*362. MUSICUS: The Sound of Our Fiestas!

MAJOR, MAJOR, MAJORETTES. Lovely Kapampangan majorettes pose for a shot before joining the local 'musicus' in their rounds around the town, lending a festive air to Pampanga fiestas. ca. 1950s.

It’s our Mabalacat city fiesta as I write this article---and it’s a pity that I am not there to enjoy the festivities, not to mention the colorful sights, smells and sounds that accompany the yearly February 2 proceedings. You just know it’s fiesta season when blue and white buntings start lining the streets and tiangge stalls begin popping up along the church perimeter, offering all sorts of goods, from the useful to the bizarre.

 But nothing says “fiesta” more than the presence of music-making bands—“musicus”—staples of every fiesta, in every town and barrio of the Philippines. With their gleaming brass horns, cymbals, lyres, trumpets, drums and bugles, uniformed band members--preceded by a bevy of pretty, baton-twirling majorettes—are always a striking sight when they take to the streets, making stirring melodies as they march, with a bit of choreography on the side.

 Evolved from the roving “musikung bumbung” (bamboo bands), today’s bands drew early inspirations from the acclaim gained by the Philippine Scouts Band at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904. The band was the largest at the fair, and it had a large repertoire of 80 pieces, against Fredric Sousa’s 65. “They were good and had temperament which the other bands lacked”, wrote one visitor.

 Needless to say, they took the world’s fair by storm, often performing in drills with “Little Macs”—young Macabebe veterans who enlisted for service to fight for the Americans in the Philippine-American War. Certainly, the incredible feat of that Philippine band helped fuel interest back in the islands for organized bands.

Just 4 years after that U.S. triumph, the Philippines had its own national fair—the Manila Carnival—and in 1909, the band from Angeles outplayed its rivals to clinch first place in the musical band competition. It was during town fiestas, however, that local bands gave rein to their musical creativity.

In the Betis fiesta of 1959, a local band—Banda 46—was tasked to march around the town starting on the fiesta eve, from 3 a.m. to 5 a.m.— to rouse people from their sleep—for a period of nine days! The day was capped with musical duel between bands---Serenata ning Musicus—in which Banda Sexmoan 12 played against Banda Sexmoan 31 at the church patio in a test of musical endurance and bravado.

 On 29 December, an exhibition was staged by a bevy of band majorettes, displaying their dancing and baton-twirling skills while band members in their gala uniforms played their best. On the fiesta day itself, 12 bands paraded along the streets, with some, invited from different provinces: Banda Baliwag, Banda Cabiao 96, Banda San Leonardo, Banda Bocaue, Banda Sexmoan 31, Banda Sexmoan 12, Banda Pulilan, Banda Candaba, Banda Duat Bacolor, Banda San Antonio Bacolor, Banda 48 Betis, Banda 26 Betis and the 600 Clark Field Air Force Band thru the courtesy of Mr. Salvador Pangilinan.

The bands then converged to escort the carrozas of the town patrons for the grand procession. The 1939 Lubao town fiesta from 4-5 May, was also made exciting with the presence of 3 “musicus”: Banda Lubao, Banda Sinfonica (Malabon) and Banda Buenaventura (Baliwag). The 3 bands were gathered at the municipio before they set out for the Poblacion, treating Lubeños to a musical extravaganza never before seen in the town.

 A 1946 fiesta souvenir program from Sta. Rita detailed also the arrival of 3 bands that played on the eve of the fiesta, the first one held after the Liberation: Banda Sta. Rita, Banda 31 from Sexmoan and Banda San Basilio. The next day, May 22, they gave it their all at the Serenata ding Banda de Musica. Even a small barrio could very well afford to pay a local “musicus” to lend gaiety to its fiesta.

In 1957, Valdes, a barrio of mostly agricultural families in Floridablanca, had two bands performing for their May 19 fiesta: the popular Banda 31 of Sexmoan which delighted residents in Gasac and Talang, and Banda Juan dela Cruz which came all the way from Cabiao, Nueva Ecija, to play at Looban and Mabical. On May 18, Saturday, a free concert was mounted featuring the two bands, highlighted by a military drill.

 I just can’t imagine a fiesta without a “musicus”. Bands just don’t set the stage and the mood for a celebration. But long after the food, the drinks, the rides, the sideshows and the baratilyos are gone, it is the voice of the band that will live on—inspiring, rousing, uplifting airs, that may as well be the theme music of our joyous lives!

*329. WHEN FLAPPER WAS IN FASHION

FLAPPER GIRL. A fashion-forward young miss from Sta. Rita shows off her low-waisted American flapper dress, complete with stockings on her legs, a headband and a bow. Only the fan remains of the Spanish fashion influence.

 The Americanization of the Pinoy youth began rather auspiciously with the introduction of a new school system by our colonizers that called for teaching subjects in the new medium—English. Kids were taught that ”A”was for ”apple”, and were trained to sing new songs like ”America, the Beautiful”, sometimes replacing the word “America” with “Philippines”.

The unceasing stream of American pop culture—from music to movies, fashion to food-- further heightened the consciousness of Filipinos for things Americans.

Young lads, for example, easily took to American styles, shunning the camisa and the barong for the tailored Americana cerrada of sharkskin cloth, matched with white pants. With a straw boater’s hat on his head and 2-tone shoes on his feet, our young sajonista was ready to paint the town red with his dashing good looks and fashion sense.

 Filipina women were not far behind. In the 1920s, women of age lived independently from their families in Manila college dormitories ran by American dorm mothers. Mentored in the American way, these elite “dormitory girls” spoke in English among themselves and held tea parties to show off their etiquette and social skills. The Roaring Twenties ushered in a new era of fashion that has come to be known as the Flapper Era. Popularized by the looks of movie stars featured in jazz films – Clara Bow, Louise Brooks, Joan Crawford, Vilma Banky—the flapper look was a breakaway from tradition, a rebellious statement against things prude and Victorian.

Perhaps, it was in synch with the rise of woman suffrage that was the talk of Philippine matriarchal society. No longer second class citizens, women decided to free themselves too of their long hair. Suddenly, bobbed hair became fashionable, along with spit hair.

 Icons of the day—like the Miss Philippines of the Commonwealth Manila Carnivals—came out in public sporting marcelled hair while wearing sleeveless, low-waisted chiffon dresses and dressy shoes of patent leather. The short skirted dresses fell above the knee and were trimmed with ruffles and sequins. To complete the look, the flapper ladies wore headbands (“headache bands”, as some remember them), dog collar adornments and extra-long string of pearls knotted around the necks which were swung at every given chance.

 The Flapper Age caught on among young Filipinas, and certainly, Kapampangans embraced the look, as seen from the above photo. Popular for over two decades, it was, without a doubt, a carefree, fun and trendsetting era. The local bodabil perpetuated the icon of the feisty Flapper—with dancers and performers scandalizing many with their short skirts and made-up faces, while flaunting cigarettes in long holders—a no-no with conservative Filipinas.

 But the Flapper era just roared on. False modesty and pretentious decorum fell by the wayside. There was daring and gaiety in the way Flappers looked, behaved and moved, repulsing others, but attracting even more youths that were bent on hastening the country’s Americanization, which they believed is the key in opening new doors for the Filipina women of the future.

 Just as quickly as it had raged, the Flapper fad would slow down as the Commonwealth years ended and a brewing war took hold of an unsuspecting Philippines. The War would eventually reach our shores and put everything on hold—and would mark the beginning of the end for an age of unbridled fun and symbolic rebellion—age of the Flapper.

*326. FLORES DE MAYO, FLORES DE MARIA

PETAL ATTRACTIONS. "Parada Floral" or Maytime floral parade to honor the Virgin Mary, with town beauties as participants. Sta. Rita, Pampanga. Dated 21 May 1937.

Festivals revolving around flowers have been around for centuries; the Floralia was an ancient Roman event held in May to honor the goddess of flowers, Flora. Cypriots also observed Anthestiria, a flower carnival dedicated to the wine god, Dionysus, that was first celebrated in Athens. Then, there's the world-famous Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California (began in 1895) that features fantastic giant floats made with millions of roses and other flowers. Valencia, in Spain, boasts of its "Batalla de Flores" in July, while Belgium has its "Flower Carpet". More recent, and closer to home is Baguio’s “Panagbenga’, which, like the Pasadena event, also showcases themed floral floats using the colourful blooms of the mountain city as main decorations.

One traditional festival with strong ties to the Blessed Virgin is what is popularly called “Flores de Mayo” (Flowers of May). Today, it is still celebrated in many towns and provinces, ever since its inception in the 1870s. Believed to have originated in Bulacan with the printing of Mariano Sevilla’s book of devotion entitled “Flores de Maria (Marikit na Bulaklak na sa Pagninilaynilay ng mga Deboto kay Maria Santisima)", a translated work that affirmed the 1854 dogma of the Immaculate Conception.

