50. 18 PAMPANGA LANDMARKS AND MONUMENTS, 2nd of 2 parts

JOSE ABAD SANTOS MONUMENT

Location: Heritage District, Angeles City

Jose Abad Santos was the fifth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines and served as Acting President of the Philippines during World War II. Born in San Fernando (b. 19 Feb. 1886), he and his son Pepito were captured by the Japanese forces in Cebu, then taken to Malabang, Lanao where the jurist was ordered executed. He comforted his son with this noble thought: “"Do not cry, Pepito, show to these people that you are brave. It is an honor to die for one's country. Not everybody has that chance." The monument of Abad Santos stands in the heritage district of Angeles City, in front of the old municipio, now converted into a museum. It was inaugurated on 31 Oct. 1958, during the last term of Angeles Mayor, Manuel Abad Santos, a nephew of Pampanga’s most well-known hero. The plaque, courtesy the Pampanga Masonic Lodge , is inscribed with a re-stated version of his last words given to his son:  “He gave up life to consecrate an idea—that it is a rare opportunity not given to everyone to die for one’s country”.

BENEDICTO T. DAYRIT STATUE

Location: Town Plaza, Magalang

On 28 Dec. 1963, Mayor Benedicto Tapnio Dayrit (b. 21 Aug. 1932) was assassinated by the alleged men of Huk Cmdr. Sumulong during the Magalang centenary celebration at the town plaza. The well-loved mayor was gunned down as the “Mountain Side” evening ball was going on, the highlight of the 3-day festivities to mark the 100^th anniversary of the transfer of Magalang town proper.  It was speculated that the Mayor Dayrit was killed because he refused to tax the public school teachers.  In his honor, the Freedom Park and the emergency hospital were renamed after him. A statue in his likeness was also unveiled at the town square in memory of this devoted public servant—the first re-elected chief executive of Magalang,  and who was, as the plaque on the pedestal states, “a champion of the masses, defender of the poor, a devoted public servant beloved by his people.

GOV. PABLO ANGELES DAVID MONUMENT

Location: Bacolor, Pampanga

This monument was erected as a token of gratitude to the late Gov. Pablo Angeles David (1889-1965) who served the government in various official capacities. A distinguished son of Bacolor, Pablo Angeles David was born to Carlos de los Angeles  and Ceferina Mesina David on 17 August 1889. He passed the bar in 1910, became a juez de paz for Sta. Rita, Sasmuan and Bacolor  until he became Asst. Provincial Fiscal. Provincial Board Member (1916-1919). He would become the governor of the province from (1931-37), and after his term, served as Judge Court of First Instance (1939-1945). After the war, David was called on to become an acting Governor (1945-1947). He served as Senator of the Philippine Republic from 1948-1953. The monument, as the plaque inscriptions note, is a “symbol of love and affection of the people of Bacolor”, made possible by virtue of Resolution No. 44, Series of 1982 of the Municipal Council of Bacolor.

PRES. MANUEL ROXAS MONUMENT

Location: Clark Air Base

Manuel  Acuña Roxas (b. 1 Jan. 1892) was the fifth President of the Philippines who served from 1946 until his death in 1948. He briefly served as the third and last President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines . On the morning of 15 April 1948, at the Kelly Theater in Clark Air Base,  Roxas delivered a speech before the United States Thirteenth Air Force. He suddenly felt dizzy and was immediately brought to the residence of Major General E.L. Eubank. Shortly after, he suffered a fatal heart attack in the evening. Roxas' presidential term is thus the third shortest, lasting only one year, ten months, and 18 days. A plaque originally marked his place of death in Clark. On the occasion of the 56th death anniversary of the soldier-statesman, the Pres. Manuel A.Roxas Foundation (PMARF) and the National Historic Institute, in cooperation with the Clark Development Corp., inaugurated the Pres. Roxas memorial statue  on 15 April 2004.

