93. ROY T. GONZALEZ, 1st Filipino Design Genius to Conquer Europe's Fashion Houses

IMAGE 1:  DESIGN WIZ. 22-year old Roy T. Gonzales, works on designs for the House of Cardin at his Paris office. Pierre Cardin handpicked the young Filipino to join his fashion house after seeing his award-winning designs while a student at the famed Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. Image: Sunday Times Magazine

In 1964, a young Filipino design student placed first in a class of 80 students from  France’s premiere fashion school Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. It was a historic triumph in the fashion capital of the world for the unassuming Kapampangan boy who displayed his mastery in cutting and designing to beat competition.  Little did his professors and classmates know that Froilan “Roy” Gonzales, had long prepared for this, living and breathing fashion design in all  his 20 years.

His auspicious win would presaged a long career in Paris, where he would conquer the elite fashion houses of the city—the likes of Cardin, Patou and Lecoanet-Hemant, the Versace and Calvin Klein of that period.

Undoubtedly, his creative genius was in his genes, imbibed from both his grandmother and mother, prominent couturiers back in Manila. But the course of his career was also shaped an influenced by a unique background, the kind of story that movie dramas are made of, and which must be retold.

IMAGE 2: ALING BELTA, MODISTA PAR EXCELLENCE. Roy’s design genius was inherited from grandmother Roberta “Belta” Paras, whose own drama-filled life story tested her will and shaped her character. Image: A Century of Couture R.T. Paras, 1902-2002.

Roy’s grandmother was  Roberta “Belta” Tablante Paras, a woman of extraordinary talent and character, very much ahead of her times. She was the daughter of Modesto Paras, a juez de paz of Angeles, Pampanga and Juliana Tablante. Early on, Belta showed dexterity in handling needle and thread; she could cut and sew clothes with such skill that she started making a name for herself as dressmaker of note. Thus, in 1902, the young modista opened her Angeles shop.

IMAGE 3: JOSEFINA PARAS. Roberta Paras’ love-child with prominent Angeles doctor, Dr. Jose Tayag, and Roy’s mother, at her communion. Image: A Century of Couture R.T. Paras, 1902-2002.

By a twist of fate, she would fall in love with Dr. Jose Tayag, a prominent Angeles doctor who was very much married man.  Her father disowned her, so she fled to Manila, heavy with the child of Dr. Tayag. Yet, she managed to open a small dressmaking shop in Quiapo on Fraternal St. near the Pasig River in 1912. She would give birth to her daughter, Josefina,  on November 9, 1912, but once she recovered, the single mother went back toiling in her little shop.

IMAGE 4: CLIENT CALL. Lola Belta gained a reputation for her beautiful bridal gown creations. Her early commissions include this bridal gown of Socorro Brigida Naval for her wedding with Zosimo P. Ricafort. Image: A Century of Couture R.T. Paras, 1902-2002.

Her ambition and determination paid off; her creations—from bridal ensembles to ball gowns and formal wear found a steady stream of clients, many from among Manila’s elite. So in 1918, she moved her shop to Binondo in where her business gained more ground

IMAGE 5: R.T. PARAS BUILDING, along Rizal Avenue, housed a school of dressing as well as the fashion shop of Roberta Paras. Image: A Century of Couture R.T. Paras, 1902-2002.

But there was more to come. With her substantial earnings, Belta invested on a property along Manila’s premiere commercial center, Avenida. She put up her own R.T. Paras Building at 859 Rizal Avenue, which housed not only her couture shop but also a school of dressmaking. The last venture, too, flourished, and Belta’s fashion business was now a big-league enterprise.

IMAGE 6: ALING BELTA WITH GRANDCHILDREN, TITA & ROY GONZALES. Image: A Century of Couture R.T. Paras, 1902-2002.

Roberta Paras lived long enough to reap the rewards of her dreams and enjoy them. She remained selfless in the midst of her success, welcoming even Dr. Tayag’s children to her house in Manila during their schooling in the University of the Philippines, and treating them as her own. Most important too, she managed to pass on to daughter Josefina her passion for her art and craft, her exacting eye for good design, and her fine taste in fashion couture. These too, were not lost on grandson Roy, who, at a young age, was a witness to her grandmother’s talent, work ethics, and strong family values that  that would serve him well as a design student in Paris.

IMAGE 7: INANG, THE SUCCESSOR. Josefina “Inang” Paras (with  Roy), continued the R.T. Paras fashion house and her business savvy helped grew the family enterprise. Image: A Century of Couture R.T. Paras, 1902-2002.

When Roberta Tayag Paras passed away in 1952, her daughter, Josefina, took on her mantle and embraced her new role as the head of the fashion house. She brought to the table, her sharp business acumen honed by years of being an assistant to her mother as a teen. She finished her high school at St. Theresa’s College and earned a Commercial Science degree from Jose Rizal College. She also enrolled at her mother’s dressmaking school, and successfully completed that course too.

 “Inang” (b. Nov. 9, 2012) as she was fondly called, married Francisco Gonzales of Camiling, Tarlac who gave him two children, Robertita (Tita) and Froilan (Roy). The two would tag along with their mother when she reported to the shop of their Apung Belta, staying close as the elders managed the affairs of the day.  Tragically, at age 9, Tita would  drown in a summer swimming accident that would test Inang’s faith and spirit. A woman of weaker constitution would have spiraled into profound despair at this great loss, but Inang pulled herself together, buried her daughter, and carried on with what she had left—her son Roy, and her mother’s legacy, now a flourishing fashion business she had promised to run.

IMAGE 8 : ON THE MOVE. The House of R.T. Paras at the new Quezon Boulevard location in 1957. Image: A Century of Couture R.T. Paras, 1902-2002.

Inang proved to be as strong-willed as her mother, but on her own, she was also a visionary of sorts. In 1957, Inang moved R.T.Paras to a new location in Quezon City, an area that was then just being developed. A spanking, modern building was built to become the all-new House of R.T. Paras Haute Couture.