Held in Marian month of May where the blooms of the country are at their brightest. “Flores de Mayo” is marked with the recitation of the Rosary every afternoon at the parish church. In Sta. Rita town, grand floral parades (Parada Floral) were once held regularly in which barrio muses, with bouquets in hand, troop to the church accompanied by the faithful and a music band. Upon arrival, they would lay down their floral offerings at the foot of Mary’s altar, beautifully decorated and heavy with the scent of sampaguitas, rosals, camias, roses and dama de noche flowers.

Other Central Luzon towns had children participants, who, in their Sunday best, sang Marian hymns and also offered flowers to the Virgin by strewing the church aisles with fragrant petals. Bouquets were then presented to Our Lady as evening fell and votive candles were lit.

The rites of “Flores de Mayo” has been intertwined with “Santacruzan”, a processional pageant that recalls the finding of the True Cross by Empress Helena. Today, the two have been collapsed into one Maytime event. For us Catholics, when words are not enough to express our praise for our Holy Mother, we say it best with God’s own fragrant creations--we say it with flowers!

*306. THE GRAND HOMES OF STA. RITA

STATELY SCHOOL. The capacious interior of the Dominican School in Sta. Rita, (the former Colegio de Sagrada Familia) Thans to Duena Pineda for identifying this building. Ca. 1920s.

Sta. Rita is one of Pampanga’s smaller towns, but it is big on charms and local attractions. The more apparent points of interest when one walks its streets are the many heritage buildings and houses, mostly well-preserved and still intact, right down to their interior furnishings and architectural details. After all, this ancient town, which became independent from Porac in 1770, was spared from the damages inflicted by the last World War, as well as by the 1991 Pinatubo eruption that caused much loss to the material heritage of its neighbor, Bacolor.

 As a result, the town has retained much of its colonial structures, ranging from the modest to the magnificent, certainly contributing much appeal to Sta. Rita’s landscape. Noticeable still are a number of native houses constructed in the style of bahay kubos, constructed with nipa roofings, pitched high over a wood structure, elevated by a framework of posts.

The Malig-Lansang House is one such residence that began as a bahay kubo, as seen from its very high pitched roof, thatched with layers of dried nipa. Ceiling-less like a kubo, the house shows transitional features as it was being transformed into a bahay na bato: from its covered zaguan to its rich wall panellings of Philippine hardwood.

Similarly, there are many bahay na bato examples here complete with features like zaguans (ground floor housing processional carriages or storing grains), entresuelo (a sort of a waiting room), caidas (receiving area, from the Spanish word, “caer”—to fall, as this is the part where women let fall of their saya trains), comedors, cucinas and oratorios (prayer rooms).

The Carpio House, with a commanding view of the Santa Rita Church, is a two-storey structure that is noted for its expansive receiving rooms. An exterior cement and tile staircase, added later, takes one to the upper floor which boasts of opulent interiors, with wooden wall panels, oversized windows and floors hewn from redwood planks.

The nearby Maglalang House, built on a spacious lot dotted with greens and trees, reeks of rusticity, what with its wooden capiz windows and wooden banggerahan. Once inside, there are traces of its luxurious past—a pair of Venetian glasses on the wall, a grand piano, an altar-full of ivory santos and sacred art, even a wooden refrigerator from the turn of the 20th century!

 Then there’s the house of grand dame Irinea Pineda, whose brother, P. Braulio Pineda was a prominent religious figure of Sta. Rita. Half of the house has been converted into a school, but the residence has been wonderfully preserved by her descendants—from the sliding capiz windows, calado transoms (woodfret cut-outs panels that allow air to circulate from room to room) and intricate iron grills.

There are also notable houses belonging to two great clans of Pampanga, who are in fact, relatives. The De Mirandas keeps a beautifully-maintained heritage house that is characterized by its capiz windows, hardwood floors and polished wooden walls displaying heirloom art. Although now modernized with air conditioning, the De Miranda house reflects the relative affluence of the town with an economy built largely by farming. A distinguished member of the De Miranda family is Don Angel Pantaleon de Miranda, who, together with his wife, Rosalia de Jesus went on to found the town of Culiat, now Angeles City.

Equally-impressive is the stately house of the De Castros, relatives of the De Mirandas. Upon entering, one is drawn to the art nouveau arch that graces the portal of the house. One ascends a richly-burnished wooden staircase to reach the commodious top floor which houses the sala or living room. The wide double windows of capiz and persiana affords one to see the different vistas of the town. Grilled ventanillas circulate air freely around the house. The walls are handsomely painted with art nouveau floral motifs and on the house posts are mounted old shadow boxes with hand-made assemblages inside showing allegorical wooden figures of the four seasons labeled as Verano (Summer) Primavera (Spring), Otoño (Autumn), Invierno (Winter). The De Castro home used to be a favorite venue for film productions, but the loss of some heirloom items in a shoot starring Aga Muhlach prompted the current caretaker to stop this practice.

Indeed, for most Sta. Ritenos--whether his house is a tiny kubo or a European-style mansion-- there's no place like home. It is good to know that there is a growing consciousness for heritage conservation among the residents, with many original owners opting to preserve their homes than sell them, which speaks well of the locals' pride of place. As one philosopher wrote: "the strength of a nation derives from the integrity of a home"--and when one walks around Sta. Rita to marvel at their well-preserved heritage homes, you can't help but agree.

*291.HEIRLOOM SANTOS OF OLD PAMPANGA FAMILIES

EL ANGEL CUSTODIO. The heirloom image of the Nepomucenos, descendants of the founders of Angeles. It was commissioned in 1830, and now reposes at the central niche of the main altar of the Holy Angel University. Picture courtesy of the Center for Kapampangan Studies..

Most families reserve a special place in their homes for their images of faith---from a simple bedside table, a mesa altar, or a carved glass-panelled urna for a “santa”, an “Apung Guinu” or a “Santo Niño”. This goes to show how treasured santos are, handmade expressions of our faith, and venerated since the time of the Spanish conquest.

Kapampangan families often had images carved in wood or precious ivories by accomplished artisans of the province, lavishing them with respect, material gifts and money for their care and upkeep. A “kamadero” (caretaker) was often assigned to look for the image’s needs and safekeeping. This is especially true during the seasons of Lent, Christmas and fiestas, when the rites of the church revolve around these faces of divinities—to be prayed to, to be dressed and carried out in processions.

A number of antique images from prominent Kapampangan families still exist today, exceptional not just for their ancient beauty, but also for their history. In Mexico, the center of veneration is an ivory image of Santa Monica, the town’s patrona. It belonged to Capitan Francisco Liwanag and Doña Anastacia David Hizon, one of the wealthiest families of Mexico. The couple, though, were childless, and so the image was entrusted to a niece, Maria Hizon de Leon. But Maria would die young, but before her demise, she managed to pass on the image to her sister, Trinidad. The income from a parcel of rice land located at San Pedro, Kamuning, Mexico was allocated for the santa’s use. The current caretaker of the image is Trinidad’s granddaughter, Luz Dayrit Rodriguez.

Apalit’s most well-known santo is that of San Pedro, called endearingly by the name “Apu Iru”. The lifesize image, dating from the 2nd quarter of the 19th century, is made of expensive ivory. The seated santo shows St. Peter as a Supreme Pontiff, in papal robes. In 2002, a fire razed its shrine, destroying the saint's original accessories —gold and silver keys, tiara, pectoral cross and emerald ring. But the image remained unscathed, and this fortuitous event was hailed as a miracle by residents. During its annual June fiesta, a fluvial procession is held on Pampanga River, where the image, borne on decorated pagoda, is escorted by a fleet of boats carrying rowdy revelers.

The Apu Iru image is associated with the old Arnedo family, having been passed on to Dña Maria Espiritu de Arnedo, wife of Macario Arnedo y Sioco, who brought Apung Iru to Capalangan. To ensure that the cult is perpetuated, a corporation known as St. Peter’s Mission was put up by the Espiritu-Arnedo-Gonzalez-Ballesteros-Sazon families, which designates an official caretaker of the image (Augusto “Toto” Gonzalez III is the current kamadero).

Angeleños take pride in their own “Apung Mamacalulu”, or the Lord of Mercy, depicting the image of the dead Christ. It was commissioned by Fr. Macario Paras between 1828-1838, carved by an artisan named Buenaventura. It figured in at least two important events in Angeles town—the first, in 1897, when a religious farmer named Roman Payumu was arrested by Spanish infantrymen for taking part in the Revolution. Ordered executed on the spot, Roman, a loyal cargador of the Apu during His processions—invoked the name of the Lord of Mercy for salvation. His ropes that bound him came loose, allowing him to run and escape his captors--a miracle, attributed to the good Apu.

