuenca for Kabuting kidlat, huge, floppy mushrooms that sprouted with the thunder and was the alternative to the wintermelon soup.
Traiblazing Kitchen
Our house was serving certain dishes way before they became the voque. In the late 50’s it was fondue (mostly cubes of tenderloin and sausage) complete with its paraphernalia of long forks, minicasseroles and alcohol burners.
And before all that hullabaloo over Asian cuisine our cook was already doing char kwei tiaw and white chicken (which mother learned from dad’s World Health Organization stint in Singapore) and also Kimchi, by the basinful (taught by a Korean opera singer house guest).
Visitors also cooked a communal Jon-lo (akind of shabu-shabu) around an aluminum receptacle with coals underneath. Into the soup stock each guest dropped his chosen morsel-sliced flat shrimps, white fish, chicken breast, livers or crinkly peachy- and retrieved it afterward. Sauce was soy with minced ginger.
Gilda Cordero Fernando, August 29, 2004 Philippine Daily Inquirer
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Vanity of vanities
This is the third installment of the Vanity Fare Lists. It will be second to the last. Keep those requests and suggestions coming before the grand finale!
Allow me to cut to the chase, skip the appetizer, go straight to the point. This week , I bring you clear- skin treatments and dramatic evening make up.
Five ways to acne-free skin
Neutrogena Deep Clean. On days when I fell a bump forming somewhere fro beneath my pores, I run to the nearest sink and wash my face with this cleanser. The active ingredients in it seem to scare the zit away! For extra skin-saving, I dab a teeny bit of the cream formula then let it stay for 15 minutes to abort the zit’s evil mission.
Clean and Clear Toner . Yup, I’m talking about the local blue one. This one’s a steal! I use it only on extra-oily days when my oil glands decide to work double time- I find it a tad too strong for twice-a-day use. Not only does it mop up annoying oil slicks and shine, but leaves invisible acne “treatment” in your pores to safeguard them from pimple attacks.
Clinique Anti-Blemish Spot Treatment. While my skin isn’t as temperamental as it used to be (read: it would flare up once in a while), I still get what I call a PMZ- pre menstrual zit- every month. For damage control until that decides to leave my harmone pool, I run to Clinique’s treatment. It’s not harsh at all,doesn’t dry my skin, and be worm under moisturizer and makeup.
SebaMed anti-Acne Line. For those who want to win the acne war, this range is your best bet for ammunition. It is dermatologists-recommended and comparatively gentler than the meds prescribed in clinics. The line includes cleansers for body acne too.
Clearlight at the Belo Medical Group. Laser technology has invaded the world of advanced skincare. And it’s doing a swell job! Who would’ve thought that light was the answer to acne control? Clearlight is an effective, affordable, and non- invasive (read: no painful prickinf!) method to treat stubborn acne.
LORA GABOL, August 25, 2004 Philippine Daily Inquirer
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My domestic jet –set life
I took the last flight out of Cebu to get to Manila in time for Addict Mobile’s God skitchen party. At 4 am. Of the same day, I was in the airport once again, this time booked on the first flight to Davao.
Three hours at5 the NBC Tent was enough to soak in the higher than high energy that the BigFish party exuded. Aside from the superb set that the foreign DJ played, our very own DJ TC (aka. Tuck Cheah) dished out one of this best sets ever, temping me to stay over and head to the after-parties and miss my flight out of Manila.
Thank heaves I am a responsible partyphile, and saying “no to temptation is a part of my healthy lifestyle. I got my well-deserved rest much later when I got to Baquio from Davao and stayed at Camp John Hay’s The Manor, where I pampered myself with Billy Kings gastronomic treats while watching the ETC channel the whole day.
My domestic city shop is a part of MTV”s “Supahstar” ( MTV’s newest Supah! Show, which aims to search for the next Supah! Pop star), of which I am casting director.The Manila leg of the auditions happens this Saturday at SM Megamall, so if you want your own recording contract video, plus all the “Supahstar” perks worth over a million pesos, then head over to the Megamall and sing your heart out of me. I’ll be waiting.
