88. 6 ISLANDS THAT YOU NEVER THOUGHT EXISTED IN MANILA

 For many city people, it is inconceivable to think Greater Manila has islands in its midst—pieces of and surrounded by water.  Manila sits on a low, flat land that is deltaic in nature. Before the Pasig River reaches the bay, it tears into many tributaries (esteros) and creates little islands enclosed by waterways. Along the coast of Manila, one can find such natural, man-made, and tiny islands or eyots, but others have disappeared through land-filling as the city became more urbanized.

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 ISLA DE CONVALECENCIA. The only island dividing the Pasig River in  Manila is located in the San Miguel district. Here is found the Hospicio de San Jose, the first social welfare institution in the country, accessible only via the Ayala Bridge, and relocated from Echague in 1810.  “Isla de Convalecencia” means island of convalescence,  a name that dates back to the 1830s when the Hospicio  was erected   the island was used as a place of healing for patients of the Hospital of San Juan de Dios. It used to be called Isla de an Andres, in honor of the original owner, Don Andres Blanco Bermudez.

ISLA DE PROVISOR. This small island in northwesth Paco district is bounded  by the Estero de Provisor, Estero del Tanque and the Pasig River. It is across the Isla de Convalecencia on the Taft side of the river. The Manila Thermal Power Plant once operated here in the mid 1960s, until decommissioned in 2000.

ISLA DE BALUT. Balut Island is an artificial island in the Manila North Harbor in Tondo bounded by Estero de Sunog Apog (on the north), by Estero de Vitas (south and east), and the Manila Bay (west), close by to the city of Caloocan. “Balot” means “wrap”, as the island is wrapped around with water.

ENGINEERING ISLAND. Found in the South Harbor of Manila. Engineer’s Island was so called because it was the site of government facilities that repaired ships and retooled many heavy and light machinery. Of course, this artificial island which covers about 30 hectares is now home to the Baseco urban poor community.

PULONG BATO. Pulong Bato or “island of stone” was an island formed by the accretion of sand and silt against the breakwater off Pier 2 in the North Harbor. It was known earlieras”Pulong Diablo” (Devil Island) as it was said o have been a pirates’ lair at one time. The isolated island, still extant and relatively new in 1961, has disappeared from Manila maps.

DAMPALIT. There are at least 6 islands included in Malabon, and Dampalit is one of them an island barangay named after a species of coastal plant that used to grow profusely in the area. The island is separated from the mainland by the Muzon River and the Batasan River. Dampalit River separates it from Navotas.

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN FOR ESQUIRE.PH AND POSTED UNDER THE TITLE "6 ISLANDS THAT YOU NEVER THOUGHT EXISTED IN MANILA", on 31 July 2019.

SOURCES:

Photos of Isla de Convalecencia and Dampalit: Wikimedia commons

The Islands of Manila, The Sunday Times Magazine, 5 March 1961, pp. 32-35. Photos by Dominador Suba and Conrado Capuno.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_islands_in_the_Greater_Manila_Area

85. GEORGE REY URBANO: A Filipino Trailblazer in International Professional Wrestling

GEORGE REY URBANO. For over 3 decades, this trailblazing Philippine-born wrestler made waves in the American wrestling circuit as Rey Urbano, Tokyo Tom, Taro Sakuro, and his most famous wrestling persona—the Great Kabooki.

Wrestling has always had a worldwide audience, ever since the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), was founded in 1948 as a governing body for professional wrestling. Based in America, NWA began promoting brawling matches on television back in the early 1950s.  By 1961, canned wrestling programs (Men’s and Women’s) were seen regularly on late-night Philippine TV over DZBB Channel 7.

Curiously, Filipinos did not catch on to wrestling despite their love for contact sports, preferring boxing instead. After all, the boxing world included many Filipino champions—Pancho Villa, Ceferino Garcia, father and son Cely and Anthony Villanueva, Flash Elorde, among others-- fighting figures of our national pride. They were the best reasons to root for the sport—not alien names like Bobo Brazil, Gorgeous George, Killer Kowalski, and the Fabulous Moolah.

Not until the mid-1980s that Filipinos took a second look at wrestling. By then, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) took command of the sports, booking champions and producing big wrestling events, beamed on cable TV from huge venues like Madison Square Garden and Shea Stadium.

SMACKDOWN SOUVENIR. A 1950s fight program from the first golden age of American wrestling features a match between Rey Urbano of Manila versus Axel Cadier from Sweden.

WWF signed up and headlined wrestlers Hulk Hogan, André the Giant, Roddy Piper and Bret Hart, in shows like WWF Superstar, set amidst music, lights and much theatrics. Merchandising gimmicks were launched for its pool of talents, spawning action figures, video games and toys. When the programs went into syndication, they were lapped up by a mainstream audience who found new heroes to idolize.

