Coral

One last post about our trip to Bantayan Island (see previous two posts)—the Saints Peter and Paul Parish Church, better known simply as Bantayan Church.
  The church had already closed for the night when we went to visit, but the caretaker graciously opened it for us when he found out that we had a priest in our group. The parish traces its history back to 11 June 1580 when the Spanish Agustinians established it. The first church was destroyed when the town was attacked by Muslim pirates in 1600. It was rebuilt in the same year but was transferred to the management of secular priests. The current church was constructed in 1839–1863. Unfortunately, the plaque on the wall didn't say what happened to the previous building. 
  The church's design is typical of other Spanish-era churches in the country. A portion of the roof was damaged by Typhoon Haiyan, but it had been repaired completely by the time we visited. 
  What makes Bantayan Church unique is the fact that it is made almost entirely of coral. Moss grows easily on them, but I think they just add beauty and interest to the walls.
  And those walls are thick! I measured myself against the depth of a doorway, and I think the walls are easily six feet deep.

Team building

Our office trip to Bantayan Island (see yesterday's post) wasn't only for rest and recreation. The more important objective was team building. In our case, it was quite literal.
  Gawad Kalinga (GK), which means "to give care," is a poverty-alleviation and nation-building movement which builds houses and creates communities all over the Philippines for the poorest Filipinos. GK communities are known for their colorful houses, which is but the first step in the long process of poverty-alleviation. There is a young GK Village in Bantayan Island—named the Pope Francis GK Village—and we spent our first afternoon there.
  GK is completely funded by donations and powered by volunteers. The land for the Pope Francis GK Village was donated by the municipality, which increased the donation after Typhoon Haiyan destroyed many of the coastal villages in Bantayan Island. The houses are largely funded by Xavier School and the ERDA Group, both Jesuit institutions based in Manila.
   The simplest way of volunteering is by helping build houses, which is what we did. The boys did the heavy work of mixing the sand, cement and water. (I tried, but my arm strength is absolutely pathetic.) That's our big boss dude in the Hawaiian shirt.
  We passed buckets of the cement mixture for the floor of one of the units. Aside from volunteers, GK houses are built by their recipients, who have to log in 300 hours of labor and attendance in values formation workshops before they can move in. GK calls it "sweat equity." And the formation continues long after the beneficiaries receive their houses—necessary if one wants to build real communities and not just houses.  
  Before we left, some of the children of Pope Francis GK Village performed a dance for us, a dance that they had been practicing for a big GK event.

To learn more about Gawad Kalinga, and maybe even donate or volunteer, please visit their website.

Last hurrah

One week before the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA, which means "hope" in Tagalog) officially declared the onset of the rainy season, our office went on its annual teambuilding and R&R. Last year, we went to Boracay; this year, we went to Bantayan Island in the province of Cebu (which is also an island). From Metro Manila, it's a one-hour plane ride, two-hour van ride, and one-hour boat ride away. It was worth the long trip.
  We stayed at Anika Island Resort in the small town of Santa Fe. It's right on the beach and the rooms are unusual because they're all made from freight containers. Needless to say, they all have airconditioners.
  There are only a few resorts in Bantayan so it's very peaceful. There are still quite a number of fishing communities on the island and fish pens near the shore are not uncommon. We were able to buy freshly-dried danggit, naturally salted by the sea water, to take home to Manila. On our side of the island, the tide is very low in the mornings, but even when the tide is high, you can walk 200 meters from the beach and the water will only be waist-high.
  We were told that there was a smaller island just off Bantayan where the snorkeling was good, so we rented a bangka to go there.
  It's a really small island—basically a rock with some palm trees growing on it, with a tiny strip of beach on one end.
  Welcome to Virgin Island! It doesn't have its own electricity or water, and all supplies have to be brought in by bangka. There are no resorts, either, though more adventurous souls are welcome to pitch tents on the beach and stay overnight.
  You don't have to go far from shore to to see schools of yellow and silver striped fish (I have no idea what they are), but you have to swim farther to get to the live coral.

For those who don't snorkel, Virgin Island also has a nice stretch of shallow water with no coral, rocks or sea grass—perfect for little kids.

Canopy

"Painting is so poetic, while sculpture is more logical and scientific and makes you worry about gravity."

~Damien Hirst, English artist

This is what it looks like underneath "The Trees" of artist Reynato Paz Contreras (see yesterday's post). They don't provide a lot of shelter from either sun or rain, unfortunately.

Intertwined

"Art-making is not about telling the truth but making the truth felt."

~Christian Boltanski, French sculptor

Made of recycled stainless steel, "The Trees" by artist Reynato Paz Contreras stands in the middle of the park in the middle of the roundabout that is Burgos Circle in Bonifacio Global City. According to the artist, "The three trunks signify stability. The intertwining branches and leaves create a circular effect to symbolise the 'circle of life.' This sculpture represents the interrelationship of humanity and nature, and the vital role that each one plays. May it remind everyone to preserve the environment not just for today but for the future as well."

A different world

"That's universal—we all want to bring every good thing to our children. But what's not universal is our ability to provide every good thing."

~Melinda Gates, American businesswoman and philanthropist

These are just a few of the high-rise residential condominium towers in Bonifacio Global City. The shorter buildings are restaurants and shops around Burgos Circle, a roundabout with a park in the middle, from where I took this photo. Standing there, it was almost easy to forget that the Philippines is a third world country (or, to be politically correct, a developing country).

American nostalgia

"Remembrance of things past is not necessarily the remembrance of things as they were."

~Marcel Proust (1871–1922), French novelist

A gaudy and lovely Rock-Ola jukebox at the American 1950s diner-themed Johnny Rockets in Bonifacio Global City.