IMAGE 9: A WEDDING GOWN CREATED FOR BRIDE NONNIE AGUINALDO. Image: A Century of Couture R.T. Paras, 1902-2002.

This proved to be a smart move as the fashion house even became even more popular, its elite roster of clients growing by leaps and bounds. In its heyday, the House of R.T. Paras got to dress all the First Ladies of the country (except Dra. Loi Ejercito), beginning with Mrs. Aurora Aragon Quezon . Presidents Corazon Aquino and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo were also valued clients. Manila’s 400 came knocking at the doors—the Cojuangcos, Aranetas, Tansecos,  Lagdameos , among others.

IMAGE 10: THE SON ALSO RISES. Young Roy Gonzales showed his design skills early, using his school notebooks to sketch and do fashion illsutrations.Image: A Century of Couture R.T. Paras, 1902-2002.

Froilan “Roy” Gonzales (b. Mar. 23, 1944) remembers distinctly how, as an 8-year old, he started sketching his own designs in his school notebooks. He was just 13 when the House of R.T. Paras opened in Quezon City. Although not a stranger to the comings and goings in the house—client consultations, design discussions, cutting, sewing, endless fittings--the pace of activities have quickened at an accelerated rate. And, he was absorbing, as he was observing everything with much interest.

Roy’s horizons expanded when his mother took him to her trips abroad, traveling to such places as Hong Kong, Egypt and Europe, with the last making the most impression on him. He was an Economics sophomore at the Ateneo when he made up his mind to help continue the legacy left behind by his grandmother, now in the able hands of his hardworking mother. And so, still in his teens, he decided to study Fashion Design in Paris no less, home to the world’s leading fashion houses.

IMAGE 11: PARIS, HERE I COME. Roy Gonzales was admitted to the hallowed fashion school, Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, Image: A Century of Couture R.T. Paras, 1902-2002.

Roy enrolled at the famed Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, a fashion school founded in 1927. For almost four decades, the school have been turning young talents into polished,  highly-skilled professionals who are seen to chart the course of fashion and the fashion industry. Beginning in 1960, the school started creating international affiliations, paving the way for Roy, a Filipino, to be a student of the school.

His first place award for school year 1963-1964 drew the attention of Pierre Cardin, the French-Italian designer who would take the fashion world by storm for his avant-garde unisex creations—including the bubble dress launched in 1954. Taking an interest in Roy’s talents, he handpicked him for an interview one day in June 1964.  Roy strode in to meet Monsieur Cardin armed with his sketches, that so impressed the design icon that he hired him on the spot.

The Filipino designer, who had just turned 20, was quickly put to work on the Spring Summer Collection of the House of Cardin. The Op Art collection reflected the rage of Paris at that time, marked by stark, geometrical patterns, with a bold splash of orange and yellow, the colors of the season.  Unlike in Manila, it was not just the dresses that Roy designed, but also the accessories to go along with the look, including hats, jewelry and shoes.

 IMAGE 12: DESIGNS BY ROY. Some of Roy’s designs for the House of Cardin reflected the style of the season: op art. Creations include dress inspired by a kimono, day dresses, and accessories like hats and pieces of jewelry.Image: Sunday Times Magazine, 8 May 1966 issue.

As Cardin’s lone fashion designer, Roy reported daily at the Cardin workshop that occupied a whole building along Rue du Fauborge Sainte-Honore, on Paris’ 5^th Avenue. He worked directly under Cardin, and a small staff that includes a business director (who took care of contracts involving the sale of patterns to American department stores), two Frenchwomen  and a Swiss who staged Cardin’s fashion shows.

His rigid schedule begins from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and then from 2:00 pm. to 7 p.m., a full 8 hours that involved sketching and designing. Cardin would then choose the ones he liked for production. In his first attempts, only a few would be selected by Cardin from his scores of design. Being a quick learner, he was soon averaging about 5 approved designs for every 10 sketches submitted. “I think I know Cardin’s taste by now”, he says, “which is for me an accomplishment”.  The cutters and seamstresses are then put to work to execute the design, and when finished, are shown off by models to prospective clients.

IMAGE 13: TWO TERNOS, by Roy T. Gonzales. Even in a foreign land, Roy also designed Filipiniana pieces. These ternos, designed 40 years apart, shows a tri-colored terno and a terno specially designed for her mother, Inang. Images: Sunday Times Magazine/  A Century of Couture R.T. Paras, 1902-2002.

In the six years (1964-1970) with Cardin, Roy got to know many high-profile customers of Cardin, like actresses Jeanne Moreau (who was romantically linked with his boss), Greek superstar Melina Mercouri, Natalie Wood, Bridget Bardot, Mme. Dewi Sukarno and Mme. Claude Jacqueline Pompidou, First Lady of Prance.

From the House of Cardin, Roy worked for a year (1972-1973) at the House of Cerruti, founded by Italian stylist Nino Cerruti. As an assistant modéliste (model maker), he created the patterns of a garment based on a sketched design, which showed his cutting skills at his best.

IMAGE 14: JUDOKA JACKET of white cotton pique damask, edged in braid over pleated black satin trousers. Jean Patou designed by Roy Gonzales. 1978. Image: https://www.shrimptoncouture.com

It was at the House of Patou that Roy’s star would shine even brighter. The venerable couture house was founded  by designer Jean Patou, who died unexpectedly in March 1936. His sister Madeleine, together with husband Raymond Barbas,  continued the House of Patou which have come to include world- renowned designers like Marc Bohan (1954–1956), Karl Lagerfeld (1960–1963) and Jean Paul Gaultier (1971–1973).

Enter Roy Gonzales, now with more fire, more experience tucked under his belt. Starting as a modéliste, he proved his worth for five years, where his technical wizardry in design served him well, indeed.  