KAMIKAZE MONUMENT

Location: Japanese War Memorial, Mabalacat

As World War II drew to a close with imminent American victory, Vice Admiral Takajiro Ohnisi arrived in Mabalacat on 19 Oct. 1944 and, meeting in the house of Marcos Santos,  planned organized suicide attack units composed of "Zero aircraft fighters" against the Americans.  Thus, the Kamikaze suicide mission was launched. In all, over 5,000 Japanese pilots died in these missions. In 1975, a Kamikaze Marker was erected in Barangay Cacutud through the initiative of local historian-writer-artist Daniel H. Dizon. Buried in lahar in 1991, it was replaced with a new peace memorial in October 2001. On October 24, 2004, a life-size fiberglass gold statue of an unnamed Kamikaze pilot was unveiled at the Japanese War Memorial, eliciting cries of outrage and disgust that saw print on national dailies. Local tourism official Guy Hilbero, the proponent of the controversial project, maintains that the statue “is not a memorial glorifying the Kamikaze pilots” but its aim is to promote peace “using the lessons of war”. Concerned individuals think otherwise. Dr. Benito Legarda Jr. of the National Historic Institute, calls it a “monument to servility” as “the purpose of the Kamikaze was precisely to prolong the war”.

MONUMENTO FERNANDINO

Location: Dolores, San Fernando

The grand and imposing thirty-foot bronze monument that welcomes everyone to the capital city is a masterpiece of the National Artist Abdulmari Imao, a Tausug who also was one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines in 1968.  “Monumento Fernandino” shows four allegorical figures  aspects of the city’s history—the penitent girl with a lantern, lady with a torch, lady making an offering and a boatman. When seen from a distance, the tableau seems like a plant growing on a barren landscape. San Fernando’s newest landmark was inaugurated in December 2004. 

CAPT. COLIN P. KELLY MEMORIAL SHRINE

Location: cor. Ninoy Aquino Ave. and Foxhound St., Clark Air Base

One of the historic buildings in Clark Air Base was the Kelly Theater, constructed in 1953, the only cinema house in Clark and the venue of many stage plays and cultural shows. There was an earlier Kelly Theater built earlier—in 1947—that was converted from an old gymnasium. Both theaters were names after B-17 pilot Capt. Colin Purdie Kelly Jr. (b. 11 July 1915/10 Dec. 1941)  who died in action against the Japanese forces in 1941. Kelly’s damaged plane, while returning from a bombing run, blew up near Clark Field after being engaged by enemy forces. Capt. Kelly was declared America’s first hero of WWII by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt.  The  memorial statue of the fallen captain was inaugurated on the theater grounds on 10 Dec. 2007—the 66^th year of his passing. It was made possible  though the auspices of the Mabalacat Tourism Office and the Air Force Wing of the Philippine Air Force. Lt. Clay Crawford, Chief of the U.S. Air Force Programs of JUSMAG, graced the significant event.

RUFINO CARDINAL SANTOS STATUE

Location: Guagua, Pampanga

Marking his 100th birth anniversary, the Center for Kapampangan Studies of Holy Angel University donated 6-foot statue of the late Rufino Cardinal Santos y Jiao at the Immaculate Parish in Guagua, Pampanga. The country’s first  Cardinal, born in brgy. Santo Niño in Guagua in 1908,  served as the Archbishop of Manila from 1953, before receiving the red hat from Pope John Paul XXIII on 31 March 1960. Cardinal Santos was known for founding Caritas Manila, the reconstruction of St. Paul Hospital (now the Cardinal Santos Medical Center) and in rebuilding the war-damaged Manila Cathedral in 1958.  He passed away on 3 Sep. 1973. The statue of the Cardinal Santos was made by Kapampangan artist,  Edillardo Paras. It rests  atop a seven-foot concrete pedestal outside the Rufino J. Cardinal Santos convention hall adjacent to the Parish Church. It was unveiled on 26 Aug. 2008 by Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

LUIS TARUC FREEDOM PARK MONUMENT

Location: Brgy. San Sebastian, San Luis

In July 2013, a public park in San Luis was named after the late Huk supremo,  Luis Taruc ((b. 21 Jun. 1913/4 May 2005), a noted leader of the Hukbalahap guerrilla group, a high-ranking official of the Socialist Party of the Philippines, military leader of the United Front, and an agrarian reform champion. The symbol of his advocacy finds full expression in the monument of a peasant family, celebrating their freedom from the bondage of the soil. The mother holds his baby aloft clutching a laurel crown of victory while the farmer-father holds the implement of his sweat and labors.

