Camposanto - The resting place of the Dead

America Military cemetery in Paco Manila, note the gravestones and the niches from afar

November starts with the visit to the cemetery to remember the departed. Prayers, candles and flowers are brought to the graves, with the reminiscent of the past, stories regarding Cemeteries are gone with the wind.

Little has been told about the beauty of "Camposantos", most of them are made to frighten or disgrace both the living and the dead. Many graves has been change due to property ownership, likewise the original paths leading to other niches are boarded by others, niches are packed up in one place, tombstone are stolen by others, and old graves are neglected by others.

But whats something good about cemeteries are the beauty of work done by the karpenteros, sculpture of angels, faces of Christ, La Pieta , and skulls and bones are found in old colonial camposantos. Entrance arches with decorative motifs are also present with the seal of the dead at the key stones. Niches made of stone or brick are use by the elite while the damp ground for the lesser. These graves are mark by marble tombstone with delicate carvings.

Camposantos are also walled up to keep out animals and the living from vandalizing them. Funerary chapels are also built with masses held specific dates. But most of these structure are long gone many are to ruin or been change

Silver Adornments - Taal Basilica

The Tabernacle with the silver trappings

If you want to see the best example of Spanish colonial Treasure then it would be no other than but the Silver Set of Taal Basilica. The silver adornment that the Basilica possess is considered as the finest in the islands dating back to 1782.

The set was brought by the Augustinian priest Fr. Jose Vitoria that Taal still possess up to present. The Silver Tabernacle is considered as the only of its kind in the Philippines, with a silver sunburst on top. Next to it is are the silver trappings with various designs of flowers and the seal of the Augustinian Order. The set when look closely shine like a mirror.

The Altar adorned with the set

Sadly not all of the adornments are there, according to Sir. Dindo Montenegro a lot of the treasury of the Basilica went to nowhere, some of the were stolen or lost overtime. One example are the "Hanchas", large candle stands similar to those of Lipa Cathedral, said to have lost after the war. For now the Basilica treasury keeps an eye on the remaining silver adornments.

Credits to http://www.flickr.com/people/santoninosouthtexas/

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=78837811034&set=a.78835226034.96344.78143461034

So Long , now on...

I'm sure that some of you miss my post, but don't worry B. C. is back. It just so happened that yours truly got busy these days. I' m currently working as a Sales Agent in a Call center here in Batangas. In the next few days I will be posting more topics that will make you happy.

Thanks for dropping!!! =)

Eric

Visita Iglesia - Santuario de Caysasay

The Shrine a decade ago

If the Province of Rizal has the well visited Our Lady of Antipolo, Batangas has the Our Lady of Caysasay as its pilgrimage site. The beautiful Shrine dedicated to the Our of Caysasay, Patroness of the Arch. of Lipa, is located in the side plateau near of the poblacion of Taal. After a series of disappearance of the Image and staying in what is now Barrio Caysasay,with its intention to stay in the forested and rocky place. The Augustinians decided to construct a chapel of light materials probably of nipa and bamboo in February 24, 1620, after a series of investigation done by the Order.

Sometime in 1900(c) History of Batangas

The simple chapel later torn down in the 1639 replacing it with a better one made of stone. With the help of Chinese masons living in the area construction was finish in 1640 only be interrupted by decapitation order of the Spanish government due to the Chinese Uprising in Manila and nearby provinces in 1639.

The Shrine 2012

Repair works after the damage of the January 30, 1911 Taal eruption. Photo taken July 29.1911(c) History of Batangas

The stone church made of Coral stone was place together with the use of lime from shells. A porch with three arches flank the facade. The two bell towers are positioned of each side with a triangular  pediment in the center.

The Altar Mayor

Upon entering, one will note the simplicity of the walls and beautiful Altar Mayor, the walls on altar area on the other hand exposes the coral stone. The use of bricks is also present, most of which were done in arches and windows. This is an exception on the windows on nave and the door in the transept, wherein applying wood to support the stone was done first. This is also the reason why the windows in the nave are rectangular.