1904

"The car has become an article of dress without which we feel uncertain, unclad, and incomplete in the urban compound."

~Marshall McLuhan (1911–1980), Canadian philosopher of communication theory

This 1904 Richard-Brasier Roadster was the first car to roll on Philippine roads. It was built by French and Belgian manufacturers Georges Richard and Charles-Henri Brasier, and has a 9-horsepower, 2-cylinder engine. It was first brought to the country in 1904 by the trading firm Estrella del Norte. It then passed through many hands until 2006, when Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation acquired it as part of its commitment to preserve artifacts that are part of our culture and heritage. It is currently on loan to The Mind Museum at Taguig.

~Text edited from The Mind Museum's sign

Postcards from Cambodia: Angkor Wat

One of the few things I was willing to wake up at an ungodly hour for was to watch the sun rise over Cambodia's greatest treasure: Angkor Wat, the City of Temples. 
  First a Hindu then a Buddhist temple complex, Angkor Wat was built in the 12th century by King Suryavarman II.  
  It is the largest religious monument in the world and its perfect symmetry is a wonder to behold.
  The main temple of Angkor Wat is composed of three rectangular galleries, each higher than the next.
  Every inch of the walls of each gallery is covered in elaborate bas-relief scenes from Hindu mythology and literature.
  Angkor Wat's Temple Mountain, its central and uppermost sanctuary, is an architectural representation of Mount Meru, the home of the gods in Hindu mythology.
  From the uppermost terrace, one can see across the lower galleries to the bridge which crosses the moat around Angkor Wat, and all the way to the outer wall.
  The image of Buddha in the uppermost sanctuary depicts him seated on the coils of a Naga. Legend says that Buddha was so deep in meditation, he did not notice the storm that began raging around him. So the Naga coiled itself under Buddha to raise him from the muddy waters and bent its seven heads (one of which is broken here) over him to protect him from the rain. Of all the temples in the Angkor district of Siem Reap, only Angkor Wat was never abandoned and it is still an active Buddhist temple today.

Postcards from Cambodia: Angkor Thom

The Buddhist Bayon Temple was built in the late 12th or early 13th century and stands in the middle of Angkor Thom, the capital of the empire of King Jayavarman VII.
  Its most distinctive feature is its multitude of towers, each bearing a serenely smiling face on each of its four sides.
  The gigantic faces bear a striking resemblance to the statues of King Jayavarman VII, which have led some scholars to believe that they are images of the king himself. Others believe that they are representations of the bodhisattva of compassion.
  Older temples in Angkor Thom survive. The three-tiered Baphuon Temple, built in the mid-11th century, was dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.
  The 10th century Phimeanakas Temple is located within the walls of the royal palace. It is associated with a very interesting legend which involves the king and a Naga, a mythological creature in the form of a snake which, in Cambodia, has seven heads.
  Angkor Thom's kings had a long stone terrace which they used for public ceremonies and audiences. It is now known as the Terrace of the Elephants because of the parade of elephants decorating the surviving portions.

Postcards from Cambodia: Banteay Srei

The 10th century Banteay Srei, dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, is distinctive among Angkor's many temples because of the miniature scale of its buildings.

It was constructed using a hard red sandstone which can be carved like wood. Despite being more than a thousand years old, the temple retains much of its intricate decorative carvings.

Postcards from Cambodia: Ta Prohm

Back in November 2013, my husband and I spent five days in Siem Reap, Cambodia with a couple of friends. We got home to news of a large typhoon forming over the Pacific whose projected path would take it directly over the Philippines. I used my spare hours tracking it and didn't bother with my blog—only for a few days, I thought. It took me several months after Typhoon Haiyan to start blogging again. So, half a year late, I will be featuring photos of our "Temple Run" for the next few days.
  Ta Prohm is one of the hundreds of temples found in the Angkor area of Siem Reap. It was built as a monastery and university in the late 12th and early 13th centuries and, unlike other Angkor temples, is kept in pretty much the same condition as it was found.
  Except for one particular temple, Angkor was abandoned in the 15th century, and the temples neglected for centuries. The jungle reclaimed the land and, now, Ta Prohm is best known for the trees (mostly kapok and banyan) growing out of the ruins. (It is also known as the temple in the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider movie.) A few carvings in the temple stones survived centuries of exposure to the elements.

Some of the trees growing out of Ta Prohm are huge. The exposed roots of this one need propping up so the ruins don't collapse further.
  A look back as we were leaving revealed the entirety of the highest tree growing out of the temple.

Bamboo

"Study the teachings of the pine tree, the bamboo, and the plum blossom. The pine is evergreen, firmly rooted, and venerable. The bamboo is strong, resilient, unbreakable. The plum blossom is hardy, fragrant, and elegant."

~Morihei Ueshiba (1883–1969), Japanese martial artist and founder of aikido

I saw this bamboo hut on stilts behind Earth Kitchen. I don't know if it's theirs or if it belongs to the plant nursery beside them, but it would be a nice place to have a meal on a cool day or evening. It'll be tough on the waiters, though.

Framed

"Set wide the window. Let me drink the day."

~Edith Wharton, Artemis to Actaeon and Other Verses

Other than the enormous floor lamp in the middle of the room (see yesterday's post), the interior of Earth Kitchen is simple and even quite spartan: raw cement floors and walls, and tables and chairs that are very utilitarian. The big window which looks out onto the street is beautifully screened by the bamboo and palm trees outside, however, making it look like a painting from inside. The real paintings which currently adorn the otherwise bare walls were created by students of Cabuynan Elementary School in Tanauan, Leyte who survived Typhoon Haiyan. They are for sale for PhP500 each and all of the proceeds will be used to rebuild their school.