On Good Friday in 1928, the image of Apu was snatched by its kamadero, Eriberto Navarro while it was being processed. Acting for his aunt, Alvara Fajardo, a Paras heiress, Navarro claimed ownership of the image. A court case between the Church and the heirs followed, a case resolved only by the Supreme Court which returned the image to the Church. The authenticity of the returned image was in question for years, as the heirs had a second duplicate Apu image made, and which generated more following in their private Chapel than the one in the main Church.

Also in Angeles is the image of the titular town patron--El Angel Custodio-- commissioned and finished in the year 1830 by the town founder, Don Angel Pantaleon de Miranda. After the death of Don Angel, the image of the Holy Angel was taken by his son-in-law, Don Mariano Henson (ca. 1798-1848, Doctor of Laws, married to Juana Ildefonsa de Miranda), who passed it on to Maria Agustina Henson (1828-1905), who later married Pio Rafael Nepomuceno (1817-1858 ). The image was handed down to son Juan Gualberto Nepomuceno (1852-1923), who, in turn passed it on to son Juan D. Nepomuceno (1892-1973), founder of Holy Angel Academy. It was this image, it was said, that inspired Juan to name the school "Holy Angel", now the biggest university of Central Luzon. Don Juan’s daughter, Teresita N. Wilkerson took care of the image after his father’s death; it now rests in the central niche of the university's Gothic-style chapel, finished in 2010 by noted carver, Willy Layug.

The closely-knit Panlilios of San Fernando are the owners of a processional Mater Dolorosa, the ivory image of the sorrowful Virgin since the 1800s. Considered miraculous, the Dolorosa is credited for saving the life of Luis Dayrit Panlilio in 1954. He was preparing the carroza of the Dolorosa when he was asked by his father-in-law to go with him to check their sugar plantation. They were about to leave when the electrician came running to report that the batteries of the carroza were not working, which was a surprise as Luis had checked them before lunch. His father-in-law went without him and en route to the sugar fields, he was ambushed by the Huks. Luis lived to be 91 years old.

Mabalacat is the home to a smaller-than-lifesize Sto. Entierro, (or locally named Apung Mamacalulu), a depiction of the dead Christ lying in state. Believed to have come from overseas, Mexico, it was first owned by Don Juan Rivera, considered as the town’s most affluent resident at that time. A descendant, Leonila Rivera Serrano, is the current owner. When the Serranos moved residence, the image was shuttled back and forth between Manila and Mabalacat.

Caretaker Mrs. Baby Sacay, tells us that in the 1960s, three women came to the Poblacion chapel where the image was housed. One of the women had a recurring dream in which Christ begged her to remove 7 sheets of clothing covering His face as they were causing him to suffocate. In the same dream, the woman noted that the feet of Christ, unlike other representations, were not crossed. When the group examined the image, it was indeed shrouded with 7 layers of satin, and both feet were uncrossed—just like in the woman’s dream!. Mrs. Sacay also remembers the day several Blue Ladies of Imelda Marcos came to make an offer to replace the antique treasure with a new one. She politely refused, and then proceeded to put locks all over her house.

Santos stories abound too about the antique images of the Dolorosa of Guagua (owned by the heirs of Don Guillermo Limson), the Sto. Entierro of Sta. Rita (of (the Ynfante-Velez family), the Sto. Entierro of Bacolor (its calandra was exhumed from lahar in 1995 and restored to full glory by Tom Joven) and the Manalangin/ Agony in the Garden of Arayat, which features an angel dressed in short pants. The pampering and care lavished on images may appear excessive to some, but to Kapampangan Catholics, the kind God on whom their faith rests and who has given them so much –blessings, protection, salvation from sickness, tragedies and natural disasters--deserve nothing less.

*288. The Seminary Years of REV. FR. TEODORO S. TANTENGCO

THE CHOSEN. Teodoro Tantengco of Angeles was one of 12 seminarians who started their priestly studies at the San Carlos Seminary beginning in 1908. Eight years later, he was ordained as a priest. He was the long-time cura parocco of San Simon.

In 1908, twelve new seminarians entered the august halls of the Conciliar San Carlos, the first diocesan seminary founded in the Philippines. That time, the seminary was located along Arzobispo Street in Intramuros, beside the new San Ignacio Church. Three years earlier, the American Archbishop Jeremiah Harty had turned over the administration of the premiere seminary in the country to the Jesuits.

Of the 12 seminaristas, two were full-blooded Kapampangans and both from the town of Angeles—Felipe de Guzman and Teodoro Tantengco y Sanchez. Teodoro had entered just two months ahead of Felipe, on 1 July 1908. San Carlos had quite a substantial number of Kapampangan seminaristas enrolled even in those years, coming fromsuch towns as Betis (Victoriano Basco, Mariano Sunglao, Alberto Roque, Mateo Vitug); Sta. Rita (Anacleto David, Pablo Camilo, Eusebio Guanlao, Mariano Trifon Carlos, Prudencio David); Macabebe (Brigido Panlilio, Atanacio Hernandez, Maximo Manuguid, Pedro Jaime); Bacolor (Rodolfo Fajardo, Tomas Dimacali, Vicente Neri); Porac (Mariano Santos); Angeles (Pablo Tablante); Guagua (Laureano de los Reyes) and Candaba (Lucas de Ocampo).

Seminary life was conducted under the watchful eye of the Rector, Fr. Pio Pi and the Minister, Fr. Mariano Juan. Teodoro and his classmates were drilled in Liturgy, Music, English and Ascetics. Moral Theology and Philosophy were taught at santo Tomas while other courses like Math, Greek, French and even Gregorian Chants were also offered. Discipline was exact; some form of corporal punishment were meted out for acts of disobedience—like being put on silence and making public retractions of some kind.

Out of the classrooms, the Carlistas were employed in the Cathedral services and liturgical events, like in the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Pius X as a priest. The seminaristas assisted in the altar services at the mass officiated at the Manila Cathedral. Similarly, the class were mobilized to attend to Archbishop Michael Kelly from Sydney, Australia who had come to Manila for a short visit.

In 1909, Teodoro was present at the consecration of Bishop Dennis Dougherty’s successor, Bishop Carroll, as the Bishop of Vigan. The class also performed preaching duties at the Bilibid Prison and at the San Lazaro Hospital, where the Carlistas ministered to the needs of the patients.

There was no rest during their vacation as Teodoro took classes in Latin, English and Tagalog, even as the superiors organized trips to Sta. Rita, Angeles, Dolores, Porac and Guagua. There were all-day picnics and excursions in Cainta, Cavite, Malabon, San Pedro Makati, Sta. Ana and at the hacienda of a certain Captain Narciso in Orani. Regular “dias de campo” were scheduled in Pasay and Malabon, where the youths swam, played with their bands and refreshed themselves with tuba, melons and ‘agua fresca’.

On 10 April 1910, the Carlistas took part in a historic church event which saw the establishment of four dioceses by Pius X—Calbayog, Lipa, Tuguegarao and Zamboanga. The seminarians were in full attendance to mark this important occasion for the Philippine church. The next year, the seminaristas were allowed to attend the Manila Carnival from Feb. 21-28 at Luneta, where they thrilled to the sight of the aerial acrobatics performed by American pilot Mars.

Teodoro and his classmates were taken by surprise on 17 August 1911, when they received orders from Archbishop Harty to transfer all San Carlos seminarians to the Seminario de San Francisco Javier (the old Colegio de San Jose) located along Padre Faura St. Teodoro was one of 30 seminarians who moved to San Javier, a merger-transfer that would last for 2 years, until the seminary closed in 1913.

With the termination of the Jesuit administration, the seminarians made their final move to a refurbished building in Mandaluyong, which was constructed by Augustinians in 1716 and abandoned in 1900. The Vincentian fathers (Congregation of the Mission) took over the management of the new site of Seminario de San Carlos.

It was here that Teodoro Tantengco, finished his priestly studies which culminated in his ordination in 1916. He was assigned immediately back to his home province in Pampanga, first as assistant priest of Masantol, then as the cura parocco of San Simon which he served for many fruitful years. In 1947, he was in Tayuman, Sta. Cruz.

The accomplished and well-loved priest passed away in San Fernando in 1954. A nephew, Betis-born Teodulfo Tantengco followed in his footsteps, enrolling in his uncle’s alma mater and, after ordination, served various parishes like Arayat and Dau, Mabalacat, Pampanga until his death in 1999.

*253. Pampanga Towns: STA. RITA

MUNICIPIO DE STA. RITA. Carved from Porac, this small Pampanga town is noted for its delectable sweets; now it's creating a reputation as the province's premier artistic center with its world-renown ArtiSta. Rita. Ca. mid 1920s.