The entry of Filipino-American grapplers further fueled the Filipinos’ crazy fascination, and later, obsession, with wrestling. There was Dave Batista (David Michael Bautista), a hulking 6’6” wrestler who was snapped up by WWF (now World Wrestling Entertainment or WWE) in 2000.  Now retired, Batista remains visible in action films like “Riddick”,  “Guardians of the Galaxy”, and “Avengers: End Game”.

Benny Cuntapay (B.Boy), has also successfully fought in the All-Pro and Combat Zone Wrestling. While T. J. Perkins, who used to fight as “Pinoy Boy”,  won the inaugural WWE Cruiserweight Championship in 2016. Recently, Fil-Am Michael Paris (aka DJZ), 2-time Impact X Division Champion, was reported in March 2019 to being squired by WWE.

REY OF LIGHT.  Rey Urbano resplendent in a Philippine Muslim costume. Photo by Libnan Ayoub, 100 Years of Professional Wrestling in Australia via Online World of Wrestling.

The extraordinary feats and skills of these world-class Filipino matmen, however, were foreshadowed not too long ago by a Manila-born strongman who blazed trails by breaking into the competitive world of international wrestling—in his time, the only professional wrestler in all of the Philippines: GEORGE REY URBANO.

FATHER JUAN. Rey’s father was born in Samar and became an inventor, the first Filipino to own a U.S. patent for a fountain pen and pencil that can write in the dark. He later entered the movies business back in the Philippines.

Born in Manila on 25 Apr. 1924 to Juan and Sixta Urbano, Rey had quite a comfortable life. His father was a successful inventor and businessman, the cousin of famed movie director and actor, Manuel Urbano (screen name: Manuel Conde), who had made waves in Venice in 1952 with his opus, “Genghis Khan”.

COMING  TO AMERICA. As a student of the San Francisco City College, Rey Urbano (on the right) was a valuable member of the school’ football team in 1948. Photo courtesy of The Guardsman via RECON MAGAZINE, March-April 2017 issue. Used with permission.

Four year old George Rey,  his older 3 siblings (Belen, Marina, Isidro) and their mother Sixta moved to America in 1928, to follow Juan, who had  gone there ahead to set up a manufacturing business. Sixta boosted the family income by selling jewelry pieces. The children went to schools in the San Francisco area where they had settled.

Things were going well for the family, until tragedy struck in 1939 with the death of their mother. Rey was only 15 then, still a student at the San Francisco Polytechnic High School. To make things worse, his father Juan decided to return to the Philippines to look for business opportunities in the field of movie production—an obvious influence from his showbiz cousin whose career was about to peak.

Left in the U.S. in the care of relatives, Rey immersed himself in football and judo. The war in his native Philippines cut short his college dreams, and so, at age 19, like his brother Isidro before him, he joined the 1st Filipino Infantry Regiment in early 1943.

REMEMBER THIS ALAMO SCOUT. 19 year old Rey Urbano, Rey Urbano, as a member of the 1^st Filipino Infantry Regiment in 1943. He and his brother would also sign up as volunteers of the Alamo Scouts. Used with permission from RECON MAGAZINE, March-April 2017 issue.

The 2 brothers would later volunteer to become Alamo Scouts, an elite reconnaissance unit that saw action in the jungles of  New Guinea. The next year, Rey and Isidro were deployed to the Philippines as part of the Allied landing forces.

When the war ended, the young veteran left his military career to go back to school. He entered San Francisco City College in 1947 which had an excellent football program. Though a bit underheight for the sport (he was 5’9”, 200 pounds), Rey became an outstanding player of the 1948 team, which snagged a mythical national junior college championship.

To build his stamina and strength on the gridiron, he took to an alternate sport he had also been avidly indulging in: wrestling. He underwent intense training in the school put up by the acclaimed Filipino wrestler Pantaleon Manlapig, who had previously held many Pacific Coast titles, under the name Tony Aguinaldo in the 1940s.

MENTORED BY MANLAPIG. Rey Urbano trained under Filipino wrestling legend, Pantaleon Catanghal Manlapig, who fought in Hawaii under the name Tony Aguinaldo. He held the Pacific Coast title in the 1940s for several times.

Rey was instantly hooked. He came to master many fighting styles and techniques—Greco-Roman, Sumo, catch-as-catch-can styles.  Bitten by the wrestling bug, he passed up a football scholarship from the University of Southern California,  ignored his father’s pleading to return to the Philippines and be a movie star, and instead, chose to focus on a new goal: to become a professional wrestler.

STRIKING A FIGHTER’S POSE. Rey Urbano in his first official photo as a professional wrestler, taken in 1950. Photo courtesy of L.A. Public Library via RECON MAGAZINE, March-April 2017 issue. Used with permission.