IMAGE 15: PATOU IN THE PHILIPPINES! Roy T. Gonzales, design head of the House of Patou, brought the Jean Patou Collection to Philippines in 1976. Image: A Century of Couture R.T. Paras, 1902-2002.

In 1976, Roy returned to the Philippines, to stage a homecoming fashion show at Hotel Intercon featuring his designs worn by statuesque Patou models. The show was a smash hit; Manila revelled in his international success, which further elevated the quality high-fashion reputation of the House of R. T. Paras. The next year, Roy was finally named design head of Patou, thus establishing him firmly as a world-class fashion genius.

In the summer of 1977, Roy  presented his summer collection for Patou that was hailed as “one of its prettiest collections in recent years”. Here, he deftly replaced traditional blouses with little waistcoats. He also featured a lot of strapless dresses which doubled as evening skirts when dropped from bust to hip. Singled out as Patou's best was a fluttery shirt of red-striped beige over a red dotted beige skirt and topped by a beige canvas waistcoat. The collection  was noted for its eminently European, ultra-feminine look.

He made quite a splash at the fall couture show held in July 1977 in Paris with such eye-turning numbers such as a vest made of feathered patchwork and a batwing cardigan sweater. In the 1978 editorial of Vogue Paris, his sumptuous designs for Patou were featured on the pages magazine considered as a fashion bible.

IMAGE 16: GET WELL SOON! An illness forced Roy to slow down and check-in at a French rest house where he would convalesce. While recovering, he was visited by his mother Inang. Photo: A Century of Couture R.T. Paras, 1902-2002.

But a debilitating illness befell Roy, which would hound him for months, so in 1981, he took off from work to recover in a country home in France where his mother, Inang,  visited him. His convalescence however, took more time than usual,  and he sadly decided to quit the House of Patou in 1982, and return to the Philippines for a much needed rest. Roy would be succeeded by the equally brilliant Christian Lacroix as design head in 1982, and who, in a matter of years, become a fashion superstar.

Back on his feet in 1982, Roy returned to Paris and  was signed up as by Dorothée Bis as its modeliste-stylist . The ready-to-wear house was founded by Jacqueline and Elie Jacobson in 1962. It would earn repute for its stylish sportswear line, that included knits.

In 1984, he would start a long and illustrious career at Lecoanet Hemant, which was founded by Didier Lecoanet and Hemant Sagar in the ’80s, right on the street where Roy first worked for Cardin, close to the Elysée Palace. The fashion house became known for a unique style that mixed eastern and western elements, most evident in the drapings reminiscent of the Asian sari, that characterized most of their creations.

IMAGE 17: ROY IN THE PARIS METRO, after a 1984 Didier Lecoanet Hemant Sagar fashion show 1984. Photo:  Jean-luce Huré, http://snap361.com/ig-tag/roygonzales/

Draping was one of Roy’s area of expertise being a superbly-skilled technician, and he would leave his mark in this haute couture house that was patronized by European aristocrats, Middle eastern blue-bloods, as well as the international jet set crowd. He would stay with Lecoanet Hemant until 1998.

By then, Roy’s mother Inang was already 86 years old. Away for more than three decades, he finally decided to come home for good in 1998 to spend time with her. It was also the perfect time to take over the reins of the R.T. Paras Couture House which her mother had so productively ran by herself with her loyal staff, and which had set a record by becoming the longest continuing haute couture shop in the country. Indeed, the name “R.T. Paras” was top-of-mind when it came to creating opulent wedding gowns, smart corporate attire, suits and formal wear.\

IMAGE 18: HER MOTHER’S SON. Roy Gonzales and her mother Josefina Gonzales at the pinnacle of their success, Photo: Ruppert Jacinto, A Century of Couture R.T. Paras, 1902-2002.

 Comfortably settled in Manila, Roy indulged her mother’s passion for dinners, dances and costume parties with her ‘amigas’. They were even planning the 2002 centennial of the House of R. T. Paras, plus her 90^th birthday. Roy had already designed a fabulous terno for her mother to wear for the said occasions. But Inang would not be there to see the celebration of their milestone of the design empire that she helped built; she passed away on January 28, 2001. It was a most heartbreaking moment for Roy, and he would reflect later on that “her absence scooped out a portion of our lives…and for me, it was a bucketful.”

On November 9, 2002, on what would have been the 90^th birthday of Inang Gonzales, the House of R.T. Paras celebrated its 100^th year, marked with a spectacular fashion show and an exhibit of vintage Paras gowns at the NBC Tent, Fort Bonifacio.   The beaming Roy chose to call it a “family reunion”, as it was attended by many patrons of the house, veritable members of Manila’s who’s who.

Roy Gonzales now holds high the torch of the esteemed fashion business that was begun a century ago by his Apung Belta and his beloved mother, Inang. But he also keeps the fire close to his heart, as he strives to continue the legacy of the house—now solely  his own.

These days, Roy has totally immersed himself in the local fashion scene, and his couture creations been seen everywhere—from the President’s State-of-the-Nation Address to gala balls and fashion runways. Part of his continuing journey is his mission to share and impart his couture knowledge to budding designers and students. In 2010, Roy was one of the mentors in the Designer Fashion Workshops  organized by fashion professionals in collaboration with iacademy.

The trailblazing Filipino who conquered the leading fashion houses of Europe and who paved the way for other local designers to leave their mark in the international fashion scene, can afford to rest on his laurels, no doubt.  But he chooses not to, for while he holds high the torch of the fashion business started a century ago by his Lola Belta and Inang, he also keeps the fire close to his heart. Now infused with the lifeblood of three generations, the House of R.T. Paras lives on.

 SOURCES:

Gutierrez, Lydia C., The Wizard of Op. Sunday Times Magazine, May 8, 1966, pp. 50-51.