Like all Kapampangan towns, Sta. Rita started as a small clearing in a place known as Gasak, now part of Barrio San Isidro. The erection of the church in 1726 formalized the founding of the settlement. Eighteenth century documents indicate that Sta. Rita was an adjunct of Porac as baptismal records were joinly registered in the libros canonicos under these two places. In 1770 or 1771, however, Sta. Rita became independent from Porac, taking its well-deserved place as one of Pampanga’s proud towns.

The town was named after Sta. Rita de Casia, a woman with two sons who had plotted revenge on the killers of their father. But before they could commit a grievous sin, Sta. Rita prayed that they be taken away from her. Her sons fell ill and died. Now alone, she applied to a monastery to be a nun, but her acceptance to the was fraught with much obstacles. Because of her life’s trials, she is invoked by women with troubled marriages and people with desperate problems.

Life in Sta. Rita, however, is anything but troubled or desperate. It is strategically close to Bacolor, the “Athens of Pampanga”, the province’s art and cultural center. In fact, Sta. Rita was long known as “Sta. Rita de Baculud” or “Sta. Rita de Lele” (neighboring Sta. Rita), as Bacolor was where Sta. Rita folks often went for their marketing, accessed via Sta. Barbara. To date, Sta. Rita consists of just ten barangays: Becuran, Dila-Dila, San Agustin, San Basilio, San Isidro, San Jose, San Juan, San Matias, Sta, Monica and San Vicente.

Early in it history, the town enjoyed a flourishing farming industry. Sta. Rita gained repute for pioneering the use of the native plow. The practice of deep furrowing—credited with producing more bountiful harvests-- was introduced by local farmer Simon Vergara, a technique that calls for planting sugar cane sticks to a depth of 12 inches or more. This practice, now known as “simberga” was named after him.

Out of the town’s abundant sugar produce were created delicious confections that has put Sta. Rita in the Philippine culinary map. The town is the undisputed source of the most delectable ‘sans rival’ in the province, a kind of butter torte, strewn with cashew bits in between creamy layers. Then there are the ‘turrones de casuy de Sta. Rita”, honeyed cashew brittle bits wrapped in melt-in-the mouth, paper-thin wafer, made in the same way as a Communion host. The homegrown industry—led by the Ocampo family—continues to thrive and enjoy a loyal following among sweet-toothed foodies who care very little about calories.

Then there is the much sought after green duman-- processed rice from from 'lacatan malutu' variety, planted extensively in the barrios of Sta. Monica and San Agustin. Harvested once a year every November, the red-husked rice is then pounded, roasted and cleaned, to become duman. Prized for its fragrant scent and taste, duman becomes a special treat especially when soaked in hot carabao milk or hot chocolate. Others prefer it toasted, sprinkled with sugar or baked into rice cakes. Pounding duman grains is always a community affair, but the long hours are made light by all the bonding and merrymaking that goes on. This has given rise to the annual Duman Festival, now a popular tourist event of the town.

Indeed, Riteños were among the first to embrace the renaissance of Kapampangan arts and culture that began in the new millenium. After all, the old town had always been famous for its rich, artistic traditions and love for celebrations through the years. In 1946, Sta. Rita held a post-war fiesta that was unsurpassed in grandness and talked about for years, highlighted by marching bands, firework displays, zarzuelas, sports fests, processions, parades and a beauty search for Miss Victory, Miss Peace and Miss Progress.

The town also popularized the “Serenata”, a musical joust of endurance, in which its very own Sta. Rita band reigned supreme. A variant of the pabasa, the Serenata is conducted with two sets of bands who try to outplay each other in a musical “sagutan” that lasts from 8 pm. to the wee hours of the morning of Holy Thursday or Good Friday. The lively tradition continues in Sta. Rita to this day.

The old-world Sta. Rita Church, with its current cura, Msgr. Gene Reyes, is also at the forefront of cultural and heritage preservation. Amung Gene has started a modest sacred arts museum with contributions from the town visitas, from antique santos to household heirlooms. The giant campana was recently automated while the smaller, cracked bells from the belfry were brought down purely for display.

Then there’s the Arti Sta. Rita, the world-class repertory founded by Alejandro “Andy” Alviz, a native of the town. Himself an accomplished artist (he was a choreographer for the Mcintosh musical “Miss Saigon” that catapulted Lea Salonga to stardom). The group of singers, actors and dancers has performed the world over, charming audiences with their repertoire of new and traditional Kapampangan melodies, also recorded in their bestselling CDs. Alviz also organized stagestruck mothers into the group “Ima”, which has staged musicals like “Beauty Parlor”.

Santa Rita may be small by physical standards—it has a population of just under 40,000 people-- but it is a big-hearted town that is proud of its glorious past, imbued with a vibrance of spirit as it takes a leap of faith into the future.

*240. GALO B. OCAMPO, Champion of Philippine Arts & Culture

GALO B. OCAMPO, as Director of the National Museum. The multi-talented artist was a painter, sculptor, scenographer, writer, teacher, columnist, museum curator, cultural-activist and a proud son of Sta. Rita, Pampanga. ca. 1960s.

The title of “most multi-facetted artist of the Philippines” may very well belong to Kapampangan Galo B. Ocampo, who, in his lifetime, was a painter, muralist, art professor, heraldry expert, scenic designer, museum curator, writer, cultural activist and one of the Thirteen Moderns who revolutionized Philippine Art.

Ocampo first saw the light of day in Sta. Rita, on 16 October 1913, from a religious family that counts a number of priests and nuns as members. He studied in local schools before enrolling at the College of Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines in 1929. After graduating in 1934, he began his long career as an artist of note, starting as a muralist with fellow artists Victorio Edades and Carlos “Botong” Francisco.

Joining forces, the trio painted the first Philippine mural at the Capitol Theater in 1935, and another one for State Theaters. On his own, Ocampo executed the mural “Hispanidad” for the University of Santo Tomas. His works with the Edades Studios during the Commonwealth years reflected his new aesthetic sense that ran counter to art conservatism taught in academes.

Ocampo went on to make another first—conceiving the first painted image of the “Brown Madonna” in 1938, a Filipinized version of the Blessed Virgin, which would become a popular theme for other painters to follow. That same year, he also held his first exhibit in tandem with Diosdado Lorenzo in Baguio. He would continue experimenting with colors, lines and decorative distortions, consistent with his modernist leanings. His ethnic painting “Moro Dance” reflected this then non-traditional approach, characterized with flattened objects and spaces that made the painting look more like a tapestry.

Ocampo turned to his other muse—writing-- even as he continued painting. In 1937, he published a book about church art in 1937, entitled “Philippine Churches and Other Scenes”. He became a prolific contributor of art articles for some of Manila’s leading dailies, including Sunday Tribune. Twenty years later, in 1957, he co-authored the pioneering book, “The Art of the Philippines”, the first coffee table book to trace the history of the country’s art from the pre-colonial to the contemporary times.

In 1940, he took on a teaching job at the UST College of Fine Arts. His career as an educator would continue through the 70s, even assuming the deanship of the Department of Fine Arts of the Far Eastern University in 1971.

The War years briefly put a halt to his rising career; he joined the guerrilla movement and attained the rank of a captain. He put his brush to good use by becoming a scenographer for the stage productions of Fernando Poe, Sr., a cover he used for his underground activities.

After the War, Ocampo went to the United States to take a special course in Heraldry in Washington D.C. (1947) and art studies at the Museum of Modern Art in New York (1948). He put his learnings to good use in art competitions, winning a number of prizes for his works, including “United Nations” (2nd prize, UN Art Contest, 1949), “Pounding Rice”, “Igorot Dance” (2nd prize and Honorable mention, Art Association of the Philippines Contest 1951), "Bayanihan" (1st Rotary Golden Anniversary Award, 1955).

His art took on a different turn in the 50s, infusing the haunting images of doom that were part of his war experience. Flagellants became his signature subjects, starting with “Ecce Homo” (Behold the Man), that showed a hooded, bound Christ, crowned with thorns and surrounded by warplanes, smoke trails and parachutes.

In 1956, Ocampo was granted a scholarship to study Genealogy and Heraldry in Madrid, Spain, becoming the only Filipino member of the International Institute of Genealogy and Heraldry. The next year, he was sent to Rome under the sponsorship of Cardinal Rufino Santos, to study Liturgical Art at the Instituto Internasionale de Arte Liturgica (he would design the stained glass windows of Sto. Domingo Church) . Because of his expertise, Ocampo was commissioned to create the coat of arms of the Philippine Republic and the personal seals of the President, the Vice President, as well as those of the Archbishops of Manila.

