Week 27: Tracing the Past is #BetterByBicycle
It's History Month! So I'll talk a little bit about history. Actually, it's also Buwan ng Wika. So in honor of the Filipino language, magta-Taglish ako sa post na ito. Although dapat pure Tagalog, kaya lang hirap din ako. It's not to say na mas sanay ako sa Ingles, it's just that, mas natural sa pakiramdam ko ang Taglish. Ganyan kalalim ang colonial wound ko, hindi ako makasalita ng purong mother tounge! (I am slowly trying to change this in pursuit of decolonizing myself and returning to my indigenous identity).
Anyway, since last year, I've been experimenting on ways to encourage my students to try bike commuting. Niyaya ko sila sa mga weekend rides at sumabay sa school commute ko. Dinidiscuss ko rin sa klase ang physical at mental health benefits ng pagbibisikleta. Sinasabi ko rin malaking tulong ito para maimprove ang kanilang concentration at attention span (na mahalaga sa kanilang pag-aaral). Last semester, sinubukan ko mag-organize ng mini-cycling tour sa mga historical landmarks sa Tanay. Tatlong students lang ang sumama, nag-expect ako na mga sampung sasama pero ok lang, at least may interesado. Ang objectives ko ay 1) makahikayat magbisikleta; 2) magkaroon ng mas malalim na appreciation sa mga lugar na nagkaroon ng mahalagang bahagi sa kasaysayan, at ng sa ganon ay 3) magkaroon sila ng urge na protektahan ang iba't ibang spaces laban sa mapanglinlang na anyo ng "development". Alam mo yun kasabihan na "you cannot protect what you do not value, and you cannot value what you do not know". So ito yung starting point, trace the past and get to know more about these landmarks that we often take for granted, just because we pass by them so fast when we are in a fast moving (motorized) vehicle.
Simple lang naman ang drill ng ride, pumadyak papunta sa mga historical spots ng Tanay, tapos tigil saglit para kuwentuhan ko sila ng mga facts about the landmark. Gumamit ako ng lumang mapa galing sa Tanay Tercentenary Souvenir* book hoping ma-imagine nila what the place looked like noong unang panahon, and see which markers have gone and stayed. Tapos maganda rin pag-nilayan yung mga lumang pangalan ng mga pangunahing kalye - karamihan ay mga magandang katangian (Dalisay, Makabayan, Bayani, atbp.) pero ngayon ay pinalitan ito ng mga pangalan ng mga politiko. (I think this move tells how much Filipinos have embraced the egocentric orientation of our colonizers).
1940 Map from Tanay Tercentenary Souvenir Book
Ang meet-up at starting point namin ay Tanay Park, which is the town's center and one of the places here that has gone through so many transformation. I mean pag tiningnan mo yung 1940 map, makikita mo na dito nakapwesto ang dating palengke and actually, naabutan ko pa yun, at least until nasunog ito noong 1994. Actually marami akong magandang memories sa lumang palengke noon, madalas ako dumaan dito pauwi galing school para bumili ng mga mumurahing candies o kaya naman ay magbasa sa mga parentahan ng komiks. Dito rin unang itinayo ang munisipyo at Tanay Central School (di ko naabutan ang mga ito kaya wala akong memories noon). I think the park is very similar sa design ng Luneta, I'm talking about yung design ng monumento ni Rizal na may hawak na overcoat at libro, tapos may obelisk sa likod nya at may 3 star bronze relief. Sa kabilang dulo naman ng park ay may stage, kung saan ang iba't ibang town events ay ginaganap (so this part of the park kinda makes me think of Quirino grandstand). Nowadays, it's a functional third space, madalas ko itong makitang pinagpapractisan ng sayaw ng mga estudtyante, o kaya naman ay laruan ng badminton, volleyball, habulan atbp. Magandang isipin na sa kabila ng pag-iiba ng space na ito sa loob ng mahabang panahon, ay nananatiling busy at matao ang lugar na ito. Although thankful ako na may park sa bayan ko, marami akong gustong baguhin sa disenyo nito. But that's for another topic.
I think fencing the monument like this only separates us from our past
When I have the time, I play badminton with my nephew in this area of the park
From there, pumadyak kami papuntang simbahan. Sa tabi ng gate ng simbahan, na katabi rin ng Public Safety Office outpost ay ang town marker (laid in July 4, 1946 - the "official" date of independence from American colonization - huh). Now, I find this marker special kasi it's the only one in the country (na nakita ko) na may triptych layout at may book sculpture sa ibabaw (that or I need to travel the Philippines more). Basically the monument serves as a quick historical timeline mula sa early settlement ng Tanay hanggang sa pagiging bahagi nito ng Rizal. Isa sa mga markers ay sinabing ang mga iba't ibang structurures na naitayo gaya ng simbahan, school house, munisipyo noong panahon ng Kastila, ay naitayo sa pamamagitan ng "voluntary contributions" at ang first stone bridge ay nasira dahil sa bagyo at baha. Palagi ko nadadaanan itong markers na ito, pero ngayon lang naging palaisipan itong part na ito. I mean, anong klaseng contribution ang tinutukoy nito, labor ba or monetary? Paano naging voluntary if we were under a colonial rule? Gaano kagrabe ang baha para sirain ang stone bridge, anong antecedent ng pagbaha? (From what I've learned, great flooding occurs whenever there's a land use conversion). Anyway, you know pag substantial ang nakalagay sa historical markers pag nag-elicit ito ng maraming question sa isip mo, so, good job NHCP.