A  Century of Couture, R.T. Paras 1902-2002, Le Recueil des Anniversaires

Tayag, Claude. My Tita Inang, TURO-TURO column,  6 October 2002 https://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/sunday-life/2002/10/06/178780/my-tita-inang

https://prabook.com/web/froilan_tayag.gonzales/775456

Shrimpton Couture: Photos of Patou Designs,

https://www.shrimptoncouture.com/blogs/curated/shadows-and-lights-on-the-new-evening

 Photo, Vogue Paris, 1977. Photo by Helmut Newton. http://snap361.com/ig-tag/roygonzales/

 The Pantagraph from Bloomington, Illinois · Page 28, Publication: Thursday,  October 27, 1977, https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/73127955/

 Image: “Surprise Encounter ! Didier Lecoanet Hemant Sagar in the Paris Metro after their show 1984 and Roy Gonzales”,  Photo Jean-luce Huré, http://snap361.com/ig-tag/roygonzales/

 

 

72. THE CASTRO FAMILY'S TALK-OF-THE-TOWN CHRISTMAS LANTERNS 1980-1983

1980, STEVE OWLSEN LANTERN

O OWLY NIGHT: THE LANTERN THAT STARTED IT ALL-- OUR "STEVE OWLSTEN" PAROL, Christmas 1980. I remember the day when our holiday home decorating took a turn for the strange, the outrageous, and for many of our neighbors—the bizarre. Three years before the infamous E.T. lantern, we siblings, conceived of a way to transform our roof into a veritable Christmas display a la Manila C.O.D. We resisted all traditional lantern forms— star, Oriental-inspired, box lanterns---and decided to come up with an animal-inspired lantern to rival our previous Santa’s reindeer display.  We did not have to look far for an inspiration. That year, we caught an OWL that strayed in our backyard---and that was how the queerest of birds became our pet (we had a pet monkey before that).  We named our pet owl “Steve Owlsten”,  after 6 Million Dollar Man’s Steve Austin (played by actor Lee Majors), which was still a big hit on TV that time. But alas, our big-eyed  bird Steve died in captivity---and as a supreme tribute to the wide-eyed fowl, we crafted a lantern in his likeness, fashioned from used cardboard packaging. It had super big cellophane eyes which could be lit from the inside, if I remember right. And it was kinda tall, with pointed ears that made him looked like a cross between a horned carabao and a bird. As soon as we hanged our STEVE OWLSTEN Parol creation outside our 2nd floor window, it became our neighbors' conversation piece. Maybe it reminded oldtimers that once, Pampanga had fish-shaped lanterns---the fish being a symbol for Christ. But an OWL lantern? Well---we just tell people that “ the wise bird is the symbol of the 3 Wise Men, haller, don’t you know that??!”

1981, MEDUSA LANTERN

BE GOOD, FOR GOODNESS SNAKES:  OUR MEDUSA PAROL, Christmas1981. If looks could kill, our Medusa head lantern from Christmas 1981 would have killed the  whole neighborhood, or turned the neighbors to stone. We were inspired by our favorite 1981 movie, “Clash of the Titans” to create this Gorgon head---the serpentine hairstyle was fashion from coconut inflorescences—those clump of flower twigs  that look like slithering “snakes” from a distance. In the Greek myth, Medusa was beheaded by Perseus—here, acted out by my brother Michael Castro—who only needed a P.M.T. sword to do the job. For our many horrified neighbors, this Medusa head was their worst nightmare before Christmas!!!!

1982, HANGMAN LANTERN

NO CHANCE OF PAROL(E): OUR HANGMAN LANTERN, Christmas 1982. This is the lantern that sent our poor Mother screaming bloody hell and left her so upset!  I recall her ordering us to bring it down immediately-but to no avail. I think our holiday decorating reached its dismal, abyssmal depths in 1982, with this tasteless, totally improper human parol, complete with blood and tongue sticking out. My siblings probably figured that if mistletoes, stockings and ornaments were meant to be hanged, why not a person with a death sentence? At the way our neighbors reacted to our Hangman Lantern (morbid!!!) , we could say that the "execution" of our parol was outstanding!  The next year, we reprised the "hanging" parol idea using E.T.!

1983, E.T. LANTERN

OUR PAROL GOES EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL.Christmas 1983. Had the Pope seen our parol hanging in the front of our house in 1983, he would have excommunicated us. Even my poor Mother was mortified, and begged us to take our “parol” down. Our neighbors along the street would whisper about those “Castro kiddie weirdos”. We didn’t mind; on the contrary, we thought our lantern was uniquely cute! It was 1983, and the worldwide hit movie "E.T. The Extraterrestrial" had just been shown in Philippine cinemas. And we were hooked on the adorable alien. We thought E.T. would make a better, moe engaging lantern than the very common star parol. Both aliens and stars are from outer space anyway. Why, even Manila C.O.D. had space-themed Christmas displays! So, my brothers fashioned a papier mache E.T. mask, which was put on a body, complete with feet in rubber shoes and boxing gloves (the hand with individual fingers was too laborious to make in papier mache). Since we couldn’t make our E.T. lanterns stand on our roof landing-we hanged it by the neck. When we lit up our E.T. lantern in December, our neighbors stood transfixed, but mostly in shock, with eyebrows raised. Our house was the cynosure of attention that Christmas of 1983. Looking back now, our E.T. parol was, indeed, in such bad taste, fit more for Halloween than Christmas. But we succeeded in what we set out to do: to make our Christmas decoration the most talked about in the neighborhood. If KMJS had only been  around in 1983, Jessica Soho would have phoned us home, and featured our E.T.parol on her show!!

69. THE TWELFTH MONTH , Phil. Daily Inquirer, 2014

 

PASKU NA! PASKU NA! NANANU KO PA? A Castro Christmas in our old Mabalacat home in the early 80s.