In 1959, the professor undertook a major project for the Archdiocese of Manila, saving and collecting church antiques for an ecclesiastical art museum housed at the Manila Cathedral. When Macapagal was elected president in 1961, he named his kabalen as curator of the Presidential Museum in Malacañang and then as National Museum Director. In 1964, Ocampo was honored by the City of Manila with a Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Award for his achievements in the field of art and culture.

At the advanced age of 59, Ocampo finally held his long overdue first Solo Exhibit at Galerie Bleue in 1973, entitled Anthropographic Designs, which paid tribute to the early Filipinos. A retrospective exhibit was held in 1982 at the Museum of Philippine Art. Three years later, on 12 September 1985, Galo B. Ocampo, the consummate Kapampangan artist who helped enrich and transform Philippine art, passed away in Arlington, Virginia.

*228.Teeth for Tat: KAPAMPANGAN CIRUJANO-DENTISTAS

CLOSE-UP CONFIDENCE. Dr. & Mrs. Tomas Yuson (the former Librada Concepcion) on their wedding day in 1936. Dr. Tom Yuson was the leading Kapampangan dentist in his time, and a co-founder of the Pampanga Dental Association in 1930. Personal Collection.

Pampanga is renowned for its eminent medical doctors and surgeons of superb skills. The names of Drs. Gregorio Singian, Basilio Valdez, Mario Alimurung and Conrado Dayrit come to mind. The allied course of Dentistry has also given us notable Kapampangans professionals who have made a name for themselves in this less crowded field of dental science, and their achievements are no less significant.

In the first decades of the 20th century, when colleges and universities started offering medical courses, students were drawn more to Medicine and Pharmacy. Dentistry was not even considered a legal profession during the Spanish times--tooth pullers were employed to take care of problem molars, cuspids and bicuspids.

As public health was given emphasis during the American regime, the course of dentistry was given legitmacy with the opening of the Colegio Dental del Liceo de Manila. It would become the Philippine Dental College, the pioneer school of dentistry in the Philipines. Students started enrolling in the course as more schools like the University of the Philippines opened its doors to students. The state university established its own Department of Dentistry that was appended to its College of Medicine and Surgery. The initial offering attracted eight students. That time, with a population of eight million, there was only one dentist to every 57,971 Filipinos. More educational insititutions would follow suit: National University (1925), Manila College of Dentistry (1929) and University of the East(1948. In 3 to 4 years, these schools would be graduating doctors of dental medicine, many of whome were Kapampangans.

One of the more accomplished is Guagua-born Tomas L. Yuzon, born on 7 March 1906, the son of Juan Yuzon and Simona Layug. He attended local schools in Guagua until he was 16, then moved to Philippine Normal School in Manila. At age 20, he enrolled at the country’s foremost dental school, the Philippine Dental College, and finished his 4-year course in 1930. That same year, he passed the board and began a flourishing career as a Dental Surgeon in San Fernando.

In 1930, together with Dr. Claro Ayuyao of Magalang and Dr. H. Luciano David of Angeles, Yuzon founded the Pampanga Dental Association on 25 October 1930. The constitution, rules and by-laws were patterned after the National Dental Association. The initial members of 30 Pampanga dentists aimed to elevate the standard of their profession and foster mutual cooperation and understanding among themselves. Elected President was Dr. Ayuyao, while Dr. Yuzon was named as Secretary. The P.D.A. was the first provincial organization to hold demonstrations in modern dental practice and was an authorized chapter of the national organization.

As a proponent of modern dental medicine, Dr. Yuzon was one of the first to use X-Ray and Transillumination in diagnosing his patients. He was also an active member of the Philippine Society of Stomatologists of Manila. He received much acclaim for his work, and was a respected figure in both his hometown—where he remained a member of good standing of “Maligaya Club”, as well as in his adopted community of San Fernando. On 19 Sept. 1936, he married Librada M. Concepcion of Mabalacat, daughter of Clotilde Morales and Isabelo Concepcion. They settled in San Fernando and raised three children: Peter, Susing and Lourdes.

Guagua seemed to have produced more dentists than any other Pampanga town in the late 20s and 30s and some graduates from the Philippine Dental College include Drs. Marciano L. David (1925), Emilio Tiongco (1931, worked as assistant to dr. F. Mejia), Domingo B. Calma (who was a town teacher before becoming a dental surgeon), Eladio Simpao (1929), Alfredo Nacu (1929) and Hermenegildo L. Lagman (an early 1919 graduate and also a member of the Veterans of the Revolution!)

The list of of Angeleño dentists is headed by Dr. Lauro S. Gomez who graduated at the top of his class at National University in 1930, Mariano P. Pineda (PDC, 1930, a dry goods businessman and a Bureau of Education clerk before becoming a dentist), Pablo del Rosario and Vicente de Guzman.

In Apalit, Dr. Roman Balagtas placed ads that stated “babie yang consulta carin San Vicente Apalit, balang aldo Miercoles". He also had a clinic in Juan Luna, Tondo. Arayat gave us the well-educated and well-travelled Dr. Emeterio D. Peña, who was schooled at the Zaliti Barrio School, Arayat Institute (1916), Pampanga High School (1916-18), Batangas High School (1918-1919) and at the Philippine Dental College (1920-23). He squeezed in some time to study Spanish at Instituto Cervantino (1921-23). Then he went on to practice at San Fernando, La Union, Tayabas, Mindoro, Nueva Ecija and Tarlac. Also from Arayat were Drs. Agapito Abriol Santos and Alejandro Alcala (both PDC 1931 graduates). The latter was famed for his “painless extractions” at his 1702 Azcarraga clinic which ominously faced Funeraria Paz!

Betis and Bacolor are the hometowns of dentists Exequiel Garcia David (who worked in the Bureau of Lands and as a private secretary to Rep. M. Ocampo) and Santiago S. Angeles, respectively. Candaba prides itself in having Dr. Dominador A. Evangelista as one of its proud sons in the dental profession while Lubao has Gregorio M. Fernandez, a 1928 Philippine Dental College graduate, who went on to national fame as a leading film director, and Daniel S. Fausto, who graduated in 1934..

Macabebe doctors of dental medicines include Policarpio Enriquez , a 1931 dentistry graduate of the Educational Institute of the Philippines, Francisco M. Silva PDC, 1923) who also became a top councilor of the town. Magalang gave us the esteemed Dr. Claro D. Ayuyao who became the 1st president of the Pampanga Dental Association and Dr. Alejandro T. David, a product of Philippine Dental College in 1928, who was also a businessman-mason.

Dentists Dominador L. Mallari (PDC, 1932) and Pedro Guevara (UST, Junior Red Cross Dentist 1923-29) came from Masantol. Guevara even went on to become a councilor-elect of his town. The leading dentist from Minalin, Sabas N Pingol (PDC, 1929) announced that: “manulu ya agpang qng bayung paralan caring saquit ding ipan at guilaguid’. He moved residence to Tondo and kept a clinic at 760 Reyna Regente, Binondo.

In Sta. Rita, Drs. Maximo de Castro (PDC, 1931) and Sergio Cruz (PDC, 1932) had private practices in their town. Finally, well-known Fernandino dentists of the peacetime years include Paulino Y. Gopez (UP, College of Dentistry, 1931) and the specialist Dr. Miguel G. Baluyut, (PDC, 1927) who took a course in Oral Surgery at the Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. Trailblazers of some sorts were lady dentists Paz R. Naval, a dental surgeon, Consuelo L. Asung who held clinics in San Fernando and Mexico.

Next time you flash those pearly whites and gummy smiles, think of the early pioneering Kapampangan dentists who, with their knowledge, talents and skills, helped elevate the stature of their profession, putting it on equal footing with mainstream medicine.

*195. ROSA ROSAL: The Vamp with a Heart of Gold

BAD GIRLS GO EVERYWHERE. Rosa Rosal aka Florence Lansang Danon, made her mark in Philippine cinema playing vampy roles that were a far cry from her real-life persona. She credits her Kapampangan mother, Gloria Lansang of Sta. Rita, for molding her into the successful achiever that she is today. This postcard documents her foray into the new medium of Radio, as a singer for Purico Radio Show in the 50s.

On screen, she smoldered as a sexy siren, the scheming contravida, the “other woman” who toyed with men’s hearts, the thorn in many a movie heroine’s side, wrecking homes and romances. But once the camera stopped, Rosa Rosal’s real persona surfaced, a woman of substance who set her heart to doing public service, a role that would be her passion all her life, leading to Asia’s most noble recognition of all—the 1999 Ramon Magsaysay Award.