Anyway, pumasok na kami ng courtyard ng simbahan pagkatapos. Then I said, welcome to San Ildefonso Parish! This church is hard to ignore, it's such a dominant presence in the town that it almost becomes part of the mental wallpaper of Tanay. Katoliko ako pero hindi ako religious, ganon pa man, masasabi ko na malaking contribution sa character ko ang Catholic upbringing ko at masasabi ko na malaking parte ng buhay ko ang simbahan na ito. I mean, I used to be here every Sunday. I only stopped attending mass regularly when I can no longer tolerate the hypocrisy of the church. Hindi ko nilalahat ha, and this perception also extends to many religious sect in the world. Pero one thing I can say is, proud kaming mga taga-Tanay sa simbahan na ito. Isa sya sa mga declared National Cultural Treasure ng National Historical Commission. Tulad ng maraming simabahan sa Pilipinas, it's an example of Baroque architecture. It had survived many major earthquakes (1863, 1880, 1990), proving its structural integrity. The 14 stations of the cross inside are widely celebrated as one of the most beautiful wood carvings, local artists carved characters that features native attributes (brown skin tone, flat noses, round bulging eyes and short squat proportions) instead of mimicking caucasian figures. Sayang di na kami pumasok dahil wala 1) walang bike parking -tsk, tsk; and 2) wala kaming mga dalang bike lock. Kapansin-pansin din ang wooden sculpture ni San Ildefonso at Birhen ng Guadalupe sa harap ng simahan. This sculpture was carved from one of the acacia tree, now this one's a sad story. May dalawang century old acacia tree sa harap simbahan na nagsilbing tambayan at pahingahan ng maraming Taga-tanay, specially yun mga magbabarkada. Sometime in 2013, napansin ng parish priest na hindi na tinutubuan ng mga bagong dahon ang puno, nagconsult sila ng mga experts and found the trees were sick so they tried to save the trees, but it was too late na, they were dying. So as a consolation, and I guess, as a way to preserve the acacia, ginawa na lang sculpture. At the time, naging controversial ang move na yun, marami ang hindi naging sang-ayon na gawing sculpture yun namatay na puno. Just a few months after matapos ang sculpture, bumagsak yun katapat na Acacia. Awa ng Diyos, walang nasaktan. Pero hindi nawawala ang possibility na mangyari din yun sa punong na-carve na. Personally, mas prefer ko rin na taniman na lang ng mga bagong puno dahil mas magbebenefit ang mga church goers kesa sa estatwa. At sana, native tree kagaya ng Narra. Mas resilient ang mga native trees kesa sa mga introduced trees, mas malaki ang chance for survival sa pabago-bagong condition ng environment.
Papuntang munisipyo, ay dumaan kami saglit sa isang bahay na may naka-exhibit na malaking bato at may carving na '1680'. At first inisip ko na ito ay parte ng naunang simbahan na itinayo noong panahon ng Kastila. Pero sabi ng nanay ko na devout church goer, hindi daw. Apparently, nakita lang daw yun ng may-ari nung bahay while doing some clearing works near the church premise, they were probably thought the same as I did. But the stone was never carbon dated so there's no way to prove or disprove it. I'm not a geologist to make a sound opinion, but the stone doesn't look that old. At least ito ay magandang reminder na yung first stone church ay naitayo ng 1680, pero nasira ito ng mga kalamidad. The current church was built in 1783.
Papuntang munispyo ay sumaglit kami sa Tanay Municipal Library and Archives Museum. What's interesting dito ay replica ng lumang munisipyo ang design ng building. Naabutan ko pa ang dating hitsura ng munisipyo dahil katapat lang ito ng primary school ko. The building itself is a museum piece. Ang nakakalungkot though, ay halatang hindi ito nabibigyan ng tamang attention both by whoever is in charge of managing it, and by the people who should be using it. Nakikita ko ito kapag naghuhulog ako ng sulat sa post office, at parang nagmistulang parking ng mga dumptruck ang harapan. A couple of days ago, binisita ko ito to check its book collection, at talaga namang nanghihinayang ako kasi mukhang hindi nababasa ang mga books (some books are even sealed still!). I tried to look for a staff para mag-inquire kung pwedeng humiram, but there's no one around. I was there for about 15 minutes, and nobody showed up. Pero during the bike ride, it was closed, Sabado kasi. Museums and libraries should be open during weekends. Di ko pa natyempuhan na bisitahin during school break, pero sana operational siya.
After that, inikot namin ang municipal hall complex. Like I said, naabutan ko pa ang lumang building, they started the construction of the new building sometime in 2010. Obviously mas malaki ito kesa sa luma, and I guess it made sense kung lumago ang employees at function ng munisipyo kasabay ng pag-unlad ng bayan (personally, I can't call it genuine progress if we have to sacrifice a lot, it's only a capitalist's progress). Despite retaining some historical monuments in the municipal premise, just like the library, they are not getting the attention they deserved.
Impossible to get a decent photo of this monument because a tent is covering it
Sa tapat ng munisipyo ay ang primary school ko, sa old map, ang pangalan nya ay Tanay Elementary School Bldg. 2, pero ngayon ay kilala sya bilang Simeon R. Bendana Sr. Memorial Elementary School, named after the former mayor of Tanay. Isa sya sa pinakalumang school sa Tanay na itinayo ng panahon ng Amerikano (1931). Now what's interesting here, is, the remains of Katipuneros from Tanay, were buried under the monument of Andres Bonifacio, placed above the entrance gate of the school. Yan ang sabi sa min sa school noon, at naalala ko nga na may mga pagkakataon noon na parang kinikilabutan tuwing papasok ng gate na yun pag naiiisip ko ang mga butong nakalagak doon. I was young then, I have a different perspective and appreciation now of course.
the statue base has the bones of Katipuneros of Tanay
My favorite kind of sunset is when I can see it in reddish hue
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