There’s a special spirit in the air when December comes, and whoever invented the calendar certainly saved the best month for last—at least that’s what I thought when I was younger.  The tell-tale signs that December is coming are apparent in the dip in the thermometer, the endless carols blaring from the radio, and the ubiquitous parul sampernandu making their appearance on houses and streets.

To a child growing up in the 60s in Pampanga, December will always be a month unlike any other—for it meant shortened school days, a long vacation and one or two weeks of exciting holiday activities before the actual Christmas Day. In my elementary school days, I remember how we turned our classroom into a virtual Winter Wonderland.

 The centerpiece was a Christmas tree fashioned from a real tree with branchescovered with lots of cotton balls. We decorated our tree with chains made from colored paper, and cut-out figures from old Christmas cards. Glitter was made from old cigarette ‘palara’ (foil)  and more generous classmates would donate five-centavo Chinese folding paper lanterns with tassels of string. Traditional star lanterns of bamboo and papel de japon were all hand-made—which, after being graded by our Industrial Arts teacher, were quickly hung above our door.

There would also be hurriedly-practiced Christmas presentations, which consist mostly of singing carols learned from our Commonwealth era music books. We played manitu-manitu, our version of Kris-Kringle, in which mystery benefactors gave small surprise gifts for you every day—Texas bubble gum, a sachet of balitug (corn bits)  a bar of Choc-nut, Señorita lemon drops.  The identity of your donor is revealed on the day of the Christmas Party, where more gifts are given, with the best reserved for our “teacher-in-charge”.

Back home, our Christmas décor was more well-thought of—our neighbors on our street have come to expect the unexpected from us, what with our bewildering displays that never fail to catch passersby’s attention. The second floor window of our house opens to the first floor roof which provided a stage to mount our visual showcase a la Manila COD. 

One time, we had a “Belen” tableaux with figures made from “palis tambo” brooms, which drew mixed reviews—our yaya said frankly that they looked more like “tau-tauhan”(scarecrows) than the Holy Family. The next year, it was back to traditional Santa Claus cartolina cut-outs with Paete papier mache horses that we transformed into reindeers, by adding antlers made from coconut  twigs.

 Our worst display was a character centerpiece that had nothing to do with Christmas, but which we thought was a great idea at that time.  It was 1982 and E.T. was the current rage—so we made a larger-than-lifesize papier mache figure of the cute extra-terrestrial, complete with a pointing finger that lit up. Problem was, we didn’t know how to mount it, so my younger brother hung it by the neck—arguing that it would make a spectacular lantern. It sure became a talk-of-the-town as passersby would gasp in horror at the spectral sight of an alien hanging by his neck, “executed” by that weird family with a taste for the macabre! Eventually, my horrified mother asked us to take E.T. down.

 The remaining days leading to the Christmas Day is marked with more frenetic preparations, as house helps are mobilized to sweep the backyard, wax the floors and scrub the wooden windows and the pasamanos (window ledges) with isis leaves, in a cleaning frenzy.

 Two weeks before Christmas, my Ingkung would give an extra 100 pesos to my Ima for her Christmas marketing. I remember accompanying her to far away San Fernando so she could order special ‘saymadas’ slathered with butter and topped with grated ‘quezo de bola’. This must explain why ensaymadas are my favorite pastries to this day.

 Ati Bo, my father’s former yaya and our resident cook would also be preparing the big ‘kawas’ and ‘kalderas’ for our special noche buena based on my Ima’s menu, scrubbing the copper ‘tachos’ to bring back their gleam, which she will use for cooking tibuk-tibuk. Banana leaves would be gathered from our backyard garden, cut in size and then smoked to make them supple for wrapping suman and bobotu (tamales).

 Around this time too, while the adults are absorbed in their holiday chores, I would also be snooping around to see what I would be receiving for Christmas. There were years when we got ‘stateside’ gifts bought from Clark made possible by an American friend--my favorite were the stockings stuffed with mint candies, small toys, crayons and activity books.

 When that was not possible, my big sister would find something appropriate at Johnny’s Grocery in Balibago or in the school supply stores of Angeles like Josie’s Variety and Estrella’s. I always looked forward to receiving  Classic Illustrated comic books (they cost 80 centavos back then) that featured both classic novels and fairy tales. I still have a few issues saved from those past Christmasses.

 Children were also expected to attend religious festivities during the holidays and the ‘pastorellas’ of our church in Mabalacat were always a delight to hear.  Latin hymns are sung during the 9-day Christmas masses , and the songs include “Kyrie” (in Greek, actually) , “Gloria”, “Credo”, “Sanctus” and “Agnus Dei”. Though I could not understand a word, the operatic hymns, sung by a full choir and accompanied by violins, accordion and flutes, completely enthralled me, leading me to believe that these musical pieces must have been composed in heaven. Today, the pastorella tradition lives on a few other towns like Floridablanca, Betis and Sta. Rita.

 The final prelude to Christmas happens on Christmas Eve with the holding of the kid-anticipated ‘Maytinis’ (derived from Matins, or evening prayers)—the spectacular procession of holy images—patrons of  every barangay,  accompanied by colorfully lit lanterns or parul. Village choirs singing “Dios te Salve” accompany the faithful as they wend their way through the main streets of the town and back to the church.

 As a young boy, I could only see the procession from afar—on the other side of Sapang Balen river—as our narrow street was not part of the designated ‘limbun’ (procession) route. How I often fretted those nights away! Which is why, when I was asked to judge the Maytinis competition in 2004 (yes, prizes are now being given away for the Best Lantern, Best Carroza, Best Barangay Participation, Best Choir, etc.), I did not think twice and said yes. Through the years, the level of artistry has grown by leaps and bounds, evident in the creatively-designed lanterns and imaginatively-decorated floats;  I pray that the depth of devotion has grown too.

 Call me killjoy, but the excitement over Christmas drops drastically for me the day after—December 26. Then I start counting the days, weeks,and months all over again  till the next December 25. For a chance to bring back scenes from one’s childhood, 364 days is worth the wait. 