He debuted in a match held in Honolulu, Hawaii on 23 April 1950, using his real name, “Rey Urbano”, defeating Chico Garcia in his very first professional outing . The Ogden Standard-Examiner in Utah was effusive in its review of Rey’s performance: "Rey Urbano came here recently from the Philippines and has impressed with his ability under all kinds of fire… The Islander uses the side of his hand in a cutting manner not unlike the chopping knife he used at home in the sugar cane fields. It is both legal and effective."

Rey was on his way. The next year, Rey was billed in a match at the Los Angeles Olympic Coliseum, capturing the attention of the nearly ten thousand screaming wrestling fans that crammed the venue. The one sad setback he experienced was the death of his brother, Isidro, who was killed in action in the Korean War of 1952.

Though he found steady work throughout the west and southwest in the next few years, Rey realized that the crowd drawers of wrestling bouts were not the favorites like him, but the villains of the ring. In fact, they also brought in the big bucks!  Rey, thus, in a complete turn-around, shed his clean, good boy image to assume a villainous wrestling persona.

TURNING JAPANESE. Rey Urbano made a major career shift by becoming a wrestling villain in the person of  “Taro Sakuro”, a name he used from the late 50s and 60s. Photo courtesy of RECON MAGAZINE, March-April 2017 issue. Used with permission.

As it was just a few years after the terrible War in which the Japanese earned a reputation as heinous villains for their war crimes, Rey chose to be known as “Taro Sakuro”. In 1959, in his first fight in Tennessee, the bearded “Japanese” hulk in a short robe and wooden sandals, ascended the ring and struck fear with his evil eye gaze and calm, but fearful exterior. But most of all, his behavior and fighting tricks disgusted the crowd—which he had hoped would happen—a despicable anti-hero that the audience loved to hate.

Rey enjoyed immense success with his new wrestling character. In  1962, he won the NWA Southern Junior Heavyweight Championship, and, with Oyama Kato, the NWA U.S. Tag Team title. Promoters began matching him  with more popular, more high-profile wrestlers. Needless to say, this move paid off, and he began collecting more susbtantial paychecks. 

 THE TERROR THAT WAS TARO. Rey Urbano as “Taro Sakuro” demolishes Alberto Torres in a 1962 fight. Photo courtesy of Wrestling Revue. Via RECON MAGAZINE, March-April 2017 issue. Used with permission.

As the new bad guy of wrestling, Rey had to deal with the backlash of fans. He survived a shooting, stabbings, and countless verbal and physical attacks. The most serious of all was being spiked on the foot by a woman using her sharp,  stiletto-heeled shoe,  a bloody injury that required surgery. He took all these in stride as occupational hazards that he had come to expect from the job.

Through all these, Rey carried on and retained the Japanese guise that helped  revitalized his career. Appearing in Texas in 1965, he briefly became “Tokyo Tom” and a substitute for “Tokyo Joe”, a convicted wrestler who was banned from the ring. He introduced gimmicks like incorporating over-the-top karate chops and thrusts in his moves that had the audience reacting wildly.

Shortly after the Texas stint, Rey faced another difficult, life-threatening hurdle. He was afflicted with a brain tumor and underwent a crucial operation. Thankfully, the mass was benign. He spent his 5-year long convalescence by going back to the California State University-Hayward  to finish a college degree (Recreational Studies). He found gainful employment at a recreational park where he held P.E. classes and occasionally wrestled to raise funds for his advocacies.

THE GREAT KABOOKI. The most well-known wrestling character conceived by Rey Urbano was a huge, hulking menacing Oriental warrior, a villain that the audience loved to hate. Alex Castro Photo.

Though doctors believed he will never wrestle again, he defied their dire prognostications and returned to the ring in late 1972 in a new incarnation. This time, he transformed himself into a villainous Japanese warrior of unspeakable brutishness, with a fierce-looking face painted for battle, and a name that no one will forget: The Great Kabooki.

He took his Japanese character to heart, dressing in authentic robes, and performing the ceremonial sumo ritual of throwing salt in his fights, which he also used to blind his foes. Everywhere he made an appearance, the Great Kabooki was a daunting figure to behold, inspiring fear and awe. His triumphant rebound was met with roars from the audience, who lapped up his acts and antics on the ring, catapultin him again to national prominence.

THAT KABOOKI FACE. Rey Urbano was the first wrestler to use paint make-up to make his Japanese character more theatrical, and more fearsome.

Rey, as The Great Kabooki, made a surprising comeback and toured the Midwest and the Southwest region. In 1973, he secured a spot in a Detroit promotion starring top wrestling star, The Sheik. He also worked the Great Lakes area, and wrestled in a few International Championship Wrestling shows.  Approaching 50, he still managed to complete 22 matches that year but the tolls of advancing age had begun to show, and he felt it.

