Last August, the 125th anniversary of all-steel church, San Sebastian Basilica was celebrated through its weeklong festival, the Q-festival. Casa Consulado Museum and Library participates by hosting, in partnership with Kapitbahayan sa Kalye Bautista atbp, Inc., a lecture series entitled, “Sulyap sa Quiapo” (A Glance of Quiapo). This was also an opportunity to invite long time and fellow community advocates that has helped shaped Filipino culture and Quiapo community for the better, and to share again their stories and messages about their passion.
“Simula ng Maharlika Life” (The Beginning of Maharlika Life) by Mr. Ian Lucero
Young and creative local artist Mr. Ian Lucero, lead of Maharlika Life, was invited to share his passion for Filipino culture and the pre-hispanic colonial language, “Baybayin”. In the current trend of renewed interest in English calligraphy, his approach of presenting Baybayin with his creativity and graphic skills is as interesting even for the “cool” seeking youth or plain adventurous minds. Behind his passion is a movement to ignite interests for Filipino culture and pride starting from his social circle and eventually branching out to other communities. Inspired by Lucero’s previous experiences with Japanese calligraphy, the newly established group, Maharlika Life can be expected in public through their exhibits and creative enterprise.
“Pamamaraang David: Daang KKB” (The David Approach: KKB path) by Dr. Teresita Obusan, Ph. D.
The session started with Obusan reading the prayer, “Amang Makapangyarihan” (Almighty Father) accompanied by Castro playing tonggali, nose flute used by the Kalinga community. All the way from Camarines Norte, Bicol Region, author of “Roots of Filipino Spirituality”, Dr. Tessie Obusan, shares her experiences in how their efforts was initiated and made Quiapo and its supporting cultural community to what it is today. She talks of her journey that started as a curiosity on hermithood and brought her to Mt. Banahaw where she discovered a community having spirituality and practices not popularly known to most parts of the country. Her journey then eventually led her to reside in Quiapo and encountered struggles in renewing the purpose of an old house, now known as Bahay Nakpil-Bautista Museum. It was not possible without help from friends, until the need arose to the establishment of a formal organization, the Kapitbahayan sa Kalye Bautista (KKB), where the group was also able to gain international recognition such as the non-government organization, World Monument Watch, through their efforts for the Boix house, beside Bahay Nakpil-Bautista Museum. KKB is a small group with activities as simple as to reach the lowest level of the community to address issues in the area. She cited an instance of taking the poorest families to the National Museum for a day tour, where surprisingly one of the challenges of the community is as basic as having no footwear even simple slippers to wear when going to the national museum. She compares their approach to the story of David and Goliath where being a small entity as such in David's is not hindrance in pursuing a greater entity or cause than themselves. Such method, she noted, of gaining support from starting from merely among friends was also one of the many factors that contributed to the accomplishments of our national hero, Jose Rizal in publishing his books.
“Ang AUI (Aral, Unlad, at Iral) ng Malikhaing Paggawa” by Mr. Leo Emmanuel Castro
Dressed in a white shirt with minimal black print inspired from the traditional barong tagalong fashion, Castro laments the state of some of our local creative community and shares that while a few have been successful in engaging in creative works, the struggle in the rest still remains at a high level as the processes of creative works are not as clearly known to most local aspiring individual. Perhaps that is the reason why many were eventually discouraged to embrace and welcome our local culture, gearing towards foreign instead, citing the state of our local music industry, as an example. Castro helps his audience understand the idea by using the letters of the Baybayin as acronym for defining the creative process: A, U, & I which stands for aral (study), unlad (develop), at iral (propagate), reminding that creative work or output does not start as perfect but is a process itself. A good example is in the case of the previous speaker; Lucero studies the Baybayin, uses his skill to improve on the graphics, and promotes them through Maharlika Life. Castro is the executive director for Sanghabi (meaning one weave in Filipino), a non-profit organization whose primary focus is to give workshops on the appreciation of Philippine cultural diversity through the use of indigenous musical instruments. They also engage in indigenous dance, instrument making, and Filipino syllabary.
“Pintigan” by Professor Reimon Cosare
Cosare, also a member of Sanghabi, is a Baybayin calligrapher and facilitator for Baybayin classes, for more than a decade. He has written publications related to the subject, including titles such as, “Ama, Ina, Anak” (Father, Mother, Child), and “Pinuno” (Leader). He starts the workshop by giving a brief introduction and showing a number of literature pieces in history used and translated in Baybayin, most of which were religious doctrine. Participants were handed out a brush, black ink, white paper, and baybayin reference sheet for the workshop, and the session goes. Participants interacted and shared with each other their experience on the activity, and hoped for its prosperous continuity. In 2011, the Baybayin Bill or National Script Act of 2011 was passed correcting the previously taught “Alibata” concept, and mandating schools to teach Baybayin. However, at this period, due to lack of resources such as the number of facilitators, the mandate has not been widely implemented.
Despite of the bad weather accompanied by heavy rain and wind, the lecture was attended by around twenty (20) participants mostly from the youth sector. The topic of Baybayin through public invitation garnered interests not only from the cultural community and but also support from other sectors. The workshop was received by inquiries to hold another similar activity.
Casa Consulado Museum and Library is located at San Sebastian Street (behind San Sebastian Church), Quiapo Manila. It had its soft opening just this second quarter of year 2016 in efforts to gain further funding and public support on the historic house conservation and rehabilitation. Though still not yet fully functional on all rooms, it is open to the public for tours, events and small gatherings, by appointment. Admission is free, except for special occasions and events. Donation or sponsorship of any kind are highly welcome and appreciated, and will help hasten the process in making the venue fully functional and pleasant.
