Remembrance Of Things Past

Summer has always reminded me of my childhood. As school year ends, my brothers and I would pack our bags and spend our vacation with our grandparents. Two months of carefree afternoons in my hometown of Bauan, Batangas. We would get as dark as fried chicken from too much dipping in the nearby Anilao beach and playing in the town plaza. The Balayong trees, our version of the cherry were in full bloom at the Church courtyard. I look forward to the Holy Tuesday and Good Friday processions. The ivory images of saints, apostles, the Blessed Mother and Jesus dressed in velvet and brocade were my first fashion spectacles.
I recently went back to visit, my grandparents long gone, their former house torn down. The Balayong trees were gone too and what remains is a huge paved parking lot. Except for the panciteria, there was little to remind me of the once breezy town where everyone knew each other, where one can walk from house to house.
Bauan has taken another form and so did summer, and I've started to advocate planting Balayong trees.

Summer of yore, Jake 7, JC 10 and JB 9.

The remodelled Church of the Immaculate Concepcion.

One of the few remaining old houses on Don Quintin Castillo St.

Tia Nene's former house.

24/7 construction where my grandparent's house used to be.

Good old Romy's Panciteria.

Pancit Miki

"Pupod" Pork Chicharon

Modern day panciteria, McDonald's.

Cadena de Amor.

Thank God! Heritage advocates Belen Marquez and Fe Ferrer opposed the cutting of the town cemetery's 162 year old Acacia tree.

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The House Of Dr. Luis Santos

Our tour of Malolos continues, from the Cojuangco ancestral house http://myrefrigeratordoor.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-cojuangco-ancestral-house.html , our gracious host Melecio Cojuangco brought us to the house of Dr. Luis Santos. Mel arranged the visit with one of the heirs of Dr. Santos, George Imperial . From the outside, one would already be in awe of the sheer size of the house. The house was built in 1933, according to the marker by the gate. Upon entering, you will marvel at the grand staircase, the expansive receiving room and the foyer filled with hard bound medical books and mementos of Dr. Santos' career as a well loved doctor in this town. The second floor was something else, as our group slowly ascended the magnificent staircase, my heart literally skipped a beat at the sight of the ceiling mural and Art Deco details. We found out later that the mural was painted by the great Fernando Amorsolo himself. There was a private chapel in honour of Our Lady of Lourdes

The Cojuangco Ancestral House

Our next journey takes us to a historic town in Bulacan, thirty minutes north of Manila. My road trip buddies, my college friends who all share with me the same fascination for heritage houses were privileged by an invitation from Melecio Cojuangco to visit their ancestral house in Malolos. Mel, his cousin in law Marissa Lopa, Rima Datuin and Evelyn Bautista and I discovered each other's funny bone because of our love for the ice cream served in a huge bowl at Peninsula Manila's lobby. One evening, to justify our appetite, we pretended it was my birthday and we had the string quartet play happy birthday for me, from then on, we became good friends. Mel's grandfather, Jose Cojuangco was born at the Malolos house, very near the Barasoain Church. Jose's mother traded rice from Nueva Ecija, sacks transported by boat via the river at the back of the kamalig to Binondo, Manila. Like most turn of the century houses, the Cojuangco house uses piedra china stones f

Her Name Means Peace

I started blogging five years ago after reading the book Life On The Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers. So touched was I from the story, I named my blog My Refrigerator Door . Ms. Kuipers wonderfully weaved a story about a daughter and her mother who battled with breast cancer in a series of notes posted on the refrigerator door. Last Sunday, at the funeral of Tita Passy, Paz Cojuangco-Teopaco, I was reminded of that beautiful book. She too fought a long battle with the disease, but in her suffering, she has brought her family back together. I met the Teopacos through my good friend Kris Aquino . In one of Kris's anniversary specials on TV, I was introduced by Kris' mother, President Cory to her youngest sister, Passy. After that, I got to bond with Kris's cousins, Tita Passy's daughters, Marla and Rina in a summer trip to Mindoro. Sharing the same love for sentimental music, and deep affection for Kris's son Joshua , Rina and I became the b

My Refrigerator Door

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