Super! Market
Call me excited, but I can already fell the Christmas spirit in the air. Why? Well, INQUIRER Super! Is throwing the earliest Christmas bazaar this Sunday, Aug.29, at the Loft in Rockwell.
For those of us can’t go to Greece, might as well just hop over to Greenbelt to experience a different kind of Olympic bliss.
Yup, it’s Olympic cocktail hour 24/7 as our favorite Greenbelt bars and restos join Swatch in a sassy and sporty spree. From Absinth to Uva, over 20-plus establishments are concocting a special Swatch Olympic drink (and I’m not talking about Milo) for the whole duration of the Olympics ( that’s till Sunday, the 29th).
It6’s race towards the drinks finish line as all hipster who order the drink get a free “”Sports Time auction money card.” This special money card will prove useful during the grand auction, where special-edition Swatches and adidas items will be on the dock.
TIM YAP, August 25, 2004, Philippine Daily Inquirer
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Handing Down Family Heritage -- One Stitch at a Time
(ARA) – Where do I belong? How do I fit in? These are questions kids start asking as soon as they're old enough for school. Grandma and Grandpa are the closest links to the past -- and often the best source of information about your family's story. Not only can connections be made with the past through stories and the sharing of photographs, but with the passing down of bits and pieces of family history. Tell your family story one stitch at a time with a crazy quilt.
Snuggle up with your grandchild under a quilt that tells the story that is uniquely his or hers.Crazy quilts have a great deal of history in this country. In Colonial times, when old blankets and coverlets began to wear out, they were patched up -- out of necessity -- with whatever material happened to be around at the time: used clothing scraps, uniforms, and worn blankets. The practice led to the creation of quilts with a lot of history.
Years later during the Victorian era, a time of prosperity, crazy quilts were made not out of necessity, but as an art form that women took great pride in. They used silks, velvets and abundant embroideries to create quilts so beautiful, many ended up in museums.In modern days, people have turned them into family keepsakes that bundle together memories.
"Making a crazy quilt is a great way to pass down family history," says Jennifer Gigas, educational consultant for the sewing machine company, Bernina of America. "When you look back at a family's history, grandma and grandpa's wedding day is a good starting point, and any symbols related to the union such as a handkerchief, lace or even buttons from the wedding gown can be used to create the ultimate family keepsake -- a crazy quilt," In the old days, materials were sewn together by hand.
Today, high-tech sewing machines -- like Bernina's artista 165E Heritage Edition-- do the work for you. This versatile and surprisingly affordable sewing and embroidery system has a convenient touchscreen, exclusive rescaling feature and the optional CPS software that lets you exchange decorative stitches or embroidery designs easily in your crazy quilt.
You don't have to make a large quilt -- you can make a wall hanging, throw or pillow that is not only decorative but tells the family story. The story will be a requested favorite that will be a time of bonding during a bedtime snuggle. "Once you have the piece of fabric from grandma's wedding dress and sew on lace, beads, charms, and mementos,, you can add embellishments, bits and pieces of family history -- grandpa's war medals, baby clothes, uniforms, prom dresses, Girl Scout patches and the like.
" Gigas says many people use embroidery to personalize their quilts even further. "The embroidery feature on Bernina's artista machines make it easy to add bits of history such as names, dates, favorite sayings. Your only limit is your imagination." In addition to embellishments and colorful embroidery, photos can be transferred to fabric and added to this historical piece, and permanent ink can be used to add personal touches -- the signatures of older family members and finger or footprints of new babies.
Or take a small piece of your crazy quilted material and make a shadow box of memories of a single event such as a wedding or special trip. The crazy quilt piece can serve as the background. Photographs and larger mementos can be secured to the fabric."As we get older, family history becomes more important and one way to keep memories alive is to sew from the heart," says Gigas.
Courtesy of ARA Content
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