To slow down, he accepted a job as a part-time chef in a California restaurant. He also seemed to have inherited his father’s creative genes. He devised “First and Ten”, a football board game and “Knockout”, a boxing game, both for kids. He formed a company—Urbano & Associates—to market these, but they generated little interest, so he eventually sold them off.

THE NAME OF THE GAME.  “First and Ten” was a gameboard developed by Rey Urbano, who inherited his father’s inventive genes.

With failed financial expectations, he returned to wrestling at age 58, reviving his Great Kabooki image. This posed some confusion, however, as by 1981, a younger Japanese wrestler by the name of Mera Akahishi, had started using the same name using the original spelling—the Great Kabuki.

In his 1982-83  farewell tour with ICW in the Midwest,  the Great Kabooki finished 16 matches, including one against the hugely popular Macho Man Randy Savage. His final fight was staged in a high school gym in Illinois. Like a true professional, he fought with his partner, Ratamyus,  in a tag team match and won---this, despite an audience of only 250.

KABOOKI FOR THE KILL. As a wrestling villain, Rey Urbano was jeered and harassed by hostile fans, but he took all these in stride. He entertained fans with his nasty stage demeanor, his tricky karate chops and martial art moves. 

In his twilight years, Rey joined an association of both retired and active wrestlers and boxers known as the Cauliflower Alley Club, which, in 1992 gave him recognition for his valuable contribution to the sport. Though he was married 3 times in his lifetime, Rey had no children; his family consisted of fellow wrestlers with whom he kept in touch regularly in annual reunions.

His fame reached the Philippines, but he was largely overlooked by his countrymen as they were more engrossed with rising boxers who were starting to win world championships in the 60s and 70s.  His occasional trips to his original homeland were more for family visits.

Jun Urbano, the TV funny man known as ‘Mr. Shooli’, remembers meeting his uncle twice. In one of his uncle’s rare homecomings, his family hosted him lunch and was served a specially-large dish of “kare-kare”. He watched him eat until he finished everything off. Then, Rey turned to Jun’s mother, smiled and hollered: “O-kay! Now bring out the main dish!”. His relatives were stunned at his voracious appetite. “Ang laking tao niya! (Such a big man)!”, Jun Urbano recalled.

GOLDEN GEORGE. In his golden years, Rey Urbano became a member of a fraternal wrestling group, and joined wrestling reunions for 15 years.

But Rey Urbano also had a big heart. In his own, quiet  way, he managed to entertain hundreds of wrestling fans for many decades, never mind that he did not attain the great financial success he worked so very hard for.

Described as “an all-around good person”, Rey  made many friends along the way.  In all, he fought a total of 989 matches in his lifetime career under 4 names, and wrestled against revered names like Bobo Brazil, Bruno Sammartino, Randy Savage and Mighty Igor—credentials that are nothing short of impressive.

Rey spent his remaining days in a Las Vegas nursing home, passing away on 16 Oct. 2007 at age 83. He is interred at the Southern Nevada Veterans Cemetery.

Today, wrestling and its related full contact disciplines like mixed martial arts, have a large, loyal Filipino fan base that continues to grow,  thanks to a constant fare of TV wrestling shows: Raw, Smackdown, This Week in WWE,  Bottomline and UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), among others.

URBANO LEGEND. George Rey Urbano, (b. 25 Apr. 1924/ d. 16 Oct. 2007)

While Filipinos are currently rooting for Seth Rollins, Finn Bálor, The Miz Becky Lynch and Alexa Bliss, they are also rediscovering their very own Dave Batista,  Brandon Vera, T. J. Perkins,  Michael Paris and Kris Wolf who have become worthy sports icons for legions of Filipino fans. Add to that the name of  George Rey Urbano—the Great Kabooki—a kickass Pinoy came before them, who broke barriers and made history to  become the only Filipino international wrestler in the first golden age of American professional wrestling.

 SOURCES:

Zedric, Lance. By Any Other Name the Story of Alamo Scout George Urbano

RECON MAGAZINE, March-April 2017 issue, pp. 1-8. http://www.alamoscouts.com/news/RECON_MarApr2017_OL_Magazine.pdf

 Pictures used with permission from Mr.Lance Zedric, unless otherwise noted.

 -Clovis News Journal (NM). “Wrestling Star Has Colorful Background.” Dec 17, 1952

-Drason, Dave. Wrestling Revue. 2007.

 -Friend, Percival. Rest in Peace, Reynaldo Urbano, The Original Kabooki. 2007. Wrestling Newsletter by Mark Bujan. http://www.oocities.org/percivalafriend/friend102207.htm

 -Funk, Dory, Jr. on Rey Urbano. As reported by Reported by Adam Martin of WrestleView.com On Thursday, October 18, 2007.