BONUS:

PHOTO COURTESY: Jason Paul Laxamana, The Prodigal
Mole Cricket blog

RIZAL "WATERWORLD" MONUMENT

Masantol, Pampanga

A solitary figure of the national hero appears to rise from the floodwaters that have covered the grounds of an elementary school where this solitary monument stands.

SOURCES & REFERENCES:

JOSE ABAD SANTOS. Photo: (old photo) Alex R. Castro, (new photo): Wikimedia commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:0434fjfJose_Abad_Santos_Monument_Pampangafvf_04.jpg

BENEDICTO T. DAYRIT STATUE. Photo: Magalang Heritage FB Group, c/o Doriz Manlapaz.

Special thanks to Louie Bartolo Lacson for additional info.

PABLO ANGELES DAVID. Photo: wikimapia: http://wikimapia.org/27899704/Senator-Pablo-Angeles-David-Monument

(old photo): Singsing Magazine, Center for Kapampangan Studies

MANUEL ROXAS MEMORIAL. Photo: http://www.clarksubicmarketing.com/clark_air_base_history.htm

KAMIKAZE MONUMENT.

Photo: Kamikaze Pilot Statue, www.pampangatalents.com

MONUMENTO FERNANDINO. Photo: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Monumento_Fernandino#/media/File:9998Monumento_Fernandino_Pampangafvf_14.JPG

KELLY SHRINE

Photo: Clark Air Base History: http://www.clarksubicmarketing.com/clark_air_base_history.htm

CARDINAL SANTOS:

Photo: http://www.pampangatalents.com/04_Gallery/Pampanga/Villages/Guagua/slides/Guagua_Town_25.html

Source: Cardinal Santos Historical Marker Unveiled, http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/118778/cardinal-s-historical-marker-unveiled/story/

LUIS TARUC FREEDOM  PARK MONUMENT. Photo: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Luis_M._Taruc_Freedom_Park_(San_Luis,_Pampanga)#/media/File:FvfSanLuisPampanga8891_20.JPG

Source: inquirer.net, http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/444233/guerrilla-leader-land-reform-champion-gets-place-of-honor

49. 18 PAMPANGA LANDMARKS AND MONUMENTS, 1st of 2 parts

Pampanga has but a few monuments that serve as identifying landmarks of our towns and cities. New or old, they commemorate events, mark the achievements of heroes and local icons, and also remind us of the likenesses of figures and personalities they honor. Here are a few of these monuments that stand on the hallowed grounds of our great province.

ANDA MEMORIAL OBELISK

Location: Bacolor, Pampanga

The original 6 meter-high Anda Obelisk was unveiled by town officials in 1853 to honor Gov. Gen. Simon de Anda y Salazar who moved the capital of the Philippines to Bacolor from 1762-64, as the British sacked Manila.  The obelisk stood on a pedestal 1.7 meters high, anchored on a 6 sq. meter base., On the monument’s frontal was a marble plate on which was carved a commander’s cane  and a general’s sword, united by a crown of laurels and palms.  The monument, made of Meycauayan stone, stood in front of the house where Anda lived, across the Bacolor church patio. A similar monument could be found in Intramuros, the centerpiece of the Anda circle, built in 1876. But while the Manila obelisk survived, the memorial in Bacolor was destroyed by revolutionary forces when Spanish forces burned the town in 1899. On 8 October 2012, a replica of the original Anda memorial monument  was inaugurated in front of the town hall, which is across the former site of the Casa Real, the seat of the provincial government.

GEN. MAXIMINO HIZON MONUMENT

Location: Pampanga Capitol Grounds, San Fernando

At the center of the grounds in front of the Capitol Building stands a stately statue of Gen. Maximino Hizon, one of the famous Pampango generals who, during the revolution, distinguished himself in many battles against the Spanish and American armies. Maximino was born on 28 May 1870, of Chinese-Filipino roots, in Mexico. He rose to become the Comandante General of Pampanga and died on 1 Sep. 1901. The monument, which shows the hero wearing a familiar revolucionario hat astride a horse,  was erected on 28 December 1919, by the government and the people of Pampanga.