The Altar Mayor was installed by Fr. Marcos Anton along with the iron balustrade around it replacing an old one, Its floors are made of marble said to have imported from Italy. In ordinary days the altar is decorated flower vases of china while silver ornaments in Fiesta days.

Old interior of the Shrine 1880's(c) History of Batangas

The newly restored silver trappings 

The ceiling showcase simple paintings done by Cesar Alberoni. In 1880 an organ was brought by the famous organist, Don Doroteo Otorel of Palencia, Spain. Adjacent to the shrine is the hewn stone convent, allegedly built in the 18th century by a Chinese maestro de obra. It is now an orphanage managed by the Oblate Sisters of the Holy Spirit.

The Sanctuary has been damage in several occasion. In the 1754 Taal eruption the roof was damage and the Camarin collapse. In the December 24, 1852 earthquake, both towers collapse and were repaired in 1856 but damaged during the 1867 earthquake. In 1911 tremors from the Taal Volcano eruption toppled the left tower and again in the 1942 earthquake. The towers were later restored in 1952 along with the convent.

In September 2009, the church was flooded due to heavy rains brought by Typhoon Ondoy, the flood carried mud and silt that covered the marble tiles. Restoration was done after wads to bring back its beauty. In June 2012 the the church was given the perpetual plenary indulges by the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome thus making the shrine a affiliate of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.

Lost Town's of Taal Lake

Map showing former location of the towns that were relocated due to Taal's 1754 eruption

If you think that Lake Sampaloc in the Laguna Province foretell a story of once rich commuity turned into greed and was punish by God by sinking it and later turned into a lake. Well in Taal lake this tale is no mystery.

Taal Lake was the original location of the five town's, two of them are now cities. The towns of Tanauan, Sala, Lipa, Bauan, and Taal was once in its lake shore. This communities were already existing even before the arrival of the Spaniards. It is said that these communities where founded by the Bornean Datus and then later conquered by Spaniards, turned them into well organized Pueblos. The lake became the center of of the province known back then as Provincia de Bombon, meaning scattered. As the colonizers takes over so as the religion did, it the place where Lipa once exist, it was know for being the center of the Anito worship which later seize after the introduction of Christianity. The town of Taal, originally located in sitio Balagon later transferred to the mouth of the Pansipit River in the Lake, became the capital of the province. With this the name of the province was followed turning it to Provicia de Taal.

18th century Map of Batangas

Prosperity was evident due to its trade and agricultural production. One even states that the town of Taal had a rope factory and large amounts of boats was present in its waters.

It was until that lake that gave them wealth will soon devour them. Starting from the 1600's the town of Bauan, originally located at the northern foot of Mt. Maculot, already experience several moves due Taal Volcano's eruption and the rising water that slowly sank its barrios. The people decided to move south. Lipa, originally located in Tagbakin next to Old Bauan, also suffer the same faith, it later move to present day Balete. Tanauan, formerly next to present day Talisay later move next to Sala only to move further after the great eruption of 1754. Taal stayed on the mouth fo the Pansipit River until 1754.