 -The Guardsman Yearbook. City College of San Francisco. 1948-1949.

 -Hurschmann, Bill. He Makes Football Better Game. San Mateo Times. Jul 11, 1977

 -Johnson, Steve. Original Kabooki faced a tough foe. Slam Sports. Oct 11, 2007. http://slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2007/10/17/4584657.html

 -Jourdan, Walt and Lee. “From Shoeshine to Star Wars” (The Chronicles of Walt Jourdan).

 -Lamas, Demas. Wild Wonderful Career Recalled. Fremont Argus (CA). Apr 15, 1971. P. 11.

 -Ogden Standard-Examiner. Twin Main Events on Wednesday at Berthana. Dec 16, 1951. P. 12A

 -Online World of Wrestling.http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com

 -Oxnard Press-Courier (CA). “On the Town with ‘Bud’” Jun 25, 1976.

-Urbano, Rey. www.Wrestlingdata.com

 -Wrestling Revue Magazine. 1963. P. 48. Photo of Taro Sakuro.-The Great Kabooki: http://www.geocities.ws/percivalafriend/friend102207.htm

 -World Wrestling Federation, https://www.encyclopedia.com/media/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/world-wrestling-federation

Other Photos:

·       The Great Kabooki close-up photo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKQ7YXXQ_L4

·       Rey Urbano older photo: Rey Urbano at the 2003 Cauliflower Alley Club reunion in Las Vegas., Photo by Rose Diamond

·       Rey Urbano photo by Libnan Ayoub, 100 Years of Professional Wrestling in Australia via Online World of Wrestling, http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/bios/r/rey-urbano/

84. 8 LOOK-ALIKE LANDMARKS OF THE PHILIPPINES

The Filipino obsession to find their counterparts of the West was a form of colonial mentality that peaked post-war.  From fashions to fads, locals copied American ways. Philippine showbiz spawned its own versions of Elvis, Liz Taylor, James Dean and Charlie Chaplin. Soon, landmarks from the Western world began making their appearance here--some intentionally copied, a few just accidental look-alikes. 

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BANTAYANG BATO of Sta. Rosa Laguna and ARC DE TRIOMPHE of Paris, France

The Sta. Rosa Arch in Laguna served as a watchtower for marauding pirates in the early days.Watchmen blew their horns either for signs of danger, during festivities or for mourning a deceased native In 1925, municipal president Jose Zavalla hired David Dia to renovate the Arch which was said to be modeled after Paris’ Arc de Triomphe at the Champs-Élysées, built in 1806. The local  Arch was built near the market area in 1931. Dia, a native of Santa Rosa, was a famous sculptor during his time. He was th maker as well of Dr. Rizal’s monument in the town plaza.

Picture sources: Alex R. Castro Archives

 

THE LEANING WATER TOWER of San Fernando and THE LEANING TOWER OF PISA

Pisa’s leaning belfry was started in 14 August 1173 and took 199 years to complete. The tower began to tilt while it was being constructed and has a height that varied from 186 to 183 feet, and currently leans at an angle of 3.99 degrees. In the City of San Fernando, Pampanga, there exists a version of the Italian campanile—but the leaning structure is a NAWASA water tower that was constructed in 1929 at a cost of Php10,000. Due to subsidence and its weak foundation, it tilted through he years. There was an attempt to prop it up in 1947, but the cost was prohibitive. Thankfully, it  stopped tilting in 1955. It makes an angle of 87º with the horizontal (normal is 90º with the horizontal.

Picture Sources: Leaning water tower: photographed by Nelson Pineda, Tower of Pisa: Author’s collection

 

THE RUINS of Negros Occidental and the TAJ MAHAL GATE of Agra, India

The great gate to the Taj Mahal of India is of medieval architecture, with fine inlay work of white marble and precious stones on the red sandstone surface. It is eerily similar to the remnants of the mansion once owned by sugar baron Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson and Maria Braga Lacson in Talisay, Negros Occidental, now known as The Ruins. The grand residence was constructed in the early 1900s, inspired by medieval Italian architecture. It has been transformed by descendants into a tourist attraction.

Picture Source: Taj Mahal gate: www.pixabay.com , The Ruins: photo by Dustin Mijares, www.choosephilippines.com

 

SANTIAGO APOSTOL CHURCH of Betis, Pampanga and SISTINE CHAPEL of the Vatican.

The Sistine Chapel, originally known as Cappella Magna, is found in the Apostolic Palace where the Pope resides, in the Vatican. It is famous for its ceilings which are profusely decorated with 15^th and 16^th century frescoes with many biblical scenes, as well as events from the life of Christ. Its Philippine counterpart can be found in the baroque church of Betis, rebuilt with concrete materials in 1770. The church underwent extensive renovation and beautification during the term of its last Spanish priest, Fray Santiago Blanco in 1939. The magnificent ceiling paintings are attributed to a series of artists that included the legendary Simon Flores,  Isidoro C. Soto, a relative of literary great Juan Crisostomo Soto;  Macario Ligon in the 1930s; and, in the early 1980s, Victor Ramos (1922–1986) who repainted and restored almost 80% of the ceiling artworks. The church has been declared a National Cultural Treasure by the Natioonal Museum and the National Comission for Culture and Arts in 2001.