Rosa Rosal came from a multi-cultural background, but it was her indomitable Kapampangan spirit fired by her mother’s example that saw her through her life’s darkest hours, emerging as one of the most accomplished movie stars of our time. She was born as Florence Danon y Lansang on 16 October 1931. Her father, Julio Danon, was already a fiftyish French-Egyptian when he met Gloria Lansang, an 18 year old Pampangueña from Sta. Rita. Before she was 5, Florence lost her father; her mother remarried, this time to Ruperto del Barrio, who had a buy and sell business in the busy Sta. Cruz district of Manila. This union produced 3 daughters and two sons, and in the small apartment where the Del Barrios lived, Florence took command as the “ate” of the house.

“Don’t allow God to wait for you”, was Gloria’s oft-quoted reminder to her children, and they grew up attending Mass, eating their meals together and openly showing their affection to each other. At the Antonio Regidor School where Florence studied, she extended her sisterly role, protecting classmates from bullies, while excelling in declamation contests.

The simple, idyllic life of the Del Barrios was disrupted by World War II, forcing Florence to quit her studies at Arellano High School. When the Japanese occupied Manila, Florence, barely in her teens, found employment as a news reader in an Escolta radio station. When a Japanese sentry found her listening inadvertently to an illegal broadcast, Florence was forced to leave the station and flee Manila. By then, the whole family was ready to evacuate to Laguna, but in Bacoor, they were caught in a crossfire between the Japanese and the Americans. Her aunt perished and her mother was seriously injured. While staying in the hospital, Florence saw the horrific consequences of war, and it was here that she saw her first blood plasma, an image that would haunt her for years.

When the war was over, Florence landed a job at the National Chest Center under the management of Dr. Sixto Francisco. She just didn’t do clerical work but also learned to operate the X-ray machine and helped out in the radiology department. One evening, while walking home, she chanced upon a film shoot happening on a street. A caster took note of this exotic gawker, and she was immediately signed up as an extra in a group scene, even meriting a brief close-up. When the film producer, Luis Nolasco saw Florence’s fleeting exposure, he sought out Florence and offered her a contract. He cast her immediately in the 1946 film, Fort Santiago. The next year, the sixteener played a sexy villain in Kamagong, alongside Leopoldo Salcedo, a film which proved to be a blockbuster.

At the cusp of stardom and a new career, Florence regretfully ended her work with Dr. Francisco, who gave her his blessings. Florence gained her now-famous screened name in one banquet for a visiting Hollywood producer. The tables featured floral centerpieces of gardenias (rosal) and roses, and when Florence picked up a ‘rosal’, Luis Nolasco saw the similarity and gave her the name—Rosa Rosal.

Soon, every studio wanted Rosa Rosal to join their stable of stars. Her meteoric rise to stardom was capped by her winning the “Queen of the Philippine Movies” title in 1948. LVN Studios, under Dña Sisang de Leon successfully wooed her away from Nolasco Brothers and Premiere Films with the promise of a fat paycheck, a house and a car. Indeed, at LVN, she made her most memorable films.

She had started out as a contravida, but now wanted to step out of her comfort zone. In 1950, she appeared as a sweet girl with no mean bone in the movie Biglang Yaman with Jaime de la Rosa. Then, Rosa landed the female lead in the historic movie Anak Dalita, a love story between a Korean war veteran and a prostitute, directed by Lamberto Avellana. Anak Dalita emerged as Best Film in the 1956 Asian Film Festival in Hongkong while Rosa Rosal earned a presidential citation from Ramon Magsaysay. The following year, Rosa did Badjao, a story about a noble Tausug princess and her marriage to a pearl diver. Dña Sisang was reluctant in giving the role to Rosa as she did not look ethnic at all; but Rosa pleaded, got the part and the movie went on to win 4 major awards in Tokyo.

Her other noteworthy acclaim was the classic Biyaya ng Lupa, where she played the lead, a farmer’s widow coping with her husband’s murder and a daughter’s rape. She was totally made unglamorous for this part, a far cry from her sultry image as a vixen in a slinky gown, bangles and dangling earrings. Rosa lost the Asian Best Actress Award by half a point when it was entered in the 1960 edition of the festival. In 1976, Rosa once again reprised her role as an oppressed sugar plantation worker in the controversial movie, Sakada.

She would also dabble in Radio as a singer, and appeared on TV in sitcoms (Yan ang Misis Ko, with Ronald Remy) and as a public service host (Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko, Damayan) in the 70s. These appearances spotlighted her legendary spirit of volunteerism for Red Cross, an obsession that began way back in 1948, when American Ray Higgins took Rosa along to one of his blood donation drives under the auspices of the Red Cross. She saw a comatose young girl revived to life at the Philippine General Hospital after a successful blood transfusion. This life-changing experience led Rosa to become a volunteer for Red Cross on 4 July 1950.

Rosa was indefatigable in her work with the Philippine National Red Cross. She sought out funding for new blood testing equipment and for the improvement of Red Cross facilities, organized blood letting drives (Operation Dugtong Buhay, Operation Purple, Operation Blood Brother—with American donors from Clark Field), went on mercy missions even during the height of Martial Law and People Power Revolution and helped in establishing blood programs like blood testing, collecting and the commemoration of Blood Donors’ Month in July.

Rosa has dedicated over half her life to public service via her strong ties to Red Cross, leading to high profile recognitions both here and abroad. Aside from the prestigious Magsaysay Award, her other achievement is daughter Toni Rose Gayda, also a TV personality, her only child with American pilot Walter Gayda whom she met in Hong Kong in 1957. Her incredible career run is far from over, and this half-Kapampangan who started as a showbiz contravida has become a larger-than-life heroine with a heart of gold, joining the ranks of the most admired and most accomplished Filipinas in the country today.

*183. THE PROCESSIONS OF MALELDO

FOLLOW YOUR FAITH. A famil in Centra Luzon rolls out its carroza with the heirloom image of Sta.Maria Jacobe, one of the women who visited the tomb of Christ, for the annual Holy Week procession. Ca. mid 1920s.

The season of Lent officially begins on Ash Wednesday, a day of marked with abstinence, personal sacrifice and austerity. But somehow, or so it seems, during Semana Santa (Holy Week), all thoughts of economics and abject simplicity vanish as a people’s religious fervor find release in the opulent and dramatic prusisyons (or limbun) that feature a long parade of life-size heirloom santos and complex tableaus, visualizing the events of the Passion. Introduced to the Islands by our Spanish colonizers, holy processions have evolved from a simple act of veneration to complex showcases of ritual pageantry.

In terms of religious revelry, Pampanga offers some of the country’s more unique expressions of faith during Maleldo (Holy Week). Other than the display of blood and gore by magdarames (flagellants) culminating in actual and shocking crucifixions, the prusisyons (or limbuns )of old Kapampangan towns provide stunning spectacles featuring antique sculpted imagenes dressed in gold-embroidered vestments, crowned with gem-encrusted halos and diadems, festooned with dazzling lights and arrayed on flower-bedecked carrozas of silver.

Indeed, the list of the most treasured and remarkable santos that go on “limbun” during Maleldo is long. In Arayat, the age-old Manalangin (Agony in the Garden) tableau of the Medina family shows a small lithe angel with silver wings attired in short pants. In Guagua, which reputedly has the best processional line up, the ivory Dolorosa of the Limsons and the Sto. Entierro—figure of the dead Christ in its own stately funeral bier---are the images to watch. Nearby Sta. Rita boasts of an ancient calandra (owned by the Manalangs) still complete with its original and intricate silver fittings, lit by delicate antique tulip-shaped glass globes.

Angeles has its own Apung Mamacalulu (Sto. Entierro, owned by the Dayrits) which figured in a controversial 1929 Good Friday procession that ended in its kidnapping . It took the Supreme Court to resolve the issue of its ownership. While Apalit has an exquisite Magdalena and Mabalacat’s jewel is a beautiful Veronica, Lubao has a San Pedro that rides a boat-shaped carroza. Fernandinos in the capital city meanwhile, take pride in the images of the Sorrowful Virgin and Peter, handiworks of the country’s foremost santero, Maximo Vicente and the 19th c. Misericodia Christ image of the Rodriguezes.

Equally arresting are other quaint processional rituals such as that practiced in Bacolor. On Good Friday, handpicked representatives of prominent families take to the processional route dressed in black hoods while bearing the different symbols of the Passion—ladder, spear, whip, robe, etc.—on poles. This practice, called “paso”—has been a tradition in this town for as long as one can remember.

Other Pampanga towns like Betis and Mabalacat, also stage their own “dakit cordero” on Holy Thursday, where a “lamb” , handmade from cotton or from edible ingredients like yam, is brought to the church in a short procession, prefacing the eucharistic meal.