MACABEBE Á RIZAL MONUMENT

Location: Poblacion, Macabebe

The "Macabebe á Rizal" Monument  manifested the town’s recognition of the making of the Filipino nation during the American period. It was the first act of the Macabebes to honor the icon of the Revolution in 1919 (also the same year the National Flag derived from that of Aguinaldo's was officially instituted as the national colors). The next gesture of Macabebes' participation in the process of nation-building was the erection, in 1934,  of a monument dedicated to their native hero—“To The Brave King of Macabebe",  a symbol of the Macabebes’ bravery and his struggle for freedom from foreign rule. Majority of Macabebes might not have yet developed the concept of a nation in 1898, but they struggled to be Filipinos and underwent the said process.  As Jose Rizal’s 1888 letter to Mariano Ponce declared with longing:   "On the day when all Filipinos should think like us, on that day we shall have fulfilled our arduous mission which is the formation of the Filipino nation”.

JUAN CRISOSTOMO SOTO MEMORIAL BUST

Location: Bacolor

Pampanga’s foremost man of letters--Juan Crisostomo C. Soto (b. 27 Jan. 1867) was known by his pen name Crissot. He was an influential and distinguished poet, playwright, novelist, journalist, publisher and revolutionary who sparked the golden age of Kapampangan literature. His lifeworks works are 49 plays, a novel, a few stories, sketches and a good number of poems and newspaper articles. At the height of his career, Crissot wrote the best-selling novel, Lidia. His zarzuela masterpiece, Alang Dios! (There is no God!) was first performed on 16 November 1902 at Teatro Sabina in Bacolor, Pampanga, and it was reported to have been given a standing ovation once at Teatro Zorilla in Manila. By common consent, Kapampangans immortalized Crissot by naming the popular vernacular poetic jousts Crissotan. The literary giant died on  12 July 1918. On 2 Aug. 1919, the “Aguman 33”, and actor’s club whose members performed in many Crissot zarzuelas, raised funds to build a bust memorial, done by the Quiapo sculptor, Euogio Velarde Garcia. After the town was buried in lahar in 1995, the Crissot Memorial Bust was the first to be unearthed.

AURELIO TOLENTINO MONUMENT

Location: Municipal Hall frontage, Guagua

Pampanga’s most notable revolutionary playwright was born in Sto. Cristo of this town on 13 Oct. 1867. Aurelio Tolentino's law studies in Manila was cut short due to his father’s death, and he returned to Guagua briefly to teach.  He found a job at the Court of the First Instance in Tondo where he met Andres Bonifacio and became a revolucionario. He helped print propaganda materials, was a signatory of the Declaration of Philippine Independence in Kawit on 12 June 1898. But it was his fiery writings that made Tolentino a force to reckon with. He was charged with sedition for his 1903 verse drama “Napun, Ngeni at Bukas” (Kahapon , Ngayon at Bukas) and was imprisoned for 2 years. Other works include the Kapampangan 6-act drama “Buac ng Ester” , “Daclat Kayanakan” and “Kasulatang Guintu”. Aurelio Tolentino died in 1915 and was buried in the North Cemetery. In 1921, his remains were transferred to Guagua, where they were interred in the base of a memorial monument which is now located at the Plaza Burgos, on the right side of Guagua’s municipal hall.

FELIX GALURA MONUMENT

Location: Bacolor, Pampanga

On 24 December 1924, a monument was put up in front of the Bacolor Elementary School by Aguman 33, a band of grateful citizens and friends, dedicated to the memory of a beloved son of Bacolor--“Caluguran Nang Anac Ning Baculud”—Felix Napao Galura. Born on 21 Feb. 1866, Galura became a well-known writer; he assumed the pseudonym “Flauxgalier” (an anagram of his name), and was a regular contributor to the bi-lingual newspaper “E Mangabiran/ El Imparcial” which began publication in 1905. He wrote Kapampangan adaptations of Spanish plays like “O, Kasiran” and “Azucena”. With Juan Crisostomo Soto, he co-wrote “Ing Singsing A Bacal” (The Ring of Steel), a zarzuela based on a Spanish play. ”Ing Cabiguan” (The Misfortune”), a verse narrative published in 1915, is his best-known work. The multi-faceted Galura was not onlya poet, grammarian, revolutionary journalist but also a public servant, serving as  Bacolor’s town head from 1909-18. He passed away on 21 July 1919, at age 53.