Church ruins of Lumang Taal

But the greatest catastrophe that totally destroyed the towns was the Great Eruption of 1754, thou already erupting in in the past years of 1700's this became its most eruptive. The activity started in May of that year following several explosion later in the end of November. The eruption was classified by modern vulcanologist as Plinian. The accounts of this eruption was written Fr. Buencochillo who at that time was stationed at Taal, the accounts follows:
On May 15, 1754, at about 9 or 10 o'clock in the night, the volcano quite unexpectedly commenced to roar and emit, sky-high, formidable flames intermixed with glowing rocks which, falling back upon the island and rolling down the slopes of the mountain, created the impression of a large river of fire. During the following days there appeared in the lake a large quantity of pumice stone which had been ejected by the volcano. Part of these ejecta had also reached the hamlet of Bayuyungan and completely destroyed it
The volcano continued thus until June 2, during the night of which the eruption reached such proportions that the falling ejecta made the entire island appear to be on fire, and it was even feared that the catastrophe might involve the shoresof the lake. From the said 2d of June until September 25, the volcano never ceased to eject fire and mud of such bad character that the best ink does not cause so black a stain.
During the night of September 25, the fire emitted was quite extraordinary and accompanied by terrifying rumbings. The strangest thing was, that within the black column of smake issuing from the volcano ever sinceJune 2, there frequently formed thunderstorms, and it happened that the huge tempest cloud would scarely ever disappear during two months.
At daybreak of September 26 we found ourselves forced to abandon our dwelling for fear lest the roofs come down upon us under the weigth of ashes and stones which had fallen upon them during that hapless night. In fact, some weaker buildings collapsed. The depth of the layer of ashes and stones exceeded two "cuartas" (45 centimeters), and the result was that there was neither tree nor other plant which it did not ruin or crush, giving to the whole region an aspect as if a devastating conflagration had swept over it. After this the volcano calmed down considerably, though not sufficiently to offer any prospect of tranquility.
During the night of November 1, Taal resumed its former fury, ejecting fire, rocks, sand, and mud in greater quantities than ever before. On November 15, it vomited enormous boulders which rolling down the slopes of the island, fell into the lake and caused huge waves [note(added by Saderra Maso): The waves mentioned were most probably due to the earthquake rather than to the falling rocks]. The paroxysms were accompanied by swaying motions of the ground which caused all the houses of the town to totter. We had already abandoned our habitation and were living in a tower which appeared to offer greater security; but on this occasion we resolved that the entire population retire to the Sanctuary of Casaysay, only the "Administrator" and myself to remain on the spot.
At 7 in the evening of November 28 occurred a new paroxism, during which the volcano vomited forth such masses of fire and ejecta that in my opinion, all the material ejected during so many months, if taken together, would not equal the quantity which issued at the time. The columns of fire and smoke ascended higher than ever before, increasing every moment in volume, and setting fire to the whole island, there being not the smallest portion of the latter which was not covered by the smoke and the glowing rocks and ashes. All this was accompanied by terrific lightning and thunder above, and violent shocks of earthquakes underneath. The cloud of ejecta, carried on by the wind, exented itself toward west and south with the result that we saw already some stones fall close to our shore. I, therefore, shouted to all those who were still in the town to take to flight and we all ran off in a hurry; otherwise we would have been engulfed on the spot; as the waves of the angry lake began already to flood the houses nearest to the beach.
We left the town, fleeing this living picture of Sodom, with incessant fear lest the raging waters of the lake overtake us, which were at the moment invading the main part of the town, sweeping away everything they encountered. On the outskirts of the town, I came upon a woman who was so exhausted by her burden of two little children and a bundle of clothing that she could proceed no farther. Moved by pity, I took one of the taddlers from her and carried him, and the little indio who has been wailing while in the arms of his mother, stopped short when I took him into mine and never uttered a sound while I was carrying him a good piece of the way.

Having reached a secure place on elevated ground at a distance of about half a league (2 kilometers) from the town, we halted in a hut to rest a little and take some food. From this spot the volcano could be contemplated with a little more serenity of mind. It still continued in full fury, ejecting immense masses of material. Now I also observed that the earth was in continuous, swaying motion, a fact which I had failed to notice during the excitement and fear of the flight.
Shortly afterwards the volcano suddenly subsided almost suddenly; its top was clear and apparently calm. We, therefore, returned on the following day, the 29th, to the town with the intention of surveying the havoc wrought during the preceeding night.
The 29th had dawned calm, but while we were still trying to persuade ourselves that the tragedy was overand the volcano had exhausted its bowls, at about 8 o'clock, we heard a crash and then I noticed that smoke was rising from the point of the island that looks towards east. The smoke spread very gradually as far as the crater of the volcano, while there were many whiffs issuing from points in the direction of another headland. I realized that the island had opend in these places and fearing that, if a crater should open below the water, an explosion might follow, much more formidable than the preceeding ones, I mounted a horse and retired permanently to the Sanctuary of Caysasay.
Between 3 and 4 o'clock in the afternoon of the said 29th, it began to rain mud and ashes at Caysasay [12 miles from the volcano] and this rain lasted three days. The most terrifying circumstance was that the whole sky was shrouded in such darkness that we could not have seen the hand placed before the face, had it not been for the sinister glare of incessant lightnings. Nor could we use aritifical light as this was extinguished by the wind and copius ashes which penetrated everywhere. All was horror those three days, which appeared rather like murky nights and we did not occupy ourselves with anything but see to it that the natives swept off the roofs the large quantities of ashes and stones which kept on accumulating upon them and threatened to bring them down upon us, burying us alive beneath their weight. But fearing that even these precautions might prove unavailing, we 3 Europeans - viz. Fr. Prior, the Alcalde, and myself - the only ones who were at the time in the Convento of Caysasay, took refuge on the landing of the stairs; as the safest place, and awaited there whatever God might dispose with regard to us. To all this was added incessant thunder and lightning, and it really looked as if the world was going to pieces and its axis had been displaced.

