ST. CECILIA'S HALL

The hall's lobby. Take note of painted ceiling and details. This was the thing that almost made me want to keel over the moment I entered this Hall. I was here last January to execute a design for the stage of the homecoming show for St. Scholastica's 100th year.

Now I know how the Metropolitan Theater must have looked like in its heydey. I wish they finish work on that very soon. If the nuns can do it, the government can too. (Yeah, right!)

Entrance to the theater. Flanked by two staircases that lead to wings. The bas relief above depict brother-sister tandem Saints Benedict and Scholastica. Note G cleft as door handles. The Latin word for peace, PAX, is found atop the crowned wooden door.

Detail. A cherub on every post. Note hand-painted details.

Detail. Floor design.

Detail. Sunburst as handle of main door.

Detail. All-glass door of lavatory for males.

Detail. St. Cecilia, patron saint of music.

Stage floor is made of kamagong, a precious Philippine hardwood.

This theater comfortably seats 900 people.

Detail. Dressing room.

Detail. Cherubs on chandelier.

The lobby's main crystal chandelier.

St. Cecilia's Hall facade at night.

COMING SOON: A HIDDEN TREASURE ALONG LEON GUINTO STREET

Where can you find this? Abangan!

QUIAPO'S ILS DE TULS

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present to you Quiapo's famous tulay (bridge). No, it's no mere bridge because not only does it allow you to cross from Boredom City to Exciteville, the bridge also is home to Manila's handicraft center - from baskets to shell curtains to custom-made capiz delights. Name it, Quiapo has it. I was here just recently because I had to bring some Thai guests. This is a far cry from Chatuchak, of course. You wouldn't even want to make a comparison, but Quiapo has the thrills!

My first and only connection to Quiapo started with DVDs (mostly the hard to find ones) but that ended years ago. Once in a while, i'd find myself lost in its streets when on a lookout for something unusual (during days when there's nothing usual to do). I'd visit the Church of the Nazareno (which, by the way, is celebrating the quatercentenary of the image's arrival to Manila from Mexico), then end up buying medallions for a collection that I also stopped long ago because it was freaking my Mom (if miniature Sto. Niños with penises don't freak you out, I don't know what else will).

My next visits would then focus on the herb concoctions that abound near the church. Only in the Philippines would you be able to buy abortifacient oils next to a major church, a pilgrimage center at that. These oils - hidden behind leading tags like "Pamparegla" (to induce bleeding) can be had any time of the day, all days of the week.

These days, my interest in Quiapo is focused on less morbid stuffs. My new favorite is what many interior and event designers now fondly call as Ils-de-Tuls or "ilalim ng tulay" (under the bridge). Here you can get so many stuffs, be it for business purposes or gifts to foreigner friends.

Make it a business to visit this place at least once in your life.

Four kinds of shells make up this wonderful clock.

'Nay ko! Here's something you can use to scare burglars away. Thailand and Japan have their own versions too.

Coin purses. We've been doing this "footprint" design for decades!

These corner chandeliers would look great when lighted at night. Like the purses, these designs haven't been updated in decades.

When under the bridge, watch out for the occassional vehicle passing through.

Under the bridge. Ilalim ng tulay. Ils de tuls.

Detail. Art deco motifs

For picky buyers, you can always enjoy the airconditioned comforts of Balikbayan Handicrafts. Same products, only better and thrice as expensive.

If you go straight, you'd end up in Carriedo.

A rather ugly bunch of dolls. Sorry!

Hand-painted roosters. Lovely, lovely pieces.

Philippine handicrafts galore!

THEATER IN THE ROUND, SAN IGNACIO CHURCH RUINS (INTRAMUROS)

I was supposed to have come from the CCP before this show to watch the Ramon Obusan's annual Vamos a Belen, but I overslept. In fact, i woke up on the dot, 3.30pm: By this time the show has started and I was still in bed. Drat. The National Artist for Dance just died a day before this and here I was wasting a ticket to what could have been his farewell performance! :-(

At any rate, I caught this Theater-in-the-Round Experience in Intramuros (Sidney, you weren't in Manila when this was happening, I think). Videos of the Philippines were shown to the crowd while waiting for the 'procession' to arrive.

These people dressed in Spanish-period outfits are members of the Tanghalang Pilipino, resident theater company of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

The location for tonight's performance is the ruins of the former Jesuit church in Intramuros, the San Ignacio.

"Taho! Taho kayo dyan!"

The 'procession', heralded by a band, nears San Ignacio. Theatre members posing as Chinese traders sells goods to audiences.

Crispin? Basilio? Must we ever miss out on the village idiot, a staple in many Filipino stories and films?

Huwag! Huwag po! San Miguel slaying the devil. These are real, live actors. I think they were at it for 20 minutes or so without moving!

Michael, the Archangel, figures many times in stories about Manila. During one of the many raids on the city by marauders, the angel was said to have been seen atop Intramuros raising his sword for battle. You can read more on that in Nick Jouaquin's book Manila, My Manila.

A prisoner is hoisted on poles for the community to see.

This boy was the narrator of events all throughout the performance.

Ha-la! The ruling class is framed in a retablo, symbolizing the power that they wielded during their time. On top of the pyramid of power is, of course, the fraile. Do you think things have changed through the years?

The galleons come home to Manila from Acapulco. Such safe returns are welcomed with much rejoicing in Manila, with Masses and Te Deums celebrated and sang for days on end.

Inspecting the goods that the galleons bring home.

The Chinese merchants have been part and parcel of Philippine history.

A theatre member, posing as a Chinese merchant, sells to the audience.

The burning of Parian.

Chinese merchants, in order to buck discrimantion, marry into the Filipino / Spanish ruling class and change their last names. With this, integration into society became complete.

The art of communicating using the fan.

Rebolusyon! I like the redness of this photo. Reminds one of blood. In Tales of Two Cities, Charles Dickens used a simliar allusion to revolution when a barrel fell from a cart and rivulets of red wine flowed through the streets of Paris.

Dancing as a form of celebration in the Philippines.

Inang Bayan (Mother Country) leads dancers in performing the Sinulog.

A member of the theatre group poses as a tourist and takes photos of the audience.

A choir serenades theatre goers (sorry for this really bad photo. I have problems with color adjustments).

I only saw Net25 here; no other major television networks. Sad. Culture obviously isn't part of their programming schedule.

San Ignacio comes alive again albeit only for a new nights.

All's well that ends well. Thanks to BC for bringing me here.