KING OF MACABEBE (Nameless Hero)  MONUMENT

Location: Municipal Hall frontage, Macabebe

The young leader of Macabebe led more than 2,000 warriors from Pampanga and Bulacan to expel Spaniards from Luzon on 31 May 1571. He refused the offer of friendship of Gov. Gen. Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and instead, challenged him to a battle in Bangkusay, where the nameless hero perished. For centuries, he has been confused with Rajah Soliman, owing to Pedro Paterno’s assigning him the name “Tarik Soliman”. Spaniards called him “Bambalito”, a pejorative term, that does not really identify him. Nonetheless, in 1934, the brave warrior was honored with a monument showing "The King of Macabebe" seated, armed with a spear and shield. Originally located  in the Poblacion in 1934, it was a donation of then municipal presidente M. Bustos  Zabala and members of the Town Fiesta Committee led by its president, Feliciano Pineda,  In 2010, the monument was inscribed with the name ‘Tarik Soliman”, and 3 years later, with the issue still unresolved, a marble marker used both “Tarik Soliman “ and “Bambalito”. Only in 2016 that the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP)  corrected the centuries-old error committed by Spanish and Filipino historians, by proclaiming an unnamed leader of Macabebe as the hero and martyr in the Battle of Bangkusay.

GEN. JOSE M. ALEJANDRINO MONUMENT

Location: Municipal Hall Grounds, Arayat

Gen. Jose M. Alejandrino was born to rich parents from Arayat in Tondo on 1 Dec. 1870 and would play many significant roles in our history—as a hero of the Philippine Revolution of 1896 and of the Philippine-American War of 1898. Later in life, he was known as an accomplished political leader-- as a senator for Mindanao and Sulu, and as an elected representative to the 1934 Constitutional Convention.  Even as a student in Spain, he was an active member of the Propaganda movement,  helping edit  Dr. Jose Rizal’s  book, “Noli Me Tangere” and in publishing  “El Filibusterismo”. He served in the 1898 Malolos Congress, and when the Philippine-American War erupted, he rose to the position of brigadier general and became the acting secretary of war. He died on 1 June 1951. To honor his memory his monument was unveiled on 20 October 1963 by the Gov. Jose M. Alejandrino Movement, and sponsored by the Arayat Municipal Scouting Committee. The Gen. Jose M. Alejandrino monument was designed by architects Romeo and Felicisimo Vivencio. The monument, showing the general on his war steed,  was installed on the grounds of the Arayat municipal hall.  It was refurbished after the renovation of the plaza and after the reconstruction of the municipal building.

ING TANDA

Location: Town Plaza, Magalang

“Ing Tanda”, or the Magalang town marker, features a book guarded by an eagle. On the pages of the open book is inscribed the history of the town—from its founding by the Augustinians in 1605 to its turnover to the Philippine Republic  in 1946.  A plaque on its pedestal recounts the same, in English. The marker, designed by the Father of Modern Philippine Architecture, Fernando Ocampo y Hizon of San Fernando, was built through funds raised by town committees. It was installed on 13 December 1954.  

TO BE CONTINUED....

SOURCES & REFERENCES

ANDA MONUMENT. Photo: http://nostalgiafilipinas.blogspot.com/2012/12/con-amor-reconstruido-anda-monument.html (John T. Pilot’s photostream)

Photo: Bacolor Anda Monument: Francis Musni

HIZON STATUE. Photos: Ivan Henares, Alex R. Castro

Source: Philippine Social Directory 1934

MACABEBE RIZAL MONUMENT. Photo/Source: Ian Alfonso

CRISSOT BUST. Photo: Sapni ng Crissot FB page

AURELIO TOLENTINO. Photo: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:JfAurelio_Tolentinofvf_06.JPG

FELIX GALURA MONUMENT.

Photo: (old photo) Alex R. Castro Collection;  

(new photo): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Tongio_Liongson#/media/File:Napaojf.JPG

Source: www.viewsfromthepampang.blogspot.com (The Fiery Pen of Felix Galura)

KING OF MACABEBE. Photo: Ruston Banal

Source: Ian Christopher Alfonso, “Nameless Hero” book, 2016.

GEN. ALEJANDRINO. Photo: Religion, Revolution and Rice: Rambling through Bulacan, Nueva Ecija and Pampanga (Part 2, owned by Marco Ph)

https://medium.com/@1634PH/religion-revolution-and-rice-a57c6eabe853

ING TANDA. Photos: Magalang Heritage FB page, courtesy of Doris Manlapaz