Last year, I joined my wife and her staff in their outing to the island fortress named Corregidor. I have always wanted to visit this island again especially after hearing from a former colleague that Malinta Tunnel which served as General Douglas MacArthur's headquarters during World War 2 was opened to the public. The last time I was in Corregidor was when I was about 7 or eight years old.
We arrived at the dock which was located at the back of the Folk Arts Theater in Manila at around 7:00 in the morning. The catarman which was a sea craft that had banca shaped structures on both sides was our ride in going to Corregidor. When I was first went to Corregidor with my folks during the 1970s, we rode on a Philippine Navy ship. I couldn't recall what type of naval war craft that was. Also during that time, tours to the island of Corregidor were handled by the Philippine Navy. The tours to the island are now handled by a tour agency.
The trip to the island from Manila took about 2 hours. The sky was quite overcast during that day and the waves were somewhat rough. It was my first time to ride a boat again after several years. I noticed that some of our lady companions were getting seasick. This is why the crew were passing around paper sacks for passengers to throw up in.
After 2 hours, I finally saw the mountains of the island fortress looming in the distance. After getting off the boat, we got into vehicles which were in the shape of the tranvia which was a car that moved on tracks. You can still see these cars still being used as a mode of transportation in the San Francisco Bay area in the United States. As the tranvia we were in started to move, we were greeted by our dynamic tour guide named Rowena. As our tranvia rolled on, Rowena started talking about the history of the island. The first structures that we pass by were the ruins of the hospital. It kind of felt eerie as I looked as the remains of the hospital. I could not help imagine how many people died there as the surging Japanese forces bombarded the island from the air and from Bataan.
According to our guide, the name of the island comes from the Spanish word "corregidor" which translates to "corrector" in English. During the Spanish period, ships entering Manila Bay have to stop by the island to have their papers checked. The conquering American forces fortified the island with cannons and mortars after defeating the Spanish navy in the Battle of Manila Bay in the 1800s. Rowena explained further that Corregidor is under the jurisdiction of the municipality of Cavite. Rowena also mentioned that the island of Corregidor was also in the shape of a tadpole and divided into four parts namely topside, middleside, bottomside and tailside.
Our first stop was was Battery Way where you can find huge short cannons called mortars. These were used to bombard the invading Japanese forces on the Bataan Peninsula.
From Battery way, our group proceeded to the Mile Long Barracks. These long row of buildings used to be home to American officers, servicemen, and their families. We also got to see the huge parade ground as well as the ruins of the buildings which according to our vibrant tour guide included a cinema.
We took pictures and began walking toward the monument called the Pacific War Memorial which was erected in memory of those who perished in the war. The memorial housed a sculpture called the Eternal flame. Our tour guide explained that once during the month of May, the beam of sunlight fell directly on the circle at the bottom of the structure. From there we proceeded to the museum where I got to see relics such as bombs, shells, uniforms, weapons, and other military equipment.
We got on the bus again and drop by the hotel for a sumptuous lunch. After having our fill of the wonderful food, we got back on the bus and proceeded to where to old Spanish lighthouse was located. It was a difficult to get to the top of the lighthouse since the stairs were built in a spiralling and steep manner. From there, our tour guide took us to see Battery Crockett in which one finds one of the disappearing cannons. They were called such because their muzzles retracted after firing a round. While on Battery Geary, our tour guide pointed to us three small islands near Corregidor. These were Caballo Island, Monja Island which was actually seamount, and El Fraile Island.
After leaving Battery Geary, our tour group proceeded to Malinta Tunnel. I was excited because this is one reason why I wanted to revisit the island in the first place. After paying extra cash, we followed our tour guide inside the tunnel where we were treated to a light and sound show of the history of the island. After the light and sound was over, we continued walking until we reached the other end of the tunnel. Was that tunnel really long!
Our last stops were the monument dedicated to the Filipino woman and the Japanese Garden of Peace where the remains of Japanese soldiers were buried by the conquering American forces. What is touching about the story behind this place is the Americans took the time to give their dead enemies a decent burial. This place was rediscovered by a visiting American veteran during the 1950s. The Japanese government was informed and they were only too happy to bring their dead home to their real resting place.