 Picture Sources: Sistine Chapel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sistine_Chapel, Betis Church: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betis_Church

THE LINCOLN STATUE of Baguio City and the LINCOLN MEMORIAL of Washington D.C.

In Washington D.C., just across from the iconic Washington Monument stands a the Lincoln Memorial, built to honor Pres. Abraham Lincoln. In the expansice central hall can be found the seated statue of the great president, carved by the Piccirilli Brothers under the supervision of the sculptor, Daniel Chester French. The statue stands finally 19 feet (5.8 m) tall from head to foot, and took 4 years to finish, A more modest version can be found at the Liberty Park, in Camp John Hay, Baguio City. Abe, just like his Washington counterpart, sits dignified on a chair, although he is made of cast cement with painted features that made him look sadly comical. There is also a Statue of Liberty replica in the same park.

 Picture sources: Lincoln in Baguio: Photo by Neil Sinadjan, taken Nov. 2009, www.tripadvisor.com.ph, Lincoln Memorial statue: https://www.nationalparks.org/our-work/programs/lincoln-memorial-rehabilitation

 

LOURDES GROTTO of Bulacan, and the LOURDES GROTTO of Massabielle, France

In 1858, starting on Feb. 11, the Virgin appeared to 14 year old Bernadette Soubirous in the cave of Massabielle in Lourdes, France. Her apparition was climaxed with the revelation that she was the Immaculate Conception. The rock cave has become the focal point of the Our Lady of Lourdes shrine. The religious grotto in Lourdes has been replicated  at brgy. Graceville in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan and features a small spring whose water, running beneath the Lourdes statu, and like the spring France, is also said to be miraculous.

Picture Sources: Lourdes, France: vintage postcard, Author’s collection, Lourdes,Bulacan: https://www.vigattintourism.com/tourism/articles/Our-Lady-of-Lourdes-Grotto

 

CHRIST THE REDEEMER of Cagayan de Oro and CHRIST THE REDEEMER of Brazil

The symbol of Christianity worldwide, the 98 foot-high concrete statue of Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer), with arms open wide, stands on the peak of the Corcovado Mountain, overlooking Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. French sculptor Paul Landowski created this art deco masterpiece, and executed by Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa. Th massive image was built between 1922-1931. There are at least 3 copies of Cristo Redentor in the Philippines, but the most faithful is the one found in brgy. Balua, Cagayan de Oro. The 30 foot-tall statue, completed in May 2012,  stands on a 10 hectare land owned by the Villar-owned Golden Haven memorial sanctuary.

 Picture sources: Christ the Redeemer, Brazil: Wikipedia, Christ the Redeemer-CDO: Photo by Clement Dampal II, http://www.bestspotsph.com/2013/04/santuario-de-redentor-perfect-replica.html

 

STATUE OF LIBERTY of Intramuros and STATUE OF LIBERTY of New York

The most replicated symbol of American freedom is that of Lady Liberty, which stands enlightening the world on Staten Island in New York. A gift of France to the U.S., th 305 foot image was inaugurated in 1886. In Manila once stood an 8-foot copy of the Statue of Liberty in the Balurate de san Diego, Intramuros. The Philippines was one of the recipients of the bronze statue, which was created on the occasion of the 40^th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America in 1950. It survived attacks from student activists in the 60s thru the 70s, until it was moved for safekeeping at the BSP head office in Ermita, Manila.

Picture sources: Liberty of Intramuros: CardCow.com, Liberty of NY: wikimedia commons

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN FOR ESQUIRE PHILS. AND PUBLISHED UNDER THE TITLE "8 

PHILIPPINE LANDMARKS TAKEN FROM OTHER COUNTRIES", 20 May 2019.

82. The Coolest Place in Turn-of-the-20th Century Manila: CLARKE’S No 2 Escolta

IMAGE 1: CLARKES’.The first ice cream and refreshment place in the Philippines, 1908.

The first thing that shocked the first Americans who came to occupy our islands  was the sizzling, searing tropical climate that proved to be unbearable for many. An American child visiting turn-of-the-20^th century Manila bawled out her discomfort: “It’s not the hotness that I mind so much, mamma, but the wetness of the hotness!”. Another foreigner described the humidity as “heat that blisters and burns, that withers and consumes, that seems to dry the marrow while it boils the flesh”.