There are no signs that the Kapampangan’s interest in “limbuns” is waning, as evidenced by the growing number of images and the longer processions that take to the town streets each year. Even not-too-popular figures such as Sta. Maria Jacobe, Nicodemus, Jose de Arimatea are being added to the line-up. Blame it on his fierce and unflagging devotion to his God. Or his penchant for divine excess. One can also point to the pool of talented Kapampangan artisans who wield their chisels and paint brushes who create with ease and skill, these precious objects of veneration. Whatever the reason, we, Kapampangans, can continue our walks of faith content in the thought that our revered religious traditions will live on.

*134. STA. RITA'S GRAND FIESTA OF 1946

MISS PEACE BE WITH YOU. Town beauty, Consuelo "Conching" Mangalus of Barrio San Juan, one of the major winners of the 1946 Sta. Rita Town Fiesta. 22 May 1946.

In 1946, from May 21 to 22, Sta. Rita held its fiesta of all fiestas—a Victory Fiesta to mark not just the feast of their patron, Sta. Rita de Casia, but also to celebrate the independence of the Philippines, finally granted by the United States and scheduled for July 4, less than 2 months away. Pampanga was still rising from the rubbles and ashes of World War II, but with peace in the country, progress was imminent. Sta. Riteños, under their Alcalde Municipal German Galang and their Cura Parroco Rev. P. Pablo Camilo, planned their most lavish fiesta yet, an event now remembered for its pageantry and nationalistic fervor .

A 1946 souvenir fiesta program detailed the activities of the town and its people, starting with the ‘aldo visperas’—May 21. A recitation of the novena to Sta. Rita kicked-off the annual feast day, with a Novena Cantada starting at 4:45 p.m. A little earlier, local bands from San Basilio, Sta Rita and nearby Sasmuan made their entrance to the town at 4 pm. In the evening, the coronation of the major beauty contest winners was held with local color and glamor—Miss Victory (Milagros Dionisio of San Jose), Miss Peace (Consuelo Mangalus of San Juan) and Miss Progress (Lourdes Jingco of Becuran). On hand to crown the royals were Congressman Amado Yuzon, Hon. Zoilo Dizon and the King of Crissotan, Sergio Navarro, who paid poetic tributes to the lovely town belles. A Coronation Ball at midnight capped the first-day festivities.

On the much-awaited fiesta morning of May 22, the church bells rang early in the morning at 4, to announce the start of the day’s events. An hour later, the Misas Rezadas began and at 6 a.m, two Misas Cantadas followed, officiated by Fr. Jose de la Cruz and Fr. Monico Pineda. At 8 a.m, a Misa Dalmatica was held with Fr. Casto Ocampo leading the congregation.

The morning once again saw the musical bands making the rounds of the streets of Sta. Rita, simultaneous with the holding of athletic competitions from 9 a.m to 2 p.m. Then, a spectacular Floral Parade took over the main roads, led by Miss Victory, Miss Peace and Miss Progress, and trailed by the Miss Barrios: Miss Sta. Monica (Bienvenida Zapanta), Miss San Agustin (Francisca Macasias), Miss San Matias (Teresita Ticsay), Miss San Vicente (Lutgarda Guanzon), Miss San Basilio (Tomasa Sangalang), Miss San Isidro (Beatriz Layug) and Miss Dila-Dila (Pilar Amio). Also joining the entourage were Miss Sta. Rita Institute and Miss Sta. Rita Elementary School. The floats bearing the town muses also vied for the “Best Carroza” prize.

In the evening, the century-old image of the town’s titular patron was honored with a candle-lit procession at 8 pm. At 10 pm, a Serenata featuring the bandas de musica gave stirring performances. The winners of the different ligligan (contests) were announced and prizes were given to the deserving participants.

Sta. Rita’s much-talked about 1946 fiesta owes much of its success to the different committee heads and members who discharged their duties with maximum efficacy: Mrs. Irene Pineda for the Funciones Religiosas (Religious Functions),Mr. Alejandro Tayag for the Concurzo de Belleza (Beauty Contest), Mrs. Miguela Lopez for the Decoracion de la Iglesia (Church Décor), Atty. Ramon Miranda for the Decoracion e Iluminacion (Décor and Lights), Mr. Diego Valencia for the Coronacion y Parada (Coronation and Parade), Mr. German Galang for the Juegos Atleticos (Athletic Games) and Mr. Anterio Cruz, who headed the Committee of Manila-based Sta. Riteños. Pulling off the town’s grandest post-war fiesta was certainly a victory for all.

*109. MAESTRO AMERICANO

STUDENTS OF THOMASITE CARROLL PEABODY. The very first pupils of Maestro Americano Peabody in Mabalacat. Note the school shacks which served as classrooms at the back. Peabody also served in nearby Tarlac province. This photo postcard was personally sent by him from Cleveland, Ohio, his home state.

In my town, Mabalacat, few records exist about the existence of Spanish colonial schools. Formal education beyond the primary school level was, in the beginning, reservd for Spaniards only. Mostly, private tutoring was practiced in those times. In San Francisco, a certain Apung Beltung Pile (Old Lame Beltung) had a “bantayan” school, a kind of day-care center, where parents left their kids to study under his tutelage. Here, he mostly taught reading and writing.

With the coming of the Americans, a Department of Public Instruction was established in March 1900. Mr. Fred W. Atkinson was appointed as General Superintendent of Public Instruction and imposed two things: the use of English as a medium of instruction and the importation of American teachers to help run native schools and train local teachers. The largest and most well-known batch of teachers arrived in the Philippines on 21 August 1901 aboard the U.S.S. Thomas.

Of the 600 civilian educators that arrived, twenty five were deployed to nineteen towns of Pampanga where they labored under extreme conditions to establish a new public school system for $125 a month. Part of their job was training local teachers especially in the use of English as a medium of instruction. A teacher from Mexico, Constancia S. Bernardo, trained under the Thomasites and she may have very well been the first native teacher of English in Pampanga.

Cornell graduate William Carruth for instance, was assigned to Betis town, and later moved to Sta. Rita, San Simon and San Fernando, where he not only collected teaching materials for schools but also solved administrative problems. Luther Parker took so much interest in Pampanga history that he initiated the compilation of town histories, now known as the Luther Parker Collection. He also published an English-Kapampangan dictionary. John W. Osborne, on the other had, served as the first principal of the esteemed Pampanga High School in San Fernando.

Closer home, Thomasite Carroll Peabody, a fresh graduate of Western Reserve University in Ohio, was assigned to Mabalacat and became a school superintendent. His wife, Emma, was also a teacher. Schools had to be quickly set up to institutionalize the American educational system. The early buildings of the Mabalacat Elementary School were built on rented lands in different places: along Ligtasan Street (site of the present Venmari Resort near the Morales Bridge) and in Sta. Ines (property owned by Narcisa Lim), where a cockpit now stands.

The school as we know it today, was built on land donated by Mrs. Rufino Angeles de Ramos, through funds raised with the help of Hon. Ceferino Hilario. Like all public schools of the period, Mabalacat Elementary School adhered to the architectural lay-out specified by the Gabaldon Act, with the structure elevated on posts like a nipa hut.

The Thomasites may have come and gone, but as late as the 1960s, every Mabalacat elementary student could still feel the American influence on the educational process, thanks to nearby Clark Field. Our school used to get regular donations of used school books, and I remember reading “Dick and Jane” books profusedly illustrated in color, alongside my black and white “Pepe and Pilar” textbooks. Then there were the regular milk feeding programs sponsored by Clark, where we got to drink stateside milk for our nutrition—for free.

There was also this matronly American teacher from Clark Field, whom we knew only by the name of Mrs. Davies, who used to come and sit at the back of the classroom to observe teaching methods. In my fourth or fifth grade, it was she who administered an oral exam to determine the final placements of students in the honor roll. I remember how intimidated I was at her presence; she was big and spoke with an accent that was hard to comprehend. But I was more terrified when she quizzed me about the forms of matter, which I completely flubbed (Answer: liquid, solid and gas), so I ended up sorely as just an honorable mention.

With the current sorry state of Philippine education, the older generation formally schooled under the Americans are quick to recall and point out the quality and calibre of schooling in the 1920s and 1930s. There is truth to this observation: America indeed, placed emphasis on quality education to form good citizenzhip and to allow sharing of cultures. It is no wonder then today, the establishment of a new educational order in the Philippines, is considered as one of the most important legacies of the American colonial period.

(*NOTE: Feature titles with asterisks represent other writings of the author that appeared in other publications and are not included in the original book, "Views from the Pampang & Other Scenes")

*98. BELLEZAS PAMPANGUEÑAS: Miss Pampanga 1933 Candidates

ARO KATIMYAS DA DENING DALAGA!. The official candidates for the Miss Pampanga title in the 1933 Pampanga Carnival Fair and Exposition, San Fernando, Pampanga.