Since we paid for an overnight stay, our group decided to join a tour of the ruins of the first hospital as well as the ghost hunting activity inside the Malinta Tunnel. I'll tell you you all about it in my next blog.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
The Dolphy Movies I Remember
If there's one word to describe all the movies the late Dolphy made, it's RIBTICKLING. While watching his movies, one would find difficulty controlling his or her laughter which happens spontaneously. Thanks to directors like Ben Feleo and Ading Fernando, Dolphy made movies that allowed locally produced films to be at par with foreign movies during the so called "Golden Days" of Philippine cinema. Here are some of those movies:
El Pinoy Matador. Dolphy plays the role of a Filpino guy in Spain who was forced to become a matador just to prove his love for a girl named Sylvia played by Pilar Pilapil who happened to be the daughter of a rich Spanish guy played by the late Panchito. One unforgettable scene in the movie showed Dolphy running away from the bull. Panchito then threatens Dolphy to finish the job the pointing a sword at him.
An unforgettable song in the movie goes, " O sa Tundo maraming dalaga, nguni't ang nasa aking puso ay si Sylvia."
Buhay Marino. In this movie, Dolphy plays the role of sailor enlisted in the Philippine navy and his superior officer was played by the Panchito. This is one of the movies wherein Dolphy is always bullied around by Panchito. One funny scene in the movie shows Dolphy being refused a pass by Panchito. Instead, he orders to Dolphy to paint a docked naval vessel. An hour later, Dolphy goes back to Panchito to tell him that he's through painting the ship. The surprised Panchito is shocked to see that the ship had been painted with a polka dot pattern.
Buhay Pulis. One unforgettable scene in this movie shows Dolphy preparing the requirements that he needs to submit for his application as a police trainee. In that scene, he asks his sister played by Pinky de Leon to fill up a vial with her urine. Pinky then sees their pregnant neighbor played by Lorlie Villanueva and asks her instead to fill the vial with her own urine. Pinky then hands the vial to Dolphy as he rushes out of the house to go to the police recruitment center. The following day, when Dolphy claims the result of his medical test, he is suprised to hear the clerk say "Binabati ko po kayo!" When Dolphy asks why, the clerk says, "Nagdadalantao po kayo!"
John and Marsha sa Amerika. Watching this movie made me laugh to no end. Here John played by Dolphy and Marsha played by the late Nida Blanca win in a game show a consolation prize which is an an all expense paid trip to America. There are numerous funny scenes that will never make one tire of watching the movie again and again. One scene shows Dolphy dressing for the trip in his long sleeves and asks his son Rolly played by Rolly Quizon to bring out the cufflinks. Rolly then produces a stapler and staples the sleeves of Dolphy's shirt. During the farewell, Dolphy utters an unforgettable line, "Nalulungkot ako kasi matagal ko kayo hindi makikita (Referring to his daughter Shirley played by Maricel Soriano)". After a pause, he suddenly blurts out, "Gayunpaman, masaya din ako!" to which the family replies with " Aba'y bakit?!!!". Dolphy points at his mother in law and tells her "Kasi, dalwang buwan ko kayo hindi makikita hehehe!" Dona Delilah played by the late Dely Atay-Atayan angrily replies with her famous line " Hudas! Hestas! Barabbas!"
One scene in the airplane always made me fall of my seat while watching it. Dolphy goes to the restroom to do this thing. Unknown to him, there was already a signal for everyone to put on his seatbelt. As the plane dives, Dolphy is thrown out of the restroom with his pants down. At the airport, Dolphy gets separated from the group and waits for them at the Lost and Found section.
Another funny scene in the movie shows the jealous Marsha chopping the middle of a long hot dog sandwich which Dolphy and the female African American guide plan to eat by having each other start from opposite ends of the sandwich and continue chomping until they meet in the middle.
The scene at the safari was also memorable. Seeing a herd of elephants to cross their path, John tells Marsha, "Aba Marsha! Sumunod pala ang mga Mama e!" to which Marsha replies with "Saan?". Dolphy says "Ayun o!" while pointing to a herd of elephants.
Pacifika Falayfayfay. In this movie, Dolphy plays the role of a gay. At the beginning of the movie, the audience witnesses how Dely Atay-Atayan who plays the role of Dolphy's mother dresses up her son in girl clothes brought about by her frustration over wanting to have a daughter.