Filipinos, of course, had no trouble dealing with the long, sweltering summers they were born in. There were cool dips in river, in nearby bays and falls of which many abound in Manila and its outskirts.

Before the advent of the “ice age” and refrigeration, natives took to drinking juices believed to have cooling effects on the body.  Coconut water was a favorite drink; but since the nut and husk absorbs heat, it was cooled first by immersing the coconut in water, as is true for other fruits. Caimito (star apple), pakwan (watermelon),  certain citrus fruit juices like dalandan, kamias and the leaves of dayaps (lime), have cooling properties as well.

 But Americans were strangers to these fruits. They craved for the cold comforts of their winter, and missed the heat-soothing, ice cold drinks and desserts that were so readily available back home.

The scream for ice cream, heard by Clarke.

Fortune-seeking  businessmen sought to capitalize the need to make life more cool and comfy especially foreign residents by importing ice blocks from New England. These were first shipped to Southeast Asian countries like Hong Kong and the Philippines in the middle of the 19^th century.

The arrival of ice in the country opened up a whole new world of opportunities for American entrepreneurs. They quickly became importers, distributors and sellers of newfangled domestic appliances like wooden ice boxes, chests and coolers—precursors of the modern refrigerator. 

IMAGE 2: MEET MET. Metcalfe “Met” A. Clarke. Founder and proprietor of Clarke’s, which he started on a shoestring budget. To augment  his income from the soda parlor, he sublet the second floor to American soldiers as living quarters.

 But another prospector did much better. When Chicago-born Metcalfe A. Clarke learned of the arrival of American soldiers unused to Manila’s suffocating, tropical weather, he leased a space in the west end of fashionable Escolta—Manila’s “Fifth Avenue”--in the public square of Plaza Moraga, at the foot of the Jones Bridge.

 He turned this space into an oasis of refreshment which opened on December 1899: CLARKE’S, regarded as the first ice cream parlor in the Philippines. 

IMAGE 3: CLARKE’S AT 2 ESCOLTA.  Where American expatriates found cold comfort, great food and company.

 Vintage postcard courtesy of Arch. Edward de los Santos, Pinoy Kollektor.

Summer lovin’, had me a blast.

Serving western-style ice cream, confections and breads, CLARKE’S  found immediate patronage not just from thirsty and heat-weary American military men, but also from the expatriate residents of Manila.

Its charming, modern interiors featured American soda parlor wire chairs (“batibot”) that came in adult and children’s sizes. Wood-bladed electric fans hummed from the high ceiling to fan customers as they snacked off dainty Dresden china while attended to white-uniformed Chinese and Filipino waiters.

CLARKE’S ice cream was the delight of Manilans as a new century unfolded. One summer, the soda parlor served pink ice cream made from evaporated milk in tin cans. The ice cream proved to be an irresistible hit. Patrons who have tasted the frozen novelty swear it’s the best-tasting flavor in the Far East. Classic flavors like vanilla, chocolate, strawberry were also available,  providing instant relief by cooling the senses.

IMAGE 4 AS AMERICAN AS A SODA PARLOR. Patrons, mostly businessmen, tourists and locals, 

chill out at Clarke’s with interiors duplicating the classic look of American soda parlors—right down

to the “batibot” chairs, ceiling fans, and soda jerks in uniforms.

Ice cream and pastries and candies. Oh my!

The leading “salon de refrescos” of the Orient--as CLARKE’S was known—also served an assortment of breads and pastries, stick candies, lollipops and chocolates. With money flowing in,  Clarke put up a lucrative bakery and confectionary factory in the Sta. Cruz district, to heed the clamor for genuine, wholesome and clean breads and sweets.

For Americans in Manila, local breads will not do. “The bad kind of bread comes from the Chinos and the native pest houses”, a concerned writer once noted. “And I have noticed with disgust young American children sucking native sugared  perils in the shape of cakes made the Lord only knows in what filthy fashion”. 

IMAGE 5: BREAKING BREAD. The Clarke’s Bakery and Confectionary Factory, 

housed in a 3-storey building on Calle Obando, Sta. Cruz. Operations 

were ran by American experts who supervised a coterie of Filipino bakers.

 On the other hand, “good bread” could be had at CLARKE’S. Clarke took his company motto to heart:  “Cleanliness is next to godliness”. He guaranteed, “You could eat your lunch off the floor of the bakery”. The staff of Filipinos, supervised by Americans,  were required to bathe and change even before going to work.

 He also equipped his bakery with state-of-the art baking machines such that no human hand touches the dough. The mixing, kneading and shaping processes were all done by these mechanical marvels—and the result was bread of superior purity and wholesome quality. What was more amazing was that the machines could churn out 450 loaves of bread in 7 minutes, enough to feed Manilans many times over!