They can be reached through https://www.facebook.com/casaconsuladoquiapo/ or through us, the Kapitbahayan sa Kalye Bautista atbp, Inc.,
Written by : Abigail Ko
Edited by : Axl Guinto
Photos by : Allan Martinez and AXL Guinto
“Simula ng Maharlika Life” (The Beginning of Maharlika Life) by Mr. Ian Lucero
Young and creative local artist Mr. Ian Lucero, lead of Maharlika Life, was invited to share his passion for Filipino culture and the pre-hispanic colonial language, “Baybayin”. In the current trend of renewed interest in English calligraphy, his approach of presenting Baybayin with his creativity and graphic skills is as interesting even for the “cool” seeking youth or plain adventurous minds. Behind his passion is a movement to ignite interests for Filipino culture and pride starting from his social circle and eventually branching out to other communities. Inspired by Lucero’s previous experiences with Japanese calligraphy, the newly established group, Maharlika Life can be expected in public through their exhibits and creative enterprise.
“Pamamaraang David: Daang KKB” (The David Approach: KKB path) by Dr. Teresita Obusan, Ph. D.
The session started with Obusan reading the prayer, “Amang Makapangyarihan” (Almighty Father) accompanied by Castro playing tonggali, nose flute used by the Kalinga community. All the way from Camarines Norte, Bicol Region, author of “Roots of Filipino Spirituality”, Dr. Tessie Obusan, shares her experiences in how their efforts was initiated and made Quiapo and its supporting cultural community to what it is today. She talks of her journey that started as a curiosity on hermithood and brought her to Mt. Banahaw where she discovered a community having spirituality and practices not popularly known to most parts of the country. Her journey then eventually led her to reside in Quiapo and encountered struggles in renewing the purpose of an old house, now known as Bahay Nakpil-Bautista Museum. It was not possible without help from friends, until the need arose to the establishment of a formal organization, the Kapitbahayan sa Kalye Bautista (KKB), where the group was also able to gain international recognition such as the non-government organization, World Monument Watch, through their efforts for the Boix house, beside Bahay Nakpil-Bautista Museum. KKB is a small group with activities as simple as to reach the lowest level of the community to address issues in the area. She cited an instance of taking the poorest families to the National Museum for a day tour, where surprisingly one of the challenges of the community is as basic as having no footwear even simple slippers to wear when going to the national museum. She compares their approach to the story of David and Goliath where being a small entity as such in David's is not hindrance in pursuing a greater entity or cause than themselves. Such method, she noted, of gaining support from starting from merely among friends was also one of the many factors that contributed to the accomplishments of our national hero, Jose Rizal in publishing his books.
“Ang AUI (Aral, Unlad, at Iral) ng Malikhaing Paggawa” by Mr. Leo Emmanuel Castro
Dressed in a white shirt with minimal black print inspired from the traditional barong tagalong fashion, Castro laments the state of some of our local creative community and shares that while a few have been successful in engaging in creative works, the struggle in the rest still remains at a high level as the processes of creative works are not as clearly known to most local aspiring individual. Perhaps that is the reason why many were eventually discouraged to embrace and welcome our local culture, gearing towards foreign instead, citing the state of our local music industry, as an example. Castro helps his audience understand the idea by using the letters of the Baybayin as acronym for defining the creative process: A, U, & I which stands for aral (study), unlad (develop), at iral (propagate), reminding that creative work or output does not start as perfect but is a process itself. A good example is in the case of the previous speaker; Lucero studies the Baybayin, uses his skill to improve on the graphics, and promotes them through Maharlika Life. Castro is the executive director for Sanghabi (meaning one weave in Filipino), a non-profit organization whose primary focus is to give workshops on the appreciation of Philippine cultural diversity through the use of indigenous musical instruments. They also engage in indigenous dance, instrument making, and Filipino syllabary.
“Pintigan” by Professor Reimon Cosare
Cosare, also a member of Sanghabi, is a Baybayin calligrapher and facilitator for Baybayin classes, for more than a decade. He has written publications related to the subject, including titles such as, “Ama, Ina, Anak” (Father, Mother, Child), and “Pinuno” (Leader). He starts the workshop by giving a brief introduction and showing a number of literature pieces in history used and translated in Baybayin, most of which were religious doctrine. Participants were handed out a brush, black ink, white paper, and baybayin reference sheet for the workshop, and the session goes. Participants interacted and shared with each other their experience on the activity, and hoped for its prosperous continuity. In 2011, the Baybayin Bill or National Script Act of 2011 was passed correcting the previously taught “Alibata” concept, and mandating schools to teach Baybayin. However, at this period, due to lack of resources such as the number of facilitators, the mandate has not been widely implemented.
Despite of the bad weather accompanied by heavy rain and wind, the lecture was attended by around twenty (20) participants mostly from the youth sector. The topic of Baybayin through public invitation garnered interests not only from the cultural community and but also support from other sectors. The workshop was received by inquiries to hold another similar activity.
 |
| Sulyap speakers, organizers and participants |
They can be reached through https://www.facebook.com/casaconsuladoquiapo/ or through us, the Kapitbahayan sa Kalye Bautista atbp, Inc.,
Written by : Abigail Ko
Edited by : Axl Guinto
Photos by : Allan Martinez and AXL Guinto
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