John and Marsha sa Probinsya. In this movie, John goes home to the province to visit his sick mother. The opening scene of this movie was totally hilarious as it shows the "papag" Dolphy was sleeping on during a heavy flood float away into the river. A dog gets on the bamboo bed and even urinates on the still sleeping Dolphy. A fish accidentaly gets inside Dolphy's shorts and the hungry dog ends up biting the manhood of poor Dolphy.
Another funny scene in the province takes place when Dolphy takes over his family's barber shop. A young guy walks in and tells Dolphy to cut his hair in the style popular in the city called "Syete" (seven). Dolphy thinks for a moment and starts cutting. To the man's surprise, he tells Dolphy, "Di ba Mang John sabi ko syete?" Dolphy says, "O ayan syete (with the number 7 cut on one temple), syete (The number 7 cut at the back of one's head), syete (The number 7 cut on the other temple), otso (The number 8 cut on the man's head).
Kalabog en Bosyo. Now this is another funny Dolphy I'd love to watch all over again. One funny scene in this movie shows Dolphy and Panchito preparing a concoction using boiled eggs. While crushing the eggs, Bosyo played by Panchito accidentaly throws some crushed eggs on Kalabog's (played by Dolphy) shirt. Kalabog then gets Bosyo's eyeglasses, dips them into the concoction, and puts them back on Bosyo's face. Bosyo retorts by getting a handful of the concoction and wipes them all over Kalabog's face. For his part, Kalabog gets back at Bosyo by filling up his shirt with the egg mixture.
These are just some of the many Dolphy movies I'd love to see all over again. I hope Channel 2 or 7 would come up with a show featuring all these movies.
El Pinoy Matador. Dolphy plays the role of a Filpino guy in Spain who was forced to become a matador just to prove his love for a girl named Sylvia played by Pilar Pilapil who happened to be the daughter of a rich Spanish guy played by the late Panchito. One unforgettable scene in the movie showed Dolphy running away from the bull. Panchito then threatens Dolphy to finish the job the pointing a sword at him.
An unforgettable song in the movie goes, " O sa Tundo maraming dalaga, nguni't ang nasa aking puso ay si Sylvia."
Buhay Marino. In this movie, Dolphy plays the role of sailor enlisted in the Philippine navy and his superior officer was played by the Panchito. This is one of the movies wherein Dolphy is always bullied around by Panchito. One funny scene in the movie shows Dolphy being refused a pass by Panchito. Instead, he orders to Dolphy to paint a docked naval vessel. An hour later, Dolphy goes back to Panchito to tell him that he's through painting the ship. The surprised Panchito is shocked to see that the ship had been painted with a polka dot pattern.
Buhay Pulis. One unforgettable scene in this movie shows Dolphy preparing the requirements that he needs to submit for his application as a police trainee. In that scene, he asks his sister played by Pinky de Leon to fill up a vial with her urine. Pinky then sees their pregnant neighbor played by Lorlie Villanueva and asks her instead to fill the vial with her own urine. Pinky then hands the vial to Dolphy as he rushes out of the house to go to the police recruitment center. The following day, when Dolphy claims the result of his medical test, he is suprised to hear the clerk say "Binabati ko po kayo!" When Dolphy asks why, the clerk says, "Nagdadalantao po kayo!"
John and Marsha sa Amerika. Watching this movie made me laugh to no end. Here John played by Dolphy and Marsha played by the late Nida Blanca win in a game show a consolation prize which is an an all expense paid trip to America. There are numerous funny scenes that will never make one tire of watching the movie again and again. One scene shows Dolphy dressing for the trip in his long sleeves and asks his son Rolly played by Rolly Quizon to bring out the cufflinks. Rolly then produces a stapler and staples the sleeves of Dolphy's shirt. During the farewell, Dolphy utters an unforgettable line, "Nalulungkot ako kasi matagal ko kayo hindi makikita (Referring to his daughter Shirley played by Maricel Soriano)". After a pause, he suddenly blurts out, "Gayunpaman, masaya din ako!" to which the family replies with " Aba'y bakit?!!!". Dolphy points at his mother in law and tells her "Kasi, dalwang buwan ko kayo hindi makikita hehehe!" Dona Delilah played by the late Dely Atay-Atayan angrily replies with her famous line " Hudas! Hestas! Barabbas!"