IMAGE 6: SWEETS FOR MY SWEET. On the third floor, Filipina workers wrap baked goodies and Clarke’s Superior Candies for distribution and sale at the Escolta shop, and also for provincial orders.

 CLARKE’S  baked confections—gingerbreads, cakes, Danish, rolls---were served with aromatic cups of his famous Café Mayon coffee brand. The beans were homegrown in his Indang, Cavite farm, which he, himself, roasted and ground.

Hanging out with chill seekers

While it was true that people originally went to CLARKE’S for its exceptional refreshments, many travelers and tourists hied off to No. 2 Escolta  “to wallow in the atmosphere whose influence will fairly eradicate the “blues”. 

 

IMAGE 7: DAYDREAMS & ICE CREAMS. The one place in Manila where anybody meets everybody.

A habitué astutely observed: “Notice the happy greeting and smiling faces of the throngs who meet there daily. Do they not seem more intensely pleased with themselves and their fellow man in general, around and about this corner, than at any other place or time? You could not describe it…but you can feel it!”

Indeed, CLARKE’S, in its heyday was “the mecca of epicurean Manila-ites and epicures of many others”.  It was the place to see and to be seen. It was said that to be famous, one had to have his photograph taken in CLARKE’S.

It was in CLARKE’S that a cable was composed during a visit of U.S. Secretary of War William H. Taft’s party, announcing  the engagement of presidential daughter Alice Roosevelt , eldest of Pres. Theodore Roosevelt,  and Nicholas Longworth, a Republican politician. 

IMAGE 8: MATCH MADE IN CLARKE’S. The cable announcing the engagement of Alice Roosevelt with Nicholas Longworth, was composed in Clarke’s. The two were in Manila, part of an American diplomatic mission that travelled to Hawaii, Japan, China, Korea and the Philippines. Picture: Wikimedia commons.

The reason, they say, for the energy of the place is no less than Mr. Met Clarke himself, who, from the very first have been able to invest his employees with that genial “I-really-want-to-please-you” spirit that seems to prevail in the very air.

For all that—and more—Mr. Met Clarke was handsomely rewarded with windfalls of success. He became the first president of the Manila Merchants Association, an organization that unified leading American and Filipino businessmen of their day. Under his helm, the association produced promotional trade books and brochures, supported the great Manila Carnival and addressed labor concerns. 

IMAGE 9. CLARKE AT THE CARNIVAL. The soda parlor shop was replicated in the float of Clarke’s that participated in the first Manila Carnival parade of 1908.

Frozen assets,  business meltdown.

In 1903, Mr. Clarke and a few associates organized the Benguet Consolidated Mining after acquiring some mining claims in Benguet , Mountain Province. He probably felt the need to diversify his business after the Insular Ice Plant was built in 1902 near the Puente Colgante bridge. It would just be a matter of time, he might have thought,  that his pioneering food business would find competition.

Clarke invested heavily in the mining company that began with a simple 3-stamp amalgamation mill. He soon expanded it to include a cyanide and sand leaching plant that he personally financed. A typhoon however flooded the mines and destroyed the plant, even before he could recoup his investment.

IMAGE 10: YOU JUST GOT SERVED. Mr. Met Clarke hobnobbing with visitors and patrons in his famous ice cream shop.

With the entire capital wiped out, Clarke was forced to auction off his ice cream shop business in 1911. His  Philippine ventures gone, Clarke called it quits  and returned to the U.S. where he died sometime later  in California.

Years after his passing, oldtimers would still reminisce about CLARKE’S, a landmark symbol of American influence that came to define the new sophistication of the modernized capital city and its tastes for life’s finer things. 

IMAGE 11: A COOL DINING PLACE. A 1909 Clarke’s trade ad for a souvenir program.

 For a decade,  it became a place of convergence for Manila’s social and business communities—to cool their heels, to discuss and settle issues, or simply to watch the world go by. Indeed, as its advertisements proclaimed—it’s the best known corner in Manila. Because, if you are looking for a friend—you can find him at CLARKE’S!

SOURCES:

Devins, John Bancroft, An Observer in the Philippines, American Tract Society, 1905. p.117

Picture source: The Philippine Magazine, Manila, August 1908 issue.

Alvina, Corazon., Sta, Maria Felice P. Halupi: Essays on Philippine Culture, Capitol Publishing House, Inc., 1989. P. 139,

De los Santos, Edward: http://pinoykollektor.blogspot.com/2013/04/escolta-at-turn-of-century-postcard.html

Clarke’s: http://www.jenniferhallock.com/tag/clarkes/

These Vintage Photos of Binondo, Escolta, and Divisoria Will Remind You of Manila's Glory Days. Spot.ph:

https://www.spot.ph/newsfeatures/the-latest-news-features/72111/photos-pasig-river-binondo-divisoria-escolta-a1806-20171127-lfrm3