In 1933, Kapampangans held their grandest event ever, to celebrate the progressive stride made by Pampanga in the two previous decades. From 22 April to 6 May 1933, the Pampanga Carnival Fair and Exposition—“the greatest concourse of people on the island of Luzon”--was held at the Capitol grounds in San Fernando.

The much-awaited selection of Miss Pampanga 1933 provided the climax of the fair. Pampanga’s leading muses, most from socially prominent families. First, each town had to select its own “Miss Municipality” to compete in the provincial pageant. Socio-civic and youth groups like Mountainside, Circulo Escenico, Kayanikan ning Kuliat and Aficionados Baculud helped in drawing up a beauty list from which the loveliest was chosen. Not unlike contemporary pageants marked by sourgraping and backstage dramas, the Miss Pampanga search had its share of controversies.

First, the selection criteria was put in question. Following the Manila Carnival style of selection, Miss Pampanga was to be chosen based on newspaper ballots cast in her favor. A leading Kapampangan newspaper, “Ing Cabbling”, put out an editorial that cautioned using “social influence”, rather than physical beauty , as basis for judging. It even went as far as recommending an ideal mix of judges to make the selection truly impartial and objective, a panel to include a painter or sculptor, a poet, a high society lady, a professional and a respected elder from the province.

Then there was the case of a town muse who, in the voting, was boycotted by her own town mates because of her perceived snobbishness and haughty demeanor. In one tabulation, she gathered zero votes. Despite these minor issues, the contestants had a great time as they were feted and paraded about in motorcades. In the end, it was the slim and svelte Miss San Fernando, Corazon Hizon who romped off with the title.

The titled town beauties included the following:

MISS ANGELES, Maria Agustina Pilar Nepomuceno. (b. 13 October 1911-d. 5 June 1995) Daughter of Gonzalo Mariano Nepomuceno and Gertrudes Ayson y Cunanan. Not much is remembered about her reign or the circumstances of her victory. Later married noted doctor, Conrado Manankil y Tison. They have 4 children, one of whom—Marieta Manankil (now Mercado)—continued the tradition of beauty in her family by becoming Miss Angeles 1955.
MISS APALIT. Lina Espiritu
MISS BACOLOR. Luz Sarmiento. (b. 23 July 1914-d. Aug. 1988) to Laureano Sarmiento and Ines Lugue. Studied at the local St. Mary’s Academy, then attended Assumption Academy in neighboring San Fernando for her higher education. Became Pampanga’s entry to the 1934 Manila Carnival. After the contest, settled down as wife to Jose Gregorio Panlilio y Santos-Joven, in April 1934. An only child, Jesus Nazareno a year later. The couple made their home in their beloved Bacolor, where Luz propagated a lifelong devotion to Nuestra Sñra. del Rosario.
MISS CANDABA. Marina Reyes
MISS GUAGUA. Quintina Lapira
MISS LUBAO. Cornelia Flores
MISS MABALACAT, Pacita Sese. (b. 1916-d. 21 Aug. 2004) Daughter of the town treasurer, Andres Sese and Justina de Guzman. Graduate of Instituto de Mujeres. Married Mauro Feliciano of San Fernando.
MISS MACABEBE. Paciencia Gomez
MISS MAGALANG. Belen Gueco. Daughter of Lorenzo C. Gueco, a successful doctor, sugar planter, business man and PASUDECO stockholder and Elena Aquino. Her elder sister Paz was also a noted town beauty. Schooled at St. Paul’s Institute, Manila. She was an active and popular member of Rho Alpha and Nucleo Solteril. Her candidacy was supported by the Mountainside Club, headed by Jose Luciano, but pulled out of the provincial contest after some controversy. Nevertheless, she was feted house-to-house by her proud kabalens, who were rumored to have withdrawn their support for her. Later married Jose Tinsay.
MISS MASANTOL. Maria Guinto. Later married Artemio Manansala with whom she had 7 children, mostly U.S. based. Died 1969 of cancer.
MISS MEXICO. Candida Nuqui. A student of Sta. Rosa College in Manila when elected as town beauty.
MISS MINALIN. Benita Mercado
MISS SAN FERNANDO. Corazon Hizon (WINNER). Daughter Corazon Hizon of San Fernando, the daughter of Maria Paras and Jose Hizon. After her reign, the lovely Corazon, the toast of the Pampanga Carnival, married Marcelino Dizon also of San Fernando. They settled in the town they loved best and raised 9 children, all daughters—Monica, Maria Teresa, Maria Corazon, Lidia, Encarnacion, Concepcion, Maria Asuncion and Josefina. Monica’s daughter with Marcelino Enriquez, Maria Lourdes, continued the beauty tradition in the family by becoming Bb. Pilipinas- International 1987.
MISS STA. RITA. Juana Amio
MISS SEXMOAN. Marta Pinlac

(*NOTE: Feature titles with asterisks represent other writings of the author that appeared in other publications and are not included in the original book, "Views from the Pampang & Other Scenes")

61. Pampanga's Churches: STA. RITA DE CASIA

GENERAL COMMUNION OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CHILDREN. Sta. Rita Church, Sta. Rita, Pampanga. The Sta. Rita Institute General High School is housed in the next building. Fr. Felipe Diaz could be the parish priest shown in this picture with the first communicants, as this picture is dated 15 March 1947, still within his term.

The town of Santa Rita brings to mind images of delicious confections and pastries like sans rival and turrones de casuy—favorite pasalubong ideas for relatives and friends abroad. For all its reputation as the town that offers “sinfully sweet” indulgences, Sta. Rita is also a town noted for its devout spirituality, and, much like Betis, is known for producing a large number of religious priests and nuns.

The future town of Sta. Rita actually started as a clearing in a place called “Gasac”, which is now Barrio San Isidro. It was known early as Sta. Rita Baculud or Sta. Rita de Lele, in reference to its proximity to Bacolor, where townsfolk did their daily marketing via barrio Sta. Barbara. Its history is also closely linked with Porac for Sta. Rita was near the Esterillo Viejo, or Sapang Matua, a creek that originated from the Porac mountains. For a while, one priest—Fr. Pedro de San Nicolas—was assigned to serve the spiritual needs of both Porac and Sta. Rita. It was only in 1770 when Sta. Rita secured its political/spiritual independence from Porac, due largely to the efforts of Fr. Don Vicente Eustaquio Polina, a secular native priest. 1770, thus, is regarded as the town’s founding year, also coinciding with the assumption of office of Juan Balatbat, Sta. Rita’s 1st gobernadorcillo.

For its titular patroness, the town chose Santa Rita de Casia, a 15th century Augustinian saint invoked by desperate people beset with seemingly hopeless problems like troubled marriages and domestic violence. Sta. Rita was married to an ill-tempered husband who was subsequently murdered. Her two children vowed revenge, but Sta. Rita, through her intense prayers, averted her children’s criminal plot. The two fell sick and died before they could carry out their vengeance. Thus without a family, Rita joined the Augustinians but only after several unsuccessful attempts. She led a life of mortification and, in a moment of fervent prayer, received the stigmata of the Lord on her forehead.

The actual construction of the church was deferred until the late 19th century. An 1835 document asserts that a certain Don Alejandro Rodriguez, member of the town principalia, was accepted as a brother of the Augustinian Order for having been a benefactor of the church. It may be that Don Alejandro donated either land or money to initiate the building of the church.

Credit for the construction of the church of Sta. Rita as we know it today goes to the town prior, Fr. Francisco Royo who started the masonry in 1839. It was completed by Fr. Juan Merino in 1869 (one of the church’s 5 bells is inscribed with his name). Both priests were also responsible for opening roads linking Sta. Rita with Guagua and Porac.

The last Augustinian priest was Fr. Celestino Garcia who figured in the Revolution of 1898. At the height of the unrest, he was hidden by his loyal parishioners. Later, he was captured by Gen. Maximino Hizon in Bacolor. Taken prisoner, he was spirited away to Lepanto. He managed to elude his security however, and fled back south where the prominent Asingan family of Pangasinan gave him refuge. The 1st native priest was Fr. Braulio Pineda. Others who served the parish include Frs. Nicanor Banzali, Tomas Dimacali, Pablo Camilo and Genaro Sazon.

The original church measured 55 meters long by 13 meters wide. Its height was around 10 meters. The church has marked baroque influences as seen from its triangular windows, despite its solidity. Notable features include a large transept , a spacious portico and a short but squat 4-storey bell tower. Its pediment showcases a small retablo flanked by small bell towers. The Church of Sta. Rita is another fine example of the Catholic Church’s material heritage and any one who enters its portals will be glad to know that this pisamban and its walls still reverberate with the sweet memories of a proud Kapampangan town.
(16 August 2003)