During the night of the 30th we had not a moment of repose, as every moment we heard the loud crush of houses collapsing under of stones, mud, and ashes piled upon them, and feared that the turn of the convento and the church of Casasay would come in next. Shortly before daybreak of december 1 there was a tremendous crash as if the house were coming down on our heads: the roof of the apsis of the chruch had caved in! Not long afterward, the roof of ther kitchen gave away with a thud. Both were tile roofs.
The first of December broke somewhat clear and our eyes contemplated everywhere ruins and destruction. The layer of ashes and mud was more than 5 spans [1.10 m] thick, and it was almost a miracle that the roof of the church and convento sustained so great a weight. We caused the bulk of the material to be removed, while new continued to fall on that day and the following, on whichlatter the direction of the wind changed, carrying the ejecta toward Balayan. On the 3rd and 4th we had a formidable typhoon, and thereafter the volcano quieted down.
Soon afterward I resolved to visit my town of Taal; nothing was left of it except the walls of the church and convento. All the rest, the government house, the walks of the rope factory, the warehouse, everything was burried beneath a layer of stones, mud, and ashes more than 10 spans [2.20 m] thick; only here and there could be seen an upright post, the only remnant of a comfortable dwelling. I went downb to the river and found it completely filled up, with a boat belonging to the alcalde and many of private persons burried in the mud. After incredible efforts I finally succeeded in unearthing in what had once been the church and sacristy, the chests which contained the sacred vestments and vessels. Nearly all of them were demoloished by the rocks and beams which had fallenupon them, and filled with foul-smelling mud that had ruined or disfigued their contents. With the aid of some natives of Bauang I likewise recovered some property from among the ruins of the convento.
Twelve persons are known to have perished - some carried away by the waves of the lake, others crushed beneath their collapsing houses. Thus the beautiful town of Taal remains a deserted wilderness and reduced to the utmost misery, while once it was one of the richest and most flourishing places. In the villages to the west of the lake, which were the greater and better part, all the houses have either collapsed under the load of material which had been piled upon them or have diappeared completely, swept away by the waves which in these places were so violent that they dug three ditches or channels, too wide and deep to be forded, and thus rendered impassable the road which joins the town with Balayan. In other parts of the lake shore have likewise opened manycracks and occurred very extensive slides. The worst of all is, that, the mounth of the river Pansipit having been blocked, the lake is rising and invading the towns of Lipa and Tanauan, both being on the lowest level, and inundating their buildings. All the animals of whatever kind have perished, some by being burried, others by drowning, the rest by starving, as not a green blade remained anywhere.
The same fate as Taal has befallen the towns of Lipa, Tanauan, and so much of Sala as still existed. These towns, together with Taal, lay around the lake, being situated within easy reach of it, and less than one league [4 kilometers] from the volcano. The bulk of the population left this neighbourhood and settled in more distant places. Thus out of 1200 taxpayers whom Taal contained formerly, hardly 150 remain in the poorest and least respectable villages, which suffered little from the rain of ashes.
All towns that were destroyed were move to its present site. The people of Taal move to Barrio Caysasay, present day Taal Town, later they settled in the plateau overlooking Balayan bay . The people of Lipa moved upward to present day Mataas na Kahoy and later near to Sabang Creek. Tanauan on the other hand moved next to Sala and later conjoined as one. Bauan of course move further from the volcano until it finally settled near Batangas Bay.
Some of the Ruins of these towns can be still seen as reminder of their original location.

