MY SHARE in the celebration of the Arts Month (February) is to accommodate the request of Sister Josephine Sugon, HGS to be the resource person for her Spanish class from the University of St. La Salle.
The task is to give lecture while the graduating students are on tour. It is some kind of education on wheels (while the bus is moving) and a hop-to-hop discussion as we visit places of interest.
Our topic is “The Influence of the Spaniards in our Culture”. We started at Plaza Olympia Severino in ciudad de Silay. The plaza was the classic nucleus of the architecture in the “pueblo” (town) established by the Spaniards. Around the plaza are the prominent structures: Catholic church, convent, “ayuntamiento” (town council), schools and mansions of the “hacendados”.
It was in the middle of the plaza that the Philippine flag embroidered by Olympia Severino and her relatives was raised at the bamboo pole after Lt. Maximiano Correa surrendered the Spanish garrison to the “revolucionarios”. The plaza was along “calle real”, Rizal Street.
San Diego Pro-Cathedral, the only pro-cathedral outside of Metro Manila, is a landmark of Spanish influence. The friars worked hard for the establishment of a “parroquia” parish: a definite territory, group of faithful, church of worship, and a resident curate.
The church in Silay still retains the “retablo” (altar piece), the “pulpit” (pulpit), baptismal shell, and “prie-dieu” (prayer desk). The communion rail was removed to follow the order of Vatican II that the faithful should not be separated from the altar and the priest.
Our next stop over was at Ramon Hofilena museum. Ramon himself was the house guide in his own residence. His important pieces of furniture dated back to the years when Silay was “Paris of Negros”. He also explained architectural styles in Silay inspired by art noveau and art deco.
In the afternoon, we visited the hacienda mansion of Msgr. Guillermo Gaston in Hda Sta. Rosalia in Manapla. It is a typical example of “Balay nga Bato”, a Spanish-inspired house suited for the “buena familias”.
As a typical Spanish influenced house, one can find the “caida” (drawing room), “sala”, “curators”, “comedor”, “volada” (upper wooden story) serving as balcony, “zaguan” (ground space), and the “persianas”, (wooden jalousies) or the “conchas” (lattice work panels).
The last in the itinerary was our visit at the Chapel of Cartwheels. It was designed by then young Father Guillermo Gaston. The unique chapel with cartwheel (yangka) wall was in a form of a “sadok or salakot”, the wide hat used by the workers to protect their head from the scorching heat of the sun or rain.
Jesus Christ was not nailed on the cross but in the “yangka” to remind the hacienda workers that their valuable daily sacrifice is connected to sugar and sugarcane, their source of income for food and for the education of their children.
Our lecture on tour ended there. The students are made to realize that our culture has been acculturated by the Spaniards in so many ways. Adios!