NOTE: This article was one of the winning articles in the "Christmas In My Memory" Essay Writing Contest launched by Philippine Daily Inquirer in December 2014:

37. LOST IN THE CITY OF ANGELS

 THE OLD MUNICIPIO OF CULIAT

Memory is a wily keeper of the past, so they say-- often true and faithful, but at times elusive or even deceptive. Mine, however, are still sharp and bright, especially when it comes to Angeles City—a special place that I have always associated with a joyful time of youthful discoveries, when everyone’s idea of risky adventure was a quick trip to Pampanga’s playground--the “city of Angels”.

Growing up in a sleepy town-on-the-border that is Mabalacat, the nearby city of Angeles represented just about everything an idealistic “promdi” teen dreamed of. Angeles provided the ultimate escape, a 20 minute jeepney ride away to where the action is—there, in her downtown movie houses and cheap restaurants along its crowded alley roads serving Hollywood magic and meriendas; in its bustling commercial streets crammed with hawkers, shoppers and Muslim vendors; and in the famed avenues of Balibago lined with bright neon lights spelling familiar names straight from roadside Las Vegas: Copa Cabana, Stardust, Nina’s Papagayo.

More than just a center of escapades, Angeles was the place to kick off your shoes and get really comfortable, a city known for freely extending its unconditional welcome to one and all. They say in Angeles, everyone has a chance to make it and to this city gravitated every one – entrepreneurs, missionaries, U.S. servicemen, backpacking tourists , students, bar girls, artists, German and Australian retirees and even lost souls out to make a quick buck or two. Such was Angeles in my mind’s eye.

One could never imagine that this freewheeling city was once the farthest barrio of San Fernando, a clearing started by spouses Don Angel Pantaleon Miranda and Dona Rosalia de Jesus in 1792. Its early name was Culiat, from the woody vines that proliferated in the area. Inaugurated as a town in 1829, Culiat was dedicated to its titular patrons, the Holy Guardian Angels , hence the name “Angeles”, but it is certainly a strange coincidence that its founder was also named Angel.

The handful of nuclear families and their descendants that settled in Culiat soon expanded and grew, with family members often intermarrying. Large prominent families like the Nepomucenos, Hensons, Nepomucenos, Paras, Lazatins, Del Rosarios, Tayags have common genealogical roots, which explains why today, it is possible to bump into a distant relation just by walking the streets.

It is also the best way to discover the city’s soul, with its unexpected surprises that lurk at every bend. Recently on a week-end, I went on my own to revisit my old Angeles on foot, to retrace familiar haunts, half-expecting to relive my big city experience while exploring its contemporary attractions. After years of living in Manila and in other parts of the world, I was not disappointed.

Historic Sto. Rosario Street was my starting point. On this street stands the city landmark—the imposing Holy Rosary Parish, started in 1855 by Fr. Guillermo Masnou but opened to the public only in 1890. Its massive intricately carved doors feature religious figures central to the city’s story, most specially the Virgin of the Most Holy Rosary.

Most of Angeles’ ancestral buildings are clustered in this district—from the old Pamintuan Residence that was once occupied and transformed by Pres. Emilio Aguinaldo as his presidential headquarters, (now a Bangko Sentral regional branch), the restored Bale Herencia to the Nepomuceno’s Kamalig, an ancient barn turned specialty pizza restaurant, adjacent to Bale Matua, the old stone house of the original founders of Angeles.

The old regional court across the church has been converted into Museo ning Angeles, a repository of the city’s historical and cultural treasures. The city’s more organized commercial center—Nepo Mart—is just a stone’s throw away. PX goods were once the lifeblood of the stores here. I remember, from school, I could dash here for my favorite fig newtons or Lay’s potato chips. Nowadays, Bangkok goods are peddled side by side U.S. products obviously purchased from Clark Field PX shops.

There are so much food choices here—from Everybody’s Café, a branch of San Fernando’s most popular restaurant known for its local delicacies like kamaru, betute and tapang damulag, Delyn’s Restaurant inside the Nepo complex, Susie’s Cuisine and its famous tibuk-tibuk, the outdoor Cely’s, with its array of Kapampangan value meals to this once-nameless snack house on nearby Corazon St. noted for its unique pastillas de leche-enriched halo-halo.

Recently, the age of malls has come to Angeles with the rise of Jenra and the multi-storey Nepo Mall, the city’s latest concession to progress. But the height of adventure begins in the downtown market occupying Miranda and Rizal St., where one can get lost amidst life’s most trivial pleasures. Snake in and around the stalls—if you have hunger pangs, munch a turon, eat suman, snack on pancit palabok. Kitschy gift shops stand next to hole-in-the wall beauty shops here. Down a narrow street, I checked if “Cool Spot”- everyone’s favorite high school snack hangout—was still around. It still is, thankfully, serving up the the tastiest pancit and pineapple-upside down cake this side of town.

Every Friday, the “tiangge ng Apu” comes to life on Burgos St., where the wildest assortment of merchandise at dirt-cheap prices abound for the picking—from CDs, VCD’s and DVD’s , batik dusters, ukay-ukay finds, tropical aquarium fishes, car tools, leather goods, glassware, fake GI surplus to pots, pans and what have you. The city’s own version of Divisoria has been around for years—but this baratillo paradise is much noisier, rowdier. Before, second-hand shops and thrift stores would also be located in this area, selling Clark Air base odds and ends—vinyl records, army trays, pocketbooks and girlie magazines.

Along Jake Gonzales Boulevard., the main artery linking Balibago and Angeles, motels and cocktail lounges abound. I remember a U.S. style hotel being built in the 70s here, called “Pauline’s, with surreal interiors embellished with concrete stalactites and stalagmites. It was never finished, and for years, was the boulevard’s signature landmark. No longer a hotel row, the strip is now known for its sisig stalls by the old railroad track, a legendary haven for beer guzzlers and pulutan lovers. Balibago, past the Abacan Bridge, has always had a honky-tonk feel.