La Virgen de Antipolo - The Once Bejeweled rival of La Naval de Manila

The Our Lady of Antipolo is noted for being a pilgrim's protector when ever they go, this is also the reason why she also had the the title as Nuestra Señora dela Paz y Buen Viaje, in translation The Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage. But did you that Antipolo was back then possess more and better jewels than La Naval. What is interesting about her is how she once rival the La Granda Señora of the Dominicans of Intramuros, The Our Lady of La Naval de Manila. Today La Naval is considered as the riches of all Virgens in the country but in the Pre-war years these two were rival when it comes to their number of collection of jewels.

During the Spanish Regime, Antipolo was the most visited Marian Image in the country, unlike the La Naval of the Dominicans whose devotees where mostly the elite of Manila or other Provinces, Antipolo have more. Filipinos from all walks of life went to Antipolo to honer her and giving thanks for the blessing. The town of Antipolo was known back then as the Pilgrimage Town of the Philippines. The Virgin was also known as the “Galleon Trade Queen” and possess more jewel compared to La Naval, these offering were given to her by her faithful devotees from all walks of life. In the thread made by Nikki Ballesteros in Flickr he mention the picture posted above have the following;

"One will note her famous "plancha de oro," her exquisite, 18th century rococo-style frontal dress of solid 18 karat gold with a design of various flowers and birds. Even the "Santo Rosario" at the Santo Domingo Church, for all her aristocratic devotees, only had a "plancha de plata," a beautiful 19th century frontal dress of gilt silver with a design of various flowers. Even in Spain, there are very few images of the Virgin, if any, with frontal dresses of solid 18 karat gold. Note her crown of solid 18 karat gold, which is completely studded with rose-cut diamonds, large natural Sulu pearls, Burmese rubies, Colombian emeralds, and Indian blue sapphires. Note her "aureola" halo of solid 18 karat gold, also studded with precious gems like diamonds, pearls, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires. Note her 18 karat gold hair pins [ "atochas" ] and rings which are all studded with rose-cut diamonds and Sulu pearls."

But not all these came to last, all of the magnificent jewels of the Virgin disappeared at the turn of the 20th century. It was said that a Camarero had absconded with the entire lot to Hong Kong. Today many of her famous jewels and regalia's are copies of original that were lost, the jewels are but a memory and even majority of those displayed at the back of the altar are no more than glass and colored stones. Canonical Crown used in the 80th anniversary of her canonical coronation is a replica of the original, it is said that the original is in loan of certain bank only to be brought in a special occasion.

Credits to Nikki Ballesteros, Paulo Janolino and F.J. Díaz Pérez III.

Lumangbayan Church Ruins

Originally I fought that the Church of Nasugbu was the one replace by the new one, yet I was wrong this was the original location of Nasugbu Church before it was transferred to the Poblacion. The story of how this church was abandoned is written below.


"Several years later in 1896, the "Lumang Simbahan" was desecrated during the Spanish War. Under the leadership of Captain Samaniego and Captain Barcelon, several Nasugbuenos took arms against the Spanish army. As a result, the Spanish Army mercilessly locked up nearly 500 men, women, and children in the Lumang Simbahan and set it on fire. Never again was Holy Mass allowed to be observed in that church after its ungodly desecration. To this day, however, it is still visited by countless devotees, despite the fact Holy Mass is absent."

The story is one of the things that happen in Batangas that other Chuches did not. Today the ruins is being use as a "Tuklong", chapel by the barrio.

I just hope that the ruins may be rebuilt again and consecrated to become not just a landmark of ruins but an edifice of Faith.

For more information about this topic follow the links below.
http://simbahan.net/2010/01/11/church-ruins-in-lumangbayan-nasugbu-batangas/
http://www.nasugbuchurch.com/ourchurch.htm