One scene in the airplane always made me fall of my seat while watching it. Dolphy goes to the restroom to do this thing. Unknown to him, there was already a signal for everyone to put on his seatbelt. As the plane dives, Dolphy is thrown out of the restroom with his pants down. At the airport, Dolphy gets separated from the group and waits for them at the Lost and Found section.
Another funny scene in the movie shows the jealous Marsha chopping the middle of a long hot dog sandwich which Dolphy and the female African American guide plan to eat by having each other start from opposite ends of the sandwich and continue chomping until they meet in the middle.
The scene at the safari was also memorable. Seeing a herd of elephants to cross their path, John tells Marsha, "Aba Marsha! Sumunod pala ang mga Mama e!" to which Marsha replies with "Saan?". Dolphy says "Ayun o!" while pointing to a herd of elephants.
Pacifika Falayfayfay. In this movie, Dolphy plays the role of a gay. At the beginning of the movie, the audience witnesses how Dely Atay-Atayan who plays the role of Dolphy's mother dresses up her son in girl clothes brought about by her frustration over wanting to have a daughter.
John and Marsha sa Probinsya. In this movie, John goes home to the province to visit his sick mother. The opening scene of this movie was totally hilarious as it shows the "papag" Dolphy was sleeping on during a heavy flood float away into the river. A dog gets on the bamboo bed and even urinates on the still sleeping Dolphy. A fish accidentaly gets inside Dolphy's shorts and the hungry dog ends up biting the manhood of poor Dolphy.
Another funny scene in the province takes place when Dolphy takes over his family's barber shop. A young guy walks in and tells Dolphy to cut his hair in the style popular in the city called "Syete" (seven). Dolphy thinks for a moment and starts cutting. To the man's surprise, he tells Dolphy, "Di ba Mang John sabi ko syete?" Dolphy says, "O ayan syete (with the number 7 cut on one temple), syete (The number 7 cut at the back of one's head), syete (The number 7 cut on the other temple), otso (The number 8 cut on the man's head).
Kalabog en Bosyo. Now this is another funny Dolphy I'd love to watch all over again. One funny scene in this movie shows Dolphy and Panchito preparing a concoction using boiled eggs. While crushing the eggs, Bosyo played by Panchito accidentaly throws some crushed eggs on Kalabog's (played by Dolphy) shirt. Kalabog then gets Bosyo's eyeglasses, dips them into the concoction, and puts them back on Bosyo's face. Bosyo retorts by getting a handful of the concoction and wipes them all over Kalabog's face. For his part, Kalabog gets back at Bosyo by filling up his shirt with the egg mixture.
These are just some of the many Dolphy movies I'd love to see all over again. I hope Channel 2 or 7 would come up with a show featuring all these movies.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
The Quiapo Fiesta Then
Because our lolo's grocery was doing fine during those days, my family would hire a band coming from Pakil in Laguna. During the night, the band would hold a mini concert in front of our lola's house in Concepcion Aguila St. in the Quiapo district. After the concert, we would be tucked in bed and prepare to attend the mass the following morning.
Mama would wake us up at around 4:00 in the morning and have us take a bath before dressing us up for the mass. Then off we would march to Plaza Miranda where masses are held one after the other. After attending the mass, we would return to our lola's house and have a sumptuous breakfast of different Filipino dishes. I forgot to mention that on the eve of the Quiapo Fiesta, the kitchen of my lola's house was a beehive of activity. Aunts and cousins would be seen busy cooking food for the guests who would drop by and share with us the joys of the annual feast.
At around 9:00 in the morning, we would hear the sound of the approaching bands. We would rush out and line up the streets as we watched the bands pass by one after the other. The parade would last for about one or two hours. Compared to the past years, there are only a handful of bands that participate in the recent celebrations of the Quiapo fiesta.
In the afternoon, there would be the procession of the Black Nazarene. Because I was too young to help in the distribution of food and drinks to the devotees, I would watch the procession go by from the window in the second floor of my lola's house.
Come evening, there would still be much eating and drinking. We would all go home at around 11:00 in the evening.
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