In here, the attitude is a bit more brash, a little looser, a touch of the wild, wild west on Kapampangan soil. Balibago was both a residential and a commercial district—with prime villages like Diamond Subdivision providing major housing for American G.I.s and their families. The premiere hotel in the area was Marlim Mansion, which still stands today, and across it—the celebrated Angeles Fried Chicken restaurant—host to many birthday, anniversary and graduation bashes, owned by Taus family.

Other Balibago “institutions” include Johnny’s Grocery (where we went shopping for our Junior-Senior Prom food supply) and Del Rosario Swimming Pool Compound, located at the foot of Abacan Bridge, where many an Angeleño kid learned to swim. Balibago subsisted primarily on Clark, and the myriads of shops and businesses that dotted its landscape naturally reflected complex American tastes: swanky bars with go-go girls, galleries that peddled velvet paintings, Kon-Tiki carvings and artworks with exotic South Pacific themes, fastfoods with American names (Spic ‘n Span, A&W), rattan furniture shops, dozens of hotels and motels with pretentions of poshness. Along the main highway, animated neon signs advertised the clubbing pleasures of Little Brown Jug and Cock and Bull. The whole stretch of Friendship Hi-Way and Fields Avenue housed the seedier establishments that promised more wanton delights.

Nearby Clark Field was terra incognita for a lot of us teeners back in the 70s, an exclusive enclave reserved for a privileged few (Americans and their dependents). People spoke of a commissary with endless rows of the freshest apples and peaches, Pacex milk, Hershey’s kisses, macadamia nuts and more! There were stories told about fancy restaurants like Top Hat and Coconut Grove, of Olympic size pools with gleaming white tiles at the Officers’ Club and of visits by celebrities like Xavier Cugat and Bob Hope. I remember going there only once, as part of a group invited by Wagner High School officials, for a tour of their art-and-crafts facilities. I came away foolishly impressed by the American dream, and for some time, relished the thought of Philippine statehood as espoused by Cabangbang.

Now, more than a decade after Pinatubo, the atmosphere around this perimeter is more sedate, the din of raucous laughter a bit quieter. It still is a people-friendly place, and shopping here can be quite a thrill. Art galleries and frame shops --with their precious old stock of artworks, are concentrated here, and there is still that delicious possibility of unearthing a masterpiece from the 60s and 70s painted by Jose Bumanlag David, Patricio Salvador or Felix Gonzales—noted masters of the brush who once plied their talents here.

Astro Park, fronting the Clark main gate, provides the ideal green spot for games and afternoon gambols. Next door neighbors to galleries and furniture shops are modern-day KTVs and coffee shops, catering to a whole new community, more local than international. German and Australian retirees have replaced the Americans, even the Koreans have arrived, giving rise to thriving multi-cultural businesses and all-new relationships.

The big city of my youth seems so much smaller now, but with so many attractions (and, surprising distractions!) to assault the senses, it still is so easy to lose one’s way . In a sense, you can never find your way out of Angeles, because the city—like some giant magnet—will draw you back in. Perhaps it is its “there’s something-for-everyone” patronage to diversity that makes people stay. Or the fact that it has retained its human scale in the midst of growth and modernity.

To me, its enduring appeal lies in it capacity to make the most lasting impressions, a place of the rich past which has created its own vital present--where people can take comfort in knowing that they can leave Angeles, for half a lifetime or more, and return to find most of their fascinating memories of this proud city still safe and intact.

35. Review: O, INDU: The Virgen de los Remedios Story

 Category: Books
Genre: Religion & Spirituality 
Author: Edna L. Gueco

Pampanga was a hotbed of socialism and Huk insurgency in the 50s. So, to temper these 'godless ideologies', Bishop Cesar Ma. Guerrero of the new Diocese of San Fernando launched the Cruzada ning Pamanisi at Lugud (Crusade of Penance and Charity) .

 “Aqui en Pampanga hay mucha piedad, pero poca caridad! (Here in Pampanga, there is much piety but little charity!)” the Bishop noted.The symbol of the crusade revolved around a small image of a Virgin from Baliti; she was borrowed and titled Virgen de los Remedios. Thus, the tradition of religious processions and acts of charity (lamac) began. Virgen de los Remedios made the rounds of Pampanga towns for a full year, and the towns took turns hosting the image. The devotion touched lives, healed wounds, converted people and helped stem the tide of Communism.

In the next year of the Cruzada however, the people of Baliti, due to some misinformation, refused to loan out their Virgin, to the disappointment of the Bishop. Emotions ran high in Baliti, with threats that "blood will flow" if the Virgin is taken forcibly from them. Bishop Guerrero thus had a second image made, a taller version of the original Baliti Virgin--and this was the image that was canonically crowned in 1956. Eventually, two more replicas were made of the image, for use in the northern and southern Pampanga towns. The 'Coronada' Virgin now remains in the Chancery, while the Baliti Virgin has its own shrine. At one point, Baliti had to suffer the stigma of being a town of selfish and possessive people, and as a result, the crowned duplicate at the Chancery is looked at and recognized as the real Patroness of Pampanga.

This book traces the beginnings (and all the drama) of the Virgen de los Remedios devotion that began in the early 1950s, and continues with unabated fervor to this day. The author, a native of Baliti, also seeks to explain that fateful moment when the town decided to withhold their image from participating in the crusade, for reasons never really brought to light. In so doing, Baliti missed having their Virgin crowned by Vatican--and lost its chance of being part of history. Through the years, there were attempts to soothe the ill feelings between the Church and the people of Baliti, but Time seems to be the best healer of wounds.

The book is replete with legends and lore about the original Virgen de los Remedios of Baliti (as it is referred to, to differentiate it from the Virgen de los Remedios of Pampanga). There are also personal anecdotes, testimonials from recipients of various miracles plus contributed articles in Kapampangan with English translations. The major drawback is the poor quality of black and white pictures--all appear washed out and pixelized. It's a pity because it would have been interesting to see the difference between the original and the replica of the Virgin. At Php1,000, it is also pricey, but local history books are so rare these days, they get snapped up real fast by major book dealers.

30.Bale Matua: The DELA CRUZ-LIM HOUSE

An uncle of mine died this week, Tatang Emiliano “Bending” de la Cruz, who lived to the ripe age of 93 years. Tatang was married to my aunt Elsie Castro, 89, sister of my late Dad.

Both Tatang Bending and Imang Elsie were the last of their siblings, outliving all their younger ‘kapatads’, in the case of my aunt. Though longtime Manila residents, they've always remained true to their Pampanga roots, and it was in Mabalacat, their hometown, that the family chose to have Tatang’s wake.

 The death of my uncle gathered our Kapampangan relatives, and the funeral wake turned into another mini-reunion, and an occasion to revisit old memories of the grand De La Cruz-Lim House, where my uncle lay in state for 3 days.

This is their family residence, an imposing structure built in 1932, by his father, Don Vicente Dizon de la Cruz (Apung Centi), a prominent businessman and sugar planter, and his wife, Dna. Felipa Tuazon Lim (Apung Pepang), whose humble beginnings belied her enterprising spirit.

As a youngster, Apung Pepang sold water to passengers of the the Manila-Dagupan railway, which passed thru the town. In later years, local people would call her the “Nora Aunor of Mabalacat”, despite the obvious anachronism.

I had written about this house in my local history book, but never got around to seeing it this close. I remember a few, short visits here—it is a town landmark because of its tall tower—when one says you have reached the “bale ng Apung Pepang” (the house of Lola Pepang), it means you have reached the town proper.

 The house stands right along the corner of the Sta. Ines Expressway Exit and MacArthur Highway in a spacious prime lot. It has a distinct art deco design, right down to the iron grill fence.

The house was among the few featured in the “Pampanga Social Register” book, published in 1936, which paid tribute to Pampanga’s prominent people in business and society.

According to the write-up, the house was constructed with Rizal Cement, furnished with Puyat Furniture and finished with Bondex paint by contractor A.B. Villanueva & Sons.

Well-kept through the years, the house had only minor refurbishments, which included re-painting and a change of wallpaper. It is fronted by a garden and a small lawn featuring a grotto-like centerpiece with some figures in cement.

 The covered entry features a contemporary plaque that identifies it as the De la Cruz-Lim Residence, Constructed 1932.

The names of the children are listed with along with the names of their spouses: Enrico (m. Cristina D. Antonio), Constancia, Vicente Gonzalo Jr. (died young), Emiliano (m. to Elsie M. Castro), Heindelberto (m. Clarita G. Velasquez), Ubaldo (m. Caridad G. Garcia), Felicisima (m. to Judge Noli P. Quioc) and Adelaida (m. to Francisco A. Olalia).

The spacious receiving room (where the wake was held) is richly-lined with narra wood panels while the two-toned flooring is made from long wood strips.

The tall but narrow sliding windows of clear glass are protected by beautiful art deco grills of floral design.

There are two rooms to the left, one of which is Apung Centi’s office. There is also a larger room next to the stairwell, used as a living quarter.

The second floor is accessible by a short flight of stairs with wooden steps and iron grill balusters. It leads to the commodious living room that has retained its 80 year old Ambassador style furniture made by Puyat & Sons.

The two-toned floor motif and the wooden paneling is repeated here.

An unusual portrait of the De La Cruzes hangs in the sala. It is that of the couple in their late 50s, cut-out photo oleos (painted studio pictures) and assembled to give a 3-D effect, an early and unusual example of tole art.

 Going to the dining room, one sees an arch with low relief carvings representing the prosperous sugar business of the De La Cruzes. It shows a sugar mill (Apung Centi was a stockholder of the Mabalacat Sugar Mill), sugarcane crushers, a pilon and other mill appurtenances.

 A matching arch is shown on the opposite side, with the initials of the owner and carvings of a vast sugarcane field, a cane crusher and the solitary figure of a farmer hauling off sugarcane stalks in a gareta (carabao cart).

 The dining room also retained much of its furniture, vintage Puyat, in streamlined Ambassador deco, a favored and popular 30s style.

High windows keep the dining room cool, and an occasional bat would often stray into the house through the sliding windows.

To the left are the kitchens and other utility areas, where househelps spend most of their time preparing the food and cooking dishes using old clay ovens.

There is an old fashioned banggera here, and a modern San Miguel refrigerator.

Opposite are rooms sandwiching a short hallway that leads to a veranda. One room is used to store the antique images of St. Mary Margaret Alacocque and the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which are lent to the church for viewing on the Feast of Sacred Heart.

The most famous feature of the house is the tower, which is accessible through a narrowing and a spiraling flight of stairs that lead to the top, a small space with windows, good for just a small seat.

There is a town legend that daughter Constancia used to hang out here, which has a commanding view of the town, in the hope of catching a glimpse of a beloved—a religious, so they say. The truth was, Constancia had bad lungs, so her father built the tower for her so she could take better whiff of the fresh, pure air available at high altitude.

Today, the beautiful Deco house is under the care of the children of the late Felicisima de la Cruz-Quioc, a number of whom reside here . I am privileged to have grown up with some of them-- two boys were schoolmates at Sacred Heart Seminary, while the eldest daughter is married to the culinary artist Claude Tayag, another high school classmate.

 While we were once more reunited under a sad circumstance, I am somehow comforted by the thought that Tatang Bending (he is the young boy on the right, in long white pants), who spent his early teenage years living in this grand old house of many memories, is once more home in the town he loved the most, this time, for good.